The opening line of a book is given great importance, for it is that sentence which invites the reader to further investigation. But what of the closer? Is the last line of a book important?
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known. – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.
The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. –George Orwell, Animal Farm
After all, tomorrow is another day. –Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind
I can’t say that I think closing lines get a whole lot of attention from authors. There are really only a few that are iconic. I do think they get attention from readers, though. The last lines signal the end of the reader’s relationship with your book. Hopefully, it has been a good experience for them and the last lines provide a sense of satisfaction.
Look at the last line of your latest book. Look at the last lines in your favorite books. What do you see? What can you learn? Does your closing stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of your writing? Is it as strong as your opener? Could you do it better?
The reason I think the closer is more important than authors may believe is this: some prospective readers go so far as to look at the last few lines before they even decide to buy the book. These readers look at the cover, the book blurb and the last line. They may not even look at your carefully crafted opening hook. Why miss an opportunity to intrigue?
In considering closing lines, there are a couple of pitfalls. Obviously, if the answer to the intrigue or mystery or drama of your book reposes there, you may have a spoiler. Some readers don’t care about that. They want to know before they commit to the book that everything is going to turn out just so. Still, if you spent a couple hundred pages cleverly building suspense and layering in foreshadowing, it cannot help but take away some of the thrill of the ride when the reader knows from the start that the butler did it. So it is important not to give away too much in the closing lines.
It is also important that the closing lines not be too terribly arcane—too reliant on preceding passages to have any meaning at all. Does your last line mention the characters, settings, or events referenced in your book description? If a reader picks up your book about Jack and Jane and the train robbery, flips to the last page to see something or other about Grandpa Willie and his dog Sam finding happiness after all, will the reader purchase or pass?
Think as well about the memorability of your closing line. For some readers, this may be an author’s best chance at a sale. Do your best to make it something that will compel them to make the purchase.
A good book is a story well told from beginning to end.
I agree. Last lines are very important and should get a lot of consideration from the writer, if nothing else to thank the reader for getting that far.
🙂
*should* get a lot of… *sigh*
FIFY. 🙂
The worst closing line is “Find out what happens in Book 2”.
I almost ended the article with that very line! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more, Evil Mastermind. The first line “may” sell the book, but the last line sells the sequel. Someone else might have said that… In any case, good stuff.
Well put! 🙂
Exactly!
Hey, they get attention from this writer!
https://indiesunlimited.com/2012/02/24/ten-endings/
Agree, completely. In fact, I can’t imagine why anyone would neglect the…
LOL – and a good article, too David. 🙂
🙂
I’m surprised no one has shared the last lines of their books. Recently I’ve been re-reading Chris James’s book “The Dimension Researcher”. The last line(s) of that book really affected me and they give a great opening to what may come in the sequels:
“I looked ahead, through the window. Like the future, the horizon rushed towards us.”
LOVE those lines and cannot wait to read the next installment :))
Okay, Jo-Anne – the last line of my most recent novel, Night Undone, goes:
Deep inside, she knew she was still an adrenaline junkie, and that her vow to fight terrorism was ingrained in her soul, if she had one.
oh my! you see? intriguing Kat. I want to read more!
Thanks, Jo-Anne! 😀
David, LOL!
I put a lot of thought into last lines. Even if you’re not writing a sequel, those final words are what linger in the reader’s head. Like sticking the landing after the uneven parallel bars.
I mean to put way more thought into closing lines in future books than I have in the past. Thanks Laurie. 🙂
Fabulous way of looking at it, Laurie!
Seconded. This was exactly the sentiment I was going to express…though your analogy kills anything I would have posted.
I rewrote my last line many times before I felt it was worthy of being the final impression. I wanted my readers to put it down feeling as if they spent their time wisely.
That’s the ticket! 🙂
Thanks for bringing this up, EM. Personally, I love it when the ending of a book includes an echo, however faint, of the first few lines. But I don’t think I’ve ever used that particular trick myself. Yet. Hmm….
I like that idea, Lynne. I think that could be really effective if well done. Thanks.
Great point, EM. I don’t understand why anyone would read the last page of a book first, but I know people who do. 🙂
I know, right?
I always try to make that last line stick in your head. Sometimes they are happy endings, and sometimes not so happy. And in some cases I leave a hook for a possible sequel–those are my favorites!
I may spend days or weeks trying to come up with JUST the right line to finish a book. If I get one, and I’m not done, I hurriedly make up a new document and put the last scene and final line down so I don’t forget it. Then it’s just a matter of writing to that last scene and making everything match up.
Great post EM!