Writing That Comes Full Circle
Sometimes, I will read an article, finish it and feel a sense of unity. It’s complete. Other times, I’ll read a piece and wonder what’s missing (“Hmmm…it’s tight, like it’s been worked on by a good grammar software, but something’s lacking..”). Therein lies the difference between pieces that successfully manage to close the circle.
There are many ways to accomplish this. In fact, most of the good writers I know will have their own. For our purposes, though, I will suggest a few approaches that I think are the most accessible to people like us who are looking to improve our writing up a notch.
1. Summarize the piece. The easiest way to achieve this is to summarize the piece in your last paragraph. Instead of ending it abruptly, you give the reader a chance to review everything, going over what you’ve tackled in brief. If you can’t find a good way to close out a piece of writing, always use this as a default.
2. Answer the main question. Did you pose a question at the start of the piece? Then use the conclusion to provide a definitive answer that closes it. Make sure this question plays the driving force for the majority of the work, though, so it stays fresh in the reader’s mind
3. Return to where you began, while adding a twist. To close, go back to a quotation, statement or image that you used to start the piece with. Instead of just repeating it, though, add a twist that successfully assuages any lingering questions.