By Sean Brenner
For many writers, the worst part of any given manuscript is finding a way to start it. The curse of the blank page can be overwhelming.
For others, though, it can be just as overwhelming to try to end the manuscript. Conclusions might not be hated as passionately as introductions, but they have a way of taking the wind out of your sails just as it seems the hard part of a project is over.
They may not always have as much ground to cover as intros, but conclusions can still give you trouble, and for all manuscripts, sticking the landing is important. It doesn’t help that conclusions can follow a larger variety of formats than introductions usually do, making it more difficult to figure out the best way to end your manuscript. But there are a few conclusion formats that tend to work especially well, and in this article I’ll cover three of them.
Summarize
One common format, and likely the one you were taught to end your school essays with, is the summary. This type of conclusion is extremely simple: It’s a short paragraph that succinctly restates the main points of your manuscript, usually ending with one last point that encourages the reader to consider the topic further. This conclusion is almost a mirror image of the standard intro format, and though it can be somewhat boring, it gets the job done.
One challenge of the summary-style conclusion, however, is the last sentence. Ideally, it should build on the points you’ve made in your manuscript to give the reader something to think about. This last point doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but it should be thought-provoking. A high school English teacher once told me that a good last sentence should “make the reader want to go stare out a window for a few minutes.”
Build Bigger
This concept is the basis of another common conclusion format, the thought-provoking paragraph. This format can be thought of as an extended version of the last sentence of a summary-style conclusion, just without the summary leading up to it. This, too, builds on the points made in the body of the manuscript. Here, though, you’re connecting them with something new for the reader to think about. A little more effort than a straight summary, this type of conclusion is often more interesting and engaging.
Call to Action
Lastly, you could do what we like to do on The Writing Resource, which is to end with a call to action (CTA). This format is also more engaging than a summary, but it’s about as easy to write. It works by asking (“calling on”) the reader to do something. This could be as simple as encouraging the reader to leave a comment with their thoughts. When you’re publishing somewhere where engagement matters, this can help drive that engagement up.
The CTA could be more involved, though. For example, you might ask your readers to try out one or more of the suggestions in the manuscript (as you’ll see below).
Short and Sweet
Regardless of what conclusion format you choose, there’s one thing you should always do: Keep it short and to the point. Drawn-out conclusions are not only boring, but, more often than not, your audience just won’t read them. If the goal of your conclusion is to end on a thought-provoking note or with a call to action, get right to the point.
Keep these methods in mind for your next writing project, and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
Sean Brenner is a freelance writer specializing in scripts for video essays and similar forms of content. He writes scripts for YouTube videos covering Star Wars lore for Frontier Media and Star Trek for Trek Central. You can learn more about his work at Imagined Worlds Writing Services and find him on Bluesky.
