Taken by Gretchen Louise Glaser
“Wrapping Up With Punch”
Debbie Hedstrom
- Endings are a feeling thing, an emotional thing
- Great is the art of beginning, but even greater the art of ending. – Hemmingway
- Never just let an ending happen–it’s the greatest point of impact in your paper, the last thing you leave your reader with
- The same with paragraph transitions
- There’s a difference between literary ending and writing for publications
- Endings should come back to focus at the beginning
- Opening and closing–they have to tie together
- DO: Satisfy the Reader and Plant a Specific Ending
- Beginning–makes you want to read more
- Wrap or tie together at ending
- We all process differently–on paper, in the mind
- Do not tack on your end
- The beauty of writing is that we’re forced to think it through
- Dig Deeper
- Relive what you felt to be honest and get below the surface
- Find out what you really want to say
- You won’t get a good ending if you add it at the end
- Should be glorious in the writing
- Valuable and meaty for the reader’s heart
- Be careful about preaching and moralizing at the end–if you’ve written your piece well the reader will transfer the application to their lives
- A place of peace and a sense of joy doesn’t mean everything’s okay. Be real and honest.
- Plant the seed for your ending early on.
- It doesn’t have to be a happy ending to be right
- Don’t repeat or re-hash–use different twist
- Beginnings and endings apply to chapters–and paragraphs–too. They need to connect. Push them to read the next chapter.
“Writing from the Heart”
Melody Carlson
Writing from the heart is the key to success.
Write what you know, feel in your heart, and have experienced
We sometimes lose track of ourselves, our hearts. Reconnect with our hearts. Take time to nurture your souls through prayer, reading, journaling, listen, read poetry, do the things you love to do, enjoy nature, seize the moment.
Write real things–not made up
Be willing to be a fool for Christ
Be open to criticism
When you’re weak, He is glorified
He redeems what we write
Jesus used “fiction” to make a memorable point.
What the world needs is not more Christian writers, but more writers who are Christians. -C.S. Lewis
To master the crafts of writing: have a critique group, read, and write.
