Writing The Last Chapter

With this being the last full week of Nanowrimo, or National Novel Writing Month, many will be beginning writing the last chapter of their book. There are a few things that you will want to do when completing your last chapter. I’d like to share three of them with you today.

First, while you are going to start editing a few days after writing the rough draft, while writing ask yourself this question. “Did I say what I wanted to say when I started this project?” Meaning did you share the information you planned too, tell the story you intended, and answer the questions you put forth.

If not, it’s not too late, that’s why it’s a rough draft. I can guarantee you, when editing you’ll find things you want to change. While writing the last chapter though, asking yourselves these questions can make the editing easier.

Second, it’s not too late to start thinking about your last paragraphs. You may not be ready to write them, but it’s good to start allowing the ideas to percolate this close to the end. The last paragraph is not as important as the first paragraph, but it’s a close second.

Third, take your time, and enjoy the accomplishment. Do not be in such a hurry to finish the book and begin editing, that you overlook where you are. You are writing the last chapter of your book, perhaps your first book. This is a time you may have dreamed of for years, many are still dreaming of accomplishing what you already have now. Take some time, and enjoy the moment.

Doing these three things will not only help in writing the last chapter of your book, it will help in the enjoyment and appreciation of it as well. Soon you will have reached a new stage of writing a book. You have went from the dreamer’s stage or I want to write a book, to the active stage of writing a book, to the corporal stage of completing your first book. Writing the last chapter is something that no one can take from you, so take your time and enjoy the rest of the ride.