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One important skill you should have as a story writer is writing a perfect ending. Although it requires some extra work, getting it right would attract more readers. And if you are writing your first book, don’t worry, mastering this skill will get easier down the road.

The end of your story often remains in your reader’s memory, so it is crucial you put in the extra effort to get this right.  

Here are three writing techniques that will help you achieve the perfect ending.

1. Surprise your reader with a plot twist: The end of your story may seem uninteresting if you end it without a clause. So, one of the things we recommend is that you create a twist to your story. You probably know how you want your story to end, but don’t let it go smoothly. Instead, try to create suspense or a twist to the story, making it more enticing and captivating for your readers.

A plot twist could be deviating from the norm. Because most stories end that way doesn’t mean yours should, too. You could outline the various ways the stories in your niche end and think of the possible twists you could bring into them. For example, your story could be going in one direction, but unknown to the reader, it won’t be for long. Imagine an action film,  where you are trailing a criminal, and just when you think the protagonist will catch the criminal, you find that the criminal doesn’t just escape but he was never the criminal.

And what if there was no criminal?

These kinds of twists would give your story a more unpredictable and satisfying ending.

2. End with an open-ended conclusion: Another engaging way to perfect the end of your story is to give your readers something to think about—something they want to unravel or talk about even after they have finished reading your work. Make use of vital elements of suspense to create room for interpretation in the reader’s mind.

3. Tie up loose ends and resolve the storyline: When trying to adopt a plot twist or end your story with an open-ended conclusion, be careful not to create a disjointed storyline. Your storyline should follow a progressive plot through your character’s actions. So, tie up loose ends and resolve the elements of your story. Ensure there are no plot holes. Let there be a good back story to whichever twist or cliffhanger you have created.

Whether you are writing a thriller, action or romance story, it should be engaging enough to feed your reader’s curiosity and hold their attention till the very end.

What are your thoughts on the three techniques shared above?

What other techniques have you used to write the perfect ending of your story? We will love to hear your thoughts.

Share in the comment section below.

Everyone faces challenges in writing. Whether you’re writing a fictional or non-fictional book, or short-form content, you may find yourself struggling with creativity or the zeal to continue with that project. At this point, you begin to recycle content without hitting the right points of the writing task.

If this describes you, then you need to spark up your creativity.

We’ve put together a short list of five challenges that can boost your creativity as a writer. Try them out and share your experience with us. 

1. Explore a different genre: Every writer or author has a genre or two they are most comfortable with, one they often write in. It could be nonfiction or fiction.

To stretch your creativity, learn to challenge yourself to write in other genres. Choose a genre you’ve never written in before or one that is not your area of strength and give it a try. Read up on how writing in that genre works, then go for it.

2. Write on a random topic: If you get writer’s block while on a project, a good way to spark your creativity is to do something different. Find inspiration online; pick a random topic and explore that diversion from your main work.

With this challenge, you don’t necessarily need to change your genre. You can still write long or short-form content in your area of expertise. While this may push you out of your comfort zone, it will help you develop new creative muscles.

3. Write one article per day: If you want to write more or write faster, develop the habit of writing one article daily. Sometimes, it may seem like it doesn’t make any difference, but keep going. Build this habit for one month and watch your creativity skyrocket. In the end, you would have enough articles for a book project. You would have also improved your ability to think and create.

4. Join a writer’s group: Being among a team of writers can bring you some peace because you’d be able to easily tap into the knowledge of that network. You get to learn from others – their experiences, mistakes, failures, victories and breakthroughs.

5. Join a writing challenge: By joining a challenge with other writers, you build your dedication towards meeting deadlines and staying accountable to your goals. One of such challenges is The National Novel Writing Month. It is a yearly writing challenge that runs from 1st November through to 30th November. Participants must write 50,000 words in one month and a minimum of 1,700 daily to win this challenge. With this kind of challenge, you can be sure to build a consistent writing habit and record continuous improvement in your craft.

These five simple (but not-so simple) challenges are great ways to boost your creativity as a writer. We will love to hear from you what other ways have you been able to turbo-charge your creativity as a writer. Share in the comment below.

Every writer has a unique way of putting words together to facilitate understanding for readers. The writing style is a writer’s distinct way of telling a story or sharing detailed information with the readers across various forms of content creation. Style can vary, depending on the writer, the subject, the client, and the target audience. Ultimately, the writing style reflects the writer’s tone, personality, and voice to ensure the communication of ideas.

It is imperative for writers to develop their ability to express their ideas consistently, adapt new writing measures, and improve their writing overall techniques. However, building authenticity in style can pose a challenge to them.

Below are six ways you can successfully develop your style:

1. Practice experience-based writing

Putting words together is always easier when it is from accumulated experiences in your life or environment. Writing based on personal recollections presents your uniqueness and tone of writing. Always present your experiences as simple and vividly as possible while avoiding the use of clichés and unnecessary embellishments.

• Be consistent

Consistency is vital in developing a writing style. A writer should be consistent in the use of words and tone of communication. It is also important to adopt a regular writing habit. Being consistent with the creation of content helps you to develop grit and pedigree. For example, you can write consistently on social media or in a private journal, with a target of writing a paragraph, one or two pages daily. In addition, consistency in writing will reinforce your confidence and sharpen your skills.

• Expand your learning capacity

To develop an authentic style, you must read extensively. Be open to the world around you, especially through the materials you read. A reader, they say, lives a thousand lives. Reading other authors’ works enables you to improve your writing skill and style. Authors such as Chinua Achebe, Sefi Atta, J P Clark, and Margaret Atwood own unique styles established over their writing history. Reading wide and with enthusiasm will expand your mind, vocabulary and writing style.

• Always edit your work

Edit your finished work to remove confusing and unnecessary words. Editing is essential in writing to shed the weight of filler words and sentences that could mislead, affect logical coherence or even engender disinterest in your readers. Use editing tools such as Grammarly to keep your content appealing and error-free.

• Conciseness and simplicity are key

Long sentences complicate reading and overall comprehension. Therefore, writing in short sentences is usually encouraged because it conveys clarity and aids the flow of your ideas. It also limits your exposure to the pitfalls of excessive punctuation and improper sentence construction. However, balanced use of long and short sentences is best.

• Review and self-appraise

It is often recommended that you read a finished work on three different occasions before proceeding with production. When you read your work several times before it gets to your editor, you evaluate your work from a reader’s viewpoint. Doing so will help you decide if your writing has conveyed its original message clearly and coherently. In addition, rereading your work will help you to listen and define your voice as a writer.

Is there any form of meaningful writing that doesn’t require a touch of description?

No?

Well, we didn’t think so, either.

In nearly everything you write, whether it’s a fictional project or otherwise, you will need to paint pictures in your readers’ minds. It could be in the scenes of your story, your personal experience with someone/something, explaining a point or the character you’re depicting.

Descriptive writing connects your writing with the senses of sight, smell, feeling, and taste. Therefore, before you even begin writing, you need to answer questions like, ‘What do I want my readers to see? How do I want them to feel?’

You can paint a vivid picture in the minds of your readers to hold their attention and keep them glued to your content. For example, ‘How do I make my readers see that the food is uninviting without using the word “uninviting?”’ In this scenario, the colour and presentation could be a turn-off.

The aim of using descriptions in your writing is for your readers to feel and experience the events portrayed in your writing. This can be a little difficult, which is why we decided to share a few tips on how to use the descriptive style of writing.

Here goes:

1. Leave out obvious descriptions: You may find that you are using predictable descriptions and unnecessary adjectives, which could make your writing look clichéd or lazy.

2. Take a break from the norm: Now that you have taken out the obvious descriptions, you want to bring a twist into your story or content. Throw in some interesting and surprising words to create your story. It will keep your writing fresh and memorable to your readers.

You can use phrases like ‘weeping cloud’ to portray a unique scenario.

This leads us to the final tip.

3. Use sensory details: To follow the common rule of storytelling that says ‘show, don’t tell’, you need to use sensory details in your writing. Let your writing come alive by making it appealing to the senses of your readers.

These sensory details use the five human senses to show what you say to your readers. For example, ‘The pale chicken slice floated in murky fat’. (The chicken was uninviting.)

‘He stumbled into the classroom breathless, just before the bell clanged’. (He ran into the class just before the bell rang.)

However, be careful to not become too descriptive that you forget its essence and the picture you are trying to paint.

There you go, three tips and examples to get you started in descriptive writing.

Remember, Sabi Writers is always here to assist you when the going gets tough.

The thought of writing a story can be overwhelming.

Questions like, ‘How do I start? How do I express this idea? What style of writing should I use?’ will run through your mind. These questions are pointers that it’s time to begin your first draft. 

The first draft is also called a rough draft, in that it doesn’t have to be error-free. You are allowed to make mistakes because you have other drafts and opportunities to refine the work. 

It is advisable to have an outline to guide your writing before beginning your rough draft. Once your outline is ready, you’ll need to create a strategy for a seamless writing process.

Here are three tips to adopt as you write your first draft.

1. Follow your outline but be flexible:

Remember when we said a rough draft allows you to get your ideas out of your head? The first draft is an expanded form of your outline. At this stage, you are trying to expand your outline into something meaningful using what you have read and learnt from researching.

Stick to your outline but keep in mind that you may need to change the direction of your writing as you progress. If that happens, be willing to accept the change.

2. Don’t be stopped by mistakes:

Give room for mistakes and errors. Allow your mind to travel far and wide. Turn off your perfectionist button, because trying to verify your spellings or grammar while writing the first draft can become boring, and may kill your flow. You can flesh out and refine your idea to fit your style later.

3. Pace yourself:

Set deadlines that are attainable, and give yourself time to relax while writing. Make a schedule that does not put you under pressure. You can work with a daily timestamp. For example, dedicate 30 minutes to an hour daily to completing your first draft. To achieve the best result, do this in the most productive time of your day.

Most of the works you appreciate now all began with an outline and a rough draft. Allow yourself to explore stories and ideas without the pressure of getting it right with your first draft.

Now that you know how to write your first draft, what are you waiting for? It’s time to write.

Good luck!