How to Write Narrative Conclusions

Your narrative conclusion is your final chance to make an impression on your reader.

A narrative piece, which is essentially a retelling of a situation or event, needs an affective conclusion. If you plan well, your conclusion will help your reader understand why the information you provided in your narrative should matter to him. Once you complete the prewriting, drafting, revising and editing stages of writing, you may feel drained and anxious to wrap up your piece quickly. If you have a looming deadline, you may not give your conclusion the attention it deserves. With the help of a few simple strategies, however, you can create a strong, insightful conclusion that leaves your reader with something to think about.

Instructions

1. Refer your reader back to your introduction. Allude to information you mentioned in the first paragraph of your narrative. Avoid repeating your introduction word-for-word, but bring your reader's attention back to your starting point to give your narrative piece closure.

2. Write a brief anecdote to illustrate and better emphasize the essential point of your narrative. Be creative and use a real or fictional story to drive home your main message to the reader. Leaving your reader with a final, memorable story gives your message staying-power.

3. Make a prediction. Use the information you presented in the course of your narrative to suggest what the future holds. Predict what might occur in light of specific points you made.

4. Pose an interesting, thought-provoking question. Leave your reader with a question to contemplate even after he sets your paper aside.

5. Conclude with a request that your reader act or behave in a certain way. Use evidence you brought in your narrative to justify a particular response from your reader. If your narrative was sufficiently detailed and your conclusion is compelling, your reader may very well be convinced that a specific course of action is warranted and necessary.

6. Reflect on the significance of the event you described in your narrative. Convey to your reader what lessons you learned. Disclose how the event changed your own life in some dramatic or personally significant way.

References

• University of North Carolina: Conclusions
• St. Cloud State University: Strategies for Writing a Conclusion