1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: tip is that the last verse should be like the first. 4 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: Writing gets better when you repeat or invoke the beginning 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: of the work in the end. This feels more satisfying 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: to the reader, or at least reminds them of what 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: you said. This week, I am sharing several of my 8 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: favorite writing strategies. Even if you don't write for a living, 9 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: you might need to write reports or emails or articles 10 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 1: for industry publications. A few strategies can help make all 11 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: writing more compelling and clear. Some writing feels more well 12 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: constructed than other work. You feel like the writer is 13 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: in control and knows what they're doing. One of the 14 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: best ways to make readers feel this way is to 15 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: repeat or invoke something from the beginning at the end. 16 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: So if you are writing an article or op ed 17 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: that quotes people or tells stories, you could revisit the 18 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 1: opening anecdote in the conclusion. Even quoting the same person 19 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: can echo the beginning. If you're writing an email that 20 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: gave some bit of news or a particular greeting in 21 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: the opening line, you could mention that again in the 22 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: sign off. Using a few of the same words can 23 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: approximate this as well. It's not quite so obvious, but 24 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: this can still create a sense that you have come 25 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: full circle. There's a famous writing principle attributed to Chekhov 26 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: that if you introduce a gun in the beginning of 27 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: a work, then it needs to go off shortly thereafter. 28 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: The idea is that details aren't there for no reason. 29 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: Even if they're there mostly for color, they need to 30 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: do more work than just appearing Once. I tried to 31 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,399 Speaker 1: take that to heart in a novel I wrote where 32 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: a random item that the main character sees in an 33 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: antique store window and wonders who on earth would buy that, 34 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: winds up with that item in the staged home that 35 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: she buys in the end. When the last verse is 36 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: like the first, the reader knows that you thought about 37 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: what you were doing. You thought about the beginning and 38 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: made sure to bring things full circle by the end. 39 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: When the reader knows that you thought things through, they 40 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: give your writing more respect. They are more likely to 41 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: listen to what you have to say. Repeating the beginning 42 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: is also just more sad us fine as humans like repetition. 43 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: Now we don't like too much repetition. That's boring. But 44 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: when we come back to the same thing after a journey, 45 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: we feel like we've come home. That's why some hymns 46 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: have first and fifth verses that are very similar. Now, 47 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: I know that you are probably not writing hymns, But 48 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: if you are writing an email welcoming someone back from 49 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: a vacation and getting them up to speed on something, 50 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: mention the vacation again in the closing line. If you 51 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: are writing a lighthearted email apologizing for something silly, you 52 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: might open with talking about how you have egg on 53 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: your face and then sign off with something like still 54 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: cleaning up the egg over here. People tend to remember 55 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: the endings of things more than the beginnings. We put 56 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: a lot of effort into beginnings, but less into the end. 57 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: By evoking the beginning at the end, not only is 58 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: the end easier to write, people will remember what you said. 59 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: You've given them two opportunities, one to raise the idea 60 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: and one to cement it. That helps make your point 61 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: and just makes people enjoy your writing more. In the meantime, 62 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: this is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making the. 63 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 2: Most of our times. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 64 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 2: from you. You can send me. 65 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: Your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 66 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 67 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four than Breakfast pod. You 68 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts. 69 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: At iHeartMedia dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out 70 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, should I look 71 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 72 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 73 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.