WEBVTT - Last verse, like the first

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is that the last verse should be like the first.

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<v Speaker 1>Writing gets better when you repeat or invoke the beginning

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<v Speaker 1>of the work in the end. This feels more satisfying

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<v Speaker 1>to the reader, or at least reminds them of what

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<v Speaker 1>you said. This week, I am sharing several of my

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<v Speaker 1>favorite writing strategies. Even if you don't write for a living,

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<v Speaker 1>you might need to write reports or emails or articles

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<v Speaker 1>for industry publications. A few strategies can help make all

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<v Speaker 1>writing more compelling and clear. Some writing feels more well

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<v Speaker 1>constructed than other work. You feel like the writer is

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<v Speaker 1>in control and knows what they're doing. One of the

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<v Speaker 1>best ways to make readers feel this way is to

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<v Speaker 1>repeat or invoke something from the beginning at the end.

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<v Speaker 1>So if you are writing an article or op ed

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<v Speaker 1>that quotes people or tells stories, you could revisit the

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<v Speaker 1>opening anecdote in the conclusion. Even quoting the same person

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<v Speaker 1>can echo the beginning. If you're writing an email that

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<v Speaker 1>gave some bit of news or a particular greeting in

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<v Speaker 1>the opening line, you could mention that again in the

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<v Speaker 1>sign off. Using a few of the same words can

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<v Speaker 1>approximate this as well. It's not quite so obvious, but

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<v Speaker 1>this can still create a sense that you have come

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<v Speaker 1>full circle. There's a famous writing principle attributed to Chekhov

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<v Speaker 1>that if you introduce a gun in the beginning of

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<v Speaker 1>a work, then it needs to go off shortly thereafter.

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<v Speaker 1>The idea is that details aren't there for no reason.

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<v Speaker 1>Even if they're there mostly for color, they need to

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<v Speaker 1>do more work than just appearing Once. I tried to

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<v Speaker 1>take that to heart in a novel I wrote where

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<v Speaker 1>a random item that the main character sees in an

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<v Speaker 1>antique store window and wonders who on earth would buy that,

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<v Speaker 1>winds up with that item in the staged home that

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<v Speaker 1>she buys in the end. When the last verse is

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<v Speaker 1>like the first, the reader knows that you thought about

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<v Speaker 1>what you were doing. You thought about the beginning and

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<v Speaker 1>made sure to bring things full circle by the end.

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<v Speaker 1>When the reader knows that you thought things through, they

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<v Speaker 1>give your writing more respect. They are more likely to

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<v Speaker 1>listen to what you have to say. Repeating the beginning

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<v Speaker 1>is also just more sad us fine as humans like repetition.

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<v Speaker 1>Now we don't like too much repetition. That's boring. But

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<v Speaker 1>when we come back to the same thing after a journey,

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<v Speaker 1>we feel like we've come home. That's why some hymns

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<v Speaker 1>have first and fifth verses that are very similar. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>I know that you are probably not writing hymns, But

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<v Speaker 1>if you are writing an email welcoming someone back from

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<v Speaker 1>a vacation and getting them up to speed on something,

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<v Speaker 1>mention the vacation again in the closing line. If you

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<v Speaker 1>are writing a lighthearted email apologizing for something silly, you

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<v Speaker 1>might open with talking about how you have egg on

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<v Speaker 1>your face and then sign off with something like still

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<v Speaker 1>cleaning up the egg over here. People tend to remember

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<v Speaker 1>the endings of things more than the beginnings. We put

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of effort into beginnings, but less into the end.

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<v Speaker 1>By evoking the beginning at the end, not only is

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<v Speaker 1>the end easier to write, people will remember what you said.

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<v Speaker 1>You've given them two opportunities, one to raise the idea

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<v Speaker 1>and one to cement it. That helps make your point

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<v Speaker 1>and just makes people enjoy your writing more. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making the.

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<v Speaker 2>Most of our times. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear

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<v Speaker 2>from you. You can send me.

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<v Speaker 1>Your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E the number four than Breakfast pod. You

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<v Speaker 1>can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts.

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<v Speaker 1>At iHeartMedia dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out

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<v Speaker 1>with all the letters. Thanks so much, should I look

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<v Speaker 1>forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production

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<v Speaker 1>of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

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<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.