. Heres how Chris Offutt ends chapter five of his memoir with a vivid storythe clincher sentence is the last sentence (I made it bold): A week after the memorial service [of my father], I took Mom to a greenhouse built of plastic sheeting. To get unstuck, use one of these sentence starters to help formulate your key point: In educational or inspirational writing, you can use the two-punch approach. At some point, theres nothing new in them anymore. Original: When its not about the mug but rather the coffee thats in it., My version: When its not about the mug nor the coffee but rather the person you share it with., I love that! I can see using this in marketing as well as memoir and other genres.thanks for sharing. Thank you, Wow, thats wonderful! Youre not alone. Walk the talk, eh? Ultimately, it now dawned on me that, writing and the world of literature has so much more into it that it almost feels like fantasy to live on and on. How to hook readers with cliffhangers How to write an opening sentence How to write a sparkling sentence. I often write a clincher after letting a draft rest for a day (or more). I knew Ross Ulbricht gets jailed. Thank you for your emails! This is my first, and I LOVE the content and your writing style. How very clever. Very good! The best tip ever just like a bite-sized snack. Thank you for your lovely comment, Paula. This article discusses how to write a clincher: What is a clincher? Thank you. You can either look ahead and make readers curious to read on, or you can look back and summarize your key message. I guess it comes down to a case-by-case evaluation in the end what would be most beneficial to your readers in a particular instance? I have been blogging for over a year but still I am finding difficult in writing a good blog article that would keep readers engaged in reading by articles. You have such a gift for simplifying writing concepts!

And yet, as he hopped into the car next to his sister, he also didnt know that in just five years he would be making that amount of money in a single day. As usual Henneke your sound advice just when I need it most. That makes me happy, Paul. Theyre not new to me, but your well-chosen examples bring them to life. Happy writing to all of you . Hello Henneke, This is great. Perhaps cheese with a glass of red wine, or would you prefer a sorbet? What a lovely gift your post always is! Please try again. Great. And the easiest way to do that?

A clincher sentence is a concluding sentence reinforcing your key message. You are the best Writers Coach. Thanks! Happy writing! I rarely read books about writing these days. Good to see you again! Heres the last sentence of the first chapter: You got a minute? he said as he threw the white envelope on the desk. Happy writing, Mary Ann. When he did leave, he went to cons, an environment that assuaged his ego in every way. There was an error submitting your subscription. Firstly, remind readers what youve explained already. That is so true. Yet, your clincher sentence is more important than other sentences. When its not about the mug but rather the coffee thats in it. (But do let me know if not). Or do both. And, of course, each sentence can keep a reader engaged or turn him off. There is none. Hope you are doing well. I was scrambling through the words to see your clincher sentence and it didnt disappoint! To write a clincher sentence, you first must know your key message. Once you know about clincher sentences, its really interesting to pay attention to them and see which writers use them well and who dont. Got it! And chapter twenty-five ends like this (note: cons refers to conventions where his fathers fans would gather): Dad seldom left the house over which he held utter dominion. Happy writing. But as soon as Ive finished, Ive already forgotten what Ive read. Thank you so much for your lovely compliment, Raj. But what wasnt clear to either of them, as they rolled around on his dinky bed in the basement, was that the relationship they were about to embark on would be the most tumultuous romance of Rosss and Julias adult lives. Now, instead of doing this occasionally, Ill integrate them in all of my posts. I was never quite sure how to end my blog posts. Yep, thats it. At the end of a book or blog post, you dont have a choice. And secondly, nudge them to implement your advice. Thank you for the great advice, detailed explanation and useful examples. But while these decisions dont occupy much of our time, they have a disproportionate influence on our lives. Yes, great point about beginning with the end in mind. You have a follower in me. I do love your emails. You dont have to choose between a clincher and a cliffhanger.

Depending on how the course works, each lesson (or module) can have a cliffhanger to explain what youll learn in the next section, a takeaway (summary of the main learning points), and an action point (perhaps an assignment). It makes me happy to know that you feel inspired to apply my tips to you writing. When its not about the accumulation of stuff but rather the enactment of experiences. Thanks for the advice. You may want to check out my article on cliffhangers: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/hook-your-reader-with-cliffhangers/. It may even go on the fridge! And dont forget that you can also summarize along the way (at the end of each section or paragraph) to keep readers on track. If you could give more examples on cliff hangers it will help me.Clinchers are a nice thing to.Am happy to know that you know Mark Manson. Thank you for stopping by again, Katharine! A clincher I have to look up the literal meaning. Im always learning with each tidbit of writing instruction you give.

I am glad you enjoyed this, Daniela. And they end their introduction with a cliffhanger, making us curious to read on (whats the four-part process? For instance, in the gripping book American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road, Nick Bilton uses cliffhanger sentences at the end of each chapter. I much appreciate it. I appreciate your regular comments. I hope youre not too critical of your own writing. And their very last sentence encourages readers to implement their advice by telling them its not as hard as they might think: And most of the time we dont even have to use much creativity to harness these powerswe just need to be ready to spot the good ones that life generates every day. What problem do you help solve? Henneke never fails to deliver posts that make you sit up and go hmmmmmmmmmm. Thank you for your lovely compliment, Shirley. My favorite type of clincher sentence sketches a vivid image, giving energy to your key idea. Im learning a lot from you. Happy writing! To avoid your writing petering out, finish with a clincher sentence. Along with a blog post or book section, would you use clinchers and cliffhangers in an ecourse as way to build anticipation and keep people engaged? Oh my god! Thank you for sharing, Claire. Its a memorable point that may linger in your readers mind long after shes finished reading your content. I used this once without knowing it was a clincher sentence. Examples of clincher sentences How to write a clincher (+ clincher starters) When to use a clincher sentence How to combine cliffhangers & clinchers. Thank you so much for letting me know, Rachel. Really good. I love the red poppy metaphor :-). So, at the end of a section or book chapter, you have three options. Henneke, this really resonates as I embark on my next book. BEST, Manaj Banerjee India. Great examples. Great post! It about finding the best way to take our readers by the hand and guide him to his destination. What I love about thinking in terms of cliffhangers and clinchers is it challenges us as writers to be clear about the point we are trying to make, and the questions we want the reader to ask. Good meals require good company , I learn so much in such an easy way. I have something important I need to show you.. . Let the editing begin. And, for Ross, it would be his last. I know this is a question not a comment but I really need an answer. Yes, thats so true!

For instance, the ending of chapter four gives us insight in the sons relationship with his father: () I realized the landscape would always hold me tight, that I could never escape, that in fact what I loved and felt most loyal to were the wooded hills, and not my father. So good that youre doing this already! After fifty years Mom planted flowers she liked in her own backyard. It helps us shape the readers experience. A home run sentence in many ways. I only bought white flowers so he could see them.. The key is to think about how you want to end a piece of writing or a section of that piece. Im printing this to refer to when Im writing, Henneke. Happy blogging! I feel I already use some of these techniques, I just didnt think of them this way. Im half skimming, half reading a fairly interesting articleall the way until the last word. what I love best in your writing is the small summary with Henrietta it sticks the info to my brain cells with a superglue. Thanks so much , Henneke. Excellent information. In the chapters to come, well show you how a four-part process can boost your chances of getting where you want to go. Improvement is always possible.

Im glad youre enjoying my blog posts, Manaj. I only recently learned that these sentences actually have a name. Thank you for your lovely comment, Becky. Im glad you liked this! Ive always had trouble finishing chapters and youve summed up the solution wonderfully. Learn more about books and courses, I never saw myself as a writer, but in my early forties, I learned how to write and discovered the joy of writing.

I am in love with the methods of teaching and I just hope I can put all these into practice. I was thinking of a dessert to finish of your meal. Thank you, Chris. This may be my favorite post of yours. :). This is good Henneke. .

To be honest, I knew about the principle of writing final sentences for a long time, but I learned the phrase clincher sentence only recently. If you can send off folks with an impact they will remember you. Its such a pity that many blog posts just fizzle out without any clincher, isnt it? Yes, you can choose or do both. I can see my entire life evolving round those enchanting vocabularies, the teacher is something else, her sense of arrangement, is fantastic, and she is one out of a million. And thank you for stopping by. So, think about this: If readers would remember one thing from your article or book chapter, what would it be? In his memoir My Father, the Pornographer, Chris Offutt ends most chapters with excellent clincher sentences. You make things so alive and interesting. We disappointed him with our need for a father. I rarely go back to improve old posts.

I like the fact that we dont have to choose either a clincher or a cliffhanger we can use both at the same time if necessary. Once again great advice! Theyre really helpful to me.

How to write a clincher (+ clincher starters), https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/hook-your-reader-with-cliffhangers/, https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/business-blogging/, https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/how-to-write-closing-paragraphs/. Yet, the narrative is so gripping and the cliffhangers so compelling, that I couldnt put the book down. For instance, in their book Decisive, Chip and Dan Heath explain how to make better choices in life and work. I need to always make sure I am using them. Thank you dear instructor, Pro. Let it simmer for a while, and then revisit your post. I am grateful to you and I hope you start teaching again soon. I am planning a non-fiction on self-healing and I want it to have this feeling you generate so easily. So good that I took an excerpt out of it and put it in my FB learning group, with a link back to your article hope thats OK! This is so helpful! You have a new fan. Write a cliffhanger to encourage readers to read on. Thank you so much for being so giving. This way I get a better idea of how I want to finish and can write the last few sentences with more energy. His penultimate sentence summarizes his key point: This is the most simple and basic component of life: our struggles determine our successes. Which question do you want to answer? If you cant think of the key message, your idea might still be a little fuzzy. Hardly anyone seems to explain what these sentences are. I bet that if I tried Id could improve them quite a lot, but I find its so much more interesting to write a new post and its not possible to do it all. Damn.. How many writing books do you read, anyway? Take on any writing project with gusto. A timely post, Henneke. Henneke, thank you for your response it was very helpful. Well, I now need to go back and rewrite the ending to almost everything! Thank you for stopping by, Swadhin. Ive saved your clincher/cliffhanger image to my blog inspiration folder. I hope youre keeping warm despite the cold!

Only recently, I discovered its also used for the last (decisive) sentence of a paragraph, essay or chapter. Happy writing! Thanks, Henneke for the education! Did not know there was a word for it! ): This is a book about those turns. Thanks for another example-laden article, Henneke. Learn how I can help you. Do, have a nice holidays. Happy writing! Hi Henneke I truly enjoy reading your posts and myself I am a part-time blogger. Write clincher sentences. Writing is so much fun because theres always more to learn. I prefer reading fiction. Vivid images haunt readers, popping up in their minds hoursor even daysafter reading your content. I love your website it has really improved my writing, thank you again. It looks good! Just start somewhere. You put a smile on my face . Thank you, Alison. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Like a 1 line summary of all you wrote about throughout the blog post. I paid even more attention to my clincher sentences than usually because I figured that people would pay more attention to them than usually. Thank you from very cold Sydney. Ive been applying these styles unknowingly. You must on facebook, can you give your link? I love it when guidance arrives at the perfect moment. Your father was color-blind, she said. Welcome, Yvonne, and thank you for your lovely comment. I am a planner, and I love that you teach structure, strategy and purpose. I see youve started a new podcasting project earlier this year. I dont think it matters much. You can find my most useful articles on blog writing here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/business-blogging/, Ah, Henneke My daughter is writing her first article, about a raising money to build a school. While, I might have written clincher sentences, unaware of the fact that they are that, your article gave a thorough lesson of this. your student, Paula. My hunch is that it doesnt matter so much what option we choose as long as we dont let our message float and our articles fizzle out. For instance, Mark Manson uses this approach in his article about the most important question of your life. A clincher sentence is a soundbite, communicating a nugget of wisdom.

Thanks and Take care. Or compose a clincher to summarize your key point with a punch. Now, Id like to empower you to find your voice, share your ideas and inspire your audience. If writing was a boxing match, the clincher sentence would be the knockout blow. I only knew clincher as a decisive argument in a negotiation. As others have said, you simplify teaching points and make them a delight to read and learn from.

So funny, I had been thinking about using a food metaphor, too. Thank you for your lovely compliment, Dana. You may find that it doesnt really matter where you start. Thank you for stopping by, Michael. Could you please suggest me some of the best practical ways to improve by writing. Thank you. Really useful post Henneke. Theres no word like that in Dutch.

Henneke. Thank you for stopping by again, Alicia. Your tips are immediately actionable and your writing sparkles. To me its like preparing a nice dinner; add just enough seasoning or salt to give it that extra bit of kick before serving or enjoying.

He grew accustomed to these two extremes and became resentful when his family failed to treat him like fans did.

I dont have a Facebook account. I'd like to receive the free email course. To choose my option, I try to read my post through the eyes of my ideal reader and imagine whats the best way to guide her to her destination. I did these but didnt know what they were called. I have been hiring writers to do it in the past but I want to do it myself. Follow proven templates for specific writing tasks, practice your skills, and get professional feedback so you become a confident business writer. Thank you! Can I make my clincher sentence humorous?