Circle Your Writing with Bookends

By Chris Eboch

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: The opening and closing scenes of a novel have powerful storytelling potential. Chris Eboch returns to the lecture hall today to share some thoughts on tips on bookending your novel.

Chris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include Advanced Plotting and You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers. Learn more at her website (see her For Writers page for critique rates), or her Amazon page, or check out her writing tips at her Write Like a Pro! blog. 

Chris also writes novels of suspense and romance for adults under the name Kris Bock. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. 

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Take it away Chris…

Mirroring: An Easy Way to Deepen Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Copying the actions of someone is an instinctual behavioral trick to get someone to consider you favorably. They smile, you smile, they take a sip of a drink, you take a sip--con men and pick up artists have been using it for ages, and a similar technique can help readers feel a stronger connection to our novels.

Mirroring.

The most common mirror is how the ending often mirrors the beginning, showing how the protagonist's life has changed and why she's better off (or worse if that's the type of story it is). If she starts the story alone and watching Friends on TV, by the end of the tale she's out living her life in a Friends-type style. If the novel opens with her making a huge mistake, it ends with her catching someone else before they make that mistake. However she's grown, that growth is reflected in the "mirror" that is the ending.