Is it a big no-no to have different sections in each chapter?

Question

For non fiction writing, is it a must to structure all chapters in the same way?

For example, a book has a few chapters, with each chapter having a few sections that name the topic that's being addressed in that section. For larger chapters there is a "Conclusions" or "Final thoughts" section to remind the reader some important points from that chapter. But for smaller chapters there is no "Conclusions" or "Final thoughts" section.

Is this bad? Do I need "Conclusions" or "Final thoughts" sections for all of the chapters, or for none at all, to keep the same consistency? Is there some other way to separate these extra sections from the other sections of the chapters while keeping some consistency with the rest of the chapters?

Answer 1

There really isn't a guide of "you must do" when it comes to writing, fiction or non-fiction. The biggest need is to be consistent in your styling. So, if you have lots of nested sections such as 1.2.2.3.2, then the next chapter can't be "Part I".

Beyond that, if a conclusion or final thoughts makes sense, then put it in. If it doesn't, then don't. You know how your content is arranged and where you need certain parts and where you don't.