I’ve often heard that each chapter in a book should end in a cliffhanger. According to the Encarta Dictionary, a cliffhanger is a noun meaning:
| 1. ending left teasingly unresolved: an unresolved ending in a part of a serialized drama or book that leaves the audience or reader eager to know what will happen next |
| 2. tense situation: a situation full of tension or suspense because it is not clear what will happen next |
The goal of using a cliffhanger is to keep the reader turning the pages instead of stopping at the end of a chapter. The cliffhanger is a mini-climax, and the following chapter (if it’s by the same point of view character) usually shows the reaction to it, followed by an evaluation of the character’s options, and the decision he or she must make to move forward toward the long-term goal. That gives the character a new short-term goal, builds tension, creates rising action, and moves the story towards its major climax.
Do you like cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, or do you think it becomes too predictable/repetitive? What makes the best cliffhangers—danger, emotional tension, a new clue to what’s going on? What books have you read that use cliffhangers effectively?
Sometimes, I don’t like a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter because then, when I DO have to stop reading, I have to stop in the middle of the chapter instead of at the beginning.
I don’t like them ending every chapter, either. I need a break now and then so I can rest and get caught up on other things. Stopping in the middle of a chapter sounds like good advice.
My goal as a writer is to keep readers reading. I don’t want them to put it down! Realistically, of course, I know they’ll have to at some point, but I’m not going to make it easy for them.
I think the word ‘cliffhanger’ suggests major tension, and not every chapter can or should end that way (unless maybe it’s a rollercoaster action story). But I do think each one should end with a reason to make the reader want to turn the page. I like the first definition — a ‘teaser’.
I agree. I prefer ending chapters with hints that something interesting is about to happen rather than interrupting a tense situation with a chapter break. “Teaser” sounds like a good term to use for it.
I agree with you, Carol. Readers need a break, and a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter can teeter off the edge of good to annoyance. You need to balance it all out. One way to deal with keeping the reader engaged is to resolve things at the end of one chapter and then start the next with a teaser about a continuation of a separate plot line or the introduction of a new problem. Often times, when I finish a chapter I glance ahead to the next to see what might be there. If I find a teaser, I might press on.
Good post.
Thanks, Stephen. That’s a great suggestion to look ahead to the next chapter for a way to insert a teaser in the one that’s ending. Using a separate conflict to hook readers into reading further, while giving them some sort of closure in the chapter that’s ending, sounds like a good technique.
I love cliffhangers, but only if they’re mixed up a bit. The characters can’t always be in physical harm at the end of a chapter or the reader would get annoyed by the same thing.
Great post!
I feel the same way. If a character is in constant danger, it eventualy loses its impact. When danger is mixed in with other types of conflict, it’s more likely to hold my interest as a reader.
Thanks for taking time to join the discussion.
Carol
Ha! I just wrote a post similar to this.
I don’t mind cliffhangers as long as I don’t have to wade through 100 pages of other stuff before I see a conclusion.
I read your post today, and agree with everything you said. If I have to wade through a lot of unrelated stuff, I usually forget what the cliffhanger was about–so, like you, I skim ahead to find out what happens.
I agree with what most of the others have said. You want your reader to turn the page to the next chapter, but a serious cliffhanger at the end of every chapter would be overkill.
Great photo, btw!
Too much of anything can be bad, and finding the balance between creating tension and the “overkill” you mention can be hard.
[...] Short stories typically consist of only one or two scenes, while novels contain many. They vary in length, with some only a few paragraphs long and others covering many pages. However, most scenes follow a pattern similar to the typical story arc, beginning with a hook, building conflict or tension in the middle, and ending with a change in time/place, or a suspenseful moment (cliffhanger). [...]