10
Cliffhangers That Make Readers Turn The Page
by Amanda Patterson
We have put together 10 cliffhangers you can use in your writing
to get readers to turn the page.
Have you read a book you feel compelled to carry on
reading? You know the kind of book I’m talking about – a gripping read. You
read it past your bedtime and during your lunch breaks. You read it because you
want to not only know what happens next, but you also wonder what is really
going on.
Chances
are the author is using a series of cliffhangers to keep you interested.
What Is A Cliffhanger?
According to Oxford Dictionaries it is ‘a dramatic and
exciting ending to an episode of a serial, leaving the audience in suspense and
anxious not to miss the next episode’.
The term itself originated with a Thomas Hardy serial
when one of his protagonists, Henry Knight, was left hanging off a cliff.
Writers use cliffhangers as a literary device at the end of
scenes, chapters, and books.
These end without the questions raised being resolved. The reader has to carry
on reading to find out what happens.
The History Of Cliffhangers
One of the most famous examples of using cliffhangers can be
found in One
Thousand and One Nights. Scheherazade tells a series of stories to the king for 1,001
nights, ending each on a cliffhanger, to save herself from execution.
They were also an important element of Victorian serial novels,
including those by Charles Dickens, a
pioneer of the serial publication of narrative fiction.
Television
series are notorious for ending seasons on major cliffhangers. The most famous
example was the ‘Who Shot JR Ewing?’ ending in Dallas.
Today
Modern
writers are using this device more often because readers can easily be tempted
away from books. Instead of ending each scene satisfactorily, it has become
quite commonly used to prolong suspense.
Cliffhangers are great for pacing. They are the clickbait that get the reader to turn
the page. James Patterson has used this technique successfully
using short chapters that end without major resolutions.
10 Cliffhangers That Make Readers Turn The Page
1. An Unanswered Question
This is the most common cliffhanger. Ask a provocative question or
make sure that the one that started the scene is still unanswered.
2. A Loss
The loss can be physical or emotional. It can be a tangible thing or
a relationship, but try to make it something that the protagonist thinks
he or she can’t do without.
3. Dangle A Carrot
Show the character – protagonist or antagonist –
that something he or she wants desperately is there, but out of reach.
4. A Glimmer Of Hope
A pronouncement is made that something something that is needed,
new, different, or exciting will happen soon.
5. A Physical Threat
Put the character, or somebody that he or she loves (love
interest) in immediate danger. If you have created
empathy between your readers and your character, they have to carry on reading.
6. A Sense Of Foreboding
Use foreshadowing and body
language. Use signs and symbols. Let your characters know
that they will be going off into a dangerous place or a risky situation.
7. A Ticking Clock
End with a sense of urgency. A deadline has to be met.
8. An Accident
This can be a physical accident or a slip of the tongue. Set off
an alarm. Reveal a secret. Break a leg.
9. Unexpected News
This includes any important information, or even a person, that
shows up unexpectedly. End a scene with the protagonist receiving devastating
news
10. An Unmade Decision
A character has a decision that needs to be made.
***
I hope you enjoyed this guest post by Amanda Patterson. She's a great writing mentor! Do you know of other "cliffhangers?" Please comment and share this post by clicking on the small icons below. Be blessed and keep writing!
Don't miss my next blog where I am going to share some cliffhangers I devised in my coming novel, Marisol, being released November 12.
Don't miss my next blog where I am going to share some cliffhangers I devised in my coming novel, Marisol, being released November 12.
Elva Martin
Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI
Coming Nov. 12, 2019 Marisol Book 1 in Charleston Brides
https://amzn.to/33Npc2L
https://amzn.to/33Npc2L
