Plot & structure · Tip 26 of 82 · 4 min read
Cliffhangers: Keep Readers Turning Pages
Learn the tricks that make readers say "Just one more chapter!"
Have you ever begged to read "just one more chapter" at bedtime? That's because the writer used suspense. Suspense is the feeling of needing to know what happens next.
What is a cliffhanger?
A cliffhanger is when you stop a chapter or a scene at the most exciting moment, like leaving your character dangling off a cliff! The reader has to turn the page.
Jamal reached for the golden key. His fingers closed around it. Then, behind him, a deep voice said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Suspense tricks
- Ticking clock: give your character a time limit. "They had ten minutes before the bridge collapsed."
- Strange sounds: something heard but not seen is extra spooky.
- Short sentences: they make the reader read faster. Like this. Quick. Breathless.
- The reader knows something the character doesn't: "Emma opened the cupboard. She didn't notice the eyes watching her."
Okay 😐
Kim walked down the hall and opened the door. There was a puppy inside.
Wow! 🤩
Kim crept down the hall. Scratch. Scratch. Something was behind the door. She reached for the handle. Slowly, slowly, she pulled it open... A fluffy puppy tumbled out and licked her nose.
In the second version, we slow down and build up the tension before the surprise. That makes the puppy even funnier!