Want to Write an Unputdownable Book? Try a Cliffhanger (Or Two)
Many elements add up to a compelling story, but none are as effective in keeping readers active and engaged as much as the use of cliffhangers. Storytelling is built on conflict, and mounting tension pushes readers to turn the page.
(How to Write Inner Conflict in Fiction.)
One such way to achieve this tension is to leave the reader wanting more—that is, disturb the narrative equilibrium enough by dropping a carefully placed bombshell or hanging a carrot just out of reach. These and others, are examples of cliffhangers, which when used effectively, prompt curiosity to learn more. And that’s when you’ll find readers bingeing their way through a book.
While literary cliffhangers have long been a popular literary device, many believe the word got its meaning from Thomas Hardy’s A Pair of Blue Eyes, an 1873 novel in which the protagonist is left—quite literally—hanging from a cliff. In the early days of fiction, stories were largely serialized in publications, meaning that cliffhangers were a fitting ploy (more on writing series later). Today, readers see cliffhangers in some shape or form in a variety of genres, most notably, but not exclusively, thrillers and mysteries.
Why use cliffhangers in your writing? On the whole, this strategy can:
Create suspense and add to tensionGive a shockReinforce reader investmentAvoid predictabilityPropel reading momentum
Like many storytelling devices, the term “cliffhanger” is used widely for any instance when the author hopes to incentivize the reader to continue. However, on the writing side of the equation, there are different ways you can implement a successful cliffhanger. Let’s take a look at four unique types:
1. Cut and Leave
Your protagonist is at the height of peril and BOOM, you end the scene. Perhaps the character is in a race against time, or there has been an unexpected accident, or he must make a major choice. Either way, the scene or chapter ends before any resolution, leaving your reader desperate to know what happens next.
And you know what that means? You guessed it—they’ll keep reading. This type of cliffhanger creates a kind of pain-in-pleasure response in the reader, where he must find out how the protagonist moves forward.
TIP: You don’t want to resolve the cliffhanger too quickly. Instead, switch POVs to draw out the tension even further before returning to the moment of peril. More tips later!
An example of this type of cliffhanger is from Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. Katniss, the main protagonist, is fighting for her life in a dystopian game of kill or be killed. Collins ends chapter 16 with: “For a moment, everything seems frozen in time. Then the apples spill to the ground and I’m blown backward into the air.”
You try putting in your bookmark after that—it’s nearly impossible!
Check out Jen Craven’s The Baby Left Behind here:
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2. Lights Out
This cliffhanger is, in all respects, a loss of consciousness. Just when your character is in jeopardy, he blacks out. An author might use comparable wording, along the lines of “and everything faded to black.” Readers will find themselves thinking, “What happened? Is he okay? I better read a little more to make sure.”
Here’s the tricky part with this type of cliffhanger: You want to be careful of wake-up scenes, as readers can find them lazy. The character must wake up as dramatically as he blacked out. Don’t let the tension plummet.
Take this example from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: “Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear—. He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.”
Dun, dun, dunnnnnn. Okay, one more chapter.
3. The Big Reveal
As its name suggests, this type of cliffhanger divulges something major. There are three subcategories, all of which are similar in that they expose a key piece of the story, but different in their approach.
Identity reveal: Surprise! The good guy is actually the bad guy. Or vice versa, the bad guy is actually the good guy. This is depicted in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when Snape’s true identity is revealed.Plot reveal: Watch out! The plot just got turned on its head. For instance, in Gone Girl, when we learn Amy is alive and well.Reader reveal: Shhhh! The reader just learned something important, but the character(s) are still in the dark. This can create beautiful dramatic irony and keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Reveals often end up being plot twists, another literary device used often in genre fiction. You’ll never hear a reader say, “I knew exactly how it was going to go and that was satisfying.” Readers want to be surprised. They may enjoy guessing the plot along the way, but part of the joy of reading is the unpredictable journey.
4. All the Emotion
Unlike the other types of cliffhangers, this one is much more internal, meaning that the character experiences something that causes a subtle but emotional reaction. Imagine the scene as though it were a movie where the camera zooms in on the actor’s face. You can see something in their eyes without words being spoken.
In literature, it might be internal dialogue, in which the character comes to a poignant realization. It could be a bad omen, a sign, or a general sense of foreboding. Perhaps there is a sudden loss, and the reader will then wonder how the character feels about it, how it affects the rest of the cast.
In Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, young Theo is grappling with the sudden death of his mother. When two strangers show up on his doorstep, the chapter ends with the following line: “…but though they both had kindly expressions on their faces, I understood the instant I saw them that my life, as I knew it, was over.”
Can’t you just see his face here? Doesn’t it make you want to keep reading to see how exactly his life would change?
Tips for Writing Effective Cliffhangers
Writing cliffhangers should never be as simple as cutting a scene in the middle with no thought. Likewise, they shouldn’t be thrown into the story haphazardly. Like any plot technique, they take thoughtful application and appropriate timing. Here are some helpful tips for those who want to take a stab at using cliffhangers.
Use them at the end of chapters or before paragraph breaks, but be sure to follow up the cliffhanger with a solid opening to the next chapter/section. Keep in mind, however, that too many cliffhangers can cheapen the reading experience. Use them intentionally.Delay cliffhanger resolution as much as possible without stringing your reader along tediously. Consider jumping POVs in between to drag out tension.Be sure to eventually resolve all cliffhangers, otherwise they can be considered plot holes, and readers never like that. However, avoid falling into deus ex machina, wherein resolutions feel improbable or unlikely as a way to reach a tidy ending.Don’t prolong the cliffhanger. They should be short and “pulsy,” where readers can sense lurking danger followed by a sudden stop.Use foreshadowing throughout your story as a way to lead up to a cliffhanger. Readers love being able to pick up on hints along the way.Avoid cliffhangers at the end of a book, unless it’s part of a series—in that case, conclusion cliffhangers are an enthusiastic YES. Nothing makes a reader pick up the next book in a series more than a cliffhanging ending in the previous one.Ambiguous endings are not the same as cliffhangers. Open-ended books allow the reader to come to their own conclusions. However, cliffhangers come with a promise for an answer, which is why they should only be used at the end of a book that’s followed by a sequel.Use flashbacks as a delivery method for cliffhangers. Make the reader question everything they’d read to that point.
Put It To Use
Ready to write a cliffhanger in your story? The best way to practice this skill is to try some writing exercises. Take a character from your work in progress and invent problems for her. What could make her life worse?
Go there. Then take it a step further. Type the words “And then…” and see where it goes. Try moving the last paragraph of a scene to the next (or later) chapter. Ask yourself rhetorical questions like “Will they ever find him?” or “Will he get there in time?” or “Which one will she choose?” Don’t give the readers the answers right away.
Remember, the key centers on conflict, and conflict comes from tension. Maybe you won’t rename yourself Dan Brown, but weave these things throughout your story, and you’ll have a book readers won’t want to put down.