(LOGO)
Hellooo, everybody! Today I'm covering one of your most requested topics, and that is cliffhangers!
So let's dive right in. What is a cliffhanger? A cliffhanger is a plot device where
the senior writing ends suddenly, and without any resolution. Basically, you put your protagonist in
a precarious and sometimes dangerous situation, and then you'll leave them there. You've got
your character cornered by a pack of dogs, or they just ran into their horrible ex boyfriend,
or they're literally hanging off the edge of a cliff. And what do you do to help them out?
Nothing! At least for now, because you're a dick. Cliffhangers are written at the end of a scene
with the intention of having them resolved in the next scene. They exist for the sole
purpose of getting your reader to turn the page so they can figure out what the fuck is going on.
Cliffhangers are a great device to use. Especially if you really want to captivate and engross the
reader. Now some of you might be thinking, “Okay, Jenna. I know what a cliffhanger is. I just don't
know how to write one.” I’m getting there! Here are your most popular questions about writing
cliffhangers. Answered by someone who writes a lot of cliffhangers. “How do you write a cliffhanger?”
Abruptly! There are some instances in writing where you want to draw out the moment, you want
to prolong the suspense. The cliffhanger is not one of these moments. A cliffhanger is like a
slap in the face. You want to deliver it hard and fast. (Slap Noise) Right in the mouth. Think of it
this way, if it's taking more than maybe three sentences to write this cliffhanger, then it’s
probably not a cliffhanger. Deliver that surprise slap, and then frolic away. “Where's the best
place to put a cliffhanger?” The best place to put a cliffhanger is at the end of a chapter. That way
you can resolve the cliffhanger at the start of the next chapter. If you end one chapter with
the character getting stabbed, you can start the next one with them being rushed to the hospital.
If you end a chapter with a pregnancy reveal, you can start the next one with everyone freaking out,
or being excited, or however people react to babies, I don't know. But ending a chapter with a
cliffhanger is a really great device to implement. It's kinda like putting a leash on your reader,
not a sexy leash, just a regular leash. If a reader is going to take a break or walk away from
reading, they're going to do it at the end of a chapter, and your goal as a writer is to give them
incentive to either make that break really, really short, or skip it all together. “Fuck sleeping,
I need to know if Timmy’s okay.” It's REALLY important to end a chapter on a captivating note,
because sometimes readers put a book down at the end of the chapter, and never pick it up again.
A cliffhanger is a really easy way to ensure that your readers come back for more. Think
of it as a way of turning your readers into book junkies. Yes, yes! Keep reading! “When
should I resolve the cliffhanger?” Ideally, you would resolve the cliffhanger in the next scene,
which as I already covered is usually at the start of the next chapter. However, that doesn't mean
you gotta resolve it in the first sentence of the next chapter. The cliffhanger itself needs
to be delivered abruptly, but the resolution can take its time. This is when it's okay to draw out
the suspense a little bit. If the cliffhanger left your character shot in the leg. Maybe the
resolution begins with them bleeding out for a while, they're not sure if they're gonna make
it. And then, you know, they make it. Not all of us writers are merciless killers. Now one thing
to take into consideration it's okay to make your reader sweat a bit when resolving a cliffhanger
but you don't want to make them wait too long. Unless the secrecy is necessary for the plot.
There are few things more annoying than reading a cliffhanger, continuing on to get the answer, and
then never getting it, ever. When that happens. The cliffhanger doesn't read as intriguing,
it reads as either a plot hole or a gimmick. You trick your reader to get them to turn the page,
and you didn't deliver. “Can you end a book with a cliffhanger?” Technically, yeah,
you can. But beware, you might piss off your readers. For most authors. The goal is to leave
the reader feeling satisfied at the end of the book. They want the reader to walk away saying,
“Wow, that was a really great read. I enjoyed that.” Ending your book with a cliffhanger,
usually produces the exact opposite reaction. The point of a cliffhanger is to make your reader
eager for more. Instead of feeling satisfied, they feel anxious, they need to keep reading. For some
books depending on the story and genre, this kind of ending works. But sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes it leaves the reader intrigued and dumbfounded. Sometimes it leaves them
enraged. “That's it? I read this whole book and I don't even get a resolution?” Now there are some
situations where ending up with a cliffhanger isn't quite as controversial. For example,
if you're writing a series, it's pretty common for some of the books within the series to end
without a resolution. In these cases the reader might get frustrated, but it's a good kind of
frustrated. It means they're eager for the next installment but if you're writing a standalone,
or the last book in a series, you gotta take a step back and honestly ask yourself if this
is something your audience can appreciate, or if it'll just send them into a rage. Beta reviews can
usually help clear this up. “How do you think up a cliffhanger? I can't come up with any.” Really?
Really? First and foremost if you're trying to get good at this whole writer thing, you're gonna have
to start practicing, you know, writing shit. You got to create plot points, invent problems. This
is your job as a writer, to build a story, and that means crafting cliffhangers. Now a lot of
newbie writers struggle with this because they assume that all cliffhangers have to be life
or death. And that's not true. Not all books feature danger, yet nearly all fiction novels
feature cliffhangers. A cliffhanger could be something as simple as a student receiving
their grades and finding out they failed, that sucks. It could be a girl showing up to a blind
date only to realize that she was set up with her nemesis, that sucks too. There are countless
opportunities for cliffhangers in all storylines. And for an obvious reason, problems and setbacks
are required in order to build a plot. And with each new dilemma that introduces itself,
guess what? You got yourself a potential cliffhanger. So there you have it. Those are my
tips for writing cliffhangers. You just gotta plop your character into Shit's Creek, and then wait to
give them a paddle until the next chapter. That's it. (Indicating towards Cliff) Cliffhanger! Get it? Get it?
(Cliff) “I think they get it.” They don't get it. Anywho, don't forget to subscribe
to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays. Eve: The Awakening is still available in ebook
and paperback on Amazon right now. You can also order a signed copy, all the links are listed
below. And if you have any questions or if there's something you'd like me to talk about in my next
video, be sure to Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Cliff making screeching noises)