6 Great Cliffhangers That You Should Use in Your Writing
Whether you are writing a standalone novel or a book series, it is a good idea to use cliffhangers. These writing tools are meant to create a sense of intrigue and get readers interested in reading the book or the book series even further. However, you should be careful with your cliffhangers, because if not used properly, you might end up annoying your readers or lose their interests in the long run. Here are 6 great cliffhangers that you should use in your writing.
1. A race against time
This type of cliffhanger pits your main character against time. This cliffhanger creates a sense of urgency, and the character has to fulfill a specific task before a time limit is reached. By having your characters fight against a time limit, you will make your readers wonder whether the protagonist was able to fulfill the task in time. When you write the cliffhanger, it is important that you use short and abrupt pacing for your sentences. The reader must feel the urgency of the situation.
2. An unexpected accident
Yet another cliffhanger that you could use is an unexpected accident. Nothing gets readers out of a stupor than an unexpected accident. Everything might seem ok, and the characters are all relaxed when out of nowhere an unexpected accident occurs. The accident might happen to the characters or to someone they know. What’s important is that there is a sense of dread and have the reader wondering who died and who survived the accident.
3. A choice between two loves
This cliffhanger is perfect for romance novels, although it could also be used for other genres. Romance will always be a great way to spice up your story. So a love triangle will make the story even more immersive. You could use this concept in your cliffhangers by having the main protagonist choose between two potential love interests, and before he or she chooses, you cut the scene. This compels the reader to wonder who the main protagonist chooses.
This type of cliffhanger is perfect for a book series because it will entice the reader to buy your next book, just to find out who the main character chose. This cliffhanger is not as effective with standalone stories, because it might annoy the readers. What’s the point of reading multiple chapters, and not knowing the ending of the love story? You could still use this cliffhanger, however, it is very important that you show the choice during the epilogue.
4. An unexpected loss
Yet another way you could set up a cliffhanger in your writing, is through an unexpected loss. This loss could be the death of a character or a loss of an important event such as a battle or a game. After the loss has been declared, you should cut the scene. This will have the readers wondering how this loss affected the characters and the situation in the story. When you write this cliffhanger, it is best that you make the details a bit vague. Leave it up to the next book to explain the effects of the loss.
5. The unanswered fate of a character
Another cliffhanger that you could use is to pose the unanswered fate of a character. This cliffhanger is best used for the primary protagonist, or at the very least the secondary protagonist. It is important that readers really care about the character. This will ensure that they will stay interested even if the ending has been cut short with a cliffhanger. This is especially useful for a book series, because readers will be obligated to buy the next book, in order to find out the fate of a much-loved character.
6. A sense of foreboding
At the end of a novel, the usual move would be to conclude the whole story. Your main move would be to give your readers a sense of closure. However, what if you didn’t? What if instead of concluding the story, you gave hints about an unseen threat? By doing so, you will be creating a sense of foreboding for your characters, and intrigue your readers in the process. This is a handy cliffhanger for creating a sense of anticipation for the next book. Just make sure that you make the details as vague as possible. You don’t want to give out too much, and spoil the details of the next book.
Conclusion
If you are going to use cliffhangers in your stories, you should make sure that you know what you’re doing. Remember that a badly placed cliffhanger could really annoy your potential readers. With these cliffhangers, you’ll be able to keep your readers’ attentions in the most effective way possible.
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