The
definition of a cliffhanger is a story or event with a strong
element of suspense just at the right moment. It leaves you figuratively
hanging on by your fingertips. I love a chapter that ends with a good
cliffhanger.
I’m
critiquing a new work in progress by Dorothy Bodoin, and the last chapter I
read made me suck in my breath and look for more. I had to know what was going
to happen next, but unfortunately for me, the next chapter hadn’t been written
yet.
Good
cliffhangers will keep the reader reading, wanting more. The only problem is
that you may have to put down the book to take care of business, and you don’t
want to.
I
once had a wonderful phone call, at 6:00 in the morning, from a book store
manager. She said she was so mad at me that she could scream. Of course, I
couldn’t figure out what I might have done. It turns out she picked up Old Murders Never Die just to read the first chapter and see what it was
about. She said she couldn’t put it down and that she read the entire book that
night, never getting any sleep. Unfortunately, she had to be at work by 5:00
that morning. I laughed and filed that away as one of the nicest compliments I’d
ever received. She forgave me and I thanked her.
If
your book has suspenseful moments, hang-by-your-fingernails moments, work them
into the end of a chapter. Let the
readers’ internal music work its way to a crescendo and then satisfy them with
the next chapter. Even if the cliffhanger questions aren’t answered (it may not
be the right time), let there be some type of closure for the reader. Don’t
frustrate your fans, but keep them reading. Not every person has internal
music, but think of some of the movies you’ve seen. Alfred Hitchcock had some
great suspenseful music in Psycho. I think some people relate
that to books they’re reading.
There’s
one author whose stories I find haunting, and I don’t mean ghosts. I mean the
kind of story that grabs you and draws you in. I can almost hear the haunting
music while I read her work. M.M. Gornell’s books have that effect on me.
Patricia Gligor draws me in, too. It seems like there’s always something just around the
corner and waiting to grab me in the next chapter.
The
authors are too many to name them all, but they keep me reading with their
cliffhangers and just enough detail to make it seem real. Even the humorous
mysteries have plenty of room for cliffhangers.
“The squeak of the door told me
someone was sneaking up behind me. The creak of the floorboard made me cringe
and quickly turn, but…” Uh oh. End of chapter. What happened
next?
Well,
it’s just my opinion, but I love great cliffhangers – just not at the end of
the book. I don’t like being left hanging and having to look for a Part II
book. As a reader, I want a good conclusion that makes sense and ties up all
hanging threads.
How
do you feel about cliffhangers? Do they keep you reading or do they frustrate
you?
Until
next time, have a good week and I hope nothing happens to leave you hanging on
for dear life.
P.S.
My prayers go out to both Texas and Florida and all the states with fire
issues, and the heroes who live and work there. And thanks to the firefighters
in California, Oregon, Washington and Montana. The rest of us are all doing
what we can to help.
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