The Right To Write

Generalizing Cliffhangers: Part 1

Writing cliffhangers is one of the most important components to Wattpad writing. What makes a good cliffhanger? I'll dive right into it.

The Three Different Types:

I suppose there are many types of cliffhangers, but I generally put them into three different categories.

-The Twist. These cliffhangers are the ones that hit the reader with a wave of surprise. These in particular twist the plot, and amp the pace. These are the ones that have your reader throwing the book across the room. Obviously, your readers eat up the next chapter with pleasure. They tend to be less-doable due to the fact that you may not have a huge amount twists, but whenever one comes about, save it for the chapter ends.

-An Achieved Goal. Your character should be driving ambitiously at one thing in particular, but it's best when it comes in twisted goals and turned ambitions. Coming to the point, the best way for your goals to develop is through actually achieving them--at the end of the chapter. For example, Alice is looking for her brother, and at the end of the chapter, she finds his dead body. And what reason would the reader have to stop reading? It doesn't have to be an achieved goal, it could just as easily be an advancement towards that goal. Maybe a piece of information, or a huge step towards or backwards in the plot. 

One of the main rules to this is, though it may resolve many questions, it still has to pave the way to a storyline. You need to provoke the thought that more is yet to come.

-Unexpected Moments. Tragedies, A plan gone wrong, a character gone missing, anything that changes. The twists are slightly associated with this, but unexpected scenes are more generalized and less momentous in the plot. These mainly include something gone wrong and unexpected conflict raining down over the characters. What reader wouldn't be sensible enough to keep on reading to see how his hero resolve these unfortunate events?

Your cliffhangers may use one of these, or all at once. Nevertheless, when done properly, readers will flock at every new chapter just to get a glimpse of the tiniest answer your cliffhanger provokes.