Starting a new chapter? Don't rush the end of the last one
On the importance of paying attention to chapter endings
Endings are hard
Jeanette Winterson once said that there are only ever three endings to a story: revenge, tragedy or forgiveness. That might be the case for the overall ending of a book, but there are lots of other endings in a piece of writing, not just the one on the final page. Perhaps the most obvious of these are chapter endings. And though revenge, tragedy or forgiveness might feature, there are lots of choices to make when deciding how best to wrap up your chapter.
We talk about there being chapters to our lives, but this is usually applied in hindsight – rarely are we aware of the transition point in the moment. And transitions, as my friends with toddlers like to say, are tricky.
That’s what the end of a chapter is – a transition from one part of the story to the next. It’s not often we have to think about the mechanics behind chapter transitions, the decisions and the craft that go into when to end one part and start another. How do we know where the ending should go? Sometimes it’s easy: there’s a natural break as you shift from one narrator/time period/place to another, and so that’s where the end of the chapter goes. Sometimes it’s much less obvious. In my experience, transitioning from one chapter to the next is something that many writers struggle with.
I was reminded recently of how important it is to pay attention to your chapter endings when, less than a third of the way through, I gave up on a book I was reading and put it into my DNF pile, irritated. It was way each chapter ended that had spoiled my enjoyment of the rest of the story.
These endings were, not to put too fine a point on it, bad. The more I read, the clearer it became that almost every chapter in the book concluded in a similarly melodramatic way. First, I just noticed it; then it started to niggle; and finally I was so exasperated that I abandoned the book altogether.
Life is obviously too short to read bad books, but it was such a specific point of weakness in the writing that it made me wonder how it hadn’t been picked up at the editorial stage. Had no one else noticed? Or was I just being hypersensitive?
The reality is that if a book is written and edited well, then we (the readers) barely register the end of a chapter at all (or at least, not much more than as a suitable point to close the book and turn out the bedside lamp). Sometimes we are aware of them as points in the story that leave us in agonising suspense, that propel us forward; turning the page is a heart-in-the-mouth action, an urgent hunger that can only be sated by pouncing upon that next fresh opening paragraph. But that is an awareness of the story, not the craft – the reader is still absorbed in the story, not distracted from it by the mechanics.
When something isn’t working, it becomes noticeable. It will announce itself to a reader a mile off, flashing like a lighthouse. One of my golden rules with editing is that if something is drawing itself to my attention, ninety-nine times out of a hundred it’s because it needs more work doing to it.
What sort of errors let down a chapter ending?
1. A cliffhanger without context
We all know how effective a good cliffhanger can be. It’s a powerful tool in any writer’s toolbox. But ending a chapter with a dramatic cliffhanger without providing adequate context or development can feel cheap or manipulative. In fact, it can have the opposite effect to that which was intended: it can push a reader out of the story rather than sucking them in.
2. An over-reliance on shock-value
Shock-value is all part of the art of the plot twist, itself a famously effective way of ending a chapter. But when you rely on finishing your chapters with shocking revelations or unexpected events, you can de-sensitise readers. For example, if every chapter ends with the death of a character, the impact of that death on the reader will end up diminished. Basically, we stop caring.
It also means that you can’t pull out those big guns later on for maximum impact because you’ve used up all your arsenal already.
3. Predictability
If you are ending your chapters in ways that are predictable, your readers will lose interest because the story will start to feel formulaic and uninspired. If you find that all your chapters end with a main character staring moodily out across a city at nighttime, musing on some personal revelation, you’ll find your reader loses interest pretty quickly.
How can you improve your chapter endings?
We’ve all been there: you’ve got a clear sense of what the opening scene for your next chapter will be and you’re excited to start it, so you’re rushing the end of this one just to get it out of the way. You know you’re botching it a bit and you’re hoping that you’ll get away with it.
Trust me, you won’t.
So, here are some things to pay attention to when writing your chapter endings that will help you to keep your reader turning those pages.
1. Stop trying so hard
If you feel like you’re hammering the ending home or forcing tension into the moment just to get it finished and move on, you’re probably trying too hard. Not every chapter has to end with a twist, revelation or cliffhanger.
One of my old creative writing teachers used to go on about ‘using all the paint colours in your paint box’. Rather than continually trying to ramp up the drama, can you try introducing a different colour? Mature writing is all about modulating light and dark, emotion and stillness. What is the ending like if your final paragraph is describing the scenery? Or if it is simply the last words of a conversation? Practise these ‘quiet’ endings and they’ll make the dramatic ones more impactful.
2. Be generous to your reader
You don’t have to give your reader everything. Often, your writing will have more impact if you can hold something back and allow the reader more space for interpretation instead of beating them over the head with the point. Less can be more.
3. Pay attention to where, what and how
Really pay attention to where your chapters are ending, what is happening in that scene and how it is happening. You can literally go through your chapter endings and make a bullet-point list if it helps. Which characters are present? What are they doing? Where are they? Whose head are we in, whose insights or point of view are we experiencing? If every chapter is ending in the same place (literally or figuratively) then your readers will get bored. Try to mix it up and introduce some variety.
You can even go back to your favourite books and dissect exactly how the author crafts each chapter ending. Practise some of these techniques yourself and see how each one feels and what different effects they achieve.
4. Work on creating well-rounded characters
Making sure that characters are developed and well-rounded will help you craft effective chapter endings. This might involve using the end of a chapter to advance a character arc, reveal motivations, or put a character’s goals or personal stakes in jeopardy. It could utilise a moment of decision or resolution; or a confrontation, arrival or critical event; it could leave questions unanswered, subtly foreshadow another event, or introduce a mystery.
I hope these are some useful tips for your writing. Do you have a guilty habit of rushing your chapter endings to get to the next juicy bit of action? What are some of your favourite ways to end a chapter, or your favourite chapter endings from other writers? I’d love to know!