Cliffhanger Endings in Novels: To Hang or Not to Hang?

I recently finished writing my latest YA novel, Empath, and my husband asked me to consider ending it right after the action-packed climax scene. He mentioned several books with cliffhanger endings and said it would be a great way to get readers to start the next book in the series. I said I didn’t like the idea because not tying up the main storyline felt wrong to me. But after our discussion, I did a little research on cliffhanger endings just for the fun of it.

To start off, I read a few blogs about cliffhangers, and most of them discouraged authors (especially new ones without a fan base) from using them. Most authors who use them, do it because they want to sell the next book in a series. But a lot of readers get ticked-off when they don’t find out what happens to the main character at the end of the book after growing attached to him or her throughout the story. In her blog, “You Just Keep Me Hanging On: Cliffhangers in Romance Novels,” Brie Clementine (@racblog), states, “When I think of cliffhangers, the phrase ‘sequel bait’ is the first thing that comes to mind, closely followed by ‘shock value.’” Personally, I’m not looking to shock readers in that way or make them feel like all I care about is selling them the sequel. I’d like readers to buy the sequel because they love the characters and story enough to continue the journey. I agree with K.M. Weiland (@kmweiland) when she states in her blog, “Is the Cliffhanger Ending Overrated?”, “There are better ways to get readers to read on to the next book—not least among them strong plots, concepts, characters, and themes.”

I also asked some of my writer friends and here are their comments:

"As a reader, I don't mind the concept of a cliffhanger - anticipation of a sequel can be downright delicious and a well-constructed cliffhanger can definitely add to the excitement I feel as a reader. However, as an aspiring author, I've come to avoid them, at least for any new story I'm trying to put out there. For an unpublished author, I think it's very difficult to sell a book that's intended to be a series, and when a cliffhanger ending is thrown into the mix, publishers have no opportunity to market the story as a stand-alone and then consider the potential of a sequel at a later time. Also, I've read enough reviews on Amazon, etc., suggesting that many readers find cliffhanger endings to be gimmicky - basically, an insurance policy to get readers to buy a second book that actually backfires if the readers feel duped or suckered into spending more money on an author to find out how a story ends. I've written stories with cliffhanger endings because I used to think it was an exciting and dramatic way to end a book, but part of my learning curve has been accepting the negatives of this story structure seem to outweigh the positives." – K.A. Cozzo (@KACozzo)

"Every reader is different, but personally, I don't like cliff hanger endings unless I can begin reading the sequel immediately! As a writer, I like to wrap up the main plot points, and if I have a sequel in mind, leave a few subplots open. But, many writers use cliffhangers effectively. I think readers want a complete character arc for the main characters to be satisfied, even when the author employs a cliffhanger ending." – Jennifer DiGiovanni (@JenniferDiGiov2)

"As a reader, I think it's okay to have some loose ends, as long as the main story question is answered and character arc wrapped up. But a true cliffhanger, like a television end-of-season style, doesn't sit well with me. With a TV show, viewers only need to wait a few months to find out what happens, but most book releases are a minimum of six months out and usually year or even longer. That's asking a lot of your fans to wait." – Theresa Hernandez (@theresahernandz, http://thhernandez.com)

Lastly, I asked my eight critique partners for Empath (CritiqueCircle.com) how they would feel about the story ending after the action-packed climax scene. These folks have been reading my manuscript and giving me feedback on each chapter as I post them online since last fall, so they were invested in the story, and the overall consensus was they wanted closure. And ultimately, I did, too. I enjoyed writing the last chapter and tying up the loose ends with the main storyline. There are still subplots hanging out there, but the reader isn’t left wondering what happens to the main characters after the fight scene and hating me for making them wait several months to find out.

So my overall feeling is that cliffhangers should be saved for the second or third book in a series and used only if the reader won’t have to wait too long to buy the next book. I’m writing Book Two in the Empath series right away because it will give me a break from looking at the first book, but part of why I’m doing this is to avoid upsetting my critique partners who want to know what happens next. And, well… I might want to know what happens, too.

Guest Post by Author of PAIRING UP, Katie Van Ark: Favorite Books on Writing

If you're reading this post, you've probably at least seen the question before about what three books you'd want to take with you if you were to be stranded on a desert island. Though there are many, many authors I would miss, if I could only take three books I would take these three craft books so I could write myself a lifetime of stories. Egotistical? Perhaps, but these three books are worth it.

For developing great premises, I love Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel. “In one-on-one meetings at writers conferences, I can usually stop a story pitch dead in its tracks by interjecting the following: 'Hold on, your protagonist wants to [insert goal here}.], but let me ask you this, if he is not successful, so what?'” (Maass 60) This book also taught me how to raise the stakes, incorporate psychology of place and social trends, and to develop my themes more fully.

Robert McKee's Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting is the book I wish I had seen in high school. Though I learned to basics of character, setting, and genre in school, McKee explains the relationships between these and other essential elements. “A beautifully told story is a symphonic unity in which structure, setting, character, genre, and idea meld seamlessly. To find their harmony, the writer must study the elements of story as if they were instruments of an orchestra – first separately, then in concert.” (McKee 29) Though the book was written for screenwriters, it is very applicable to novels. This is the book I turn to when developing plot lines and character arcs, the book that taught me about beats, writing a scene, turning points and climax.

Once I've developed a strong premise and have an idea of how the character arcs and plot structure will work, I write the first draft. Then it's time for the last book on my list: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print, by Renni Browne and Dave King. “You can drop your amateurish look and give your writing a professional edge.” (Browne & King 4) This is the book that I use to polish my drafts. With checklists at the end of each chapter, it guides writers to check for showing instead of telling, avoiding backstory dumps and tangents, using the most effective point of view, creating authentic sounding dialogue and much, much more.

Katie Van Ark is the author of Pairing Up. Visit her online at www.katievanark.com or on Twitter:@kvanark. http://www.swoonreads.com/m/pairing-up

Using Song Lyrics in Novels

When I started writing Empath, I knew music was going to be a part of the story right away. Lucy, the main character, is an excellent singer who falls for Anthony, the lead singer in a band. When these characters showed up in my mind, I knew they would want to perform in the story. So, I had to figure out a way to include music in my novel. But first, I did a little research about what’s involved with using real song lyrics and band names in fiction.

First, let me say that very few novels have real song lyrics in them. Want to know why? Because you have to get permission and PAY to use them (unless they’re public domain). Many publishers don’t want to deal with the hassle or expense and frown upon using real lyrics unless they’re pivotal in the story. If you’d like to read more about how complicated it is, here are some useful links:

Jane Friedman’s blog about getting permissions: http://janefriedman.com/2012/01/23/permissions/

Virginia Lloyd’s article on copyright: http://virginialloyd.com/vblog/using-lyrics-or-an-epigraph-in-your-book-curious-about-copyright/

Permission information with actual addresses for record companies: http://www.copyrightkids.org/permissioninformation.htm

Another really important thing to consider when deciding whether or not to include song lyrics in your novel, is the problem with dating your work. If you include a top-forty song on the radio today, will readers be able to appreciate it in five or ten years? This is especially true when writing YA novels, because young people can’t relate to out-of-date music or artists. In my opinion, it’s best to keep music generic so readers can imagine artists they think are cool as they read. This is why a lot of authors who have song lyrics or band names in their novels write the lyrics themselves. If you’re a serious writer, you’ve probably written poetry and it’s really no different. I gave it a shot in Empath, and it wasn’t too difficult to come up with a few lines for Lucy and Anthony to sing.

Lastly, music is a big part of most people’s lives and we associate certain songs with various feelings. If you include a song you have good feelings about, it doesn’t mean your reader will feel the same. You might actually ruin a scene for your reader if you set the tone with a song they hate. Then they might put the book down and that’s the last thing you’d want to happen, right? I think the best way to convey the mood in a scene is to use sensory details and imagery rather than real songs. 

But outside of the fictitious world of novels, please play your favorite songs to set the mood. It's Friday afternoon, so I'm thinking Justin Timberlake sounds good...

Baby, It's Cold Outside... and Now I Have a Cold!

I almost didn’t post this week since I’ve come down with a bad cold, but then I thought, why not write about feeling under-the-weather?

How did I end up with a cough, sore throat and runny nose? It may have been from hanging out with middle school students who are experts at spreading viruses. Or maybe from my librarian husband or two kids bringing home germs from their schools (we’re contaminated from four different schools, woo hoo!), But maybe it was from twenty-below-zero winds hitting me in the face all week. Whatever the cause, I just hope this passes before next week’s parent-teacher conferences (imagine missing them and having to call all the parents to chat!).

We all know the bad things about getting a cold-- body aches, runny nose, cough, maybe a fever and missing out on work or fun things you’d planned on doing.

But what about some of the perks?

In my opinion, one of the best things about having a cold is wearing sweats and lounging around beneath a throw blanket with a good book or my laptop, like I’m doing right now. And I love hot tea, so bring it on! Another benefit is having my kids leave me alone for a little while. I love them to death, don’t get me wrong, but the only time they let me lie down for extended periods of time is when I’m sick. I secretly finished chapter eleven of my new novel last night, tucked away in bed, with no one interrupting me! That was awesome. Oh yeah, I can't forget watching movies! My favorite sick day movie is The Princess Bride. Lastly, being sick gives me a chance to make up for lost time with my pets, especially my cats. They park themselves on my lap and keep me warm, purring and squinting their eyes at me (cat language for “I love you!”). My dog, Chloe, can even join the party as long as she doesn’t invade cat territory and stays at my feet. Yep, it’s pet fest on the bed, but I love it.  

Do you have a love-hate relationship with getting a cold? Remember, we’re not talking about stomach flu since that would most likely fall into the hate category no matter who you talked to! What are your likes and dislikes about being stuck in bed with a cold? Feel free to comment below!

What My Students Are Reading

For the past three years, I’ve been teaching sixth grade reading and one of my favorite parts of my job is watching my students’ eyes light up when they first enter my classroom and see bookshelves full of novels that were off-limits in elementary school.They're tweens on a mission! Some are looking for adventure, others mystery or romance, but all of them want to devour books for Young Adults--no kids allowed!

What are their favorites?

Well, there are a few that make the rounds every year almost guaranteed, regardless of new releases. The girls continue to flock to Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, even though it’s been out for a while. They’ve heard about it, and maybe seen the movies, but they want to know about vampires and werewolves first-hand. Reluctant readers go crazy over A Child Called It, by Dave Pelzer, because once one student shares a few details about what happened to Pelzer as a child, kids want to find out what other horrific things his mother did to him and how he survived, even if they wouldn’t normally pick up a book. The Percy Jackson Series, by Rick Riordan, is a hit with both girls and guys, though they don’t care for the movies much. Another oldie, but goodie, is The Face on the Milk Carton Series, by Caroline B. Cooney. The idea of finding out your parents aren’t really your parents is hard for middle school students to resist. They also continue to enjoy A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket and The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien. Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling, however, is old news since they can read it in elementary school.

Some of the newer YA hits with both guys and girls include The Divergent Series, by Veronica Roth (especially with the movie coming out soon), The Legend Series, by Marie Lu, The Unwanteds Series, by Lisa McMann and The Warriors Series, by Erin Hunter. Lots of my students are reading The Hunger Games Series, by Suzanne Collins, since the Catching Fire movie just came out, but also because they find dystopian societies fascinating. Girls are reading The Matched Series, by Allie Condie, The Beautiful Creatures Series, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Selection Series, by Kiera Cass, and anything by Sarah Dessen. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green, is also popular even though it’s not available in our school library since it’s rated Teen Mature (yes, my classroom library follows the same rules as the school as far as ratings go).

The list could go on and on, but I’ll leave it at that for this posting. Please feel free to add comments about your favorite YA novels below!