Ask the editor: How to end a chapter
Finding ways to thrust readers forward into turning the page at the end of a scene
Question from an editing client: Someone who read and critiqued my manuscript recently commented that several of the chapter endings were 'flat.' What does the term 'flat chapter ending' mean, and how do I fix it? — L., NSW, Australia
Chapters and scenes within chapters should end on a note that makes the reader want to turn the page to find out what happens next. Often called a ‘thrust,’ it’s something that pushes the reader into the next chapter to find out what happens next, unable to put the book down.
If a chapter ends on a flat note, it’s a good place to put the book down, turn off the light, and go to sleep. And maybe not pick it up again if there wasn't anything to drive the reader forward.
A flat chapter ending can be a scene that fizzles out. Maybe it’s a scene that never is fully resolved, doesn’t drive the story forward, or doesn’…
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