A dear writing friend, herself a writer who is also a super
Beta reader for me, put this to me some months ago:
“Maybe you should write a blog post about the pros and cons of cliff
hanger chapter endings.”
My response:
That’s a *good idea*, thank you.
Books must now compete with other attention-grabbing media,
and the young reader has some degree of ADD by the time they are reading
because of the oh-so many changes in ways one occupies oneself from toddlerhood
on. This is one of the reasons cliff-hangers became the norm and not the
exception.
It’s also a reason why so-called episodic stories, like the
Anne with an E books, likely can’t be acquired today. My kids always liked
these, such as ALL-OFF-A-KIND-FAMILY volumes in which every chapter is a
contained story, while there is an over-arching progression in the characters
as well. If you aren’t familiar with them, you’d love them.
Cliffhangers are an extension of the need to grab the readers
by the collar. The same reason first sentences/paragraphs must make a heart
race. It’s a new modality that really doesn’t have to be, except that if you
want your stories to be acquired, this practice of never letting the reader’s
attention waver increases the odds to traditional publishing.
I’ve always loved Anne Shirly. New readers love her also.
Would publishers give the likes of such stories a renewed chance to reach the
coming generations?
There's room for all kinds of books--the quiet and introspective ones that unfold slowly to the breath-holding ones. And thank goodness, because I have many moods and need stories of all kinds. As to acquisitions, I'm often baffled...so I just pray for the right fit when I send out a story.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good argument for why cliff-hanger chapter endings are the norm today. They do make for exciting reading. But I also like the Anne Shirley type of books in which the end of a chapter is a satisfying ending to whatever adventure that particular chapter dealt with. If I have a full schedule of other things I ought to be doing, it feels good to be able to finish a chapter, set the book aside, and not feel tempted to read longer than I ought to be reading.
ReplyDeleteWhen I do school visits, I always tell the kids the task of a writer these days is tough - we have to create, using only words, the essence of a big-screen movie, complete with sound effects. I occasionally use cliff-hanger chapter endings, but I like to think they're organic, rather than planned. Hmmm... Hope you're well!
ReplyDeleteI like cliffhangers and use them fairly often. When I leave them out, my critiquers often comment that the pace is too slow in those chapters.
ReplyDeleteI like cliffhangers in mysteries or suspense stories, but I also like "family saga" type stories where you like to relax and get to know the characters and move with them through their lives. They don't necessarily call for cliffhangers, and I'm sorry to see one type of writing elbow others out.
ReplyDeleteI liked All-Of-A-Kind-Family, too, and felt I learned a lot from the stories in an unobtrusive way.
BTW: My new blog is: http://elizabethvaradan.wordpress.com . I hope you will stop by.
It would be nice to have some quiet, introspective books. In this fast-paced world, it would be a refreshing change. Maybe we'll see a return of them.
ReplyDeleteI like both. Cliffhanger endings where I can't stop reading and books where a chapter ending that is a good place to stop. Depends on my mood. Although I probably prefer the cliffhangers in modern novels for children.
ReplyDelete