In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Lisa Poisso shares the secret to writing scene endings that keep readers turning pages.
You might think a simple hook – a question or tantalizing bit of dialogue – is enough to get the reader to turn to the next page, but Poisso says there’s more to it. The real hook is change. “Scenes are designed to move the story forward by creating incremental change at the plot or character levels,” she explains. “Effective scene structure intrinsically sets up a domino effect: The unexpected outcome of one scene sparks curiosity about how the character will cope in the next, kindling the impulse to turn the page.”
In an action scene, an obstacle blocks the protagonist from making progress towards his goal. In other words, a change has occurred and the reader anticipates the consequences of this event. In a reaction scene, the hero makes a decision that changes her beliefs or course of action, another signal to the reader to prepare for consequences. A dramatic hook can drive home the point, but change is the catalyst. “When the scene clearly introduces change, even a glimmer of yearning or glint of optimism can ignite the spark that sets the next scenes into motion,” Poisso writes. “The unanticipated outcome of each scene pushes the characters urgently into the next, riding the domino or baton-passing effect.”
This change-effect chain also helps ensure that your scenes are necessary and planted in the right order. Each scene – including the change and hint of consequences – should lead directly into the next. “Readers rightfully expect the change created by one scene to be addressed promptly in the next,” Poisso says. “This propagates reader investment: hope or worry, anticipation or suspense.”
Poisso also points out a few writerly obstacles. Sometimes, a revelation or consequence can create a serious roadblock for your hero, without an obvious way forward. These scenes arrive naturally at the end of your novel, but rarely work before that point. You might be tempted to have an outside source rescue your hero, but a better method is a reaction scene, in which your hero makes an internal change or decision that helps her start moving again.
Cliffhangers – cutting your scene at a moment of high tension – are another way to get readers to turn the page, but this method works better on the screen and should be used sparingly on the page. “Unlike movies or TV, which can only watch a character from the outside, novels draw readers into the character’s thoughts and perspective,” Poisso notes. “A book that consistently chops off character reactions as soon as scene reaches its peak circumvents this quality, and readers may decide that the book reads more like a screenplay than a novel they can sink into.”
