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This is perhaps one of my favourite writing topics. Personally, I always try to leave each chapter on a small cliffhanger. Something that makes the reader want to read on when it’s 1am and they know they should put the book down. To do this effectively you have to know the difference between cliffhangers that raise the stakes and cliffhangers for shock factor.
The Shock Factor Cliffhanger
We’ve all seen this before. The chapter/book is coming to end and in a last ditch attempt to keep you interested the writer adds a completely unrelated, highly shocking, plot disrupting event.
While the key to a keeping reader interested in a series is to leave them with questions, shock factor cliffhangers feel like a cheap trick that only leaves the reader unsatisfied.
Does this mean you should avoid shock factor cliffhangers? NO! Just don’t rely on it being the only thing that keeps your reader tethered to your story.
Take The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, because that was a shock factor cliffhanger and half, but there were other stories left unfinished, other characters we were worried about, other questions we had that demanded answers. Which brings me onto the next kind of cliffhanger.
The Stake Raising Cliffhanger
A far more subtle form of cliffhanger (and the kind I try to leave at the end of almost every chapter) is one that raises the stakes of the story. It proves a point to each chapter, which helps you as the writer to decide which chapters are needed and which are not.
This can be anything, small or large. They find a key piece of information, realisation dawns on the protagonist, one of their friends are in danger, they are in danger, they discover something that puts the whole plot at risk, but save the big ones for your catalyst, your midpoint and your all is lost plot points.
The purpose of these cliffhangers if to leave your reader with unanswered questions, seeking answers they cannot wait till morning to discover, questions that will make them buy the next book!
What’s the conclusion here?
Cliffhangers are not about the shock factor, the drama factor, the danger factor. They are about one very simple thing. Questions.
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Drafting me: this isn’t perfect, but I’ll sort it out in the editing phase :)
*Two months later*
Friend: How are you doing with your novel?
Editing me:
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Quirks To Show Your Character’s ADHD
From a certified ADHD adult(ish) human.
- Not being able to shrug a niggling feeling or through until it’s dealt with.
- Saying ‘one more minute’ when hyper-focused, then looking up to find two hours have passed.
- F i d d l i n g
- (With literally anything available)
- Sometimes having trouble falling or staying asleep because their damn brain won’t shut up.
- Yet still being a semi-coherent person the next day, despite only being out for four hours.
- Because e n e r g y
- Eventually learning ways to get to sleep, but getting annoyed when they fail.
- Struggling to wait their turn when speaking or in games.
- Losing track of their point mid-speech.
- Inability to control thoughts as they overlap and run away faster than they can be caught.
- Having too many hobbies.
- Being more creative under stress.
- Speaking really really fast when excited or after caffeine.
- Struggling to remember instructions.
- Struggling to listen to instructions.
- Spotting patterns and details others often miss.
- Forgetting brilliant ideas just as quickly as they were thought up.
- And thus being really impulsive when we get ideas.
- Desperate attempts at organisation (giving everything a place).
- And yet still not remembering where they’ve put anything.
- I m p a t i e n c e
Disclaimer: Not everyone with ADHD will experience all of these things, and there are many more things that people with ADHD experience. If you experience these things, it doesn’t necessarily mean your ADHD, but these things are widely present in those who have it. If you want to write a character with ADHD please do your research and only take this as a starting point.
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We’ve all been there. Staring at our planning document with a long list of characters who are like our children. We love every single one of them, but what about the reader? Will they get confused? Will they be able to keep track? Will they care about any of your characters if they don’t get enough page time?
If these questions have plagued you, it might be time to think about who gets the chop. To help with the dilemma, I have put together a list of questions to ask yourself.
- What does each character bring to the story thematically?
- List what each character does to advance the plot?
- Could any of these things easily be done by another character?
- Do they all have distinctive personalities?
- Do they all have distinctive mannerisms/speech/appearances?
If you’re struggling to answer these with a clear yes or no, it might be time to bin some characters. Bonus questions to consider are:
- Is there potential to merge two characters into one?
- Does this character need a name, or are they just an extra?
Hope this helped!
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Friend: OMG, we haven’t talked in ages! How are your characters doing?
*Inside my head*
MC: *Bashing head repeatedly against the wall*
Comedic Relief Side: *Telling jokes to a nice boulder*
Villain: *Wailing due to lack of attention*
*Outside my head*
Me: Yeah, they’re good.
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How Echo Words Make Your Writing Weak
What are echo words?
An ‘echo word’ is a key word that had been repeated within a sentence or paragraph. With certain words or phrases, it can even be a problem across a page, a chapter or an entire book! Usually, an echo word is a noun or descriptor. Pronouns, conjunctions or the word said arenot echo words as these are often ‘invisible’ to the reader.
Why are they a problem?
Echo words can make your writing sound disjointed and repetitive, resulting in bad flow. This puts space between the reader and the content, pulling them out of the story if they notice it or just find it annoying. For example:
Eliza picked up the pen, eager to begin her letter. She pressed the pen to the page and began scribbling fiercely.
This might not bother you, but the double use of pen really bothers me, as well as many other editors and readers. I’m having to mentally restrain myself from changing the second instance to nib.
How to fix them?
Thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, there are free online tools like wordcounter.net which identify your most used words and phrases. This may bring your attention to any echo words that you’re prone to overusing. You don’t have to get rid of all of them, but it might just make you more aware.
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New Writer: Hey! I want to get into writing, any advice?
Me: Well, first you have a vague idea for a story, then you open up google docs, and THEN you stare at a wall of eight hours contemplating the meaning of existence.
New Writer: But how–
Me: Shhhh. It’s all part of the process.
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So you’ve probably heard this thrown around a lot in the writing community, and maybe you’re a Save The Cat! structure enthusiast already, but if not this is a brief introduction to the 3 act structure. Please note that I use ‘hero’ and ‘bad guys’ as terms for guys, gals and non-binary pals.
Act 1
This is where we set the scene. The first 15-20% of your book should be an introduction to the character and their life as it is. These first few chapters should show your character’s attributes and flaws while settling up the book’s theme. This is also the home for any fundamental world building that you want to use later. Act 1 ends either at the catalyst or the moment the hero decides to act on the catalyst. This is the moment of ‘For our hero, life was perfectly normal—if a little rough—UNTIL!’
Act 2
Remember that life we just introduced? Well it’s about to get seriously upended. That’s act 2. This is where our character gets thrown into something new, something that’s going to change them even though they don’t know it yet. They might expect this to fix their life, but it’s not a real fix. It’s a bandage on the bullet hole caused by their flaws—the real thing they need to fix. This usually coincides with our hero meeting someone new, someone who will guide them through this change. This act is where the tensions begin to rise, the stakes are revealed, the bad guys (both physical and metaphorical) are getting closer, but don’t forget to throw in some light hearted scenes, some excitement and some comedic relief. This is about 50% of your novel and it all ends when your character flaws catch up to them and they make a mistake that leads to their worst fear coming true. This is where you break your character.
Act 3
Do allow your character some time to mope and process whatever atrocities you’ve thrown at them. It’s the least you can do after ruining their lives. Once that’s over we can get right into act 3. Act three is the finale. The stakes have never been higher, the danger had never been more pressing, and after some serious soul searching, your character is ready for the final stand. This is where your character stops running from their flaws and learns to change. Whether they win or lose, they are not the person they were at the start.
Act three ends with the end of the book. A final image of the world that will help the reader say goodbye to the characters they have grown to love or perhaps an evil cliffhanger that will ensure they read the next book.
And there you have it! A short introduction to the three acts of Save The Cat!
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Me: Wow, my novel is going so well!
Writing tip: Your writing will be more engaging if you do this!
Me: Damn, that’s really helpful. I can make that change.
Writing tip: Every book needs a ___!
Me, sweating: I guess I could add that too.
Writing tip: Do you do ___ in your novel? Don’t!
Me, yelling: Yeah, sure, why don’t I just start from scratch cos my draft is TRASH.
Me: *Dramatically throws manuscript in the bin*
Me: *Fishes it out and lies on the floor hugging it as I cry*
Me, whispering: I’m so sorry. I love you really.
So far on my blog, I’ve covered the first two steps of writing a novel: developing realistic characters and coming up with a plot. Congratulations! You now have an A plot.
An A plot is the surface level plot. It’s what your character is doing and what’s happening to them. This plot deals with questions like:
- What is wrong with my character’s life at the beginning of the novel?
- What do they think will fix their lives when—spoiler alert—it won’t?
- Why haven’t they achieved this goal yet?
- What catalyst (or inciting incident) will cause them to get off their butts and start chasing this goal for real?
Now it’s time to move on to the B plot. The B plot is about your character’s development and changing who they are as a person. This is about working out not what your character wants but what they need.
Remember all those flaws we gave our characters? This is where we need to ask the questions:
- How does this flaw affect the rest of my hero’s life?
- Do my characters flaws get in the way of them achieving their goal?
- How is the plot going to help them realise this flaw and overcome it by the end of the novel after their breaking point?
- How is overcoming this flaw really going to make their lives better?
This character development is what gives novels their sparkle. The A plot is what makes your plot interesting, but the B plot is what makes your charactersinteresting.
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Me on a walk: Wow so many writing ideas
Me cooking: Wow so many dialogue ideas
Me doing uni work: Wow so many plot ideas
Me sat at my computer trying to write: Wow so many distractions
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What To Do When Your Stuck On A Chapter
1) Move on
Sounds silly, but I would sit for ages trying to force a section that I struggled with, rather than moving onto the sections I new and filling in the gaps later. I still write chronologically most of the time, but sometimes it helps to start where you are confident.
2) Write Character Studies
A character study is a short piece or scene written for the sole purpose of getting to know your characters. These don’t end up in the final manuscript, but they do help you to write well developed characters. Once you know the character better, writing that scene might be easier.
3) Step Away From The Page
Go for a walk. Go make some tea. Go do a handstand. Whatever it is, just walk away from the page. Let the scene play out in your head, listen to the characters and then come back and write it once you have a better idea of what’s happening.
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