Writing Notes: Chapter Endings
At a point-of-view change
In the middle of one character’s speech
In the middle of something interesting
When it feels like it's dragging
With a resolved/unresolved ending
With a shocking last line
With a surprise interruption/unexpected ending
With a tied ending (the chapter ends where it began)
With dialogue that demands answers
With emotional reflection
Chapter endings leave your reader with a sense of what to expect going forward.
Cliffhanger endings are the hallmark of page-turner fiction, but perhaps you want to leave your reader with something more subtle to contemplate.
Your chapter endings should encourage your audience to keep reading.
Try to make the end of every chapter as exciting as the opening lines of the chapter—if your chapter ends on a flat, boring note, your reader may give up on your overall story.
Every chapter should end with a "pop", regardless of genre.
Those last few lines are what the reader remembers before they pause. An otherwise beautifully crafted chapter can be ruined if it flops at the finishing line.
Find the suspense point – the lines that make readers ask questions – and use them to wrap up your chapter.
And pay attention to the very last sentence. Sometimes less is more.