Unlock the Secrets of Cliffhangers: How Writers Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat
A rule of thumb is at least 200 to 300 words of pulling readers in with POV details in the scene and chapter openings of the first half of your book. As the pace picks up toward the climax, that will thin out and readers will be carried by the momentum.
But for that to happen, a story needs to hook a reader with POV early and pull them in deep. This facilitates moving readers from one story thread to another without popping them out or giving them an easy exit.
Remember that when you’re opening a chapter, in many cases you are continuing on from a previous cliffhanger that occurred earlier in the book. In the meantime, you’ve taken your reader elsewhere, so it’s vital that you give them reminders and reground them in the setting and POV.
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