FICTION: How to Conclude a Chapter
Excerpt from internal documentation (Manuscripts, LLC) and intended for writers in Manuscripts’ programs
How To End a Chapter
Now that you have some ideas about when to end a chapter, you can determine how you want to end a chapter. It should be said that there are plenty of good ways to end a chapter; if you don’t think these endings will benefit your chapter, don’t worry! Talk about potential endings with your DE, and they’ll be able to help you determine how you should end each chapter. These are some common, effective ways to end a chapter to keep a reader turning pages.
Introduce a new character. An effective way to end a chapter is to introduce someone new. This character should be important to the plot in some way, and should signal some kind of change in the direction of the story. Maybe the character gives the main character news they don’t want to hear, or blocks the main character from getting something they want. Any way you do it, introducing a new character is a solid way to end a chapter.
Example: Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt (End of Ch. 1)
End with a revelation. Ending with a revelation prompts the reader to think about the plot so far and what could possibly come next. Think of this as a big eureka moment. What does the main character realize or figure out, and what does that mean for the next chapters?
Example: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (End of Ch. 1)
Ask a question. You can take this literally and have the last sentence of the chapter be a question, or you could be a bit more innovative with it. Try giving the character some time to question their next move, or question what just happened in the chapter or earlier in the plot. The main goal of ending on a question is to get the reader to feel curious about what’s coming next.
Example: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (End of Ch. 1)
Cliffhanger. Cliffhangers are a bit controversial in the writing world, and for good reason. There are many ways to do a cliffhanger badly, and oftentimes they aren’t the best way to end something. The more you use cliffhangers, the less effective they are, so use them sparingly to maximize their impact. When writing a cliffhanger, think of it as a subtle way to create intrigue for your reader. Use foreshadowing to point to something that pops up later in the book rather than putting in a shock ending just for the sake of a shock.
Example: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (End of Ch. 1)
Thoughtful description. On the opposite end of the spectrum from cliffhangers, a thoughtful few paragraphs of description can be an effective way to end a chapter. Again, this shouldn’t be used for every chapter ending, but a calm description of the atmosphere that relates to the themes, motifs, or symbols in the book will allow the reader to take stock of everything that’s happened and enter the next chapter with a sense of understanding toward the message you’re trying to send them.
Example: The Naming by Allison Croggon (Chapter 1 into Chapter 2)
Profound statement. Sometimes, ending on a profound statement or piece of wisdom can be an interesting way to end a chapter. These should also be used sparingly; no one is profound all of the time, so try to save these moments for chapters closer to the end of the book when it makes sense for the main character(s) to have learned something.
Example: Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss (End of Prologue)
Character development. Lastly, you could end on a moment where your character changes their mind about something. Maybe they come to understand someone they previously didn’t, or maybe they’ve made a decision that impacts how the rest of the story plays out. Choose something that indicates a shift in the character’s perspective to create some intrigue for the reader, and to give them a sense of forward momentum in the plot.
Example: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (End of Ch. 3)
Overall, you should NOT use only one of these examples for all of your chapters. If you end every single chapter the same way, the reader will notice, and they’ll get tired of it. Try to use the ending that fits with the overall message of your chapter. Is it a chapter where a big moment in the plot happens but it hasn’t been resolved just yet? Try the revelation approach. Is it a chapter that acts as a rest for the reader and/or your character(s)? End on some thoughtful description to help the reader digest all of the information they’ve received thus far.
