: Re: Should cliffhangers be used in every chapter? This is not a great question but I use a lot of cliffhangers. And I have a habit of making cliffhangers in the end of every chapter that I

It depends.

Ending each chapter on a cliff hanger is a plot device used in some genres, like thrillers. Dan Brown uses it extensively in his books, as do some other writers. If well done, they can make the book more exciting, and gives it that 'can't put down' feel.

On the other hand, if done badly, it irritates the reader, as it seems the only purpose of each chapter is to put the hero in even more trouble. Also, if your characters are boring, the reader might just say, go ahead and die already. Certainly I've thrown away books where the hero was getting caught by gun toting henchmen every five minutes, just so each chapter could end in a cliffhanger. And this was in the first 3-4 chapters.

So, I'd say no, they should not be used in every chapter. My advice (as a reader, as I have no experience as a writer writing cliffhangers) is:

Don't have too many in the first part of the book. You need some time to develop plot / character etc.
Cliffhangers do better near the middle / end of the book. By this time the reader identifies with the characters, and understands what's at stake in the plot.
Make sure the cliffhanger is a part of the plot, and not just added to make the reader keep reading.

If not sure, put your book away for some time and then read it as a reader. Do you feel the cliffhangers make the book enticing, or like a soap serial, their only purpose is to get you to the next week / chapter?

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: Re: Should cliffhangers be used in every chapter? This is not a great question but I use a lot of cliffhangers. And I have a habit of making cliffhangers in the end of every chapter that I

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