Cliffhangers
When the teacher finishes reading a great chapter of a great book during read-aloud time, why do kids beg and plead for the teacher to read on into the next chapter?
Because the writer, or author, of the book did something special near the end of the chapter to make you hungry for more. This is known as a cliffhanger.
Effective cliffhangers often leave us with big-time questions which will only be answered if we read on. Good authors know how to plan for cliffhangers and know how to leave their audiences begging for more.
As you write your stories, make sure you leave some questions unanswered until later in your story. The trick is knowing when to do this. Try using cliffhangers throughout your story, even if it is not a chapter book.
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