Is there such thing as too many cliffhangers?

CapitaoCaverna

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I love reading light novels, web serials, fanfiction and all manners of stories posted on the internet, it's something that brings me joy.

A major part such novels is the use of cliffhangers to keep the reader's attention, most of the time it's fine, something to keep my interest in the story and have me come back for more. Sometimes it's annoying, I really want to know what happens later and the cliff leaves me really frustrated, but thats fine too, cliffhangers are made to be annoying.

But, is there such thing as too many cliffhangers?

There is a novel I fell in love with, a very well writen story which is already more than 200k words, I'm invested in the world, I'm invested in the characters and the author post very often.

He has also decided to put cliffhangers in... I think it was the last 6 or 7 chapters. It's at a very important place in the plot and the cliffhangers are things I desperatly want to know about but, every time he does this, it leaves me a little more annoyed with the story, to the point I'm seriously considering dropping it if he continues.

Knowing how to use cliffhangers is an integral part of writing a serialized story, dealing with cliffhangers is an annoying but acceptable part of reading a novel. There must be thousands of ways to create a cliffhanger and they always leave me wanting more, craving the next chapter, tempting me to support the author and get that juicy access to early chapters.

I don't think I have ever experienced something like this, I love the novel but I'm seriously starting to lose interest as the story stops right as it's about to be concluded, every damn chapter! Cliffhangers have always annoyed me but they were effective at keeping my interes but, this time, they're doing the exact oposite.

I still want to know what's going to happen, but I just realised I wasn't even looking foward to this new chapter because I just knew the guy was gonna leave me hanging, again.

Did that ever happen with you guys? A chapter ends at a point which should have you eager for more but, instead, leaves you incredebly irritated and thinking about just dropping the story?
 

Cipiteca396

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I usually just pause the story and come back after a quick glance at the recent chapter confirms that things have moved along.
 
D

Deleted member 54065

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Well, it's the author's style to keep his readers hooked, and at the same time, direct them to support him financially (by buying early access to chapters).

But yeah, it's somehow irritating, to the point that a similar story I read ended being dropped simply because I lost interest. See, we all know that everything too much (in this case, the cliffhangers) is bad (counter-productive).

Nevertheless, it's also a way to support the author himself. So, if it lost your interest, just drop it and leave for awhile. If you happen to return, hopefully there a lot of backlogs for you to satisfy your craving.
 

ACertainPassingUser

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Nah, that's not true.

Some reader are just pissed at your cliffhanger behavior.

But Cliffhanger is always effective, as long the next chapter answer the previous cliffhanger.

It's the cheapest way to gain success without too much working on writing satisfying plot development. Just remove the conclusion and gave mystery of what's going to happen next.

and well developed cliffhanger is always worth the cost.

They will always wants more more and more.

****

Cliffhanger and clickbait is the best way to gain viewer. That's what every other professional story in the industry does

They even try their best to put "open ending" on their story that's should have reach THE END and conclusion by now.

They always milk their story to the fullest.

As long the story quality doesn't decrease into some trash copy paste filler, those clickbait cliffhangers is always effective.
 

DiscoDream

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Cliffhangers are one of those things every author should endeavor to have as few of as possible. They artificially create suspense for the reader, instead of creating an engaging story that makes people want to come back. It teaches mediocrity to the author, and poisons the mind of the reader. While numbers may stay up, it's just an audience dragging on to the next chapter.

I've been four hundred chapters into a story, only to realize I'd lost interest fifty or so chapters back, only continuing because of a passive state of mind from constant inorganic tension.
 

Tempokai

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If the story is in intense situation where everything in chaos, cliffhanger is justifiable. But if there's cliffhanger in slice of life where it could've been avoided (the situation is too low stake), then no.
 

Sabruness

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yes, there is such a thing as too much cliffhangers. cliffhangers are things that authors should use sparingly and only at points where they will be of most benefit to the story as well as to keeping the interest of readers.

similarly, the resolution of cliffhangers must not be drawn out too long for similar reasons of keeping readership interested.
 

TotallyHuman

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OP: is there such a thing as too many cliffhangers?
Author of Shadow Slave: and I took this personally
 

CarburetorThompson

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Depends on how agregious the cliff hanger is. If I’m watching a 24 min episode of a show, and I feel like I can leave at any point besides the last 10 seconds of the episode and not be held in suspense, then I’ll usually get pissed off and drop it. If the show is filled with suspense through out the episode to the point where a cliff hanger feels natural and could have come at any point than I’ll usually be even more invested. Same with reading.
 

Oxylus

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I think one thing to take note is when you're looking at it, is it actually a cliffhanger? Or could it actually just be a hook?

A cliffhanger is something that will cut out the resolution of the current plot, usually for the suspense value. I don't see these as often as people make em out to be. Imo, these should be used either sparingly, and/or with only major points.

Now a hook? I see these a lot, heck, I use em. A hook is when your current plot point is resolved and you put something in that hypes up or tries to hook the reader in for the next part of the story. Like the end of a DBZ episode, Next time on (Your Story Here!)

For example, we just finished the mobs in the dungeon... And omg there's a secret boss! End chapter

Hook.

We're fighting the boss and omg Sally the Cleric just got stabbed! The boss turns and looks at the rest of us as she falls down and.... Chapter end..

Cliffhanger.


If you're not a fan of hooks? See em for what they are, call outs of where the plot is going next.

Cliffhangers? Man some can be done so well, but encourage your authors to use them appropriately!
 

Paul_Tromba

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Cliffhangers are good but too many can frustrate your readers. If the cliffhangers are poorly executed then it can also frustrate your readers as the suspense it was supposed to create fell flat and leaves very little to look forward to. Use cliffhangers but only when necessary. Use it too much and your readers will come to expect it and grow bored of it. There are supposed to be conclusions and solved problems in a story and if those resolutions and conclusions are overtaken by continuous cliffhangers then it can make the story feel pointless and overextended. That is not to say that you don't have conclusions or resolutions but that they can be easily overshadowed by cliffhangers.
 

Le_ther

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I love reading light novels, web serials, fanfiction and all manners of stories posted on the internet, it's something that brings me joy.

A major part such novels is the use of cliffhangers to keep the reader's attention, most of the time it's fine, something to keep my interest in the story and have me come back for more. Sometimes it's annoying, I really want to know what happens later and the cliff leaves me really frustrated, but thats fine too, cliffhangers are made to be annoying.

But, is there such thing as too many cliffhangers?

There is a novel I fell in love with, a very well writen story which is already more than 200k words, I'm invested in the world, I'm invested in the characters and the author post very often.

He has also decided to put cliffhangers in... I think it was the last 6 or 7 chapters. It's at a very important place in the plot and the cliffhangers are things I desperatly want to know about but, every time he does this, it leaves me a little more annoyed with the story, to the point I'm seriously considering dropping it if he continues.

Knowing how to use cliffhangers is an integral part of writing a serialized story, dealing with cliffhangers is an annoying but acceptable part of reading a novel. There must be thousands of ways to create a cliffhanger and they always leave me wanting more, craving the next chapter, tempting me to support the author and get that juicy access to early chapters.

I don't think I have ever experienced something like this, I love the novel but I'm seriously starting to lose interest as the story stops right as it's about to be concluded, every damn chapter! Cliffhangers have always annoyed me but they were effective at keeping my interes but, this time, they're doing the exact oposite.

I still want to know what's going to happen, but I just realised I wasn't even looking foward to this new chapter because I just knew the guy was gonna leave me hanging, again.

Did that ever happen with you guys? A chapter ends at a point which should have you eager for more but, instead, leaves you incredebly irritated and thinking about just dropping the story?
It's mostly common to be used in climax scenarios or a scenario start situation(basically the narrative will explain the details of what is going to happen and the story would stop just before the action starts)
 

Tsuru

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There exist some novels where the authors make it a thing to always end with a cliffhanger. It turn into a feature of their style. Though sprayed, it makes the author being easy to be remembered.

Also some few (old and new) mangas also use spamming cliffhangers. But it's rare.

Recent KR manhwas though, despite not cliffhangers, they are often mini-cliff.
+And as they are experts in term of psychology/quality/strategy-money, they always makes sure to put a cliff when going into a break-hiatus as it's one of the best way to make sure the readers won't "not want" to pick the series again after the break-hiatus.
 

RICHIESPIDER505

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I love reading light novels, web serials, fanfiction and all manners of stories posted on the internet, it's something that brings me joy.

A major part such novels is the use of cliffhangers to keep the reader's attention, most of the time it's fine, something to keep my interest in the story and have me come back for more. Sometimes it's annoying, I really want to know what happens later and the cliff leaves me really frustrated, but thats fine too, cliffhangers are made to be annoying.

But, is there such thing as too many cliffhangers?

There is a novel I fell in love with, a very well writen story which is already more than 200k words, I'm invested in the world, I'm invested in the characters and the author post very often.

He has also decided to put cliffhangers in... I think it was the last 6 or 7 chapters. It's at a very important place in the plot and the cliffhangers are things I desperatly want to know about but, every time he does this, it leaves me a little more annoyed with the story, to the point I'm seriously considering dropping it if he continues.

Knowing how to use cliffhangers is an integral part of writing a serialized story, dealing with cliffhangers is an annoying but acceptable part of reading a novel. There must be thousands of ways to create a cliffhanger and they always leave me wanting more, craving the next chapter, tempting me to support the author and get that juicy access to early chapters.

I don't think I have ever experienced something like this, I love the novel but I'm seriously starting to lose interest as the story stops right as it's about to be concluded, every damn chapter! Cliffhangers have always annoyed me but they were effective at keeping my interes but, this time, they're doing the exact oposite.

I still want to know what's going to happen, but I just realised I wasn't even looking foward to this new chapter because I just knew the guy was gonna leave me hanging, again.

Did that ever happen with you guys? A chapter ends at a point which should have you eager for more but, instead, leaves you incredebly irritated and thinking about just dropping the story?
I say cliffhangers is double edge sword case if u do to often it will come easier predictable when it will happen.The whole point of cliffhangers was to make the reader wounder will happen next and if do it happen they notice the pattern and know will happen next in the story case u did os many time before.
 

kophzi

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I only utilize cliff-hangers to keep readers around, to make them binge-read.
I never write a cliff-hanger chapter and deliberately delay/wait to upload the next chapter for days/weeks, so even if the chapter does end in a hanger, they can instantly click "next" and just continue reading etc.
Is that bad?
 

TotallyHuman

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The only fitting end to conclude this thread that I see is to come close to the answer and promise to write it in the next related thread
cliff.jpeg
 

BearlyAlive

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You need at least two before the one at the end of the chapter to be a hack writer
 

melchi

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Attack on Titan is a good example of too many cliffs. I had to give up on that anime because after enough consecutive weeks where the ep ended in a cliff for a week it because no-longer-enjoyable. I decided to just wait for the season to end, but after thinking about it somewhat I decided I didn't actually care enough anymore to continue the anime.

Point being: Authors that abuse this mechanic risk the same outcome.
 
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