Will Readers Stay or Will They Go?

Chapters are designed to separate a story into manageable, alluring pieces. They allow for time breaks, place breaks or POV breaks. But the break you don't want to allow is a reading break.

It's perfectly natural, after sweating over the action, narrative and dialogue, to want to tie the loose ends into a well-rounded bow. But fight that instinct. The way you end your chapters may be the very thing that determines whether your readers stay or go.

Take the quiz below to see if you can spot the last line that will keep readers reading.

1. In this chapter, the lead character walks into a grocery store, stuffs food into her oversized trench coat, then walks out. Which last line do you use?

   a) She hobbled to her car and sped out of the parking lot.
   b) At last, she had learned how to survive on the merciless streets.
   c) "Miss?" called a voice from behind. "Excuse me, Miss?"

2. In this chapter, three men search for gold in a secluded Mexican mountain. Eventually, they find their first nuggets. Which last line do you use?

   a) The men looked at one another and smiled.
   b) After all their sleepless nights and sweaty days, they had found their reward.
   c) Clyde cocked his pistol and pointed it at the other two. "Back up slowly," he said.

3. In this chapter, a detective searches the house of the murder victim. In the attic, he opens an old trunk and finds a bloody knife. Which last line do you use?

   a) With gloved hand, Detective Shade picked up the knife. "Gentlemen, we have our murder weapon."
   b) Detective Shade had come across many murder weapons in his career, but none so ghastly as this.
   c) Detective Shade aimed his flashlight into the trunk. "What's this?"

4. In this chapter, a bounty hunter enters a sleepy town, looking for the outlaw. When he steps into the saloon, he spots him at the end of the bar. Which last line do you use?

   a) Sam handcuffed him and dragged him to the sheriff's office.
   b) The elusive outlaw had finally met his match.
   c) At the same moment Sam reached for his handcuffs, he felt a blow to the back of his head.

5. In this chapter, King Evilomlap attempts to transfer power to his daughter, Princess Euclassaria, by delivering an impassioned speech to the Kingdom of Lidoffad. Which last line do you use?

   a) When she heard the cheering crowd, Princess Euclassaria knelt before her father and accepted the crown.
   b) For the first time in over a thousand years, a woman would rule the Kingdom of Lidoffad.
   c) Princess Euclassaria hurled the crown into the crowd.

Both the A and B lines wrap up the scene. It's over. Readers can easily slide their bookmarks into the book and move on to something else.

The C lines leave readers hanging. They simply must turn the page to see what happens next. End every chapter in the same manner, and your readers won't close the book until they've reached the final page.