How does one get better at the 'closing bits' of a chapter?

[skip.knox]

>These are the best hooks ever.
See, and I read those as ham-handed.. To me they were right up there with how a Saturday serial would end. Or the 60s Batman show.

Diff'rent strokes.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Is this discussion about how to close chapters? or scenes? How many of these would be present in the chapter 1?

For simplicity, chapters, though some chapters have more than one full scene in them. Chapter one only has two scenes and the primary focus of the chapter (around 75% of the body) is the second scene. I generally try to avoid more than 3-5 individual scenes (especially longer ones) in a chapter.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

>These are the best hooks ever.
See, and I read those as ham-handed.. To me they were right up there with how a Saturday serial would end. Or the 60s Batman show.

Diff'rent strokes.

They remind me of pretty much every piece of fiction written in England from the 12th century to the Enlightenment.

 

[Mad Swede]

I can remember having this discussion with my editor. She thinks I do this well, but I had no idea what it was I was doing that worked so well. Her comment was that chapters ands/or scenes can end in three ways: with cliffhangers, with a lead or hook into the next chapter (not the same as a cliffhanger) or with some form of closure (like going to bed and falling asleep). She said that the key to good flow in a story is to balance these three types of endings. I still don't know how I manage this, it just happens...

 

[skip.knox]

Excellent point. Variety matters. The trick is in the doing.

 

[pmmg]

For simplicity, chapters, though some chapters have more than one full scene in them. Chapter one only has two scenes and the primary focus of the chapter (around 75% of the body) is the second scene. I generally try to avoid more than 3-5 individual scenes (especially longer ones) in a chapter.

The reason I ask is, if you post up a first chapter, it may not have enough of this to be useful in evaluating, or providing commentary to address it. If you are having a problem with closings, and there is only one on screen, it may not be a good enough sample size.

 

[JBCrowson]

I think the idea / question that leads the reader into reading further need not be at the end of the scene / chapter, or a scene may have several such enticementss. (I prefer enticements to hooks).

 

[JBCrowson]

I think the idea / question that leads the reader into reading further need not be at the end of the scene / chapter, or a scene may have several such enticementss. (I prefer enticements to hooks).

With those things kn mind you are then freer in how you end because the enticement need not be part of the close.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I can remember having this discussion with my editor. She thinks I do this well, but I had no idea what it was I was doing that worked so well. Her comment was that chapters ands/or scenes can end in three ways: with cliffhangers, with a lead or hook into the next chapter (not the same as a cliffhanger) or with some form of closure (like going to bed and falling asleep). She said that the key to good flow in a story is to balance these three types of endings. I still don't know how I manage this, it just happens...

So it's less about the actual thing (though I still need to do them well) and finding a good balance between the three?
Would such a hook (not a cliffhanger) be something like the Female Lead learning something about the next POV Character (The male lead) that drives her interest in meeting them? I mean like beyond just how they look, like they learn about their demeanor or what have you from their minions. (he does have those)

 

[Mad Swede]

So it's less about the actual thing (though I still need to do them well) and finding a good balance between the three?

Yes.

Would such a hook (not a cliffhanger) be something like the Female Lead learning something about the next POV Character (The male lead) that drives her interest in meeting them? I mean like beyond just how they look, like they learn about their demeanor or what have you from their minions. (he does have those)

It could be almost anything, like something happening in the background or something a character hears. And the hook needn't be direct to the next secene or chapter, it can be to a later scene or chapter.