Writing and Wattpadding (a guide)

Ending a Chapter

How in the world do you end a chapter???

Well, there's no real science to it (I suppose there probably could be, but that would just be getting too in depth and who knows about all that...) But there are a few things you want to consider when you're trying to end a chapter. 

You want a chapter that's going to move your plot or characters along, but you don't want it to be too jam packed with just a bunch of stuff. Your chapters need to have a spacific idea when you start them. What do you want to accomplish in that chapter? 

When I start a chapter I typically have a thing that I put at the beginning, an outline of sorts. It's like a "what happens next" type thing. In this you will have your main event that you want to happen in the chapter, and what will happen to get you there. (think of each chapter as it's own story)

Alright... Well now that I know what I want to happen, how do I end it?

You want to end the chapter on something that guarentees that writers will want to come back for your next update. Wattpad isn't like selling a book in a bookstore. In stores, once the person's bought the book, you already have their money. 

On Wattpad you have to sell the book over and over again. With each chapter you have to convince the reader to buy it and come back. That being said, you need something that will pull them back in. 

I've been told that ending a chapter with the character going to bed isn't really the best tactic, especially on here. When a character goes to bed, it's sort of a peaceful ending. You aren't leaving the reader on the edge of their seat, they feel more or less complete. (That's not saying that the story itself is complete, but you've ended it with "rest")

I would agree to a certain extent, but I wouldn't say NEVER end a chapter with your character going to bed. Sometimes it can have its uses. However, I would say to use it as sparingly as possible. You want to create a more tense situation (especially leading into your climactic moment). 

So basically, don't let it be a chapter a day... Well you can, but don't always end the day with the character going to sleep and then waking up the next morning. 

Make your endings exciting. Even if a chapter is more of a filler chapter, you can still end it in a way that will take you into the next event. Do something that will keep people interested. Don't let the story die out. 

If you've read my stories you may have noticed that quite a few chapters of mine are like cliff hanger endings. This is something that I've found helps me and it's easiest for me to do it like that. I have those endings, and people keep coming back for the resolution only to be left dangling all over again. They just keep coming back. 

Dangle your readers a bit. Let them suffer. Trust me, they like it... If they didn't then they wouldn't keep coming back for more torture. 

************

Remember to leave your questions about writing down below! Anything you want to know about writing a story or getting through Wattpad, just leave it below and I'll answer it to the best of my ability. 

Thanks all!