Opening & Closing Scenes

When I wrote my first stories, I had a funny issue with every chapter. I had no intuition for when to start or end a chapter. So what did I decide? Every chapter started with somebody waking up, and every chapter ended with somebody falling asleep ;)

To my young, inexperienced writer brain that was the only way to do a scene. It felt very wrong to just … stop anywhere. And it is wrong: cutting off a scene at a random moment will be confusing and unsatisfying. But what is a good moment to stop a scene? How do you end a scene in a natural way?

If you’ve been following along, writing many stories, you should already have a decent intuition for opening and closing scenes. I will quickly explain the general rule, then dive into more practical tips for hooks and cliffhangers.

Arrive Late, Exit Early

The general rule is that every scene should be structured like a mini-story. This means each scene should

• Start right before the setup or the promise. (“Arrive Late”)
• End right after the payoff. (“Exit Early”)

Sounds simple, but it’s easy to get this wrong.

An example

Let’s say you want to write a scene in which two people talk about something important. Many writers would spend a few pages leading up to the event. They introduce that character A wants to talk to B. Now we follow A traveling to the destination, entering it, meeting B. They exchange pleasantries.

Only now the actual scene starts!

And it’s way too late. The scene should have started the moment it got interesting.

Similarly, once the important information has been discussed, a writer might continue the scene. Finish off the conversation, say goodbye, show A leaving again.

No, the scene should have already ended!

You delivered the payoff, you did what you wanted to do, why continue?

Below is a more fulfilling and efficient version of the scene.

• Quickly set the scene. Explain A and B are talking somewhere, maybe one or two paragraphs.
• Now we dive into the important information immediately.
• And once the word is out—once B has told A what they wanted to know—the scene ends

Opening a scene

Learning this, many writers now aim to start scenes with great opening lines that immediately dive into the action. I was one of them, for a while. This has another downside, however.

As we read, we imagine the story. (Some more clearly than others, some in different ways than others.) We need to know who is talking, where the characters are, what things generally look or sound like.

As such, start the scene with necessary setup! Don’t give the setup too late.

If you don’t include this, the scene is lifeless and blank. If you include this too late, the reader now has to modify their mental picture halfway the chapter. This is even more annoying.

As such, start each scene with a quick description to “set the scene”. Only pick the most vital elements that the reader needs to know now (so they don’t have to change their understanding later), and deliver them in a clear way.

Closing a scene

My best rule for closing a scene is: give readers something to chew on.

A scene should end right after giving the reader something to consider. Each scene should lead to some statement, some new information, some decision. Once told, the scene quickly ends.

Between scenes or chapters, as the reader has to turn the page or takes a break, they get to think about what they just learned.

That’s, to me, the best test. Does your chapter end with something that gives the reader something new to consider? Does your chapter end with clear progress that makes the reader wonder what will happen next?

A common mistake: vague mystery

When people learn about cliffhangers, they usually apply it in a way that is ineffective.

For example, say your hero finds a mysterious treasure in your scene. At the end, they open it—and then you stop the scene.

Yes, this creates a mystery, a question we want answered. But it’s a very vague question. Anything could be inside the treasure! We don’t feel interested—we feel tricked and just want the answer.

Instead, remember this general rule.

Don’t end with the hero opening the door, end by showing what is behind the door.

In our example, we’d end the chapter by stating what the hero sees when they opened the treasure. This is specific information, hopefully something interesting or surprising, which the reader can actually reason about.

Perhaps the treasure contained an hourglass. Earlier in the story, you set up that certain magic requires a clock or timing device. Now the reader can make the connection and wonder about the specific implications of finding that hourglass.

If you hadn’t told this, and ended the chapter just after opening the box, the reader has nothing to go on.

The difficulty of portraying realization

This brings me to something that I struggled with a lot (and still haven’t entirely mastered to this day).

Now you know that you need to give readers something to chew on. This means chapters should often reveal new information or lead to a realization.

Now the question becomes: how? How do you do that?

• Tell it: literally tell the reader what they need to know. Perhaps add a line about “Now Sarah realized the truth!” or “Of course, it all became clear”.
• Show it: end the chapter immediately after giving the necessary puzzle pieces, and expect the reader to connect the dots themselves. (I call this “interactive” reveals. After showing it, you end the chapter. Now the reader can interact with the story and think about the implications, before they start the next chapter.)

This is a very fine line. After years of experience, this is my take on it.

• If it is new information, or something quite complex, just tell it. (If you show it, there’s a high chance the reader will not get it. Which means they are now confused and cannot follow along with your story anymore.)
• If it’s something simple, or merely based on information the reader should already have, show it.

Interactive (“shown”) reveals are always more engaging and fun. But they should not require new information: everything for this reveal should already have been set up. And if you fear people won’t get it, go the safe route and tell it.

Finally, I think it’s fine to add sentences that highlight the realization.

• “Of course!”
• “Now he realized.”
• “Sarah saw the pieces fall into place.”
• “James realized he’d been played for a fool.”
• “How could I have been so blind? Of course it was …”

They communicate to the reader (very efficiently) that this is a realization and it is something they’re just now figuring out. Just make sure to …

• Not overdo it
• Vary the sentences
• And realize they aren’t necessary. Just showing or telling the reveal on its own (perhaps on its own line) is often enough.

Now write!

Write a story.

• Ensure each scene is as efficient and interesting as possible: arrive early, exit late.
• Ensure each scene leaves the reader with something new to consider or worry about. (If you can’t, the scene isn’t interesting or useful enough, so consider redoing it.)
• Try to open every scene with a clear hook. (A killer first line or first paragraph, that immediately sets up what is to come.)
• Try to end every scene with a cliffhanger. (A statement that begs for answers or resolution.)