Friday, March 21, 2014

Cliff Hangers (**growl**)

Television is famous for cliff hangers. End of season? You can almost put money on it that the show will end wondering what’s to happen next. NCIS ended one year making us watchers wonder if Ducky was killed off! Now I’m finding it in the books I’m reading. Or maybe it’s always been there and I’m just noticing.

I say STOP IT!

I like reading series. I’m okay with one character battling one issue (e.g. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series) but prefer a different couple in the same world where previous characters can show up (e.g. Kerrelyn Sparks’ Love at Stake series or J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series). I can understand an over-all storyline not being wrapped up at the end of a book in a series, but the current skirmish should end.

So why the cliff hangers? Are writers (of TV and books) afraid we won’t come back? If the writer makes the story good enough, if the writer makes us care about the characters, then why the heck WOULDN’T we come back?

Make the story strong. Make us care about the characters. Don’t cheat us out of an ending. End the damn story!

I promise that I will never end my book on a cliff hanger. I want you to come back and read the next one because you like my writing.

Okay. End of rant.

So… What’s pissed you off lately?

Have a good weekend. Maybe it’ll get warm.

Stacy

 

7 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

I don't mind if new questions pop up after the main story is told, but not outright cliffhangers where I have to buy the next book to find out the answers.

Stacy McKitrick said...

Maria - I don't mind the questions popping up (heck, I do THAT!), but I don't like being left wondering if the couple will eventually get together (because one of them got kidnapped or is near death or something). Give me a happy for now and start the next book with the conflict.

Jennette Marie Powell said...

Um, I write series with the same main characters. But not ending in cliffhangers. I hate that. I at least wrap up the main plot and leave the reader with a "hopefully" ever after. Then introduce more conflict in the next book bwa-haha!

The Happy Whisk said...

I can't think of what pissed me off lately. I got nothing.

Stacy McKitrick said...

Jenette - I've never had any problems with your books! :) Hey, when's the next one coming out!!

Ivy - Nothing? Not even the melting snow that uncovered all those gifts your dogs gave you? Haha!! :)

JeffO said...

I blame 'Dallas'.

Stacy McKitrick said...

Jeff - I thought about "Who Shot J.R?" but soap operas have been doing it for longer. Every Friday there'd be a cliff hanger. Of course Dallas made us wait a whole summer whereas we only had to wait a weekend for the soap opera.