#starting a chapter

[novlr]

I once saw a piece of writing advice that spoke to the idea that you should start and end a chapter differently. I suppose the idea was that it helps keep the story moving along. I thought it was good advice but didn't like the post and therefore cannot find the full explanation of this point. Do you have any advice like this? For starting and ending a chapter?

As a creative writer, you’re always looking for ways to improve your craft and keep your readers engaged. One piece of advice that can help you achieve this is by starting and ending chapters differently.

This technique can help keep your story moving forward and maintain your reader’s interest, but it is not the only technique you should employ. Like any other part of your writing, it’s all about variation, and knowing what serves your story best is the most fundamental part of improving your writing’s craft.

Starting a chapter

When it comes to starting a chapter, there are several techniques you can employ to grab your reader’s attention and propel your story forward. One effective method is to begin with action, throwing your character into the middle of a scene and immediately drawing the reader in. Alternatively, you can introduce a new character to shake up the story’s dynamics or change the setting to signal a shift in the narrative.

Opening with dialogue is another great way to quickly establish the scene and provide context for the reader. You might also consider posing a question that piques their curiosity or describing a vivid sensory experience to immerse them in the moment. Ultimately, the key is to experiment with different approaches and find what works best for the chapter you’re writing.

Ending a chapter

When it comes to ending a chapter, there are several effective techniques you can use to keep your readers engaged and eager to turn the page. One popular method is to end with a cliffhanger. You can then open the next chapter with something mundane. An example of this would be the shocking entrance of someone unexpected at the end of one chapter, then opening the next chapter with the revelation that is just the goofy uncle the character hasn’t seen in a while. Alternatively, you can resolve a minor conflict, giving the reader a sense of satisfaction while still leaving larger issues unresolved to continue into the next chapter.

Another option is to introduce a new complication, presenting an obstacle or twist that raises the stakes and propels the story forward. You might also consider ending with a revelation, where a character discovers something important or experiences a significant realisation that shifts their perspective.

Creating a sense of anticipation by hinting at what’s to come in the next chapter is another effective way to keep readers engaged, or you can end with a strong image or emotion that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Experiment using these endings with the opening examples above, and you’ll soon find that there’s a rhythm you develop that suits your writing style.

Variation is key

The key to effectively starting and ending chapters is to mix things up and keep your readers on their toes. Don’t rely on the same techniques every time; instead, experiment with different approaches to find what works best for your story. By varying your chapter beginnings and endings, you’ll create a more engaging and dynamic reading experience that will resonate with readers.

For some chapters, a clear break will work really well, like the example of a cliffhanger that opens the next chapter with something far more ordinary than the reader was expecting. But other chapters will be well served by a simple continuation of the scene. Pacing isn’t dictated on a chapter-by-chapter basis alone; it’s all about the overall arc of the story and how everything fits together. There are no hard and fast rules for how to begin and end a chapter, so in the end, it all comes down to trial and error and seeing what feels right in service of the story you want to tell.

Additional tips

In addition to the techniques mentioned above, there are a few more tips to keep in mind when starting and ending chapters. Varying your chapter lengths can help keep the pacing dynamic and prevent the story from feeling predictable (although some stories are served by consistent length, so do follow your intuition here). Using transitions, like transitional phrases or imagery, can smoothly connect the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next.

Experimenting with different techniques and reading widely to study how other authors begin and end their chapters can provide valuable inspiration and insight. And don’t be afraid to rewrite your chapter openings and endings in as many versions as you like to see what works for you.

Ultimately, trust your instincts; if a particular starting or ending technique feels right for your chapter and serves your story well, then that’s the one you should go with.

#starting a chapter #ending a chapter #writing tips #quick writing tips #writers #creative writing #writing #writing community #writers of tumblr #creative writers #writing inspiration #writeblr #writerblr #writing advice #writing resources #writing help #how to write #let's write #help for writers #helping writers #resources for writers #writing blog #writer #writers on tumblr #writers and poets #writing stuff #on writing #writer stuff #writers corner #writers community

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The math just adds up!

#dungeon meshi #falin touden #marcille donato #farcille #I always loved how chapter 27 ends with them both so bloody and 28 starts with them in the bath. #not just because of how iconic the bathtub moment is but because you know they had to scrap off so much gore first. #I think everyone in the party took a very long and methodical bath but Falin was basically *all* blood*. #Being covered in blood is one of those 'just girly things' that women deserve to stop being shamed about. #I just don't think Chilchuck is progressive enough. He probably made them take a bath first B*/ #Okay jestering aside I want to just highlight - #The magnitude of Marcille's joy at seeing her dearest friend again! Of holding her and sharing her presence in the same room! #Something about this reunion feels like a beautiful dream you are afraid of waking up from...

[beybuniki]

a hug from mom

#that fic chapter in which inko hugs bakugo and he starts sobbing it got me thinkinggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg so many thoguhts uhg #maybe mitsuki rlly doesn't hug him much maybe that's where his touch aversion stems from let me throw up real quick #live laugh l #ove and suc #bnha #bakugo mitsuki #bakugo katsuki

[sitruuna-art]

guys i don't think we can put him on our back

#ever since i learnt how big this man was my entire worldview had been shattered #dogday enjoyers better start hitting the gym #my art #sitruuna-art #fanart #poppy playtime #poppy playtime 3 #poppy playtime chapter 3 #poppy playtime fanart #smiling critters #dogday #player #poppy playtime player #poppy playtime dogday #high quality shitpost #click for higher quality #artists on tumblr

[venator-signum]

kamala khan would have the most horrendous ao3 author's notes known to man

"hey guys sorry the update is late i switched places with an avenger (ajdgrhsh literally crying) and a really cool space scientist lady and then got into a fight and some alien dudes wrecked my house and then I met Nick fury and I was literal space it was crazy and I had to help save the universe and saw said scientist lady give up her life to save all of us... anyways hope you like the new fic, branching out with an arranged marriage au for this one!!!"

#rosi shitposts #marvel #mcu #the marvels #kamala khan #carol danvers #monica rambeau #ms marvel #captain marvel #the marvels spoilers #marvel spoilers #i want to read her fics #all of them are multichapters #somewhere between 5k and 10k per chapter #tries to update AT LEAST once a month #all of it is some of the best shit you've ever read #girl is insane for that and i love her #alternatively #she has so many au ideas rattling around in her brain and so many started fics but they havent been updated for at least a year #and then turns up with this AN and you know its about to get real #ao3

[iwuvcofi]

Because he's lovely

#poppy playtime #smiling critters #dogday #poppy playtime dogday #poppy playtime chapter 3 #my art #I start to think that i have not post much here because i always forget that I also have a Tumblr

[ratfest]

my heartbeat sounds funny!

#one piece #gear 5 luffy #op luffy #monkey d. luffy #i lost a bet so i had to start watching one piece #i also lost my furina 50/50 #so i did it #all 1088 episodes #and the latest manga chapters #so thats what i was doing for 2 months #my bad guys #i got glue trapped #my brain has been rewired in an indescribable way #luffy forever

[ruporas]

… and it all came flowing to his brain, three years of his youth. (ID in alt)

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #kenjaku #geto suguru #ruporas art #happy boxing day :partyexplosion: this is technically a redraw of an old piece i did!! #one of the top tier scenes of jjk - the tragedy was truly crazy i remember seeing this back then and had my whole life sucked into stsg #for a bit wraghhhgds it came back when s2 started airing but not for long... i knew i wanted to do a piece in celebration of the boxing tho #after this........i wonder if ill have the strength to do more jjk art... after that new chapter *puts my hands behind my back* #*staring longingly into the distance* but it was fun revisiting these scenes. im also queueing this before the ep airs #so im excited to see how devastating the effect will be in mappa's animation!!!

[desktopartist87]

So did MOB GAMES get sick of kids and content farms liking this game or what

My ass was NOT ready for this guy I swear

#poppy playtime chapter 3 #why is this game getting scarier every chapter #im not complaining though #im glad people are starting to see this games potential #desktopdiscussions #poppyplaytime #catnap #dogday #huggywuggy

[wispscribbles]

lil preview for some retired ghostsoap art !

#ghostsoap #soapghost #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #soap x ghost #my art #cod fanart #doodle #yea this is for nrftw last chapter so god knows when i will post the final piece #im continuing my bearded hairy lumberjack Simon agenda #and scruffy soap ! #i just rly like it so i couldn't wait with posting this #they just #they just make me so #*starts frothing*

[aerequets]

ONCE MORE WITH FEELING HAS, ONCE MORE, PUT ME IN MY FEELINGS

(all hail @sometimesiship)

#chapter 34 Ended me and then resuscitated me #when it started with advisor i wanted to throw up (in a good way) #spy x family #my art #loid forger #yor forger #sxf #twiyor #sxf loid #sxf yor #sxf fic #sxf fanfic

[egophiliac]

well, I can't say I expected the new chapter to feature Idia (metaphorically) going to (metaphorical) hell, getting a pep talk from his (metaphorical) Phantom brother which helps him finally move on once and for all from his brother's death, and (metaphorically) overblotting again to fight his way back out of (metaphorical) hell, only to have his darkest fear (non-metaphorically) come true when his mom goes through his computer and finds all his secret files. but I am glad it did!

also this is all a flashback for the purpose of explaining to our group what the heck is going on (whether or not any of it is getting through is another matter)

#art #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland spoilers #twisted wonderland episode 7 spoilers #twisted wonderland episode 7 chapter 7 spoilers #twisted wonderland book 7 spoilers #twisted wonderland book 7 chapter 7 spoilers #it's okay she said she didn't look in the password-protected folders #your secret recipes are safe #what's up guys it's IDIA TIME #red idia. redia. is this anything #(my thoughts are all over the place so this is not going to be comprehensible sorry in advance) #woooooo and his character arc is resolved!!!! #including my new favorite shroudbros interaction #idia: ortho i need to apologize for how much i must have hurt you -- #ortho: whatever niisan i went to SPACE #they're so stupid. i love them so much. #not to mention idia starting to realize something is up when he pulls 3 ssrs no problem #(stares at 3 currently-running ssr pickups) twst is mocking me personally #aw man though! i forget if he had that line before about crimson muscle coming to his entrance ceremony or if that's new #either way i think that's sweet! #there's been a bit of a running subplot that idia actually really does want to be friends irl #but is too shy/anxious and convinced crimson would hate him immediately if they ever met #so idk. it was kind of a throwaway line but it still got me! when are he and lilia gonna meet for reals :( #(this will definitely involve makeovers) (this is not how idia expected their friendship to go but he has no choice now)

[heritageposts]

The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, by Ilan Pappé (2006, p. 72)

The rhetoric from Israel and their defenders really hasn't changed one bit, has it? Months and months of terrorizing Palestinian villages, and the moment they retaliate, it must be because the Arabs are violent Nazis set to exterminate the oh-so-peaceful Zionist settlers for no other reason than them being Jewish

And what were the Zionists settlers - with Ben-Gurion's explicit approval - doing at the time?

Pappé (2006, p. 58)

Similarly, in the villages:

Pappé (2006, p. 57)

Still the same playbook, 75+ years later...

Also, it's important to understand that these violent attacks against Palestinian cities and villages - and there were many more in the winter of 47/48 than the examples included here - were part of a larger, deliberate operation meant to 'drive out' (i.e. ethnically cleanse) the Native population of Palestine. It didn't matter if the Palestinians were just quietly living their life in the countryside; if they were not Jewish, they would had to go. And if the Zionists could not find a pretext for retaliation, they would make one.

In the aftermath of the UN partition, this operation of ethnic cleansing - without 'pretext' - was not only openly discussed, but approved of, by Ben-Gurion and the rest of the Zionist leadership:

Pappé (2006, p. 64)

What we're seeing today in Gaza - with the collective punishment of 2 million Palestinians - is the continuation of this very same Zionist program of ethnic cleansing that Israel was founded on.

#free palestine #palestine #gaza #these are all quotes from ch. 4 #which deals with the immediate aftermath of the UN partition #starting now on chapter 5 of my rereading #and once again i encourage everyone to read along with me #if you can't afford to buy it there's always libgen (or google author + title + pdf and a copy should come up)

[shadowednavi]

it's been awhile since I've worked on this project! I've had this verse finished for months but didn't want to post it on its own, and instead wait until the whole thing is strung together to show the final result all at once. But I'm tired of holding onto it, so here is one section of my deltarune animation! My art tag has other clips if anyone is interested in seeing more~

(song: "The Hymn of Axciom" by Vienna Teng)

#deltarune #deltarune animation #deltarune spoilers #deltarune chapter 2 #noelle holiday #queen deltarune #kris deltarune #kris dreemurr #susie deltarune #ralsei #berdly #vienna teng #confession time the only reason I haven't been working on this is because I started playing minecraft #and anytime I open my computer it's minecraft time #I did also get a new computer in August which was a pain in the ass to set up #but I managed to get all my clip studio settings transferred over from my old battlestation #this has also been a weird transition year so once I'm fully established in my new place I'll be less stressed #didn't even realize how stressed it's made me #just one more week #oh god it's my art

[s-aint-elmo]

Falin has been nearsighted since she was little, and has a habit of squinting when she's looking at things. —Delicious in Dungeon World Guide: The Adventurer's Bible

she should have been at the optometrist's

(ID in alt text)

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #falin touden #marcille donato #laios touden #doodles #mine #falin's closed eyes canonically just being squinting is one of the funniest word of god additions to a story ever #noticing how she started keeping them open post-rez n being like ''wow that's such a cool way to introduce a disconnect between the falin w #heard of n the falin we're meeting now. i wonder how this plays into the dragon thing'' and it's just. it's just. She Can See Now #i do think if she ever did get glasses they'd be no use bc she doesn't like wearing them. marcille has to wrestle them onto her face #after wrestling them out of laios's hands #protip: they're in their flashback designs bc that chapter is burned into my brain permanently. laimar one-sided enemies to besties + #farcille cheek-pinching as a love language 5ever

[hayden-christensen]

hayden christensen coming back to star wars has been the absolute highlight of the past two years and it has been a pleasure and joy to watch him in two shows both with little screentime but incredible performances of every version of anakin skywalker/darth vader and get his well deserved flowers from the fandom…hayden IS and ALWAYS WILL BE anakin and no one else could have done it thank you thank you thank you

#star wars #anakin skywalker #darth vader #hayden christensen #kenobi #ahsoka #ahsoka s1 #ahsoka spoilers #sw cast #emotions are all over the place rn 😭😭😭 #it feels like the end of a chapter that started in 2020 😭😭😭 #(made this on my phone for twitter I have a gifset version of this post that looks so much better agshdhdh) #*text