If you really want to hook up the reader, learning the art of cliffhangers is a must. Leave everyone impressed and craving for more by turning the full stop into the three dots (metaphorically speaking). Read our free tips on how to end your chapter on a super thrilling note…

Make It Relevant

Imagine this: the 9/10 of a chapter is a sweet and fluffy romance, but you want to end it with a real bang… literally. Will the readers like a sudden car crash or an alien invasion as the ending? Hmm, probably not. Your cliffhanger must not be too unexpected, unless you’re writing a proper thriller. What’s more, it must make sense from the plot development viewpoint. 

Instead of throwing in something sudden and wild, try to build on what’s already there. Has your female character been offered hand and heart? Why not include an ill-timed call or text from her boyfriend’s real passion? Now, that would be a logical cliffhanger if you want to shock the audience.

Make It Sensory

Adding a good cliffhanger is enough… oh, wait, it isn’t. To really make it work, yours must contain the sensory experience of the character whose point of view you’re using. Cutting down the chapter in the middle of a scene may feel unnatural and forced. Make it all about the character and their ‘feels’ instead. 

Let’s take the same example: the character’s BF receives a text or call in the worst possible moment. Instead of simply stating facts, add in the girl’s reaction to this shocker. Did her heart drop? Did she realize he’d been a cheat? Describe her feelings when she gets ‘the news’, and voila, the readers are left impressed.

Make It Brief

Too much detail throws a cliffhanger off the cliff, so try to keep it brief and to the point. Check your ending for the things that would fit better somewhere else within the chapter. If you don’t, the banger might easily turn into a downer. 

Lengthy descriptions or a train of thought are not what make a quality cliffhanger. Be a Hemingway for once and cut down the excessive wording. A few brief sentences or phrases with a good deal of ‘feels’ are the right way to go. All else can be used before the actual cliffhanger – or in the next part of the story.

One Is Enough

…As soon as the girl learns her boyfriend is unfaithful, her long-estranged father knocks at the door. That’s two cliffhangers for one chapter – and a situation a good writer must avoid. Just like too much salt, it spoils the impression, and the readers will feel overloaded. 

First tip: leave only one cliffhanger at the chapter’s end. Second tip: tie the cliffhanger to a relevant plotline. If the girl’s father has not been even mentioned, that would be too much of a surprise – and come across as forced.

Try a Flashback

Flashbacks can shape a cliffhanger without too many gimmicks on your part. In fact, they are a perfect way to add new information that will affect the story. Writing a solid flashback may be tricky, but trust us, it will pay off splendidly. 

How would you pen one for the girl’s sad story? A simple flashback would be her recalling how the boyfriend didn’t answer calls; or skipped a date; or did something equally despicable. It’s up to you and your creative vision to make the past work for the present. A nice idea would be tying the cliffhanger to something already mentioned in the text, like the said missed calls. 

So there you have it: how to write a hit cliffhanger and make your fans count the days until the follow-up. Just don’t forget to add the chapter soon-ish, and they’ll be happy as a quokka. 

Being a beginner doesn’t mean you can’t write well. In many cases, all you need is simply polishing your skills. Trust us with some tips on how to bust the newbie roadblocks – and pen your first hit novel.  

1. Read, Read, Read

This may seem a bit weird – shouldn’t you focus on the writing? In fact, the more you read by others, the more well versed you become in writing styles and methods. What’s more, you won’t be missing any fresh trends in the genre. Want to go viral? Follow what the rest of the pack are doing.  

Creating is imitating, as they say, so it’s a good idea to practice writing like your favorite pros. In fact, even the most recognized authors tried this trick to level up. Your unique style always matters, but until it’s all polished and shiny, try writing like the greats. It’s fun – and it pays off.

2. Work Out a Routine

Inspiration is silver, writing routine is gold. Making money as a writer means penning thousands of words – and meeting deadlines. Your readers won’t wait months or years for an update (unless it’s Game of Thrones, but that’s another story). 

Dropping new chapters on a schedule can be quite a challenge, though. To bust this block, work out a writing routine of your own. Set up the weekdays and the hours when you’ll write – and stick to them like glue. Also make sure that nothing distracts you during this time. Writing bits and pieces in between clients or calls is less than perfect. 

3. Use Exercises and Prompts

There are thousands of these online, no worries. Join a writing community, sign up for a contest or a fest, or simply use the lists from writers’ blogs. Every event or challenge is a step closer to your dream, so make it a speedrun, and not a marathon. 

Practicing writing is much like working out. You start small and level up with each new visit to the gym. That’s why pick the challenges that fit your skills and don’t take up too much of your free time. Better not to take on something than feel guilty afterwards.

4. Write for Yourself

Some would call it the #1 writing rule, some wouldn’t. Either way, writing for the hype and cringing from your own work may easily discourage the newbies. Following the readers’ tastes or a viral trend is nothing bad, but you’re not on a big corp marketing team – and you don’t have to be. 

Instead of “fitting in”, try writing from your heart. Great chances are that what appeals to you will also click with the audience. Follow your instincts and your own sense of taste, and they will guide you to the top.

5. Be Ready for the Feedback

Let’s be honest: the “no crits” approach will get you nowhere. The Internet is a tricky place, and not every comment will mean well – or be worth reading. But without that, you may never reach your full potential as a writer. 

How do you face the critics? Simple: pick the comments that actually tell you what and how you can improve. If someone doesn’t like your style, this may be it: they just don’t like it. But if the person gives you sound advice – maybe you’re being wordy or unclear – use that as a key to the writer’s growth room. 

So that’s it! Follow these five tips – and don’t forget you’ll always have a fair chance with AlphaNovel.

The New Year is almost here, but before you take out the champagne and glasses, pick a book or two for your holiday reading binge. We know it’s pretty hard with all the top-tier authors at AlphaNovel, so catch our free advice as to what you can enjoy before the clock strikes twelve…

The Alpha’s Mate Who Cried Wolf

Things aren’t looking too bright for Astrid at the beginning of the book. Living with her cruel stepfather and working in a diner, she doesn’t even know about her true werewolf nature. It isn’t until one day when a powerful and handsome Alpha Ryker visits the diner that she suddenly starts feeling the mate bond. Yes, there are still problems, as she’s a rogue – and has a fear of wolves because of a dramatic childhood accident. But her real life story is just about to begin… 

Why pick this novel for the holidays? If you enjoy the classic Cinderella plot, you’ll be in for a real treat, where the exciting action blends with the gripping romance. Follow the ups and downs of a maverick Luna on her way to becoming the strong and beloved leader of the pack. And by the way, this book is seriously trending on our platform as of now… 

The Alpha’s Triangle

Young warrior Zira has pretty much everything… except the most important thing: her mate. She’s waited long enough and plans to leave the pack in search of a new life after a party. This, however, doesn’t sit too well with the young Alpha, Isaiah, who feels attracted to the girl – but not enough for a mate bond. A one night stand between the two kickstarts a story full of love, drama, and twists you’ll be thrilled to follow. 

What makes this book a nice New Year’s Eve read? It’s a bold and modern-day romance that doesn’t shy away from saying “love is love” no matter the skin color or gender identity. As Zira is on the lookout for true love and family, her best friend, Isabella, gets a female mate – and couldn’t be happier about it. Stereotypes are broken, bonds are made, and you’ll spend many exciting hours with this werewolf blockbuster. 

Chasing My Rejected Wife

Fans of CEO romance, here’s your “holiday special”. The story follows a rejected wife of a wealthy businessman, left with nothing after a turbulent divorce. A few years pass, and she returns to the city as an assistant to a rich playboy boss. Naturally, she’s bound to run into her ex, now dating her stepsister, and sparks will fly between them even though they are so much at odds… 

So, why this one? The story moves at a nice pace, and there is always an exciting twist or two to keep you turning pages. Add in the tangled web of corporate and private interests, and the book will grip you right until the final countdown.

Whatever your pick is, AlphaNovel wishes you very happy holidays and a fantastic new year ahead!  

AlphaNovel entered the TOP-20 applications in the book category in the USA among TOP Grossing and even surpassed Amazon Kindle in November.

AlphaNovel is a marketplace for romance novels and comics where both experienced and young authors can publish their books. AlphaNovel is building an ecosystem of modern publishing, where the popularity of a book is not determined by the publisher, but by the readers.

“Fifty years ago, publishing houses determined what we would read tomorrow. We allow any author – and there are millions of them around the world – to publish their book and get feedback from readers. So readers can decide for themselves which book will become a bestseller, and the author will know for sure whether his story is loved”, AlphaNovel team said. 

Every day we work on building the best ecosystem for authors to create and readers to enjoy the content. We want for every writer to have a chance to publish a story that will become a bestseller.

Is it going to be long – or short? That’s the question many writers ask when sitting down to pen the first chapter of their novel. Let’s cut to the chase: both formats have their pros and cons for authors, readers, and earnings, so the ultimate choice is always up to you. But let’s compare the two book formats and find out what works – or doesn’t work – when you pick one. 

Short Books Are Easier to Finish

The hard truth is that most readers don’t finish the books they’ve paid for. Not too flattening for writers, but that’s how things really are. And this is where the short books get to shine: they are much easier to finish among all the distractions like the funny cat videos or an Instagram update. 

Long books need more dedicated readers to savor them in full. But on the other hand, if a reader sticks with your story, you’re in for more likes and chapter comments. As they say, true friends – or readers – are like diamonds, and diamonds are forever. 

Long Books Bring More Immersion

When you have plenty of free space for character and plot development, the book should come out deeper and more immersive than a few chapters’ story. Of course, a lot depends on your writing skills, but unless you are Mr. Hemingway, you can hardly write a masterpiece with Twitter’s post length. So why not let the story unfold naturally – and surprise the reader with many exciting twists and turns? 

As for the short books, they simply don’t have the momentum to achieve all that. It’s not a drawback if you’re not going for it specifically, but keep this in mind when starting one. 

Short Books Are More to the Point

The dark side of having unlimited chapters is that you’re tempted to go on (and on, and on). Sometimes it’s good… but other times, it’s bad, as the reader will feel the story isn’t going anywhere – or worse, running in circles. Throw in the lengthy character reflections or multiple POVs, and the book becomes too padded for the fans to really enjoy it. 

Now to the short books, which have to be finished in fewer pages. Here the author has to wrap things up – and do it on the level to leave everyone impressed. A tough challenge, but also a great chance to show off your writing and storytelling skills. 

Long Books Earn You More

It’s as simple as arithmetics: when readers pay per chapter, each new one brings you some coins. Short books get finished faster, and you’ll have to write another one to start earning again. Long books are more convenient, as you can go with the natural story progression – and fill your wallet in the process. That doesn’t spell “drag out the plot”, or the readers will lose interest in paying for the upcoming chapters. But the truth is that there is more gold for you in the long books.
Besides, when you publish on our platform, you get much better chances of promotion with a longer novel. That’s how our system works – and that’s what appeals to our vast audience. In simple words, publishing a longer book with us is a win-win situation for yourself and the crowds of future fans.

The final fire sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius traits are unlike any other sign of the zodiac; they’re totally unique to this brazen spirit. What makes Sagittarius so unique is its dynamic blend of passion, curiosity, intensity, and adaptability. Represented by the archer (a half-man, half-horse centaur), Sagittarius isn’t afraid to use its bow and arrow to explore expansive terrain, seeking answers in places and spaces others wouldn’t dare venture.

THE CEO’S ONLY SLAVE

Ballerina was a brilliant student. she had only one friend who too died due to cancer. Later her parents died too. She was broken and had only one family member and that was her aunt. Bellarina went to her Aunts place to live. But after the sometimes she gets to know that her aunt has sold her to a very rich Billionaire for the sake of money. James cooper, the rich billionaire of the town. The only eligible bachelor of the town. James property was on stake as his grandfather died giving him a condition that if he wants his property then he has to marry a girl or any girl before he turns 25 or all his property will be donated to charity. James gets to know about this when he had only two days ,before turning 25 so in order to save his property he approached Ballerina’s aunt and Ballerina and James had to marry in such conditions. James don’t like Ballerina and wanted to give her divorce but Ballerina starts to like James.

My Hot Forbidden Neighbor

That one mistake and Natalie’s life became hell. Now she wants to spend her last year in school quietly with her head down. The past year bought so much drama and pain in her life, she wants to stay invisible and forget everything. Things get stirred up when his hot new neighbor joins her at school. Jacob doesn’t like to explain his lack of interest in girls (or boys) to others. Girls hitting on him now and then doesn’t help his case either. He knows he is different, but not sure exactly how. Life is about figuring yourself out and it’s called a Spectrum for a reason, after all. When his friends were crushing over girls at barely 12-13 years old, He thought his time would come probably a year or later. Just when he lost all his hopes, he finally meets his first crush ever at the sweet age of 17.

Beautiful Disaster

A story of love, betrayal and heartbreak as a young lady returns to the small town she once dreamed of leaving behind, and never to return, ready for a new life. Destiny on the other hand might have made up other plans for her as she runs into the first boy she thought she’d spend forever with as soon as she gets back into town. The first boy to break her heart. Colton has no intention of letting anyone else in. He’s been through enough gut wrenching pain and he’s unwilling to open himself up to more hurt. After all, you can’t an’t get hurt if you don’t let anyone in, right?

It’s autumn time! And Virgo season is here ♍️

Virgos are logical, practical, and systematic in their approach to life. This earth sign is a perfectionist at heart and isn’t afraid to improve skills through diligent and consistent practice. Virgo is governed by Mercury, the messenger planet of communication. They’re hyper-aware of every detail.

Starting a new chapter, we wish to stay strong, inspired, and sensual. And don’t forget to ask the stars for a piece of advice. To start a new season, AlphaNovel shares TOP books to read for Virgos this September 💫

❤️Their Forced Luna, M. W. Wolf 

Amanda was just trying to escape her pack from a monster that wants to rip her apart and devour the pieces. But she might have just stumbled onto something worse. Alpha Zale finds her on the edge of his property and if she wants sanctuary, there’s only one thing she can do, submit. But the demon she’s found isn’t just any Alpha. He’s her mate, and he likes to share. And will the one she’s run from really let her get away that easily? Or is Amanda about to be caught in a battle between devils that want far more than her soul? A dark dubcon RH adventure.

❤️The Girlfriend Experience, Nan Comargue

According to Zachary, Leda always says yes—and this time he wants her to say it to him, once and for all. Leda’s life is at a low point—jobless and living with her aunt and her aunt’s husband in Heart Lake, Saskatchewan, far away from the hustle of the city. Her only link to that more exciting world is her aunt’s husband’s son, Zachary Benson. But Zach is a hard person to get to know and an even more difficult person to like, so Leda is shocked to learn Zach’s had a crush on her for years. Since her aunt married his father a decade ago, Zach has never been particularly nice to her, mocking her for being a people pleaser who only says yes. Leda is willing to go along with the unusual plan on the condition that it won’t involve any threat to her heart. Since her parents’ deaths, she has armoured herself against losing anyone else she loves, and that makes her determined to never love again. But the more nights she spends with Zach, the harder it is going to be for Leda to keep that promise.

❤️My Possessive Vampires, Maria Warren

“Sonja is down on her luck waitress. Her bills keep climbing and she’s stuck in an embarrassing job with no way to escape. She gets a letter from one Jasper Bright. He demands she come to see him that very night. There’s only one problem, Sonja has no idea who he is. Her boss has been acting very strange lately. Ever since she received that letter he’s been almost possessive, but that couldn’t possibly be true, right? But these men are holding a secret of their own and when Sonja stumbles onto it, her normal everyday troubles are over and she’s got a whole slew of much more worrisome ones to deal with. Just what are you supposed to do when you find yourself in the center of two possessive vampires?”

Plot tropes in romance novels are the basis of any story. The more unusual the plot, the easier it is for the author to grab readers` attention.

Bully romance is one of the sub-genres that has been gaining popularity lately. Such a trail allows you to create a rich plot and a variety of characters. Bully romance novels often involve one heroine who tends to have an interest in different characters, one of which is the antagonist. Other characters are often portrayed as more loyal and friendly, to contrast the difference with an antagonist character.

AlphaNovel shares the top 5 secrets about how to create bully characters.

1. Bully need to have a story behind

Bullying is a difficult and traumatic experience, but since it is the main character in your book, it must have a story. 

The untold story of the character, although not available to the reader, strongly influences the development of the plot. And while some people can be bullies from childhood, most often this behavior is the result of some traumatic experience. Even if you don’t put all the story in detail, think it through for yourself. With a fully developed character story in mind, you will only come up with something that fits with his character.

Be sure to think through these details to get to know the character better in person. For reading, this could be an intrigue and plot twist.

2. Actions must fit the character

If you’re scared to death of spiders, would you take the spider out of your room by yourself? We think you would call for help.

Often, as the story progresses, authors forget important features of the characters and force them to do things that are completely out of character. It is important to always keep a balance and show the development of the hero, emphasizing his changes, or behave consistently.

When creating a new situation for the characters, ask yourself, “What would I do?” and answer the question in full detail. Next, ask what your character would do, and also try not to miss any details. In a dialogue with yourself, reinforce the answers with a description of the character. For example, my hero would never betray anyone, because a few years ago he was betrayed by his best friend and he painfully endured these events.

3. Give your character a specific speech

Every person in the world speaks in a certain way, using special words, and phrases or changing the tone of voice in different situations. Give your character these traits and don’t forget to add them to your dialogues.

Don’t forget about body language. Since your bully has a cause or a history of traumatic experience, not only actions but also behavior determines the character during the conflict. For example, at the mention of a certain topic, the character’s hands may shake, and he may start to bite his/her lips or do something else.

4. Start with critical scenes for your bully

Often writers come up with a few major scenes first that are going to happen to their characters in a novel before writing the whole story. Start with these stories and plot twists – think through the details and record how they will affect the development of the character and the whole story.

Such scenes can be arranged chronologically – for example, to develop a plot at the beginning of the novel, for the development of the story, and at the end. This will help create a story outline and move along a given roadmap.

5. Let your characters make mistakes

It is important not only to strictly match the character of the characters but sometimes deviate from the rules, allowing the characters to make mistakes and emphasizing the results of such events. First, it adds more life to the story and makes it realistic. Secondly, such twists contribute to the development of characters and open up new horizons for the story.

If you can’t stop writing and imagining new stories, always fantasising about new twists, let’s celebrate – you are the novelist! Before you start publishing, you need to remember some rules and tips. Scroll the tips from the AlphaNovel team ❤️

1. Find the story that strikes a nerve

It is not enough to choose a popular and mainstream topic. To create exciting novels, the story should drive the author. Only then the short story will turn out to be engaging, energetic, and noticeable. You can check if the story is right with some questions:

• How closely connected is this story to my own experience?
• Do I feel strongly about seeing this story portrayed in literature?
• What impact could this story have on readers? On society as a whole?

Even if you are creating fantasy stories, try to think about the moral you would like to tell the reader or the benefit your fans would have from reading.

2. Don’t judge a draft. Complete

Give yourself creative freedom and write the novel the way you think of the plot. Do not limit yourself to writing only chronologically, do not pay attention to errors or inaccuracies. You will fix it when the draft is completely ready.

This technique also helps those writers who have a fear of finishing a project. Just leave all the stress behind and write.

3. Develop your voice

First, the right voice would help you become visible and recognisable as an author. As a result, your fans would recognise your new novel even if they didn’t know the author.

• Think about what mood you want to convey and what image of your brand.
• Before writing any text, ask yourself: how to write according to my vision?
• Write a lot. Not only novels but also posts on social networks or blogs will help develop your voice.

4. Write “bird by bird”

One of the best pieces of writing advice is actually in the title of Anne Lamott’s book “Bird by Bird”. This technique would help you to write constantly and never stop.

• Think of a “bird” as 500 words. This word count could become your magic number – it is enough to feel productive and make solid progress, but not too much to feel insurmountable.
• Write non-chronologically. Just allow yourself to write imperfectly on the first draft, feel free to jump around in your story and let the words flow as they please.

5. Prioritise productivity

Writing could be successful only when the author is productive and efficient. Readers could not wait for the novel too long, so to achieve results, any work requires consistency. Use time-management techniques and be productive.

Our team prepared the article with top writing tips, which could help authors stay efficient: Tips for writers: how to keep writing efficiency

6. Finished? Repeat again

Already published? Start from the beginning – choose a new story and create again!

AlphaNovel team would be happy to help talented authors become famous and meet readers. Come and check about AlphaNovel!