IWSG Blog Post December 2024

Posted bySusanne MatthewsPosted inUncategorized

Welcome to the last IWSG blog post of 2024. Another year has whizzed past. Wishing all who celebrate Happy Holidays.

December 4 question – Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or a reader?

As a rule, I do not write cliffhangers at the end of a book, but I’m not opposed to letting a story continue beyond a book. While that sounds like an oxymoron, it really isn’t. In my best selling series, The Harvester Files, that is precisely what I do.

Each book in the series can be read as a standalone Romance Suspense, starting with The White Carnation. Each book follows most of the same characters on their quest to find the Prophet, a cult leader with the intention of making the US and perhaps the world a better place, no matter the cost. In each book, a different couple is the primary hero and heroine, and their story adds another lead to finding the prophet, but it isn’t until book 4, The White Dahlia that they actually do. Since the series is so popular, I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a fifth book, but so far, the inspiration isn’t there, although I’m geeting close.

As for reading books with cliffhangers, they aren’t unusual in some series. but I like at least a portion of the tale to be resolved in one book. Think Tolkien–it took three books for him to finish The Lord of the Rings. Some stories can’t be resolved in one book.

Find out what others think about this topic here: https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

See you in 2025!

Published by Susanne Matthews

Hi! I live in Eastern Ontario. I'm married with three adult children and five wonderful grandchildren. I prefer warm weather, and sunshine but winter gives me time to write. If I’m listening to music, it will be something from the 1960s or 1970s. I enjoy action movies, romantic comedies, but I draw the line at slasher flicks and horror. I love science fiction and fantasy as well. I love to read; I immerse myself in the text and, as my husband says, the house could fall down around me, and I’d never notice. My preferences are as varied as there are genres, but nothing really beats a good romance, especially one that is filled with suspense. I love historical romance too, and have read quite a few of those. If I’m watching television, you can count on it being a suspense — I’m not a fan of reality TV, sit-coms, or game shows. Writing gives me the most pleasure. I love creating characters that become real and undergo all kinds of adventures. It never ceases to amaze me how each character can take on its own unique personality; sometimes, they grow very different from the way I pictured them! Inspiration comes from all around me; imagination has no bounds. If I can think it, imagine it, I can write it!

6 thoughts on “IWSG Blog Post December 2024”

  1. Yes, some stories like the Lord of the Rings series, can’t be finished in one book. Depending on the genre, cliffhangers can be okay. I don’t like them in romances, though the story can continue in the next book. Happy Holidays!

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  4. When it’s the right thing to do then it should be done. But a cliffhanger can be kind of a let down sometimes. Guess it’s all a matter of how everything is handled.

    Lee

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