Fictionary’s Story Elements Series
If your story were a train, every scene ending would be a station—offering your reader a choice: Do I stay on this ride, or step off for the night?
The right scene exit hook makes that choice effortless. The reader stays onboard, turning the page, chasing the tension. Because something is unresolved… and they have to know what happens next.
🎯 Why This Element Matters
Scene exit hooks are the last impression your reader gets before a transition—whether that’s a new scene, a new chapter, or a new point of view.
If the ending falls flat, so might the reader’s interest.
Fictionary’s Scene Exit Hook element helps you (or your editor) evaluate whether you’re closing each scene with enough suspense, momentum, or emotional tension to compel continued reading.
Great scene endings don’t just resolve—they propel.
🛠 How to Use This Element
When evaluating your scenes in Fictionary’s StoryCoach software:
- ✅ If the exit hook is strong, mark it with a √ and briefly describe what makes it compelling.
- ❌ If the scene lacks an exit hook, label it “No Hook.”
- ⚠️ If it’s underwhelming, mark it “Weak” and include the hook’s content.
- 🔁 If multiple scenes end the same way (e.g., vague thoughts or repeated description), mark them “Repetitive” and note the pattern.
💡 Use the Story Map (Visualize page) and select:
- Scene Name
- Entry Hook
- Exit Hook
Seeing these side-by-side helps you visualize how each scene opens and closes—and whether they flow or falter.
✍️ Advice for Writers
Think of a scene exit hook as a magnetic pull. It keeps your reader from turning out the light, from scrolling away, from moving on.
A great exit hook doesn’t need to be flashy—it needs to ask a question, raise the stakes, or shift the ground beneath your characters.
Some of the most effective scene endings include:
🧠 A Lingering Question
“He said he forgave me. But why did he still have the gun?”
🧨 A Plot Twist
“Then she opened the letter—and saw her own handwriting.”
💥 A Setback
“He didn’t make the call. And now it was too late.”
🤯 A Revelation
“Everything she believed about her father was a lie.”
🫣 A Cliffhanger
“The floorboards groaned. Someone else was in the house.”
🤫 A Partial Secret Revealed
“He knew where the bodies were buried. But not all of them.”
The key? Vary them. If every scene ends with a dramatic cliffhanger, readers will catch on—and lose interest. But mixing in moments of tension, mystery, or emotional surprise keeps the journey unpredictable.
🧠 Pro Tip: Align Exit Hooks with POV Goals
Remember: every POV character in every scene has a goal. Use the exit hook to show whether they’ve achieved it—or failed spectacularly.
Failure, in particular, creates stakes and forward motion.
If your character’s goal is to escape unseen, and the final line is “A flashlight beam found the back of her jacket,” you’ve built a hook and introduced conflict—all in one.
🔁 Final Thought
Scene exit hooks are your novel’s lifeline. When they’re strong, readers don’t pause. They don’t sleep. They don’t stop.
So ask yourself:
❓Does this final line make the reader need to know what happens next?
If the answer is no—it’s time to rewrite.
The Pencil Driven Life 