Endings, resolution & recurrence · Working
Cliffhanger
Also called: hanger
ELI5
An ending or break that leaves an urgent question, danger or decision unresolved to pull the audience forward.
Used in conversation
“Let’s track the cliffhanger through the outline before rewriting scenes.”
Pitch context
Use this when explaining how the story works on the page or across the finished screen experience.
Why it matters: Helps describe how a story works on the page and how its dramatic parts fit together.
Connected terms
- Open-ended episodeA cliffhanger can make an episode open-ended.
Sources & evidence · 6
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- Screen Australia — Story Documents: DramaDirect source · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- Scriptnotes / John August — Pitching Television, or Being a Passionate WidgetDirect source · practitioner · checked 2026-08-14
- Writers Guild of America West — No Writing Left BehindDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Screen Australia — What is a Synopsis? An Outline? A Treatment?Supporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- ScreenSkills — Online Learning Glossary and Job ProfilesSupporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- pitch.dog — Pitch Dictionary Deep Research SynthesisSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-14