If you’ve ever stayed up until 3 AM because you had to watch just one more episode of Yellowstone, you know exactly what I’m tapping into.
But how am I adapting that TV magic to novels?
And why risk reader rage with those dreaded cliffhangers?
The answers might surprise you.
Breaking the Rules
Confession: I’m a recovering binge-watcher.
My symptoms?
Bleary eyes at 2 AM.
The familiar chant: “I’ll just see how this cliffhanger resolves”... repeated many times in one sitting.
But here’s the thing — that “one more episode” pull is powerful.
And after finishing yet another Taylor Sheridan masterpiece, it hit me: Why aren’t more novels written this way?
So, with my Morganstar series (more on this coming soon), I did the unthinkable.
I structured it like a TV series instead of traditional novels.
Each book? An episode.
The end of each book? A cliffhanger that makes you desperate for the next.
Publishing professionals will clutch their pearls.
"But readers expect resolution!" they will gasp.
Do they, though?
Or do they crave that delicious tension in a novel that keeps them hooked in a binge-worthy TV series?
My TV-Novel Hybrid
What I borrowed from television:
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Shorter, punchier episodes (books)
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Multiple character arcs advancing simultaneously
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That crucial end-of-episode hook
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Season-long arcs stretching across multiple books
What I kept from novels:
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Deep point-of-view immersion
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Rich internal character development
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The immersive prose experience TV can’t match
Early Results
One beta reader devoured the first book at midnight — and immediately grabbed the second.
That’s exactly the binge-reading experience I designed these books to deliver.
Yes, some readers might shout “How dare you leave us hanging?!”
But I’m betting that will quickly be followed by: “When can I get the next one?”
Why This Matters
Let’s be honest. Reading now competes with countless entertainment options.
The “just one more chapter” pull has to be as strong as the “just one more episode” urge.
I’m betting my entire series on the idea that readers, when given the chance, love to binge books the way they binge shows.
Have I made a massive miscalculation?
Maybe.
But early signs suggest I might be onto something...
Curious how I structure these TV-style novels? Unlock the Real-Time Reveals for a complete breakdown!