Web fiction
Cliffhanger
A chapter ending on an unresolved beat; in serial craft, best varied in type rather than maxed every chapter.
A cliffhanger is an ending that withholds resolution: the chapter stops at the moment of maximum uncertainty. In serialized fiction the naive rule "end every chapter on a cliffhanger" is actively challenged by craft discussion: constant physical-danger cliffhangers lose effectiveness with repetition.
The better practice is to vary the hook's type: a plot turn, an emotional beat, a decision point, or a quieter resolution, so each chapter still reads as a complete micro-arc. Chapter endings are the serial's rhythm section; not every bar needs a cymbal crash.