In an episodic novel, how the writer links events determines the degree of unity and suspense in his story. The writer must use the linking episode technique with precision. Linking episodes are distinct from events that happen one after another — linking two episodes works as a cliffhanger. This means that the writer begins a new episode or chapter before the previous event has been resolved. This creates a suspenseful effect and teases the reader to find out more.

Example: A young wife attends to her senile, bedridden husband. The young wife tells her husband to drink his medicine, which the old husband reluctantly takes. He then complains to his wife in an ebbing voice: “These drugs are making me feel worse. They’re not helping.” The wife brushes him off, reassuring him that it is all in his head. After kissing him on the forehead and tucking him into bed, she leaves him and closes the door behind her. The next morning, the butler finds the husband lifeless. End of the episode. We come to the next episode with the young wife meeting her lover in a restaurant as they celebrate in advance and spend the night together. This scene begins a point from the last episode when the wife leaves her husband’s bedroom. From that time, the episode is long enough to sustain investigation.

The chain of episodes is tightly linked in this story, which makes for an exciting page-turner. Unity is substantial as one episode leads to another. A space break can take place, but it does not hamper the continuous flow of the events that build up tension. The reader is not separated as the continuity takes him from one point to another. The linking even gives the reader a one-step advantage of knowing what will happen next.

Example: When the young wife closes the door of her husband’s bedroom, she calls her lover, and they meet inside a restaurant. They celebrate by ordering the most delicious food and spend the night together. The next morning, her phone rings. The young wife receives a message that her husband has passed away. “Time to make your acting lessons pay off,” her lover says. She puts on her dress and rushes home. End of the scene.

The next episode begins at the deathbed, where the children of the deceased, family lawyer, police officers, and house staff are present. The young wife is still sleeping with her lover. The family lawyer is agitated and instructs the butler to call the wife of the deceased. The butler’s call has been established in the previous episode, and this call is repeated in this scene. As the wife drives back home, the lawyer tells the family that their late patriarch requested arrangements that in the event of his death, a thorough biopsy must be conducted. If traces of poisoning are found in his system, his young wife will be held responsible.

The phone call links the two episodes effectively. It establishes an unbroken relationship between the past and the present action of characters.