Endings. Happy, sad and in between.

[Guest Dollymop]

... and when are they appropriate...?

So here's the sitch. I'm in the middle of writing a drama/romance fanfic (with hints of angst) and even though everything thus far has been flowing rather swimmingly, I'm starting to freak out over the ending. I had an ending in mind. A very depressing ending that involves a character death and I don't know whether that will ruin a perfectly decent fic or seem like a complete cop out. Or even seem like I'm taking too many liberties and ruining the original story.

I even considered writing two endings: a 'happy' and a 'sad' and letting the readers choose which one they want to read. That's how completely split I am over this... B)

So I really, desperately need some advise and some pros and cons for: happy endings equip with fluffy bunnies and happy skipping away into the sunset, bittersweet endings that end on a dreamy, vague note and don't really wrap everything up too succintly, realistic endings that take no prisoners and slash away at hope and faith like a machete through bush scrub.

Which sort of ending would you personally rather read? What sort of subject matter do you think goes better with 'happy' and 'sad' endings? Does an ending change the tone of the overall story? And am I completely over-analyzing this...? =/

Sighhh, I'm so indecisive it's not funny.

Fanks in advance guys and dolls <3

[[And I hope there isn't a topic already along these lines, I had a look and couldn't find one but if there is, sorry!]]

[CloverReef]

Personally, I get frustrated when I read fics that end in death and destruction. I wanted to see the characters I liked make it through!

That said, from an author's perspective, I think it depends on the overall mood of the fic. An ending of total bloody carnage would seem a bit odd if slapped on the end of a WAFF fic, although... that might be the only kind of WAFF fic I'd read... I think for a sad ending to fit, there should be plenty of angst, inner and outer conflict, and at least a bit of violence during the overall story. I do think it can be pulled off in other moods too, but it's also dependent on the author's style...

When it comes to your fic, if a sad ending fits the mood, and you're excited about it, totally go for it! Personally I think its fun to torment readers a little - except when I am the reader. Then it's not fun at all!

[canterro]

happy or sad, I don't like it melodramatic;

I don't like oversweet endings and I don't like sad endings that are pushed into the story just to make it "mature" and "dramatic";

the clue is - the ending must fit the story, its pace, its character...

good luck and do not overdo it

[Jaded_Star]

I agree with the other posts. It needs to fit the fic. I hate endings where things are suddenly perfect for no reason but to end on a happy note. I think if you want to kill off the main character you need to end with the other characters moving on with their lives. I like bittersweet endings personally, I think they're more true to life.

I'd say do what you feel fits your fiction best. If you can't decide write both versions, post them both, and make the last chapter a choose your own adventure.

[TheBlackStrawberry]

I personally don't like it when an writer puts a sad ending, I feel that my time was wasted. However, I also don't like when it's to sweet and fluffy, because I wont believe it either. For me the ending has to be a mix of both to be realistic.

I hope that you find the perfect end to your story, however, remember this you have to be happy with the end of your story if you don't like it. You will probably will end up hating it. So, choose the ending for you as well.

Good Luck

[Guest Dollymop]

Thanks guyses. It's really, really helpful listening to your personal preferences because it gives me a little census of the general opinions. I'm leaning towards scrapping a total saddo ending and trying something a bit more pleasing.

I have to admit that, while depressing endings are satisfying to develop as an author, they aren't my cup of tea to read in fanfics. I prefer there to be some sort of positive resolution, even if it is bittersweet.

And on that note...

Jaded_star: totes agree on bittersweetness. I quite like reading something melancholy but not entirely BLAH DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

And I love the idea of a choose your adventure xD But I think the readers would eat me O_o A lot.

I will attempt a mixture. Somehow I doubt a good balance includes polishing off a main character so I might drop that. What gives me the right to kill off someone else's character anyway?

Anyways, thanks heaps. Been unbelievably helpful.

<3

[WarlordEnfilade]

I don't like it when unrealistic things happen (deux ex machinas) to give a happy ending, or when characters have radical personality changes to explain why they did things that caused the happy ending. It's dishonest for the characters when the writer starts to pull strings to force a happy ending when the story doesn't go that way naturally.

And it's frustrating for the reader to read a story only to have everything terrible happen at the end.

Bittersweet can be the best, but it's also tricky to pull off. You need to have enough good happen to satisfy the reader, and enough bad happen to make the plot's outcome seem realistic, and it all has to fit naturally with the character's behaviours as a result of their personalities.

[canterro]

I just has this thought:

it's extremely difficult for us, authors, to give a story the ending like one of those that life is full of;

we like our characters (some of them, at least); and we cheer for them; we want them to be happy, fulfilled, and on top, whether we're aware of it or not;

so the ending like "he just fell for somebody else" just don't go through our minds;

and they should cause it's what life is

unhappy ending doesn't have to mean death or something dramatic; it can be just that things didn't work out well; that something finished although we didn't want it it's sad, but it's so true...

[Jaded_Star]

I don't think bittersweet is that hard. Think about life, it's not a happy go lucky place. If you look at it as an observer and take a slice of people, you have the characters of a story. For example, my best friend just got married last fall, I went back east for her wedding, which was wonderful, no sooner had I come home than my grandfather passed away. If my best friend had been the main character, it would have been a happy ending for her, and a sad one for me. I just finished reading a book where one character fell in love, and another character's wife got shot. I don't know enough about your particular story to give any specific advice, but for one person's sadness there is always an equal amount of joy in someone else. Another example, a friend of mine is trying to plan her wedding. She got laid off and cannot afford the wedding she wanted, or much of a wedding at all, but she's still in love. Her husband to be has a disease which may take away his ability to walk, but he's gone back to school to get a promising career, and is getting married. That's life, good and bad.

[Ryder]

I like happy endings

If it's a sad ending, it always feels unfinished. And then I'm left basically asking questions like, "why the hell did he have to die?" etc.

Although it may sound stupid, when a story ends badly, I tend to forget about it a quick as I can. If it's good, I'll be thinking about it for ages.

Kind of like near the start of a movie, if one of the main characters/heroes gets injured, it kind of ruins the entire movie, because he can't do his best to stop the bad guys with a bullet hole in his arm.