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Of all the novels I've written, I'd say only about half of them have hopeful or happy endings. It seems to me, however, that the majority of readers out there prefer happy endings. This can be a little troublesome for someone like me, who writes a decent amount of traditional dystopian lit, following the Orwellian formula--which dictates endings more reminiscent of The Twilight Zone: shockers, sick-to-the-pit-of-your-stomach revelations, twists that leave the audience haunted, contemplative.

What are your thoughts on happy versus uncertain or provocative endings? Do you prefer one more than the other in your reading as opposed to your writing?

Leigh M Lane, you're writing sounds very interesting. The Orwellian formula and pit in the stomach at the end of the story is bold writing. As a writer, and a reader, I'm a little more hopeful in the endings I enjoy. Hope for sure. Now that said, I can invest two hours in watching a movie, have it resolve on the dark end of things with some cosmic evil prevailing over the protagonist's best efforts. BUT for me-- and maybe I'm a slow reader-- but if I invest 12 hours reading a book and bonding with the characters, I prefer the good guys to win in the end.

I can understand that, and I think you stand with the majority of readers, bradystefani.

As an owner of all the Twilight Zone episodes, I greatly appreciate that type of twist in a story. I think in many cases for a hero to be truly great there needs to be some type of sacrifice they make I order to serve the greater good; otherwise being a hero would be more commonplace. I guess the key is how large of a sacrifice do your characters make, which may depend on the peaks and valleys in the journey leading to the end. the only problem I see is if the shocking moment near the end of the story far exceeds the anything experienced during the majority of the story.

Leigh M Lane wrote:Of all the novels I've written, I'd say only about half of them have hopeful or happy endings. It seems to me, however, that the majority of readers out there prefer happy endings. This can be a little troublesome for someone like me, who writes a decent amount of traditional dystopian lit, following the Orwellian formula--which dictates endings more reminiscent of The Twilight Zone: shockers, sick-to-the-pit-of-your-stomach revelations, twists that leave the audience haunted, contemplative.

What are your thoughts on happy versus uncertain or provocative endings? Do you prefer one more than the other in your reading as opposed to your writing?

make writing a happy ending indeed contain menyenagkan for the reader, but sometimes we also have to make something different with what readers think, is a sensation and I think this is good

Agreed with KS Crooks - I'm a fan of great sacrifice, not necessarily that there is a "happy" ending. Some stories lend themselves to the ultimate sacrifice, some don't, but it's hopefully poignant when they do.

emthomas1 wrote:Agreed with KS Crooks - I'm a fan of great sacrifice, not necessarily that there is a "happy" ending. Some stories lend themselves to the ultimate sacrifice, some don't, but it's hopefully poignant when they do.

That's an excellent point.

As a reader, I would say it is really productive for a book to have a provocative ending when the book is part of a series. However, I would really appreciate having happy endings to most of the stories like most of the other readers. But sometimes I feel when I read horror or thriller story maybe it doesn't necessarily have to be a happy ending! The author can end a story with a bit of mystery or uncertainty! This is my opinion as a reader

It depends on the context, but I also like happy endings.

I think it matters less to serious and well rounded readers whether the ending is happy or unhappy but rather that the ending be a proper summation and resolution of/to the events described in the story. Steinbeck is a towering figure in American literature and yet most of his stories (novels as well as short stories) end less than happily. The same can be said, perhaps to a lesser extent, of Hemingway.

Readers who have any life experience at all realize that life holds unhappiness as well as joy. I think experienced readers respond to writing which accurately depicts life in all its aspects. Perhaps those readers who more often respond positively to happy rather than unhappy endings view happy endings as an affirmation of positive resolutions with regard to their own hopes in life - a panacea which serves to reinforce their own philosophies of universal justice and kismet. But it begs the question: would Of Mice And Men or The Old Man And The Sea be two of the most beloved novellas of the 20th century had they not ended the way they did?

I honestly think that the ending just has to match up with the story. There is nothing worse than getting into a good book and then having a sudden ending. It makes the story incomplete and leaves me with a feeling that the author just wanted to get it over and done with. I like surprising endings the most. Reading along and pretty much knowing what's going to happen. Then. . .BAM! Love being caught off gaurd

I typically enjoy a happy ending, like most people. However, sometimes it is nice to read something that takes you by surprise and moves away from happy endings. If there was always a happy ending, life would become too predictable.

You have to write YOUR ending. It is your art.
As for my preference, the endings that stick with me the most are not the most hopeful. Those are usually full of surprise and for some reason, the endings that I remember best as enjoying.

Must of my poems are really depressing, which is confusing because I'm not a depressed person. My stories normally have fairly happy ending but I try to keep it realistic

midlightangel wrote:Must of my poems are really depressing, which is confusing because I'm not a depressed person. My stories normally have fairly happy ending but I try to keep it realistic

I think you bring up an interesting point in mentioning keeping your endings as realistic as possible. Makes me wonder: Which are more realistic, happy or uncertain endings? If one is more realistic than the other, is either inherently more realistic, or should circumstance always play the largest role? And when cam we be certain what the circumstance dictates?