No. End of blog.
Only joking.
Or am I?
I’m not going to lie, there are some stories that quite frankly deserve a happy ending. I mean, if reading is a form of escapism, it’s logical to assume the majority of readers are looking for the escape from real life to be at least on occasion happy. If all we sought was doom and gloom, well there’s the real world for that.
Happy or not, one of my biggest pet peeves is when a story ends on a cliffhanger… and there’s no sequel! Those authors deserve a special place in hell. I read one such tale many years ago. Eventually the author, who shall remain anonymous, did write a sequel but only after four years! Why would you want to leave a fan suffering for four years? Allowing a reader to develop a relationship and become invested in the characters and storyline only to end without an ending is bound to leave a bitter after taste and certainly give readers pause before trusting an author with their time and money again.
Happy endings inspire hope, fostering the belief that challenges can be surmounted, love can endure, relationships can be repaired, and goodness can prevail. Sounds great right? What it doesn’t sound like is realistic. Don’t get me wrong, happy endings serve a very important purpose and certainly have their place in fiction.
Sometimes when we reach for a book all we really want is a positive pick me up. A reassurance that sometimes things can work out for the best and that somewhere a happy ever after does exist, even if it’s just between the pages.
The type of genre being written is an important factor. The Romance Writers of America defines a romance novel as having a central love story and an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Romance readers tend to expect and desire an ending in which the main characters overcome trials and tribulations to ultimately end up in some form of happy ever after.
However, with horror, thriller, and mystery genres the focus is on realism, suspense, or exploring complex themes without necessarily providing a cheerful resolution. Tying everything up with a Disney worthy happy ending bow is likely to piss the reader of this genre off.
Sometimes, depending upon the storyline, a happy ending just isn’t possible. If a character has been killed off, they can’t come bouncing back at the end unless you’re writing some sort of science fiction, time travel type fantasy.
Certain stories simply cannot have a happy ending and doing so would completely undermine the entire plot. A great example of this is “The Boy in the Striped Pajama’s.” To stay true to the theme and retain the story’s very powerful tragic tone there was no alternative to what was quite honestly a heartbreaking conclusion.
If you are writing about matters that are of a serious nature, are real world scenarios, or have challenging themes, you have a certain amount of responsibility to portray these situations with accuracy. The ending must align with the overall message of the piece.
It is also important to remember that there are some advantages to providing a bittersweet ending.
A sad ending can in fact impact a story positively.
Such stories certainly create a longer lasting impression. They are more likely to hit home with readers who may have had firsthand experience of the subject matter.
An ending that delves into emotions like heartbreak or unfulfilled dreams can mirror the challenging paths we navigate in life. It can evoke feelings that resonate with us and feel relatable, and in doing so may actually provide a sense of comfort.
In many ways the conclusion defines the book as it significantly influences how the story is remembered and felt. As the ending of a book shapes the overall interpretation and emotional connection to the story and its characters, it can literally make or break the book’s success.
No pressure there then.
Ultimately, both happy and difficult endings can offer a sense of reassurance, albeit through different mechanisms. Happy endings offer the comfort of resolution and hope, while difficult endings can provide comfort through relatability, reminding us that we are not alone in our experiences of struggle and loss. Some literary critics argue that endings with a degree of ambiguity or a realistic portrayal of life's complexities can be just as impactful and meaningful as those with a purely positive resolution.
The general consensus is that most readers seem to only want to read books that have a tidy ending with no unanswered questions. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a happy ending. And the concept of happiness can be extremely subjective anyway.
A satisfying ending provides closure by resolving the main conflict and offering a glimpse into the future of the characters. There should be a sense of resolution for the characters and their journeys. The emphasis here should be on the resolution regardless of whether it is deemed happy or not.
So, choose your path and stick to what feels right for your story and your readers will love you for it.