It's a terrible ending. I mean, it's a good ending in that it propels the story, and brings about definite resolution, but it would be a terrible thing to do to characters I love, and I'm not sure I can do it.
It would be a good ending, I think. If I do it right (ah! a caveat), it could potentially be a great ending, but I don't know if it's an ending I want. I don't know if it's in me to be that sadistic (though, even that I conceived of it says something).
What would you do?
Posted by pooka (Member # 1738) on :
I'd use this dilemna as an excuse to watch Serenity again.
Posted by trousercuit (Member # 3235) on :
I'd take up crochet.
Seriously, though, who doesn't want to torture their characters? Isn't the crucible what it's all about?
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
Look, writers have to be sadists. We do terrible things to our characters. It we didn't, our writing would be dull. Be cruel, baby. Do your worst! Do you want to be nice to people who don't exist, or do you want to sell a story?
[This message has been edited by Spaceman (edited June 15, 2006).]
Posted by Nietge (Member # 3474) on :
I'd much rather kill off beloved characters, knowing I had a good, solid ending, then having to deal with the arguably more prickly issue of having a *bad* ending.
Posted by Pyre Dynasty (Member # 1947) on :
Go for the Hollywood Happy ending if it helps you sleep at night. But I think it won't, you might have seen the right ending for the story and if you don't have the guts to use it then it will haunt you. Honor you character's lives by ending it the right way.
Most memorable characters: Aeris (Final Fantasy VII) Sturm (Dragonlance)
(and hey, who needs an excuse to watch Serenity?)
[This message has been edited by Pyre Dynasty (edited June 15, 2006).]
Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :
Ah, what can't be learned from Serenity?
Watching the DVD special features, Whedon explains why he . . . did what he did (won't ruin it for the one man here who hasn't seen it), I gaped at the screen and went "It bloody well worked, didn't it!"
It's not that I don't like torturing my characters. (I don't, btw, but--) I see it as a necessary evil for the sake of a good tale, but there is such thing as too much torture, and too much suspense. Either of which will make a reader close the book and put it away before they get an ulcer.
I know I've read the odd tale that I wanted to put away, but couldn't, because I just had to find out what comes next.
. . .
I think I've just answered my own question.
Posted by trousercuit (Member # 3235) on :
You can always do your worst, and then have your main character wake up. Readers just love that kind of stuff.
quote:Suddenly, Alex awoke in his bed, sweating and weeping like a milksop. As he stared at the tiny rivulets running down his greasy pillow, he realized it had all been a dream: Mandy's crochet needles were exactly where they should be, his favorite chicken still had two legs, and J.R. was still alive.
THE END.
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
Once I was reading a mystery, and, well, the climax was unexpected. "I admit it," the killer said. "Yes, I killed him, and I had a sound motive. Of course I did. The author _made_ me do it. And now I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison, while *she* gets to go to book fairs and have people tell her how great she is. Where's the justice in that?"
OK, that didn't happen. But it should.
Posted by kings_falcon (Member # 3261) on :
I definately do not need an excuse to watch Serenity.
I had a moment like that with my WIP. It was "well, I can get all Disney and Hollywood and have the good guys win or. . " The best suggestion I received in response to the quandry was "write it both ways and use the one that works." I did. Guess what? The good guys getting thier butt kicked was the right ending. Since I wrote the scene from two different POVs (well actually more than two but only two really fit) trying to figure out what worked, the first MC's POV is the end of Book 1, the second MC's (a bad guy) POV is the start of Book 2.
Go with what works.
Posted by pantros (Member # 3237) on :
Stay consistant with the tone of your novel. If death is something that can happen and should happen, there is no reason not to kill a character or seven.
If death would be something out of left field, don't do it.
Posted by mommiller (Member # 3285) on :
As a writer pro told me at the end of my first ever professional critique.
Trust your instincts.
Another pro suggests to go with your most passionate, the one you feel most strongly about.
Weak endings are just that--Weak.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
Don't ask whether you can do it. The question is whether you can believe it. Be honest with yourself, you can lie about what happens, but you can't change what actually happened. You're not really omnipotent.