"Sad endings are more realistic." I've been hearing his often lately, and I beg to disagree.
It seems like these day the whim of a happily ever after is disappearing, and these more "realistic" endings are moving in. Frankly this is disheartening to me. I spend an entire book emotionally invested in a main character then the book ends with her/him losing or dying. What was the point of reading it then?
I believe happily ever afters are more than never having any troubles again, because we will all have troubles throughout our lives. C'est la vie. I believe happily ever afters are the conquering of a large struggle. It is a new, better life paved after the bad. It is hope. For Christians our lives will end happily guaranteed because we will go to Heaven in the end.
Many historical events had happy endings. The colonists won in the Revolutionary War which created the United States. The Allied Powers won World War II and stopped the Thousand Year Reich from happening. The Russians didn't obliterate the USA in the Cold War. Even in horrible events like the planes crashing in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, but not the White House offered a happy ending. That still after that devastating attack our White House still stands because of the bravery of real people.
If soul-crushing events like this in history can have happy endings why not novels?
As writers what do we want our readers to take away from our writing? If you are considering a sad ending, why? Because it's more realistic? For kicks? To make your readers sad?
By putting your writing out there, you most likely will influence someone. What we read and watch effects us as people. Novels that end with hope could give a reader hope and ones that don't could give the opposite.
I'm not telling you how to write your book. I'm giving my two cents on the matter, because I believe what flows out of the nub of a pen can change hearts and nations for good or ill. In World War II, the Nazis burned books. Why? Because they knew of their power to influence, to make people question Hitler's propaganda.
Every good book has this power and a message. What message will you leave with your readers?
What do you think of happy endings? Does your book have one? What is a favorite book of yours that has a happy ending?
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