Who deserves a "happily ever after..."

[Éclairer]

Does your main character deserve their happy ending? (Provided there is some amendment made for all the torture you subjected your MC to throughout the rest of the book.)

I'm struggling with my current main character. If someone went about telling a joke at her expense, I'd stick up for her, but does she actually deserve the happy ending? The guy? (No... it's not a romance.)

Anywho... I'm not used to working with females as main characters. I grew up reading adventure stories which are not only fronted almost exclusively by males, but entirely populated with them as well. 19th century British navy and all that...

Similar conundrums anyone?

[IrishScribbler]

For me, it's not a matter of whether or not my MC deserves her happy ending (she does), it's a matter of whether or not said happy ending would be believable in the context of all else she's been going through. And I haven't quite decided.

[maddythemad]

Absolutely not.

[Éclairer]

...it's a matter of whether or not said happy ending would be believable in the context of all else she's been going through. And I haven't quite decided.

I agree: the happy ending must first --above and beyond everything else-- be believable.

[maddythemad]

That was referring to my MC, btw, not in respone to anyone elses post. :)

[Éclairer]

Absolutely not.

No?

[Chasing the Horizon]

Oh, my main charactors absolutely deserve their happy ending. I'm not saying they're perfect or that they don't do bad things sometimes, in fact they bring a lot of the bad events on themselves. But they spend the entire story fighting to get/keep love and freedom. If they didn't end up happy, then the entire thing would be rather pointless and depressing.

That said, I like both reading and writing things where people get what they deserve in the end. Whether its HEA or a painful death or something in between.

[Éclairer]

I'm not saying they're perfect or that they don't do bad things sometimes, in fact they bring a lot of the bad events on themselves. But they spend the entire story fighting to get/keep love and freedom.

That's the crux of the issue. My character has a lot of stuff happen to her, but she doesn't really do anything; she doesn't take matters into her own hands. Which is probably why I don't particularly like her.

[TrainofThought]

Yes, my main character deserves her happy ending. She goes through enough in the story where all the bad finally makes the ending right. I’m pulling for her… oh yeah, I wrote her and she agrees. :D

[Chasing the Horizon]

That's the crux of the issue. My character has a lot of stuff happen to her, but she doesn't really do anything; she doesn't take matters into her own hands. Which is probably why I don't particularly like her.
I wouldn't like her much either. Personally, it annoys me to no end in stories when someone gets everything they want without having to fight.

If the ending doesn't feel right or fair to you, then change it. I went through four different endings on my current WIP before I finally came up with one that felt right.

[sunandshadow]

I think everyone deserves a happy ending unless they go out of their way to hurt others, so yes all my main characters deserve and get happy endings.

[Willowmound]

I don't care what a character 'deserves'. I write the ending that's right for the story.

[Akuma]

I don't care what a character 'deserves'. I write the ending that's right for the story.

Amen.

[AdamH]

That's the crux of the issue. My character has a lot of stuff happen to her, but she doesn't really do anything; she doesn't take matters into her own hands. Which is probably why I don't particularly like her.

She doesn't react in any way to these things happening to her? She just lets them go by and forgets about them? Interesting conundrum, Eclairer.

Maybe the issue is that she doesn't see the urgency of what's happening to her. There's no risk. In order for there to BE a happy ending, something in the story has to happen to her to contrast it. Would you recognize happiness if there was no sadness? Would you know what dark was if there was no such thing as light? I'm getting all philosophical, I'll back up a step, sorry. :)

What I'm trying to get at is that if she doesn't react, if there's no change in her character, there'll never be a happy ending, a sad ending, or anything. All there'd be would be an ending...akin to getting up in the morning, going to the same mundane job, coming back home, going to sleep...somedays you'll get a flat tire, other's you'll meet someone interesting...at the end of the day, it's still the same. (Which reminds me, I've got to go to my stupid job tomorrow :rant:) Where's the interest in that?

Maybe if you push and push your MC to the point where she does snap (every character has a breaking point...if she doesn't, give her one...for fun). Then you might find something of interest about her.

[Sage]

Yeah, after all the Hell I put her through (sometimes literally), she deserved a little bit of happiness (even if she did do some bad things too). That and, without a little concession of happiness at the end, she'd probably go crazy in a month & destroy everyone.

[maddythemad]

Sometimes characters get things they don't deserve-- just like in real life.

[pianoman5]

That's the crux of the issue. My character has a lot of stuff happen to her, but she doesn't really do anything; she doesn't take matters into her own hands. Which is probably why I don't particularly like her.

That's not a good place for a heroine to be in.

All kinds of attributes can make a character worthy of reader sympathy/empathy. There are the obvious ones like courage, kindness, generosity, stoicism, helpfulness, wit. Even flaws, such as vanity, selfishness, faithlessness and a tendency to take liberties with the truth may be perceived as endearing weaknesses if balanced by some positive virtues.

But the one thing that you can't get away with is passivity. As readers we hate that in a main character, because it's too much like real life for some folks. Maybe the Bible is right and the meek will some day inherit the earth; but we all know that by the time they take possession, the rich and the pushy in society will have stripped it of everything worth having.

Perhaps the reason you don't like your character is that she doesn't have much character?

The more traditional fictional journey is where an ordinary person is assailed by a succession of setbacks but somehow prevails in the end by dint of character, by making the most of their abilities, sometimes even requiring true grit.

Maybe you'd like your M/C better if you made her get up off her *ss and do something?

[Kentuk]

Forget about the character, does you audience deserve a happy ending? Does your genre demand it?
I disagree about happy endings having to be believable, they just have to be well executed. Of course I don't know how realistic or serious your story is.
If your question is really about the character then you might give her a sop, a measure of security, children or simply getting over the trauma of the story.

[Éclairer]

If the ending doesn't feel right or fair to you, then change it. I went through four different endings on my current WIP before I finally came up with one that felt right.

It's not the ending that needs changing; it's the rest of the book. *grins* I'm lookin' at a lot of work.

[Angel~Of~Music]

Forget about the character, does you audience deserve a happy ending? Does your genre demand it?
I disagree about happy endings having to be believable, they just have to be well executed. Of course I don't know how realistic or serious your story is.
If your question is really about the character then you might give her a sop, a measure of security, children or simply getting over the trauma of the story.

I'm with Kentuk on this one. If your writing a tradegy, and you have a happy ending, tis pointles, ne? It does also depend on the mood. Comedies usually have happy endings...Although Harry Potter doesn't, from what I've read so far.

It also kind of depends how attached you are to your M/C. Me, I get uber-attached to them. If there isn't at least one thing happy in the ending, I get mad with myself.

[Éclairer]

That's not a good place for a heroine to be in.

No, it's not. Which is why it was finally brought to my attention.

But the one thing that you can't get away with is passivity. As readers we hate that in a main character, because it's too much like real life for some folks. Maybe the Bible is right and the meek will some day inherit the earth; but we all know that by the time they take possession, the rich and the pushy in society will have stripped it of everything worth having.

I agree; passivity is deplorable in a main character, unless for some point. As far as the Bible -- technically the earth would only be striped of those things that the rich and the pushy want.

[Éclairer]

I don't care what a character 'deserves'. I write the ending that's right for the story.

True. If a character does not 'deserve' their happy ending, then the happy ending does not suit the story, provided you're not making some kind of statement about the injustice in the world... or some other unpleasant subject.

[NeuroFizz]

Every story requires a resolution (I suppost there can be exceptions). This resolution should follow the track of the story and all of its complications. It can be a surprise ending, but that surprise has to be believable, and it's usually hinted at so it doesn't jolt the reader. The best surprise ending is one where the reader slaps his/her forehead and says, "I should have seen that coming." Does the resolution have to be happy? No. If it is a happy ending, it too must follow the trajectory of the story or the reader will be jolted.

[janetbellinger]

My ending has a character nearly die just because I couldn't bear to have a dog get killed.

[C.bronco]

I don't care what a character 'deserves'. I write the ending that's right for the story.

Yep. You have to ask if your propsed ending serves the purpose of the story. You are trying to communicate something through your story. What is it? Will happy or sad serve it better?

My MC gets half and half, a partial triumph and a partial failure.

[MadScientistMatt]

My first novel (currently a finished first draft) had a central character who didn't get a happily ever after ending. He was too reckless, too self-destructive, and just couldn't accept what was becoming of the world. So he didn't exactly get a happily ever after ending. He got the only end that would fit his character.

[farfromfearless]

In intend to blow all my characters to kingdom come - let their gods sort out the happy endings.

[Chasing the Horizon]

It's not the ending that needs changing; it's the rest of the book. *grins* I'm lookin' at a lot of work.
Oh I hate it when that happens! :e2writer:

[J.S Greer]

My question would be, does the story deserve a happy ending? The answer will pretty much sort the characters fate out for you.

[Elodie-Caroline]

Hmm?... I have two WIPs at the moment: When I began the first one, I had the ending in my head before the beginning, my female MC was going to get killed, it was going to teach the male MC what an idiot his foolish pride had made him. But once I had written about her for a while, I fell in love with her and I couldn't kill her off just to prove something to him, so it ends differently.
With the MC in my second WIP, she has had an awful life, but she's brave and doesn't regard herself as a victim, so it's only right that she has a happy ending... Okay, we know that life isn't really like that, but hey, it's my story! ;p

[ChaosTitan]

I don't think I've ended any of my novels with an actual "happily ever after, off into the sunset they ride..." sort of ending. I attach those to fairy tales and romantic comedies, neither being my genre of choice.

Others upthread have said it, but I agree: make the ending fit the story. Also try not to depress the reader.

It doesn't have to be all hugs and puppies, but unless you are writing a tragedy, leave the reader with at least a glimmer of hope.

[PattiTheWicked]

I think it depends on your definition of "happy ending". For my characters, usually just reaching the last page alive is cause for celebration.

[Higgins]

Does your main character deserve their happy ending? (Provided there is some amendment made for all the torture you subjected your MC to throughout the rest of the book.)

I'm struggling with my current main character. If someone went about telling a joke at her expense, I'd stick up for her, but does she actually deserve the happy ending? The guy? (No... it's not a romance.)

Anywho... I'm not used to working with females as main characters. I grew up reading adventure stories which are not only fronted almost exclusively by males, but entirely populated with them as well. 19th century British navy and all that...

Similar conundrums anyone?

Now that I think about it, all of my MCs get the unhappy endings that they have learned to see as happy endings.

[Azure Skye]

I don't care what a character 'deserves'. I write the ending that's right for the story.

Hear, hear!


My MC does deserve a happy ending but she ain't a gettin' one. The story requires otherwise.

[FennelGiraffe]

1) Never mind what the character deserves. Write the ending the story deserves.

2) Define "happy ending":

- Everyone lives happily ever after. Blech! Pfui! I'm not interested.

- Protag is still alive and at least some of her close associates are still alive. That can be happy.

- Protag overcame at least one of the obstacles she faced and/or has at least one good thing to look forward to. That can be happy.

[Elodie-Caroline]

I guess some of us are forever the optimists... I'll never forget the first time I saw the film 'Gone with he wind' -- I couldn't sleep for hours afterwards because Scarlett lost Rhett, and I was in my mid twenties at the time! lol :) I don't want to leave my readers like that.


Ellie

[Jenan Mac]

That's the crux of the issue. My character has a lot of stuff happen to her, but she doesn't really do anything; she doesn't take matters into her own hands. Which is probably why I don't particularly like her.

So throw a fireball at her and see what she does with it.

[Jenan Mac]

1) Never mind what the character deserves. Write the ending the story deserves.

2) Define "happy ending":

- Everyone lives happily ever after. Blech! Pfui! I'm not interested.

- Protag is still alive and at least some of her close associates are still alive. That can be happy.

- Protag overcame at least one of the obstacles she faced and/or has at least one good thing to look forward to. That can be happy.

My protag ends up with both of these, but there's serious potential for the good thing to be a bigger problem than she had before she got it.

[Éclairer]

My first novel (currently a finished first draft) had a central character who didn't get a happily ever after ending. He was too reckless, too self-destructive, and just couldn't accept what was becoming of the world. So he didn't exactly get a happily ever after ending. He got the only end that would fit his character.

Do you write more character driven novels or plot driven? I write more character driven, which is why I tend to think along the line of character as opposed to story.

[Éclairer]

Define "happy ending":
- Protag is still alive and at least some of her close associates are still alive. That can be happy.

Lol. My book takes place in a prep school. In Canada. Unless the Americans invade I don't see anyone dying. There's always killer chicken pox if I need to stir things up.

To address the issue of a happy ending. What does it mean? Well, I have more than one major player in the novel, so while my main character may have a happy ending, the others may not, which I suppose if looked at satistically, would mean my novel actually has an unhappy ending. Go figure.

Anyway, as far as the story deserving a happy ending (and I know quite a few people have mentioned it; and it's a good question, worthy of an address) ... I don't know. *laughs nervously*

*walks quickly away*

I have much thinking to do.

[Jenan Mac]

Lol. My book takes place in a prep school. In Canada. Unless the Americans invade I don't see anyone dying.

Heh. You say that as if it couldn't happen.
:Ssh::Ssh::Ssh:

[engmajor2005]

I find it limiting to define an ending as happy or sad; they just are. For example, say we have a high-school romance where the geeky, socially-awkward girl blossoms into a debutante and wins the affection of the captain of the football team. Happy ending right? The girl becomes self-confident and secure, and the guy learns the classic "ugly duckling" adage.

But what about the geeky boy in science class that loved her for what she was all along? Maybe he's not in your story; but he's there none-the-less. Or the "like a brother" best friend who rooted for her because he wanted her to be happy but secretly wanted her affection all along?

Not a happy ending for them I'd say...

Given that readers tend to observe the story through their favorite character's eye (and their favorite characters isn't always the MC), labeling happy/sad endings can be tough. So just let the ending happen.

[Éclairer]

Heh. You say that as if it couldn't happen.
:Ssh::Ssh::Ssh:

If the Americans want to relive the war of 1812! BRING IT ON!!

*shhh* Don't tell them, but it's the fear of being swallowed by the American government that keeps us in line. British Columbia and Alberta, we know we're the cash cows. We'd so leave. *nods and whispers* If we didn't think Bush would come get us.

[Éclairer]

I find it limiting to define an ending as happy or sad; they just are. For example, say we have a high-school romance where the geeky, socially-awkward girl blossoms into a debutante and wins the affection of the captain of the football team. Happy ending right? The girl becomes self-confident and secure, and the guy learns the classic "ugly duckling" adage.

But what about the geeky boy in science class that loved her for what she was all along? Maybe he's not in your story; but he's there none-the-less. Or the "like a brother" best friend who rooted for her because he wanted her to be happy but secretly wanted her affection all along?

Not a happy ending for them I'd say...

Given that readers tend to observe the story through their favorite character's eye (and their favorite characters isn't always the MC), labeling happy/sad endings can be tough. So just let the ending happen.

True, true. Not all of my characters get a happy ending.

On a side note: I loathe those endings where the girl ends up with the captain of the football team. I remember the captain of my high school football team. (We didn't have a football team. He played hockey. But that's beside the point.) Sure he was pretty, but I'd have picked the geeky boy in science class any day... that's actually a sore spot for me. The geeky boy in science class I liked in grade eight started playing hockey too and became popular... well. That hardly counts. I liked him when he still had pimples and a little too much weight around the hips.

As far as the brotherly best friend... Pretty in Pink fans here? Anyone? All I have to say is:

LONG LIVE DUCKIE!

[Silverhand]

Does your main character deserve their happy ending? (Provided there is some amendment made for all the torture you subjected your MC to throughout the rest of the book.)

I'm struggling with my current main character. If someone went about telling a joke at her expense, I'd stick up for her, but does she actually deserve the happy ending? The guy? (No... it's not a romance.)

Anywho... I'm not used to working with females as main characters. I grew up reading adventure stories which are not only fronted almost exclusively by males, but entirely populated with them as well. 19th century British navy and all that...

Similar conundrums anyone?

I was turned down, twice, for an unhappy ending. IN fact, I had a pair of editors tell me that happy endings are what sell books. Maybe this is the reason why I signed on with a micro-pub. :(

[Éclairer]

I was turned down, twice, for an unhappy ending. IN fact, I had a pair of editors tell me that happy endings are what sell books. Maybe this is the reason why I signed on with a micro-pub. :(

That's upsetting.

I don't think those editor's were right. I think like most of the other people in the thread have said, the ending which best suits the story, be it the characters, the plot, or the message, is the ending that will sell. I have no issue with unhappy endings.

Take for instance Laguna Beach. (Never mind about it being real and all that tosh --I mean, it is, but like they can edit--) I watched the finale last night and cried. I'm not a sap by nature (I am) but seeing the unhappy ending, with all that emotion and beautiful raw nostalgia made me satsified. Why? Because it was the way a graduation should be. Some move on. Some stay. The ones left behind stand on cliffs in the sunset holding skateboards. *nods*

It's all about the gel, baby. The ending's gotta gel with the book.

[Judg]

The ending needs to be emotionally satisfying, not necessarily happy. In other words, you can't be left hanging on the main issues, and once you've invested emotionally in a character, you can't feel like they've been thoroughly screwed over and are now beaten into the mud. Otherwise the reader feels ripped off.

Think of The Constant Gardner [SPOILER WARNING] At the end of the book, the protagonist is about to die. But he has risen to the challenge, solved the mystery and won a moral victory, over himself more than anything else. It's not a happy ending by any stretch of the imagination, but it's satisfying nonetheless. It even manages to satisfy the people who like ambiguous endings. How's that for a tour de force?

Just my two cents' worth.

[scarletpeaches]

Who says my heroine gets a happy ending?

[farfromfearless]

Heh. You say that as if it couldn't happen.
:Ssh::Ssh::Ssh:

Americans tried that once way back in the days of muskets and mohawks (war of 1812) - didn't go so well. We even made a little CBC television spot on Laura Secord, AND we have a Laura Secord Fine Chocolate franchise to remind us. It's a bit of a capitalist approach, but hey, I like their Chocolate fudge Frozen Yogurt.