1. John Calligan

    John Calligan Contributor Contributor

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    Sad Ending Tips and Tricks

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by John Calligan, Jun 4, 2018.

    I recently wrote a 5k word short story and let 7-8 people read it. Feedback was all positive until they got to the end. Two readers liked it, while none of the rest did, though they all expressed why differently, in my opinion it’s basically because the guy doesn’t get the girl.

    I'm pretty sure that if I flipped the script on the last two pages and made it possible for them to end up together, I'd have 7 people who thought it was at least fine, and 1-2 who didn't buy it. I actually have more of a personal problem with "didn't buy it" than "didn't like it" even though the "didn't like it" crowd can turn out to be larger.

    I’ve had similar results with one or two other stories. Does anyone have any advice on sad endings, either in selling the close or foreshadowing in a way that will let readers accept it?
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2018
  2. John Calligan

    John Calligan Contributor Contributor

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    What if I start giving these stories sad titles like, "they don't get together," or "story with a sad ending?" Or mention in the email that I'm submitting to "Sad Stories Monthly?"
     
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  3. izzybot

    izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

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    I think you probably have to make it seem like there's some reason it's ending on a sad note*. People generally expect a happy ending, and to have one 'taken' from them can feel pointless or unexpected and thus unsatisfying. Foreshadowing is probably a good way to go, but there are so many possible ways to do that I couldn't begin to make suggestions. Anything to clue the reader in on the fact that this isn't going to turn out how it typically does, maybe ideally without outright spoiling it -- that probably has more to do with the story itself and how exactly you're subverting expectations.

    It's not a sad thing, but in a story of mine, I hinted for some time at one character secretly having children, and the 'reveal' wasn't that they didn't have kids, but that they were solely responsible for their much younger siblings. I wanted to let the reader know that something was hidden / going to happen, but tried to mislead them on the exact nature of it. That way they're expecting something different to go down, so they're not primed for a straightforward story where expectations are %100 met, and won't be disappointed (hopefully).

    I dunno how applicable that is to your specific situation. I definitely wouldn't want to spoil the ending outright outside of its own context by just saying what happens at the end, though.

    * ETA: Er, I forgot to expand on this because Brain Bad. What I meant is that unless there's some meaning behind a tragedy, it will often just be frustrating because it'll feel like the story had no point. Folks typically like a sense of narrative closure, even if it's ultimately a bittersweet or even wholly sad story. There just needs to seem like there's a reason you decided to tell this story -- like there's a reason it's worth sharing, and it's not just a random excerpt from the chaotic happenstance that makes up real life.

    I think tragic stories have a place, but you need to explain to the reader why you're taking up their time just to make them sad. (Without just spelling it out in the sky, of course.) And I'm using 'tragedy' somewhat loosely here, because "the guy doesn't get the girl" clearly isn't a huge tragedy, but within the confines of the story universe, getting the girl may well be the one thing that seems significant. Again, it depends on the story you're telling!

    Hopefully that makes sense.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2018
  4. John Calligan

    John Calligan Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah, it makes perfect sense.

    That could be it as well. Sometimes I like to write stories where the character flaw that drives the choices leading to the tragedy isn't overcome. Most stories show why/how someone overcomes this flaw, but what if they don't? Maybe the key is in making the ending arc much worse, really cranking it down to -1 by the character's own choices, rather than just showing them sticking to what they are.

    Maybe it's actually a flat character arc problem, rather than a sad ending problem, at least in this case.
     
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  5. GlitterRain7

    GlitterRain7 Galaxy Girl Contributor

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    I have to agree with this. You don't want to pull a sad ending out of nowhere. For me, I tried to let the reader know something bad would happen in the end due to the MC's choice, but it turned out to be something that no one would've really expected. Don't know how effective it is yet, but that's what I tried to do.
     
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  6. izzybot

    izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

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    Yeah, I think that's interesting. A character who just exhibits the same negative behavior / has the same problems through the entire story is likely to be boring and frustrating, and we usually wanna see them get better and overcome their flaw, but a character who deteriorates is, at least, changing -- something's happening, and even if it's out of morbid fascination, we'll keep watching.

    This is kind of a pull, but I think that's part of the appeal of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia -- the characters are all idiots and terrible people who absolutely never learn their lessons, but it's compelling because seeing just how bad these people can make everything for themselves is sort of like watching a car crash. Always Sunny plays it for laughs, in part by taking everything to the point of absurdity, but it's really easy to see how the same basic concept could be played straight by just reeling in the extremeness a bit. There's such a thin line between humorous catharsis and abject tragedy. You might find it useful to push it to the point where things become absurd, then dial it back just a smidge -- see how that plays.
     
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  7. John Calligan

    John Calligan Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah, I think we're onto something here.

    I never really understood what I was doing wrong with it, but this might be it.

    lol if one or two of you want to beta read my story, I'd be happy to share.
     
  8. DeeDee

    DeeDee Contributor Contributor

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    Don't base your decision on "7-8 people". The sample is way too small to mean anything. "Titanic" (the movie) could have had a happy ending (where the two main characters live happily ever after) and still make a great story, with some people being unhappy with the ending and others preferring it to the current version. Quite a few movies have an alternate ending to that effect and the public is divided. A badly done sad ending won't make your story better, it's not a thing that you can add with 100% certainty of a particular result. Sob stories usually work well, because people love drama. We are conditioned to consider happy endings as "cheesy". But then again, some readers don't like when their favourite character dies in the end. Some readers just don't like to be sad. But it's good to keep in mind that in the recent decades there have been a surge in stories where the ending comes as a total surprise. Some people don't like that, others find it exciting. Your story may become a success just because it's different from all the ones done before it. Of course, that will leave some people unhappy, but that's part of the business.
     
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  9. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I think a short story whether it has a happy ending or a sad ending has to earn that ending. If people had problems with your ending the problem(s) are probably way before that. However, if your readers just wanted a sake of a happy ending for the sake of a happing ending, I would probably disregard all their feedback and move on. As an avid short story reader, most short stories do not have a happy ending. There is often something sad and telling at the end. Of course, there are all kinds of stories with all kinds of endings, but The New Yorker and The Paris Review aren't known for their happy endings, and as a writer I don't want to be either. Earn the ending, then own it!
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
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  10. Lemie

    Lemie Contributor Contributor

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    @LostThePlot is known for refusing happy endings. Maybe he has some words of wisdom in the subject.
     
  11. mg357

    mg357 Active Member

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    What if the girl dies in a tragic way? Just before he tells here how he feels about her.

    That is definitely not a happy ending and every day for the rest of his life he has to think about.

    What might have happened had revealed his feeling to her sooner instead of waiting.
     
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  12. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    So is the main plot a romance? A lot of romance readers expect the couple to get together, as is part of the romance genre. So if you sold yours as a romance, maybe you're defying reader expectations and hence getting lots of disappointment?

    I think tragedy has to make sense. I'm not into tragedy happening because "reality" - if I wanted true reality, I wouldn't bother reading fiction. So for me, there has to be a reason for it - like it could have happened no other way.

    I don't mind reading if you wanna send it through :)
     
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  13. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    I think the ending has to be satisfying, even if it's sad. Like either there has to be some closure or I as a reader get the feeling that yeah, there was no way out, this was how it had to end, a happy ending would've felt forced. This would require for the writer to write the story itself in a way that all the roads eventually lead to The Sad Ending. I can think of a couple of books that did this as well as some TV shows. But yeah, basically there's been a couple that's gotten along like a house on fire but you can't imagine them settling down and starting a family.

    So I suppose publishers need to know your romance does not follow the common, recommended formula. I don't write romance myself, but I'm not surprised its readers read the genre also for the thrill of having the romantic leads finally beating the odds and getting together. Personally, I don't need a warning that this story will be sad (I even prefer non-happy endings, come to think of it), but when you're selling to a specific group, it might indeed be an issue.
     
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  14. Michele I

    Michele I Member

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    Some people are just suckers for happy endings. I, for one, am, however, I also like endings that aren't all that predictable. Just because the guy doesn't get the girl shouldn't make it a sad ending. Disappointing, maybe, but was there a good reason? Maybe she just wasn't that into him. In Terms of Endearment, I wanted Jack Nicholson to end up with Shirley McClain, but he liked his life the way it was more than he wanted to be saddled down with one woman. Then again, the first time I saw It's as Good as it Gets, I didn't want Jack to end up with Diane Keaton; I wanted her and the good looking young doctor to work out. You snooze, you lose, Jack. Though, the second time I watched it, I was glad Jack smartened up and saw she was the best thing that's ever happened to him.

    The ending needs to feel like that's how it was supposed to end.
     
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