Happy or Sad endings

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I'm at a point in P&P that I can end it happily or end it horribly. Or I can end it on a sad but sweet note.

As you all read this story and have invested interest in the characters how would YOU like to see it end?

A.A.

Comments

well

i would like a happy ending since the main character has d=had such a hard time and in my mind sould be happy at the end but it is all up to you
so here to waiting for the end

I Vote for Happy

I always vote for happy. That said; it's been a feel good story so far. While Erika has been in some scrapes, things have always worked out for her. It would be a shame to have it go bad now.

For me, it's disappointing when a serial goes along with basically a protagonist positive flow and then all of a sudden there's a caution in the header of the new posting and the protagonist gets killed, raped, and/or the crap beat out of them.

Happy!

Well, I usually vote happy. That would certainly fit best with P&P, I think. But it's up to you.

Saless

"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Sorry

But I must sadly vote for a happy ending. I was the victim of far too many Disney movies in my youth.

:)

hugs!

grover

Please make it happy

While Erika has not had an easy time, Please make it happy cause there is more than enough misery in the real world. And people need happy endings.....or better still don't end it :D

Huggs n hope

Sammi

Happy

I Vote Happy cause there to much sadness in the world already

>>>>>I'm a new soul.I came to this strange world.Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take.<<<<<

Do you

even have to ask? :)

I think most people here would vote for 'happy' in this story's case. Some times a sad ending fits, but when we've got as much time devoted to reading as we do with Erika and her friends, and one happy ending under our belts already with Kumoni, well, I think a sad ending would be too much for a lot of us. Besides, you KNOW everyone's gonna ask you to continue the story after you end it anyways- if you end on a happy note, people will be more forgiving of a long absence, or even no continuation if you decide to move on to fresh pastures.

Melanie E.

Eric/a enjoys Disney World so give us an E-Ticket Ride.

RAMI

Dear Anistasia

I am sure you and Eric/a love Disney World/Disney Land. So why not treat this like an E-Ticket ride on Space Mountain. Give us some really neat highs (the cheer teams accept her), and some terrible lows (Erika has to suffer as "The Plaugette" for a while), a few horribly scary twists and turns (mom's car crash?), finally ending in a great rush as the ride ends with everyone happy from the thrill of it all (Erika and Tricia live happily ever after?).

Note 1 - I am a chicken, I have never been on Space Mountain (I live in Florida and have been to D.W. over 50 times)and my children tease me to no end about it.

Note 2 - For those of you too young to remember Disneyland and Disney World until 1982 used to have separate coupons or tickets for each ride. An A ticket would be for something like a carriage ride, the Peter Pan Ride would be a C-Ticket ride, and the best rides like Space Mountain would be an "E-TICKET RIDE", the best ride in the park.

So Anistasia, your loyal fans would love a thrilling E-Ticket ride to the end.

RAMI

RAMI

Whichever

Frank's picture

Is the most realistic in fitting with the whole story. I'd rather that than a forced happy/sad ending.

Hugs

Frank

Another Happy vote

...to go along with the growing majority of comments. This would, I think, make it easier to continue the story after all of us (your devoted fans) beg, plead, bribe, etc. for you to keep it going. :)

Hugs,

Sarah Ann

Or like Nancy Cole's "No Greater Love" - More then one & a vote

RAMI

Dear Anistasia:

Another thought: Nancy Cole, wrote two different endings to "No Greater Love" and then basically, gave her readers a choice and a vote.

I do not want to burden you with work, but it seems you already have in mind a Happy ending, a sad but sweet ending and a horrible ending. Perhaps you could write all three and see how the readers react.

Have a nice weekend and can not wait for the next chapter, no matter if it is "Happy", "Sad", or "Scared".

RAMI

RAMI

Let the Characters Decide

terrynaut's picture

I say let the story dictate the ending. Whatever makes the most sense for the characters and the story is usually best. Unfortunately for me, my stories usually turn out sad and sweet, and most people prefer happy endings.

Good luck with whatever happens and whatever you decide.

- Terry

The Wolves Have Arrived

Putting my Hunish nature aside for a moment, I would have to say the ending needs to be a natural follow through. While a sudden change in course or gee-whiz surprise ending does get a reader's attention, it also puts readers off is the ending is out of sync with the flow of the story. In no Greater Love, I painted myself into a corner. Most stories do that to the writer, whether they intend to or not.

So, like tennis and golf, once you've teed up the shot, remember to follow through as smoothly and naturally as you can. Happy, sad, or horrific does not matter. Fitting and appropriate does.

Nancy Cole


~ ~ ~

"You may be what you resolve to be."

T.J. Jackson

I tend to prefer...

happy endings... And have difficulty writing something that truely has a sad ending.

That said, I can see how you might well go any of the three ways you described. It's also important what kind of ending you would like to write. Do you want to write the horrible or sad but sweet ending or the happy one? You need to be happy with the results too.

To be honest, based on how you've set things up, a good "happy ending" where all the loose ends are tied up nicely will be the most challenging to write. Things are currently set up so that disaster would be EASY to make happen. Disaster for Erica, her friends and her family - even disaster for Dr. Bart. So, if you're looking for a challenge - go for a believable happy ending with all questions answered/issues resolved. :-)

Just my 2 cents.

Annette

HAPPY!

I have way too much sad in my life and I like to read about happy or acceptably promising endings. I do not mind sad or hurt during the story but when one ends sadly I feel that real life has done it to me again. Don't we have enough of that in real life to also read about it, even if it is just fiction. Some like to write and read about sadness and nothing seem to cheer them, to each his own, but I suffer enough with real life almost every day to carry it over into my bit of escape through reading.

Please, please, please make it a happy ending

KristineRead's picture

Anastasia,

I want to read and enjoy this story over and over again, and a bad / unhappy ending would ruin that. I live real life, I don't need my fiction to bring me down.

Hugs,

Kristy

i'm more inclined for...

... happy endings... no doubt, however do what feels better for the characters... yet, don't be surprised if many ask for more *giggles*

Ok, Ok, Happy ending it is. .....

I'm sorry I brought it up. It's just that in the past few weeks several people brought up endings that wouldn't be very happy. I wanted to test the waters of the readers to make sure that it wasn't a prevelent feeling.

as for another sequel, I don't if I can for a while yet. I still have to work on Healing a Princess that i've neglected.

Thank you All for your input

A.A.

Erika is at least a sophomore...

KristineRead's picture

She was in high school last year before camp, we don't know if she was a freshman then or higher, all we know is that she is was in high school the year before.

Hugs,

Kristy

So June 2011

RAMI

Kristy you are correct. So maybe we can get Anistasia to grace us with this story until June 2011, rather then 2012.

RAMI:-)(my first smiley face using a keyboard)

RAMI

I would hardly object

KristineRead's picture

Nor would I have any objections to seeing her negotiate her college years...

But from what Anastasia has said, I suspect we will have to have some breaks, as she wants to get back to her other princess.

Hugs,

Kristy

Endings

Give it the ending you feel it deserves.

If a horrible ending flows better, go for it.

:-(

I just don't want to see one of my favorite stories end.

A Fitting End

Maybe you should just end your story by including a recording of "Last Post" as part of the epilogue?

Nancy Cole


~ ~ ~

"You may be what you resolve to be."

T.J. Jackson

Bit late but...

Given the amount of Deus Ex so far (for instance, in Camp Kumoni, the hairdresser finding Erika in the middle of the night when she was going to run away) a sad ending would seem a bit out-of-place. Particularly since things seem to be almost settled (Erika's informed her parents and seems to be heading on the road to HRT).

I mean, there's still lots of potential bumps--dealing with her mom, dealing with her forged school records, dealing with anyone in the high school who finds out. But given the amount of hurdles she's managed to pass so far, it just doesn't seem reasonable to assume she won't make the last few hurdles in some state of relative happiness.

My only beef with sad endings...

... is when they are a cop-out. Sometimes a character JUST gets interesting, and then ka-blam! They die.

Like Pay It Forward or American Beauty.

When I see that, I think, "The author didn't know where to go."

There is one happy ending I HATED, it was in Dickens' Our Mutual Friend. Great story, one of his best, but suddenly at the end, everything suddenly turns 180 degrees and is all sunshine and happiness.

It turns out he had a Hollywood ending forced on him, even way back then.

You have to paint it the way you see it, love. Just make sure it's real.

Kaleigh

PS - I know you made your mind up already, but I wanted to put my two cents in.