Unhappy Endings

[nakeisha]

In fanfic what are unhappy endings?

Does the term 'unhappy ending' apply to the characters? Or to the reader? Or to both?

Take the two following scenarios (I'm not going to make it fandom, pairing or even gender specific, just imagine they are your favourite pairing or any other two fandom characters in a longish term established relationship).

Comments

[dragonmuse]

Hmmm. I'd say both scenarios would count as unhappy endings for me, since I hate seeing my favourite pairings pulling apart, no matter what the circumstances are. But I can also understand that it doesn't necessarily make it an unhappy ending, as is clear in Scenario I where both characters are happy and there's only a small, lingering sadness that such a great relationship has ended after so long. (Then again, I'm such a romantic, that kind of sadness hits me a lot harder than it probably should. :P)

So, after deciding that the stories themselves would upset me more than they would the characters, I think if I was posting such stories to a community I'd add a warning for both, just because I believe that even if in Scenario I both characters are happy, the reader at least may be left feeling all "oh no, my OTP. :("

(Wow, I had a headache before, but now my head really hurts after all that thinking. :P)

[nakeisha]

*Hands over pain-killer for your headache*

Sorry about that.

*Nods in agreement at what you say* Yes, I agree. Both are unhappy for the reader, even if the first isn't necessarily so for the characters.

And yes, I think that most readers who are upset by their OTP not being together at the end of the story won't really care if the characters are happy, because they won't be.

[lonelywalker]

I said only scenario 2.

I think that, in the case of scenario 1, if the writer's intent is to sell us on the idea that the two are happy and at peace with their decision, then the reader should end the story (ideally) also at peace (or at least not in tears).

However, I suspect that this would also irate some people regarding the pairing - if I write a Gibbs/Ducky story that is mainly about "why Gibbs and Ducky shouldn't be together", I think some shippers might be upset. So perhaps it's more an issue of pairing? Not really sure. I've never even thought to warn for unhappy endings! *is a foul fiend indeed*

[nakeisha]

I think in theory you're correct about Scenario I, but as a reader if it happened to one of my OTPs (especially G/D) I'd be upset by it, whether I was warned or not, even though I'd probably be telling myself that they were happy. Convoluted, I know.

I think you have a point re: the pairing, actually.

[erehwon6]

Both

[nakeisha]

I'd agree with you re: it's the reader who wants the warning. That's a jolly good point re: why do we warn in fanfic, but not other stuff and we cope. Maybe it's to do with investment in the characters? We're far more emotionally involved and have more investment in the characters about whom we read/write?

Okay, I take your point re: unhappy ending warning being an anti-climax, and yet you want to be warned for a death story? What's the difference? I know that people who don't want to be warned for death, say it's because it's an anti-climax. And I can see that with one hat on, but I still want to be warned for death and in many ways, to my mind, an unhappy ending is worse. So why death but not unhappy endings? I'm fascinated.

A lot of mainstream writers get away with stuff that we fanfic writers are called on, something else I've never understood.

[erehwon6]

Yeah, that probably is why.

I wouldn't necessarily want to be warned for it; and wouldn't complain if they didn't (Sometimes it's best they don't say, for example it might have diluted the dramatic tension in 'Twilight'). I suppose with character death it is the ultimate angst so sometimes it helps to be able to brace yourself. Where as an 'unhappy ending' would affect me, but not to that degree.

So I guess for me it's not so much a warning, in the conventional sense, but just an expectation of sorts that a story would be categorised in such a way (the way blurbs of novels give an indication of the tone).

[nakeisha]

I think I see from where you are coming.

The whole thing with warnings and labels is that whatever you do you will never please everyone.

[madmogs]

I can't imagine considering scenario 1 an unhappy ending and wouldn't consider warning for it, not least because there's a bit of me that kind of despises cosseting the readers, which is what I think the romance fiction cliche tends to do. It's a formula, so it's comfortable, but it's also very, very limiting.

But then, I'm aware that I have very few shows for whom I'm 'give me OTP or give me death', and that as an asexual (and former plot-driven gen writer) I'm not as invested in romance/sex as those who read my fics.

I realise now that I've never really read a Scenario 1 fic, and I now want to go out and find one.

[nakeisha]

Interesting point of view, and I can understand how you feel, even if it's not how I see it.

I actually wrote a Scenario I story, it's Starsky & Hutch. If you're interested I can point you to it; it's fairly short.

[madmogs]

Would love a link to the scenario 1 story, if you can find it.

[nakeisha]

Here it is: Leaving

[honeybearbee]

I picked both mainly because the first scenario is more for the reader. If a reader has a vested interest in the characters and pairing, they will think it's unhappy.

The second scenario is for readers and characters. Again the reader must be interested in the pairing and the character won't be happy either (but that won't matter because the character isn't real and therefore will get over it. unless there's an angtsy sequel *grin*).

[nakeisha]

And we are very invested in the characters and pairings, and that's what makes a big difference I think between fanfic and mainstream fic.

[honeybearbee]

That's true. I think some of it has to do with the fact that most fanfic characters are from movies/tv shows. You see the emotion and everything that the character has.

[nakeisha]

*Nods* Yes, that's definitely a big part of it.