I saw bits of this discussion on twitter, and it inevitably comes up every time someone decides to market a book as a “romance” even though the book has no HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now) ending. And then wonders why readers lose their shit. Then inevitably the commentary starts (almost always from non-romance readers, usually male) that happy endings aren’t realistic. This is a great response to that.
Aside from “the story must revolve around a romantic relationship”, the happy ending is the single most important element of any story in the romance genre. Period. For a book to be a romance, the story has to be about a romantic relationship of some sort, and the story has to end with all the participants of said relationship (regardless of number, gender, sexuality, etc, etc) happy and together for the foreseeable future. That’s it. If it doesn’t have both of those things, it is not a romance. (Nicholas Sparks does not write romance.)
And some writer out there ALWAYS decides they’re gonna be ‘edgy’ and write a romance with a downer ending. Seriously: do not fuck with romance readers, and do not fuck with their happy endings.
(And before anybody yells about ‘there’s no suspense because you always know the ending’, the tension in a romance novel is driven by the reader’s emotional involvement, and by not knowing how the happy ending will come about or what it will look like. It’s the writer’s job to make the happy ending seem all but impossible, and then pull it off.)
I’m gonna give you some drama, but there’s an HEA…
Oh, I’m firmly in the “readers need to be challenged” camp.
Specifically, they need to be shown that stories do not have to be set in nihilist grimdark dystopias where everyone is raped, tortured and abused; they need to be shown that characters can be kind and that this is not a sign of weakness, but strength; they need to be shown that there is hope and that the world can be made better without sacrificing morals, integrity, or, yes, kindness.
I want to show the shitty edgelords that their misanthropy is myopic, that there is a happily ever after to aspire to for characters, societies, and species.
… Can you write the next star wars film please Orjan?
You’ve been seeing different comedians than me. When Richard Pryor devoted part of his standup to riffing on deliberately setting himself ON FIRE he had me laughing and sobbing at the same time. Comedy is usually based on pain. Listen to John Mulaney as he talks about being small, odd and anxiety ridden as a kid.
Readers should be challenged by boring endings? Have you seen the third movie in the “Divergent” series? NO, you haven’t. The second movie was so boring they actually dropped the series!!
Yeesh
I haven’t seen Divergent at all. But I know I’m getting really sick of the ‘oh let’s KILL EVEYYONE that’s so clever and edgy!’ thing that’s got hold of everyone at the moment. I want to come out of the cinema happier than I went into it. That’s not happening much right now.
I agree with that @icantbearsedtothinkofone. I had been seeing the series with a kid who was desperate to see them and no one wanted to watch with him. I knew what that was like so I volunteered. The second film put us both to sleep. It redefined boring and the only challenge it presented was staying awake.
I am really over the dark, miserable films. I want to have a respite from sadness.
There’s room for sad and challenging films and books, sure. But they need to stay in their fucking lane. The thing with a romance or a cheesy action film or a comics adaptation etc is that it’s like a roller-coaster at the zoo. You’re go on it to have a lot of twists and ups and downs and excitement *while knowing you’re going to be OK at the end*. Not dropped into the crocodile pit. Feels like we’re being offered a lot of crocodile pits right now. And it’s not doing great things to my mental health.
Steel Phoenix Studios 