What to avoid when writing a happy ending?
I've finally decided to give a protagonist a happy ending, but what is there to avoid? What makes a happy end too cheesy? For example, if the story is about a anti-hero, who destroys his enemies, what can I avoid when writing the happy ending? What makes it too cliché?
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/23298. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
1 answer
A non-cheesy happy ending is generally a mixed bag; the hero may not get everything they wanted, but they did get what was most important to them.
For example, they didn't get the treasure, but they found true love, and nobody else got the treasure.
Or they succeeded in sending the CEO to prison, but they lost their job, or also got convicted and had to serve a year's probation. Or in achieving victory they lost someone they love.
Give them what they want most, but make it come at a cost.A lot of movies end with sequel potential in just this way; the hero (or anti-hero) prevailed, but at a cost, perhaps a standoff, and addressing this cost is the topic of the next movie.
0 comment threads
0 comment threads