Fanfiction Lounge

[Bay]

Do your stories generally have a happy ending? (Remember however, a happy ending by definition doesn't have to be "happy").
NE would be considered a happy ending. The conflict (finding the plates) is resolved and then everyone settled their differences (except for Jacob and Matt, although after talking with Timmy, Matt said he might forgive him eventually).

One of my one shots, She Just Smiles, however, I won't consider it a happy ending. It's a one shot about Cyrus as a young teenager (like wut? :O ) and at the end he decides that emotions are meaningless.

 

[Citrinin]

One thing I've noticed is that it seems Cyrus is quite a popular canon character for fanfiction.

 

[Bay]

Yeah, he is. Cyrus is such an interesting villain in the games and it's fun coming up ideas as to why he suddenly thinks emotions makes everyone weak and such. My one shot I decided to derive back at his past after one of the people from Sunyshore City said how Cyrus preferred robots over humans. Wasn't easy keeping him in character, especially if portraying him as a teenager. XD;

Great, now this Cyrus talk makes me think of Sparkling Dragon's pwnsome banner. XD

 

[Citrinin]

I know. It's so awesome. :D

In HWIMAR, he only features in the prologue, with his character not so much in question as the possible results of him succeeding, which have fascinated me just as much as the way he thinks.

 

[Feign]

One of my one shots, She Just Smiles, however, I won't consider it a happy ending. It's a one shot about Cyrus as a young teenager (like wut? :O ) and at the end he decides that emotions are meaningless.

If the conflict (specifically even) was Cyrus debating or finally deciding to become emotionless, than yes, in a sense, that is a happy ending. With happy endings as well, they don't have to make the reader feel good, but rather that the conflict was set in the right direction.

 

[Misheard Whisper]

Bay, can you link me to that oneshot? *needs to research Cyrus moar* And Cyrus is to me what Bill is to Jax minus the fangirling. Just warning you guys.

 

[Bay]

If the conflict (specifically even) was Cyrus debating or finally deciding to become emotionless, than yes, in a sense, that is a happy ending. With happy endings as well, they don't have to make the reader feel good, but rather that the conflict was set in the right direction.

How about if there was a specific event that made him decide to be emotionless? Would the ending be a happy ending then? In the one shot, there was one event that made Cyrus suddenly snap and at the end because of that event, he decides to become emotionless.

 

[Astinus]

Then that still counts as a "happy" ending. The conflict of the story was resolved, because it was a step in the right direction for Cyrus to become emotionless.

It's very confusing, and any Google searches I do for information on the literary definition (since all my years as an English major was apparently for nothing) leads me to porn movies and masseuses in Vegas.

Porn movies starring Tom Arnold, even.

Also, gay literature posted on a site called Bay Windows.

So I understand the confusion from this question, because people feel that happy endings are when the story ends in fluffy rainbows and puppies getting hugs from adorable children in flash suits and the warlock with the pointy hat gets to hug his brother in peace and have babies with fairies.

But yeah, people are used to happy endings being endings that make them feel good. (So wrong.)

I tend to call endings where the conflict is resolved a "satisfying" ending, because everything gets solved and accounted for, and the story that you read is over, with no questions remaining. Unsatisfying endings are, of course, when the story ends, and you're left to go "What about the thing!?"

 

[Feign]

Then that still counts as a "happy" ending. The conflict of the story was resolved, because it was a step in the right direction for Cyrus to become emotionless.

It's very confusing, and any Google searches I do for information on the literary definition (since all my years as an English major was apparently for nothing) leads me to porn movies and masseuses in Vegas.

Porn movies starring Tom Arnold, even.

Also, gay literature posted on a site called Bay Windows.

So I understand the confusion from this question, because people feel that happy endings are when the story ends in fluffy rainbows and puppies getting hugs from adorable children in flash suits and the warlock with the pointy hat gets to hug his brother in peace and have babies with fairies.

But yeah, people are used to happy endings being endings that make them feel good. (So wrong.)

I tend to call endings where the conflict is resolved a "satisfying" ending, because everything gets solved and accounted for, and the story that you read is over, with no questions remaining. Unsatisfying endings are, of course, when the story ends, and you're left to go "What about the thing!?"

Yep pretty much what I believe. We learnt about that I think in my first year course XD Or perhaps it was my remedial english class XD (yes that's right... I graduated with a 63%, and after fitting under a requirement I only needed 65% in English to get into the college's bachelor of arts program, of which I had to upgrade, and ended up getting 87%)... Interesting anyway...

But yeah, the fluffy ending was more prevelant in American literature, and even editors had the authors rewrite the endings on some stories to make them all fluffy.

Just think of it like this, Bob is on the brink of a mental break down, and wants to be cured any way possible, so his friend pulls out a gun, and shoots him in the head. -Happy ending! :D

 

[Astinus]

I now want to be the person who sits around with other people, watch really horrible depressing movies, and as everyone else is crying, happily say "What a happy ending!" and be all smiles.

It's kind of like Lex Luthor and the cakes.

Lex Luthor stole forty cakes. He stole 40 cakes. That's as many as four tens. And that's terrible.

But the story is a happy ending because Lex Luthor solved his conflict by stealing the cakes. So it's not terrible. It's HAPPY.

 

[Misheard Whisper]

But those were my cakes, so it creates more problems than it solves. =(

 

[Feign]

Lol... Yeah it was like me, when I was the only one laughing out loud in a movie theatre, after a particularly murderous character claimed their intentions (It's the newest movie coming out that; it's like Domestic Disturbance, but with more family members and worse excuses for denial ["O hey I saw your picture on America's most wanted, but because we're driving the plot to the climax, I don't really think it's you, but I thought I'd tell you."], they basically revealed the whole plot in the trailer...).

Another movie that made me laugh was Orphans, I'd find it a very happy ending if she managed to kill the whole family XD (Which funnily enough is similar to the movie The Good Son, Why Caulkin, why did your character have to die?), assuming there is no twist in this new movie that she is actually the devil...

Ironically I've been writing a story about a child that enjoys instigating murder.

 

[bobandbill]

But those were my cakes, so it creates more problems than it solves. =(

But what if you were told that the cakes had been poisonous? Or worse, without enough sugar in them?

That creates less problems for you, although potentially causes more for Lex Luthor. This may lead to the possibility of a thing called sequels.

1st thing that came to my head that had a happy' ending that sucked was Harry Potter. >_< Although I suspect if she hadn't done that ending then various fans may have hunted her down for the lack of fanservice. =/ Happy, fluffy endings also tend to be prevalent in Western movies. But heck, sad endings ain't bad endings. >_<

Just think of it like this, Bob is on the brink of a mental break down, and wants to be cured any way possible, so his friend pulls out a gun, and shoots him in the head. -Happy ending!

TBH, I don't really like this story...

 

[Misheard Whisper]

Would 'his friend' be Bill, by any chance? =D

 

[Bay]

*blinks at the mention of Bay Windows* I didn't make that site! :O

Anyways, thanks Astinus and Feign for explaining to me about happy endings. Yeah, I would think happy endings are of fluff and such. Hm, I wonder if the tragedy one shots from the contest at Serebii have happy or sad endings. Hm...

bobandbill, haha I was actually about to have that kind of ending (Harry Potter) for NE. XD;

 

[Feign]

Lol BaB, I never thought of your name when writing it, just that it was such a common name. XD

His friend can be Will ;)

Lol no worries Bay.

Even in my zombie fic, that even though I didn't imply or show a main character, that even though Ash lives, and in the anime is the main character, that because he survives, could be considered a happy ending. However my ending to that one, is somewhat similar to the ending of the Matrix.

 

[Dragonfree]

Personally, I think the "conflict has been resolved" definition of a "happy ending" is kind of stupid; stories generally should resolve the conflict in one way or another, or they're unsatisfying to read. :/ I agree with Astinus on calling it a "satisfying ending" being more appropriate, although "satisfying" also has connotations about how the resolution happens; it can't be a random deus ex machina or whatever.

In the more conventional sense of a happy ending, my endings tend to be somewhere in between; usually I can't make things end without at least something sad, even if overall it's mostly happy.

 

[Feign]

Lol yeah discrepancy with the name XD

LOOK WHAT DISNEY HAS DONE TO US!!! ;_;

 

[Misheard Whisper]

Disney effs with the woild.

 

[Astinus]

But those were my cakes, so it creates more problems than it solves. =(

Well, then that's not a happy ending for you, and a sequel is being planned.

although "satisfying" also has connotations about how the resolution happens; it can't be a random deus ex machina or whatever.

Hmmm, that completely slipped my mind when I made that post last night. It does make a difference how good the ending is if the resolution wasn't pulled out of the author's nether regions. You don't find it a satisfying ending to a story that you enjoyed if the problem was solved in a unfitting manner.

(I smell a Card rant coming on.)

Disney effs with the woild.

Woild? Did they eff with it that much?