DISCUSSION: Cliché Endings

Because every single story on the app is romance! People obviously like happy endings, I do too, but I don’t think you can close every single story line with the exact same ending. You can only do that if your story has basically nothing original in it…

I usually see stories with one or two kids and I don’t think this would be a wrong message to readers. Teenage pregnancy is, especially if the character keeps being reckless and makes stupid decisions.

I’m neutral. Honestly I haven’t read too many endings like this, because most of the stories I’m reading are still ongoing, and I usually get bored of stories after 30 episodes, so if your story is being dragged on, there’s a high chance I’ll never get to the ending :woman_shrugging:
I really like short stories though, and from my experience they usually have different, more unique endings.

That most of them are forced and lack originality. Sometimes it looks like the author wanted to finally finish the story and never look back. I don’t mind endings like this, but you can’t just show a happy family with 3 dialogue lines then call it a day. Add something interesting, funny or unexpected. Try to cover other plot points too, show what happened to your supporting characters. Because your story is not only about the MC and the love interest, right?

I don’t mind either way.

Even though I don’t have kids yet, honestly I don’t think I could abort a baby even in an Episode story lol. But I guess it’s nice to leave this up to the reader.

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I feel somewhat similar to you. I personally don’t mind the marriage aspect as much, but I have no interest in having children. And, therefore, it is definitely not a part of wish fulfillment happy ending for me. I guess, if it happens at the very end of the story, I accept it as a part of the author’s vision. However, it doesn’t make me excited.

That being said, I’ve never read (not ever going to either) any story “Pregnant by…” or similar. And I have discontinued reading some stories, where the MC fell pregnant along the course. It’s just not for me. I’m not sure how I would feel about the abortion/ adoption option. I’d rather, there wouldn’t be a pregnancy at all.

Regarding sending certain messages to the audience, it can be problematic if the MC is a teenager. But, if it is written carefully and maturely, even this kind of story could possibly be done well and communicate some worthwhile messages. Moreover, if the pregnancy is portrayed as a mature character’s choice (or even a mistake), these stories have their audience. Just I’m not it.

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Very well written! I agree completely.

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I think that cleche endings are ok if that’s what way the story is going or what way the author takes there characters

However

I also believe that it’s bestter to have a mix of cleche and classic… Not all stories have to end in love and marriage or kids

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I wrote more than I thought I would…

Summary

I think that most authors write them because these endings are what most of their audience wants in their life and it will be seen as a happy ending. It’s also not that hard to write because you don’t really have to think of something new besides some names for the children or what kind of wedding and house they will have.
In most stories there are more than one child in the end, because in our society it is often seen as child=happines→ more children=more happines. So the author wants to show how happy they are, I think? It doesn’t really send a message in my opinion, because most of us have been told that they need a family to be happy, so it won’t be that much of a new influence. I’m 14 and I never had a boyfriend and my grandparents are already worrying that I’ll never find a partner and have a (big) family…
I don’t mind this type of ending but it annoys me a little that almost every story has a similar ending and I also sometimes get the feeling that they subtly want to tell girls that they can’t be happy without a (male) partner and without kids. Another main issue for me is, that you mostly don’t even get to decide whether or not you want to marry that often one dimensional boy, like why can’t the MC be happily single?!
I think 5) would be a good idea, because I don’t want to have children myself which is “just a phase” if you believe my grandparents but I could imagine myself adopting a kid, so it would be nice to have a choice for once.
I would love to have the choice of keeping it or not when the pregnancy is not important for the plot, because it would send the right message to girls: you can always choose whether or not you want to keep your pregnancy, because it’s your body. Putting them up for adoption would also be a good option because that would show you that your life doesn’t have to be over because of a pregnancy, even in a country where you must keep your unborn child.
So yes, it would be nice to have options other than the cliche family ending.

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I think it’s a mix of societal expectations to get married and start a family, the author and reader’s shared desire for a happy ending, and the idea that’s been around since romance novels were first printed that true love has to be made “official” with marriage and babies. It also conveniently presents an open-ended way to either wrap up or continue the story: having children can end the story there because the reader can assume the leads lived happily ever after and raised their family in peace, but the author can also make a sequel starring the leads’ kids because they’re already established characters by having been born to the previous main characters.

It’s cliche, but it’s overused for a reason. I think almost every romance writer is guilty of this kind of ending in at least one of their stories.

Surprisingly, I actually haven’t seen many Episode stories where it ends specifically with the main characters having, say, two or three kids. Endings where the MC is pregnant with her first child or where the MC and her LI have just had a kid together are much more common in my experience. Personally, I don’t think the number of kids (usually) matters because the effect is still the same either way. Two or three kids is normal for a family, it’s when the leads inexplicably have five or six that I raise an eyebrow because, really, who wants that many kids running around?

I don’t think a fictional couple having more than one child sends any kind of message to young girls that’s different from what they already hear (you have to get married, have kids, what-have-you). You could argue such endings imply that having one kid isn’t good enough and that a couple has to have more than one for their happy ending to be truly “happy”, but I don’t think authors are implying that on purpose.

It depends on the story. If it’s a standard romance story where the leads have no talk about kids or the future right until the “marriage and kids” ending, I just shrug. Maybe I roll my eyes, but it doesn’t irritate me unless it’s outright contradictory to the characters (like one of them showing dislike for children). If it’s a romance story where the leads discuss having children beforehand, or talk about family or how they want to have a kid one day, or where family and having children are present themes, I’m fine with it and may even find the ending poetic.

See my above quote about how endings with multiple kids could imply that somehow the leads having one kid isn’t “enough” and they have to have a big family to officially be happy, but again, I don’t think that’s an intentional implication. I don’t really have as big of an issue with such endings like some people do. At worst, I just find it dull or a lazy way to easily end the story.

An ending where you can choose to adopt a child instead of giving birth to one would certainly be refreshing, but it’s not something I actively want out of a story. Endings where your character chooses not to go with any of the LIs is probably the closest thing I’ve seen to the idea of an ending where you can choose not to have kids. I think Dripping Mascara handled it well by having the main character, Shelley, be unable to have kids but still be able to live happily with her love interest by adopting children with him instead.

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In society, settling down with a family is what we should be aiming for but of course it’s not what everyone wants but it’s what society expects to want. The author may also actually want this ending too. Also, good endings are just … well … good. Sometimes it’s nice to read something with a good ending to escape all the bad stuff that goes on in life.

Again, what I said above, people see the family with 2+ kids as the ideal. It just perpetuates society’s expectations, gender roles, heteronormativity, and etc. I don’t really think it sends much of a message.

I personally tend to only read stories with lgbt options and I always pick the lgbt option since I’m a lesbian. I don’t mind this ending if it’s for the lgbt option because I’m so used to lgbt characters getting killed off or not having a good ending in media. I think, in general, authors could think up better endings that are still happy but don’t end with having children or getting married.

If they have kids, I don’t care whether they’re biological or adopted because if I ever decide to settle down with someone and want to have kids, we’d probably adopt. It would be a cool feature to be able to decide whether or not to have kids.

I would love to have that choice as long as they portray all the options as okay. I don’t want to be shamed over aborting or keeping a child.

ok but side note

There was this story I read where there was this whole thing about the main character being infertile and being sad about it like it was the end of the world and I just couldn’t sympathize. I guess it’s because I’m gay, I’m already used to the idea of being unable to have children so it wouldn’t really matter to me anyways because I would probably adopt children if I wanted them.

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  1. Why do you think authors feel the need to include this specific ending in their stories in the first place? Is it because it’s one the majority of readers expect/wish to see, or simply to fill the story in till its end, regardless of whatever happened in the plot before this? Definitely because of the expectations of readers.
    I wish readers were more open to tragic endings. The author of the dragon bride got attacked because she ‘dared’ to write an unhappy ending. I prefer sad endings and I think they’re more emotional to write. My story was originally supposed to end tragically but I added another ending because I was afraid readers won’t be satisfied. However, the tragic ending is more well written and emotional.

  2. If the characters already must have kids, why do they almost always have more than one child? What message do you think this possibly sends to inexperienced readers, especially girls? It sometimes shows that they’re more “happy” and united I guess. If it’s a pregnancy story and a couple have another child means they’re more stable, which is a pretty fucked up message.

  3. Do you yourself like or dislike this type of ending and why? I have no problem with this ending if it suits the story, but personally I prefer sad endings.

  4. What are your main issues with such endings? That they show that every story must have a happy ending. And I really don’t like it.

  5. Would you prefer to choose for your character whether or not to have any kids of their own, biological or adopted? Yes. I’d prefer to do so. Although I do want children I think some readers may be uncomfortable.

  6. In case of an existing pregnancy, would you prefer to have a choice whether to keep, abort, or put up for adoption? Why or why not? It may complicate the story in terms of directing… but if the author is capable of doing it then why not

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I think it’s because as a society we generally tend to view marriage and babies as the end all be all. This is especially true here in Oklahoma I think, as well as other more southern/midwestern parts of the US.

Eh, I think the number of children is always going to depend on the couple, but some people might not want only one child for fear of it getting lonely/too spoiled. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with it though. However, I don’t think I’ve read very many stories where there’s more than 2-3 kids so???
I don’t think it’s sending a negative message to young girls though. Some people want more kids and some people don’t. As long as people are well educated about any risks from pregnancy or know the responsibilities of foster care/adoption people can hope to have as many kids as they want. :woman_shrugging:t2:

I like it, personally. I have enough “darkness” in my real life being able to step away and read stories that have happy (or at the very least peaceful) endings is good for me I think. I understand the need to sometimes have a sad story but I wouldn’t want to deal with it constantly.

I think a main issue might be how repetitive it can get. Also, I do think in some circumstances it promotes harmful thinking. A story about a couple meeting in college and the last episode is of them and their kids is one thing. A pregnancy story that’s promoting how great it is to get pregnant at 16 with no idea of how the world works is…:grimacing::grimacing:. A lot of high school relationships don’t last. It’s unrealistic to promote the whole “I got pregnant and he loves me and by the way we’ve stuck together for 5 years and now have 3 kids” thing constantly.

This isn’t something I’d necessarily expect but I think options might be cool. I do think it depends on the story though.

Eh…I think it would be up to the author but if anything I’d want a choice on abortion and adoption. I’m pro choice by a long shot, but I personally don’t believe in abortion for example, so I wouldn’t want to be blindsided by it especially if it was a “YOU” based story.

The funny thing is that the ending wasn’t even sad. It was just open ended. People just got upset because the ending wasn’t the typical happy romance story ending. :woman_shrugging:t2:

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I wish there would be something new…:cry::wilted_flower:

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Same. It really doesn’t hurt to think of a more creative ending for once.

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