My personal preference on Episode is not the same as my preferences for books, movies, etc. On episode, I love romcoms the most largely because I appreciate good comedic writing (they are rare on Episode so I love them). But I don’t watch romcom films and have never touched a rom or romcom book because there are other genres that I much prefer.
However, as I am thinking of writing my own Episode story, I am wondering how readers react to realistic endings rather than the ‘happily ever after’ endings (for any genre). In a romance story for example, it often ends with the couple getting married, having children, and everything is all rainbow and butterflies. But in real life, that’s not how it works. Marriage is hard work. And raising children, even more so. And problems at work are ongoing. Not every wants to have a high-flying career, or be their own boss. Life isn’t that neat with loose ends all tied at some point.
If an Episode story was to reflect real life, while still showing character and relationship growth, but without the typical ‘happy’ ending, do you think you will like it as much?
For me it depends. Like if realistic means making it as tragic as possible I’m not a fan. Overall though, I would like to see more realistic endings, especially ones that depict real life struggles. I think you should go for it! <3 :)
I’m the same. I typically read and watch fantasies, mysteries, and horrors but because most Episode stories combine romance with different genres, I tend to get romance too.
I admit I don’t read a lot on Episode, I spend way more time on the forums but I have yet to see romance/drama stories that have a realistic ending. This may sound weird, but I want to read something that makes me wish for a happy ending not a less typical one.
tldr: I would definitely read and like a story with a tragic ending.
YES if written well. Bad and realistic endings in series and movies are the ones that I initially “hate” but grow to love. They can often posses deeper meaning and I know that the more I “hate” the bad ending the more succesful the show has been drawing me in. Spoilers for Breaking Bad incoming:
Like the ending of Breaking Bad, I knew it would all go to shit, and I “hated” it even though I knew it was the only outcome. And with all that passionate hate I realised how attached to these characters I’d actually become, to want them to have a great ending despite all the bad stuff they did, which really messed with my sense of judgement. I like that the story doesn’t just please with a fairy tale ending, but it actually tells a realistic story where the ending not always is happily ever after.
lol I don’t even know if I sidetracked or what the gist of my point was, that was a very confusing comment I’m sorry. I just have a very hate/love relationships towards bad/realistic endings.
I love realistic endings. Stories that end with marriage, kids, suburbs and rainbows kinda feel empty to me?? Same with them ending up with a millionair company, not everyone has the best ending possible. Having a realistic ending or even a sad one makes it feel more real.
Oh yes thank god yes please I’ve dying for more stories with realistic ending especially if they send a message. With too much happy endings, my realistic life is just getting more bleak as I wish why my life is not like that albeit I know it’s fiction but it still sucks. So a tragic or rather realistic ending is wonderful for an Episode story.
For me it depends.
If the whole story was lovey-dovey stuff then I do not want that realistic ending, I wan that “Happily ever after”, but if the story was really realistic with everything with dark themes and stuff, then I want that more realistic ending that will bring me to tears and that shows how everything doesn’t end happily.
If the story was more of like overcoming one sad , dark and tragic part of someone’s life I’m more for a realisticaly happy ending, not that everything magically gets fixed, but that chapter of their life is over and has happy ending.
And my fave I guess, bittersweet endings. There are not much there. Whole bittersweet journey for me is a guilty pleasure. Having to lose their loved ones, theselves or anything/anyone otreverything/everyone for a price of somehow happy ending are everything for me. If MC has to choose between their love, parents and world, what would they choose? Whatever they choose,it will be bittersweet because the other 2 will be lost. It makes You wonder what is the price of love and I adore them.
lol no it’s not confusing at all. I guess I didn’t necessarily mean bad or tragic endings, although ‘bad’ is subjective. For example, the story I thought of writing would be centered around one lead and the rest are the people that come in and out of her life - including partners and close friends, or coming close to success but missing it, and sometimes people that betray her will go on to have success. I kind of suspect most readers would prefer to have some stupid love triangle/ square where they can choose the final LI, or they’d want to see “evil” characters face karma. But that’s not the story I have in mind.
That really sound like I story I would enjoy! And even though a lot of the stories on the app are based around the “the good guys always win and the bad guys always faces consequences” I think there’s still a lot of people like me who would appreciate a more realistic and different story.
I love realistic endings so, so much! I don’t know if it’s just me, but I always feel like happily ever after endings, especially the type you see in episode stories, underestimate my intelligence. We all know it’s not like that, and most times it just feels rushed and out of place.
I really wish people would try to write happy endings without sticking to the same old formula they believe it should be written in (mostly romantic, like the only way to achieve happiness is to be in a relationship), but instead try to explore other aspects of happiness such as personal growth, achieving dreams, reaching a goal or anything else, really. It’s easy to get fed up with endings when the way they’re written in is always the same.
People tend to believe the only way of writing a happy ending is to have their characters be happily married, and that’s my main problem with most episode stories. Happiness isn’t just that, and if we stepped out of it and tried writing a happily-ever-after ending that doesn’t revolve around romance, most stories on this app would be much more diverse and fun to read.
Anyway, sad & open endings keep winning. At least until that’d change ^
I wrote an open ending to one of my stories two years ago, and I found the reactions to be 70-30 split between angry and impressed – respectfully. Two years later, I stand by the ending. I’m so pleased with it, and honestly, I feel it’s the best story I have ever written, and will ever write.
Fellow authours seemed very pleased with the ending, as well as readers who expressed their love for the realistic theme throughout the story.
If I can offer any insight based on my own experience; there may be many readers upset with an “open” or “realistic” ending, if that ending is not the conventional “married with babies”. But do not let that discourage you from writing the ending how you deem fit for your story. Those who appreciate the ending you’ve envisioned make any “why did you end it like that?” comments & DMs worth it.
I feel like this response is a little messy, my apologies.
