Do Readers Prefer Happy or Sad Ending

[Jason Rimbaud]

Outside of reading a romance story, which generally will have a happy ending and should.

Do readers enjoy happy endings in other genre's over a more realistic ending where the narrative ends at its most logical point even if that point isn't a happy one?

I have finished a story, I wrote two endings, one happy and the other more logical in it's conclusion. I am leaning towards the logical ending as it was the original concept when I first began almost two years ago but one of my beta readers is pushing for the happy one. 

Any of you readers have any thoughts on this subject? 

Thank you!

 

[Thirdly]

The only thing I dislike more than a sad ending is a happy ending paved by the MC's worst possible romantic lead choice (The Abandoned Empress manhua, I'm looking right at you...out of two perfectly viable, strong options, you go with the third one no one wanted). So while I prefer happy endings to sad, I'd say use your own judgment or try to blend the two into one if you're that concerned. 

Edited September 3 by Thirdly

[Jason Rimbaud]

17 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

The only thing I dislike more than a sad ending is a happy ending paved by the MC's worst possible romantic lead choice (The Abandoned Empress manhua, I'm looking right at you...out of two perfectly viable, strong options, you go with the third one no one wanted). So while I prefer happy endings to sad, I'd say use your own judgment or try to blend the two into one if you're that concerned. 

Are you sure about that? It might have something to do with Tyler and Brandon's story, or one of their friends  

 

[Thirdly]

2 minutes ago, Jason Rimbaud said:

Are you sure about that? It might have something to do with Tyler and Brandon's story, or one of their friends  

 

Aaaaaaaah. It's okay, I can take it. I'd much rather read the version you feel satisfied with than anything you have to "force" to conform.

[Mancunian]

19 hours ago, Jason Rimbaud said:

Outside of reading a romance story, which generally will have a happy ending and should.

Do readers enjoy happy endings in other genre's over a more realistic ending where the narrative ends at its most logical point even if that point isn't a happy one?

I have finished a story, I wrote two endings, one happy and the other more logical in it's conclusion. I am leaning towards the logical ending as it was the original concept when I first began almost two years ago but one of my beta readers is pushing for the happy one. 

Any of you readers have any thoughts on this subject? 

Thank you!

 

I think most of us would say we prefer HEAs to sad endings. On saying that, some stories are better to have a sad ending if that is the natural flow of the story. It really has to be left to the judgment of the author, if a sad ending is the beginning of a follow-up story I'd go with a sad ending. One short story I wrote ended with the funeral of the main character and was received well by those who read it. I say go with your gut, what do you feel is the natural ending of the story?

Edited September 3 by Mancunian

[Mattyboy]

So, I have more questions about why is it a sad ending? You've set this up as realistic  that "the narrative ends at its most logical point." 

But you're the storyteller;  you've crafted the whole thing,  you've imagined the characters and their situation and the events that occur.  (I know there's a few stories around here that started as a character study - or a prompt that sprouted unexpectedly -  without a narrative endpoint in mind, but mostly authors have a plan). 

So are you telling a story about people managing to figure it out and find a happy ending (or good-relations-with in some way) ?   Or about a world that's too difficult to survive in,  or people who have tragic flaws and don't do the right things and suffer for it?   

Both of those are excellent story-telling modes,  and the choice between them rests with the author.  So I think it's maybe an evasion to say we need to be realistic and have sadness. If the logical end is tragic, it is so because you wrote a tragedy.   

I certainly like stories about people figuring out  (with varying degrees of difficulty) how to flourish and be in good-relations-with the world and the people around them.  Some people like stories with lots of conflict, even as far as genres like splatterpunk.  So  I voted for happy endings above,  but I certainly don't want the story you're writing to be trimmed to fit that preference. 

Hash out with your beta reader what the point of the whole thing is,  and be true to yourself and your ideas . . .  which maybe might have evolved beyond what you  originally imagined. 

[Jason Rimbaud]

1 hour ago, Mattyboy said:

So, I have more questions about why is it a sad ending? You've set this up as realistic  that "the narrative ends at its most logical point." 

But you're the storyteller;  you've crafted the whole thing,  you've imagined the characters and their situation and the events that occur.  (I know there's a few stories around here that started as a character study - or a prompt that sprouted unexpectedly -  without a narrative endpoint in mind, but mostly authors have a plan). 

So are you telling a story about people managing to figure it out and find a happy ending (or good-relations-with in some way) ?   Or about a world that's too difficult to survive in,  or people who have tragic flaws and don't do the right things and suffer for it?   

Both of those are excellent story-telling modes,  and the choice between them rests with the author.  So I think it's maybe an evasion to say we need to be realistic and have sadness. If the logical end is tragic, it is so because you wrote a tragedy.   

I certainly like stories about people figuring out  (with varying degrees of difficulty) how to flourish and be in good-relations-with the world and the people around them.  Some people like stories with lots of conflict, even as far as genres like splatterpunk.  So  I voted for happy endings above,  but I certainly don't want the story you're writing to be trimmed to fit that preference. 

Hash out with your beta reader what the point of the whole thing is,  and be true to yourself and your ideas . . .  which maybe might have evolved beyond what you  originally imagined. 

This whole response makes so much sense laid out in that way. So thank you muchly. I think I have what I needed to find out.  

Thank you for offering your insight 

 

 

[MichaelS36]

On 9/2/2024 at 9:49 PM, Jason Rimbaud said:

Outside of reading a romance story, which generally will have a happy ending and should.

Do readers enjoy happy endings in other genre's over a more realistic ending where the narrative ends at its most logical point even if that point isn't a happy one?

I have finished a story, I wrote two endings, one happy and the other more logical in it's conclusion. I am leaning towards the logical ending as it was the original concept when I first began almost two years ago but one of my beta readers is pushing for the happy one. 

Any of you readers have any thoughts on this subject? 

Thank you!

 

I find this question rather inane.  I mean seriously, do most authors here or published poll their readers to see what kind of ending they want?  Most people want to read the story and however it ends. 

It sounds like you need a new beta reader. 

[Talo Segura]

On 9/3/2024 at 3:49 AM, Jason Rimbaud said:

Do readers enjoy happy endings in other genre's (not Romance) over a more realistic ending where the narrative ends at its most logical point even if that point isn't a happy one?

I'll answer this before reading any other comments on the question. 100% a realistic ending and never a false, contrived and unrealistic happy ever after. The idea that a story must end with good triumphing over evil and the hero riding off into the sunset with his lover is a product amongst other places of Hollywood. It's an American influence which is suitable for kids, see Disney, but is not adult. That doesn't mean you can't have a happy ending, but it should be realistic.

[ReaderPaul]

I am somewhere in-between on this.  If the happy ending is reasonable, I usually prefer the happy ending.  On the other hand sometimes life does not have a set of happy endings.  Often there is a mixture of happy, sad, and so-so endings to the subplots of life.  Sometimes the is an ending which seems sad, but has the possibility of hope for a revised version of happy at some time in the future, if the plot were eventually to be continued.

However, as another said, you are the author.  If your beta reader does not have a good way of coming up with a happy ending that you like, do it the way you originally plotted the story.  

[lawfulneutralmage]

11 hours ago, MichaelS36 said:

I find this question rather inane.  I mean seriously, do most authors here or published poll their readers to see what kind of ending they want?  Most people want to read the story and however it ends. 

It sounds like you need a new beta reader. 

Yes, I wondered about that.

@Jason RimbaudIs the story your are telling not leading to its natural conclusion? Can you elaborate on the dilemma you are facing?

[Jason Rimbaud]

5 hours ago, lawfulneutralmage said:

Yes, I wondered about that.

@Jason RimbaudIs the story your are telling not leading to its natural conclusion? Can you elaborate on the dilemma you are facing?

As usual the poll and the question I wrote wasn't worded right so everyone missed the point I was hoping to make. I don't need help finding my ending, nor am I asking people who never read the story in question to give me an ending. 

This entire poll was more of a thought experiment between me and one other person. We had/have a good natured debate about the merits of happy endings vs a natural ending and what type of endings readers on GA prefer. And as I love to argue/debate (make an ass out of myself), I really wanted to see which one of us was right, hence my question. My beta reader, who is not a member of GA, is definitely a happy ending type of guy, and when I gave him two endings, he naturally fought for the happy ending. 

I approached this story from the perspective, readers just want a good story. No matter the ending, if it's written well, they will be along for the ride. And for full disclosure, the reason I had two endings in the first place, I was trying to get around having to use a certain warning at the beginning of a certain chapter to avoid spoiling what I think is a strong ending. To me, having the trigger warning would lessen the impact of the final scene. 

But it was all very esoteric and not at all literal. And I think with @Mattyboy comment I have gotten what I needed to win the argument in my head at least. 

PS: I found it ironic that you asked what my dilemma was, when the story is posted, if it ever will be, you understand why I say that.  

Edited September 5 by Jason Rimbaud
Clarification

[Mattyboy]

I think the literary theorist  Roland Barthes once said something on the lines of  "there's no reason to assume that the author knows what his story is about"   

So listen to your beta reader !