Melancholy Depths

[Storygirl394]

Anybody else here delight in sad stories, just for their depth? It seems like "happy ending stories" don't do much beside skim the edge of human life...

 

[carmi]

Anybody else here delight in sad stories, just for their depth? It seems like "happy ending stories" don't do much beside skim the edge of human life...

A lot depends on how you'd write the story. The ending might be happy but you can bring in a lot of obstacles and hindrances. Or the main character starts off with negative characteristics and slowly develops (through whatever circumstances) into a person with more positive attitudes.

 

[Blessed-one]

yeah, i agree with carmi, however, having a sad ending would be interesting. (since lots of books tend to do a happy ending)

the downside is there won't be any sequel if you killed off the character.. (i'm thinking in terms of fantasy novels)

 

[carmi]

however, having a sad ending would be interesting. (since lots of books tend to do a happy ending)

the downside is there won't be any sequel if you killed off the character.. (i'm thinking in terms of fantasy novels)

What if you write the "death" scene in a way that leaves it open whether or not the character died. He/she could be comatose and be revived. Or if the character actually did die, give him/her an identical twin. Or maybe not an identical one, just a twin one ... in case there were things you didn't like about the character and never got to change (because the character would not let you). In the sequel you could take revenge on the obstinate character and create a twin character but the way you want him ... until he starts to have a mind on his own.

 

[zay]

Well sad endings can be used, but I love good endings since I want for people to overcome the odds or end up achieving what they intended, etc. But, I think sad endings can still work, and not necessarily with a character dying. Such as their spirit dying, or maybe not achieving their goal afterall. Or maybe them staring at something important to them as they're dying which means maybe its not over. I'm thinking about doing a poem similar to that, 2 old friends have their friendship severed and one holds a grudge. So while the other has said they're sorry and they've moved on, the other continously goes on an invisible man hunt, while not searching for their friend physically, they are inside. And since they don't forgive the other, they spiritually die. But the ending....Hehe that may make an awesome story. Idea!!!

But yeah, I understand what you mean about happy endings not always being the best, but sad endings aren't always the best way to go either. Like carmi said before, I think it depends on how you write it. Even if the main character makes it somehow, the outcome could have a tragic consequence, so it's not a totally "happy" ending. And as far as killing off the main character being a downfall, what if one of the minor characters was inspired by their death, but the story ends with their fate not shown yet, just them becoming empowered by their loss. That way there's tragedy, and there's still hope for a positive ending, but it's not guaranteed.

 

[Storygirl394]

And as far as killing off the main character being a downfall, what if one of the minor characters was inspired by their death, but the story ends with their fate not shown yet, just them becoming empowered by their loss. That way there's tragedy, and there's still hope for a positive ending, but it's not guaranteed.

I like your ideas! That could work...
And as for melancholy-ness giving the story more depth, it can, but so can other ways. If you just know how to write meaningful stuff, you don't necessarily need to kill anybody!

 

[TheDandyMan]

Yeah. The one novel I wrote, it ends with a bomb dropping on suburbia. Gosh. That seems a bit ridiculous, now, doesn't it?

 

[pastel]

It is strange for me ...the fact that I enjoy sad stories when I'm feeling "up" and flowery sweet stories when I'm feeling "down" ...but when I'm feeling really ill, and bedridden with the flu or something, I always turn to "Gone With the Wind" and cry my eyes out. I've never understood why I do that.

 

[Vulgivagus hagiographus]

So people actually like sad stories? I have had a certain story that rolls around in my head that has two endings: A hopeless one and a sort of happier one. All I know is that when I got to the end of Last of the Mohicans I thought, "That's IT!?!? I forged through over 400 pages for a stinkin' ending like that!?!?" (Okay, so I hated the book before that and it was for an assignment anyway...)

I like happy endings. I don't mind if there's a bunch of struggles on the journey, but I find it so dissapointing when you've gone on that whole journey with the character and at the end they end up never finding happiness or reaching their goal or whatever. It makes me mad. Grr! I also think it kind of gives a message that there is no hope. As Christians we know that there is hope, and I think as writers we have a unique an very powerful way to show that.

With that said, things that are typically considered sad I don't believe have to be sad. For example, a person can fail in their ultimate goal, but they might have learned from the experience and become a better person. You can also have happy death scenes. (I wrote one. If you go to what is set as my homepage on this site and click on the story with the Latin title you can read it. Then again, it's from Uncle Tom's Cabin and it kind of gives away some stuff. You should read and review it since nobody else has. ) As Christians death isn't such a horrible thing to face. We know that we're just going to end up in heaven with Christ.

Remember, happy doesn't necessarily mean shallow and unoriginal.

 

[Storygirl394]

Remember, happy doesn't necessarily mean shallow and unoriginal.

You are quite right, but it just seems like sad stories (that are well written) tend to bring out in the characters what they really are and often adds meaning to it, since they don't just pile up a bunch of fluff at the end to smooth things over...

Hmm, not sure if you understand what I mean... Not sure if I understand what I mean!!! Hee hee...

I read and write both sad and sweet stories, and try to keep a balance.

 

[jobstears]

many poets for example can only write sadness and doom; (Sylvia Plath was a good example; of course she ended up comitting suicide) who knows if there is a correlation...it seems that's what gets their muse going non-stop...At any rate, I think writing both happy and sad is good...it just depends what we feel most comfortable doing...that's the luxury of holding the pen, we can do what we choose...

jobstears

 

[Storygirl394]

Yep, I sure don't wanna wind up dead over it!

 

[Blessed-one]

*shiver* really...