Last Updated on January 16, 2017 by Palessa
- I’m
damned if I do or don’t, so I’ve decided to just do what I want and let the chips fall. I remembered reading a couple of reader critiques of my Baxter Family Saga stories that said I didn’t answer all the questions…Um, of course not!
First off, it’s a series. not really supposed to answer it all in one ‘go.’ Defeats the purpose, no?
Secondly, life isn’t like that anyway so…!? We don’t get to know the answers to “What’s the meaning of life?”, or “Chicken or Egg?” or “Who is Carly Simon talking about in You’re So Vain” or, more importantly, “What do women want?” Now, my stories are not that legendary but my take on life is: sometimes you just have to live with the questions.
My characters’ lives are like strands of thread. I’ll braid a few together to make a story but it won’t be neat and tidy or happy sometimes. Sure, there are times when I do have a happy ending, and even then I got pinched because it seemed too neat but that was the story. That was how it was supposed to end and I stand by that.
So, when I read an article that questions the satisfying endings of some works and wonders if the point of some is to leave readers not quite comfortable, I am happy. Characters have so much more going on that we can’t tell you all of it. But if you don’t believe me, check out Jane Friedman’s take
Are you into reading/writing strictly HEA (Happily…) stories?