And sometimes the feedback comes in the form of constructive criticism, and that's good too. It's especially handy when it comes from others in the writing field. It's how we improve, how we grow.
But every now and then I get one of these:
"Good story, but I saw that ending coming."
I enjoy a good twist as much as the next guy, but really? For me, the story is about the journey, all the things that happen to bring you to the end. And sometimes that tale brings you to a logical conclusion. It might be predictable, but it's what's supposed to happen. The joy in reading is in the story itself.
Sometimes there is a twist at the end, and that's always fun. Personally, I enjoy these stories more when there are little winks and nods along the way. Foreshadowing is a lovely tool, and a clever reader will be able to guess the ending through the clues the writer drops. It's like being let in on a private joke.
A twist at the end of a story just for the purposes of yanking the rug out from under the reader rarely works. These endings often feel contrived, and the reader feels cheated. The deus ex machina is a rarely appreciated device.
A good ending should be organic, tie up loose ends, and resolve the central conflict. It needs to be true to the story in order to be satisfying, and that there should be the author's goal.
So maybe you didn't get the surprise ending you expected, or maybe you picked up on the clues and guessed the outcome. If you didn't enjoy the story, or felt that the ending was a let down, by all means make it known. But a story without a twist is still a story. Enjoy the ride.
I've read many novels/novellas/short stories/ where the ending (twist or otherwise) was apparent to me early on. Does it mean the writer did a poor job concealing the big payoff conclusion? Do I just have a talent for weeding out all the clues the writer has fed me throughout the tale? The answer (in the form of another question): what difference does it make? The only question worth asking is did I enjoy it?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Laurita. Some readers spend too much time trying to figure out the ending only to complain about how obvious it was. I think these are the same people that go to magic shows and spend the entire time telling everyone within earshot how they KNOW how the trick is done ‘cause they can see the mirrors or the pocket the magician slipped the card into. Well duh, of course it’s fake. It’s sad, and a shame, because they miss the joy of the magic itself.
And just because the ending is obvious to you doesn’t mean it’s obvious to the characters living through it in the story. Great writing gets the reader to feel what the characters are going through, and should allow us to see why the characters themselves may not see this twist ending coming.
Exactly. Some of the best writers I know have said the same thing. So bravo you, Mizz Laurita.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy a good twist in a story but I also enjoy those stories and books where the reader is basically told the ending at the start and the point then in the reading is to find out HOW and WHY that happens, how the characters went from A-Z, or Z-A. :) I love that a good story can be told so many ways.
ReplyDeletesome stories just don't need a twist.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's it. It's the story. How it's put together, how it logically brings one to the end. Those self-important readers who need to tell you they saw it coming are doing it to inflate themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree--and some of the best stories tell you the ending in the first scene, which I think is brilliant. BUT... i'm going to stick out my neck. IF a story is largely plot-driven, IF it is in a genre in which character development remains secondary, then the ending better surprise. Otherwise the journey feels more like a commute. Peace...
ReplyDeleteI just love a good story. I work hard at telling mine well and appreciate others doing the same.
ReplyDeleteI am with Joanne--want to be entertained, find pleasure and sometimes humor.
ReplyDeleteYour header photos are wonderful. Where are you driving in the one above??