Fairytales are totally predictable. They reward heroic characters with happy endings. Good triumphs over evil and love prevails. Boring! Blech! What about a story that omits gooiness and allows the darkness to shine through?
Sure, let’s read about the good fight, social harmony and a love that’s everlasting. But give me their opposites too. Let me be challenged and uncomfortable with the things I read. Show me the choices some characters have to make when managing the great struggle. Not everything in life is warm and fuzzy.
"Heroism is accessible. Happiness is more difficult."
-Albert Camus
The desire to make everyone else happy meant she had to put herself last. At fifty, she’s now alone, poor and taken for granted by everyone. Her future is bleak. Or let’s talk about the guy with wealth and good looks on his side but is being torn apart by poor mental health. He has a type of mind cancer and it’s causing disturbing thoughts to pop into his head. These two simple story foundations aren’t conventional therefore their endings don’t need to be conventionally happy either.
Let’s rise up and burn those nasty clichés!
It’s tempting for a writer to right the wrongs of these narratives by giving their characters a perfect happy ever after. Repairing the damage with soothing words is like nursing sick people back to health. But in truth, some people will die. They’ll die afraid and they’ll die broken. All the doctoring in the world won’t change it.
I write adult stories to make readers think deeply. Yes, the happy endings are there but they’re not written to fit the cliché templates of which we’re most familiar. They are cold and prickly ones. The life lessons are found inside tragedies. (Think theatre)
There are no fairytales here and I’ll shoot heroes if it’s necessary. That is the true magic of adult storytelling. My Doomed Hero‘s story begins by downloading the book below. It’s free (for now). Get ready for a journey you won’t expect. Happy never after is just a click away.
Five women’s bodies are discovered after the nights of thunderstorms. Their spouses are suspected of the crimes, but it becomes clear that someone else is responsible. There’s no blood and few clues. A storm photographer specialising in taking lightning pictures may be the only witness.
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Hmm I disagree that adult storytelling has to be tragic to be magical. Regardless, this is an interesting take and thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Hi Arie,
Thanks for calling by.
Yes, it doesn’t have to be tragic.
-Michael