Redemption

During a conversation about my book with a man both older and wiser than I, I was told something that sounded correct. It sounded correct for the notion that optimism and happiness are a given. He said, "People want a redemptive and encouraging story." I agreed in a diplomatic way and replied, " Yeah, everybody wants a happy ending to make them feel good."

During this time, I was thinking about how much the opposite I am of wanting to write a story with the goal of making someone feel one type of feeling. I might kill the protagonist of the novel right at the end. How many emotions would that evoke? It cannot be any more or less emotional than a happy ending. What if every piece of art you looked at was painted in soft pastels? What if there is redemption after death? This is aside from the books I have read that have sad endings.

Though it is unrealistic to think that all readers like one type of story, there is something to be said for happy endings. I don't have any statistics, but I think more of us prefer a story that makes us feel good. When I read something that ends tragically, or has no redemption of the characters, I might be sad for a few minutes. These are the stories that make us think beyond the last page. A book with a happy ending is almost like instant closure. You know that your favorite characters are safe, so you quit thinking about the story and let the good feelings carry you away into your next activity.

I had a creative writing teacher who told me that my writing was dark, and a little too cryptic. He was right about the cryptic part; it was like telling an inside joke that no one would understand. That isn't a good quality unles you keep a diary in which you write in cryptic code in case of a snooper. He was wrong about being "dark". We simply had a different sense of humor, and a wildly different outlook on life.

I would like to know the consensus on redemption from other writers. Is it intrinsic to a good read?

Which of these two drinks would make you feel better; the fresh carrot juice, or the Coke?

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