Precocious Readers and The End Of Stories · 10:29pm Jan 15th, 2012
I was working on Code Majeste and suffered a minor crisis when, reading the comments - such a tasty treat, I adore the feedback between author and audience - I realized that some of my readers had already essentially guessed the ending to my story.
Oh woe! What was I to do? My head was in a spin, my heart confused, was I that obvious? Was I such a poor author that my schemes were instantly apparent? Would everything be ruined because of this?
At the time, one of my three spouses, Eldenath was with me. She is very supportive of my writing, and comforts me when I feel down about it.
"Jenny, Jenny, it's not a big deal. It's not a bad thing at all!" I adore her and her support, but... sometimes, I know her love for me can overshadow any hope of objectivity.
"But they've guessed my ending already, I'm ruined it's all ruined! Of all possible story catastrophes this is the Worst. One Ever!"
"Shhh, shhh... now stop your fussing. Wipe those tears of the divan. There, there. Seriously -" She looked at me with deep concern "This isn't a problem at all."
"How can that be? Maybe I should change my ending, find some other way to finish the story, just anything, anything at all OH GOD!!!..." Naturally I was my usual, stoic, composed self.
"Jenny, listen... you already had your ending in your head, and you felt it was the right one, correct? It was true to your story, right?"
"Well, yes, (sob! cry!) I suppose so. It seemed so brilliant back when I began and..." I was, of course, remaining unflappably calm over this matter.
"Then just write it the way you intended when the time comes. The thing that matters isn't whether we know how something will end, what matters is whether the journey there is interesting. And anyone who guessed the ending won't disparage you; they'll just feel really smart when it turns out they were right, and that will make them feel good! Everybody wins that way; you get to tell the best story you can, and those who guessed right get to feel clever, and if you do a good job, then everybody will be happy. Trust me!"
I suppose that makes sense. "Alright, Elde, I'll just follow my original vision and do the best I can. (sniff) maybe you're right."
"No get back to work, dammit! I want you to read me the next chapter tonight!" Elde won't let me slack off. I guess that's a good thing.
So I guess the crisis of precocious readers has been averted. Just do the best I can, and... that's all that matters. It's the journey, not the ending that matters, the internal truth of the story that should guide the writing, not the opinions of others, I should write for myself first, because I can't please everyone, you can't rollerskate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to.
Or something like that.
Sigh.
Ah, well. Such is life.
Ohhhh dear, yes, I know that's annoying. Even moreso if you've convinced yourself you've been all smart and then some blighter comes along and outs your work.
Please forgive us for enjoying your work so much, for understanding your vision that well - and please don't stop writing this excellent story. I'm sure you've got more than enough tricks up your hooves to keep us very well entertained, enough characters and laughs and tears.
Man now I can't participate in comment discussions. I detest spoilers.
Chatoyance, silly, silly Chatoyance...
Has no one ever told you it is not the destination, but the journey? Of this I believe firmly.
Cheer up for fucks sake.
Ohnononononono...
I'm sorry, but you can't quit now, just when things were getting interesting. Besides, regardless of our knowledge of the ending, we certainly don't know how we got there. Inquiring minds want to know!
*hugs* Please don't stop writing!
are you whining?
4.bp.blogspot.com/_gD5eXQlyzMw/TBuGhto0EII/AAAAAAAAEhA/ro4r0XflcVs/s400/whambulance.jpg
i think this will help
5077
That's not whining, it's complaining.
Your stories are candy to my brain.
nomnomnom
Dont fret when sometimes we already know there's chewinggom hidden in the lollipop.
Just keep making candy!
The only protip I can offer:
Don't take them to heart. People always try to guess the ending to stories, it's a sort of game readers play to imagine themselves in the story. If you let it get to you, however, it means that they win.
Just do as the overused saying goes:
Keep calm, and carry on.
or, better yet,
Keep on trucking!
agreed Chat, even if I know the ending (which I don't, and don't intend to go back through the comments to see), I enjoy the journey getting there more than the ending
My dear Chatoyance - Eldenanth is absolutely correct.
Every day begins with the dawn and ends with a sunset; but it's what we do in the pages between that makes a story...
And, FimFiction offers a bit of a different venue - one where we are an audience participating, in some small way, in the performance. We can laugh along with the actors between scenes, discuss the screenplay with each other, wander around backstage a bit, and talk with the director as the world we are being entertained with is revealed to us.
This does not in any way detract from the performance. In fact, it is my opinion it enhances it as we are there as events unfold; our discussions lending a depth to the unfolding work that simply will not be there for future readers. For them is will certainly be an adventure, but for us - here, now, as it is being created, it is something far more intimate.
So please don't be upset that here, on opening night, some of the audience has deduced the ending of the play... You should revel in it, for we were here to see the sets be painted and the actors rehearsing - but we are here to see the show!
Krass is right! Who cares if we manage to figure out the ending. That's like going to the movies after you friend tells you *He's ganna dai so bad* You still watch the movie because you want to see how it happened. What matter's is the journey, not the destination. Cheer up!
To be honest, the broad strokes of the most probable ending(s) are not only the most obvious, but also the most logical. The future in The Taste of Grass would not be consistent with many, many possible endings for Code Majeste. Your readers know that you want to create a consistent world between all your stories. While it's not a bad thing at all, the fact remains that the ending itself is... a little painfully obvious. The "remedy," if it's a problem to have consistent world building between many multiple stories, is to make a different world for each story, even if it's only slightly different.
Again, though, this really has no impact on the story. It's not any good or worse, it just is. The consistency between different stories is definitely a strength in your world-building and I have full confidence in your ability to execute a emotionally-intense story. (Someone kill me now for typing the words 'full confidence.')
Of course, nothing but yourself prevents you from doing some crazy writer experimentation. You can totally scribble out a few skeletons of alternate paths that lead to different endings than the "correct" one. Or something else that I can't think of.
Bleaurgh. I keep trying to think of what would challenge you (more than the usual WRITING AN ENTIRE NOVEL) and the only thing I can think of is for you to jump headfirst into doing what you don't do, (to be vaguely unspecific) which is probably not something you're going to actually want to do or whatever. I'm such a Derp!
Totally take everything I ever say with a grain of salt, I'm too crazy to be actually helpful.
Well I look at like Total Drama World Tour. Before it had even started the fans had already analyzed every trailer shown, every flier, etc. and noticed several common factors and from it were able to pierce together an elimination timeline which was bound to not be true since those who wrote the show wouldn't be that stupid.
Wrong. The whole season was written like a very BAD fanfic.
I was especially mad when Ezekiel who knew 8 languages was mysteriously turned into a zombie and then Gollum before being thrown in a volcano. 
The point is when it comes to popular shows and stories you HAVE to be sneaky to outwit all the Stalkerra's of the world.
In your case the ending more or less was already given away before your first chapter by your image picture...rule of thumb if it looks too much like an existing character people ARE going to figure it out.
And in that case you have a few choices.
You can go don't care I'm sticking with it tough.
You can alter a few things to make the ending more of a surprise...
Or my favorite...mess like hell with people's minds.
Channel your inner Pinkie! Let the readers think it's this idea when it's really....
.
I'm just hoping Lillian will stay an alicorn...it's VERY different...NO conversion story has ever dared to do it or go that far and here's hoping.
Still enjoying though.
I want to know for myself but I will stand against
SPOILERS