~Writing Tips~

#4: Tragically Ever After

Evening everybody, I'm allhailscp and I'll be assisting in the writing of this help guide.

The "Dreadfully even after" ending (as I like to call it) isn't something easily explained, because dying and killing isn't easily explained. Infact, sometimes you don't even kill anyone. Drive them mad, break someone's heart in the most terrible way you can think, end it in a way that will play on your readers conscious for the rest of their lives.

Roll out the story in a way that makes sense. You can't just go "oh look, yeah they're dead now. Night folks." It makes you look like an angsty 7 year old. DON'T BE an angsty seven year old, okay?

Starting the story off right is also a huge vitality, if you want to end it tragically, whatever you do, DO NOT sugar coat ANYTHING. I can not stress the importance of this enough. I'm not saying make it "gothic 24/7, boohoo life is miserable". A tragic story ending is about reality! That even in books not everything ends friggin perfect.

Like I said, a tragic ending doesn't even end all that bad.

Maybe it's a funeral, the hero sacrificed himself for the good of all, and he can never come back but he will always be remembered.

Maybe the main protagonists will lay forever in an unmarked grave, remembered only by their best friend or lover..

In the end, writing a story like this is about putting a little dose of reality in your readers heads. Changing that ever happy cliché with a little bit of something new.

Want to go all out? Kill the main character at the end of the story. But don't just kill them, let them know they failed in whatever they were supposed to do. Sure their lover got away alright, but the threat is still imminent, who will protect them now?

Let the once though backup character suddenly take up the main roll as the original dies in their arms at the hands of their "best friend".

Better yet, kill the main after everything is done. Sort of that, "Can't have you taking all the glory." Kind of way.

Be creative with your ending, be creative with your everything! Always make sure a dead character had a reason to die.

Being a writer is all about playing your readers for the enjoyment of all, even if it makes them cry.