Late Night Thoughts With Mefwa!

#18

number 18 and you finally get a rant, omg.

Welcome to the first episode of "Asphodel's Rants", this episode, I will be discussing why I have such a love for unhappy endings!

So, we all know the iconic ending, the good guy prevails. The bad guy looses, the guy gets the girl, the world is saved. Everything ends well. That's how 90% of books are, and the thing is, that isn't realistic. 

Sure, its nice to read something and get your hopes up, but if those hopes are shattered, then what? Do you just hate the book, the book can't lie, it just tells a story. You have not one to hate but yourself.

This is when psychology comes in. Your brain cannot tell the difference between a character you watch, read, whatever. It registers it as a real human, which is why you can sympathize, have empathy, or relate to said characters from the media. Your brain thinks their real, and then you get attached.

When they get a happy ending, you feel like you get a happy ending. And while this is good at the moment, the squeals, the tears, all the good stuff. But when that happy high drops, and your left low, you can't blame the character cause you know their happy, you don't want to ruin that. You blame yourself. It can get depriving, nd worsen your mental state at times.

On the contrary, if there's a bittersweet, unhappy, soul-crushing ending. Your brain instantly feels bad for the person, especially when you relate to them. You wish they had gotten better, you know they deserved better. You needed them to have a better life. So you start thinking about them more. Thinking of the happy things that could have happened. 

Your mind will especially attach to new media, something you haven't seen before. It sticks oi your mind.

Then the other half of the equation, the instant feeling.

When something hurts you so much emotionally, your brain goes "pain??!?! where pain!?! pain here?!?!" then makes you physically hurt. So when you hear something horrible and your chest hurts a bit, known as "heart-break". That's your brain going "pain alert!!! pain alert!!!"

You are more likely to remember pain inducing moments in your life so you know better for next time. Mix that with the sadness and unfamiliarity of the situation. You're stuck with something that will stick in your brain for at LEAST months after you read it.

That feeling in your chest, that shock and horror of how you were lead into a false sense of security. That's what I love. I love not being pitied, getting the truth. The real way things end. I love having an ending I'll remember. That's why Photograph's true ending is the bad ending. While the good one is for the fluff lover but it still has a twinge of sadness.

 Basically. don't be shy to crush your readers. Destroy them, break them down so they remember you, they crawl back. Hit so close to home with the realization that they feel "heart-break." don't be shy. It's better for you anyways <3

That's why I love unhappy endings. Questions? :D