a good, but tiring, day

[wayfaringwordhack]

J and I woke up early this morning to drive into Paris to see "Narnia." Great movie. We then had Pakistani food for lunch and a nice chat with each other and the restaurant owner. After choosing a late Christmas gift for J, we came home and had supper before I sat down to reach my word target for the day. I'm only a third of the way there and it is already 21:30. Going to have to do some serious typing before bedtime.

Apropos the conversation with J, I was telling him that after hearing a very peppy song on the drive and then seeing Narnia, which had me smiling, I have a very strong urge to write something happy, something that will give people that same urgle to smile. Unfortunately, most of the story ideas clamoring in my head to be written right now aren't really smiley-happy stories. And I think that some twisted part of myself tries to tell me that happy stories are just fluff and not serious. But I *like* to be happy. Other people do, too. Well, most of them. So why do I feel that if there isn't something tragic and dark going on that a story might not be worth writing? I'm specifically talking about short stories here since I think there is time for both in novels. And yet (boy, I'm using a lot of conjunctions to start sentences), even as I type this, I can't imagine writing a novel that is all sweetness and light, one that leaves you smiling in satisfaction at the end because of the rightness, yes, just all good, good, good, peppy, pep, no.

Am I alone in this?

Is it because we need to know sorrow to taste true joy?

Comments

[rosefox]

I've never encountered a novel that's all sweetness and light from beginning to end. The light is much more precious after the dark has been battled and defeated. Even children's stories aren't happy all the way through, because even children will get bored with nonstop fluff (or, worse, be skeptical of it).

[rosefox]

I should note that when I want to write something that will bring a smile, I write a poem or a quick vignette.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking. Works of such length would lend themselves well to something just intended to make the reader smile.

[everyonesakitty.livejournal.com]

OMG "We drove into Paris to see..." OMG *explodes with jealousy* hehe Dude, how was the great city? Is it pretty this time of year? Cold?

I totally agree with you about wanting tragedy in stories and thinking it's weird. If a story doesn't get cruel, I feel I haven't been changed, I guess. It doesn't say much for humanity, but it *does* make it easier to write a story. :)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think it is colder here in Sancerre. I didn't even have to wear my nice "bonnet" (can someone tell me what we say in English for that? Just plain "hat" or "wool cap" or what?)

And yes, I think that the suffering in addition to happiness usually (should?) involve a change.

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

I certainly would have made a habit of reading short stories if there had been more happy ones. I almost compulsively avoid books that don't have happy or upbeat endings.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Noooo...we want suffering and meanness!

I like feel good, happy stories, though, but even they have suffering and doubts: "Notting Hill", "Amelie", "Les Choristes" etc.

The contrast will make the happy stuff much happier and more digestible (less sugar shock). :)

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

I think every story does need a touch of darkness, or else it's not more than an amusing, happy anecdote. Tension, tribulation and danger is what makes it a -story-. That said, it's the ending that leaves the reader happy or sad. Personally, I'm a happy ending kind of guy, no matter how dark things get. If only one of 13 characters survive, as long as I know they'll be okay, I consider it a good thing.

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

Personally I'm the type of person who wants a bittersweet ending. I know when an ending works for me when I have a faintly sad feeling. If it's too upbeat, the book tends to be the type I forget a week later. If it's too dark, the book tends to be the type I WANT to forget I ever read.

But if it's bittersweet satisfaction, it's the type of book I want to remember FOREVER.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I think that is why I used the word "satisfaction" before. The ending has to that bittersweet tinge for me, too. Not necessarily outright happy happiness, but the feel of a hard won ending.

[navicat.livejournal.com]

I know when an ending works for me when I have a faintly sad feeling.

Ditto. Endings like this stay with you more than just happy ones :)

I like feel good, happy stories, though, but even they have suffering and doubts

Exactly. We don't feel changed if the character doesn't, which tends to involve some kind of suffering and/or doubt.

Aren't you glad your on lj where we can have such interesting discussions? :p

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

*bats eyes and refuses to rise to the bait*

[pjthompson]

Although I try to avoid out-and-out darkness and despair books--I'm all with giving the characters a hard time before giving them the happy or bittersweet ending. As others have said, it makes the happy happier if they have to work for it.

Having said that, an editor I respect once wrote in a review to me of a story I insisted on making happy: "This is terribly cozy fiction. Nobody in this story is threatened, or hurt, or even seems to feel things deeply. It's okay -- it's even pleasant -- to read a story, every once in a while, where nobody suffers, but you also have to make us care about these characters. Think of Nina Kiriki Hoffman's work."

Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer chance.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yes, I suspect that the general consensus is that we tend to *need* suffering in fiction. And if it happens in life we say we are unlucky, afflicted, or put-upon. If we have day in and day out of pleasantness, we say we are bored. What fickle creatures we are.

completely off the discussion

[(Anonymous)]

*tangent alert*

We then had Pakistani food for lunch

Mmm, comfort food. What did you have???

~Rabia

Re: completely off the discussion

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

pakora (with aubergine); chicken curry, and passed on the dessert to have chai. It also came with naans. I was stuffed. It was very good, but not as good as where we usually go: in the 10th arrondissement where there is a very large Indian/Ceylan population. This resto looked a bit posh and none of the customers were eating with their fingers, which is what we like to do, so after we were the only ones left, we asked the owner if they ate with their fingers, too, and he said, Yes, and we should have, too! Next time.

Re: completely off the discussion

[(Anonymous)]

oh, pakoray. *sigh* *misses* *craves*

For me, eating food from home is best done with my feet up on whatever chair I'm sitting on. Fingers or fork--that doesn't matter to me as much as getting really comfy. :D

~Rabia

Re: completely off the discussion

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Ohhh naans. *hungry*

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

Unless, of course, we keep the whole thing dark and evil right to the end.

Which I could never bear to do. I get way too attached to my own characters. If I had my way, I'd write an enormous epilogue on every bittersweet ending going "BUT IT'S ALL OKAY! DON'T WORRY! She'll be released, and he'll save the world, and then they'll get married and have twelve children and live in a beautiful cottage in the forest with fluffy kitties and pancakes for breakfast (not the kitties! The pancakes)!"

But I restrain myself.

I did write a novel once that had a very fluffy ending. Well, the whole thing was mostly fluffy. But the cynicism of the main character and her frustration and stuff de-fluffified it slightly. (I just made up a new word. I like it.) It wasn't all sweetness and maple syrup. Not that I'm defending it or anything.

Besides, you can't blame me. I was fourteen.

~D

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

"BUT IT'S ALL OKAY! DON'T WORRY! She'll be released, and he'll save the world, and then they'll get married and have twelve children and live in a beautiful cottage in the forest with fluffy kitties and pancakes for breakfast (not the kitties! The pancakes)!"

Oh good. I was hoping that's what happened. *grin*

(honestly, I think you left off at the right place. good for restraining!)

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

You have no idea how hard it is not to write a sequal from Sirius's point of view. The TEMPTATION. He could throw orange juice at himself all day.

Sequal?! Me?! From Sirius's point of view?! How dare you suggest such a thing! With ALIENS in it?! I'm SHOCKED! Simply shocked!

(This is how the "Aliens?!" thing came to be. I had a dream about a sequal to Starlight and it had aliens in it. o.O And then I started--I mean, I NEVER started writing a sequal! Sequal?! Of course not! And I denied passionately that I ever began--as if I would!--writing a nonexistant sequal from Sirius's point of view.)

In all seriousness, even if I did write one (*shuffles stealthily in front of My Documents folder to hide file called "Sequal" that hasn't been touched in months*), I'd never try to publish it. It would be like my own personal fanfiction.

Admit it though. When you get so attached to your characters... it's so hard to leave them.

~D

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

Oh it is.

I love all my characters with the crazy love. And miss them desperately when they're gone. I've started sequels for both SoV and Glicia. The SoV one I actually finished, but with the changes I've made to SoV, pretty much everything about the sequel is dead like a dead thing. :) And the Glicia one? Probably just for me. And my mom since she refuses to believe the ending of Glicia. :)

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have a few friends who nearly kicked me for the end of Starlight, and if I wrote a sequel it would be for them, too...

We have a habit of dominating people's comments pages, don't we?

~D

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

We do. :)

(I would totally want to read the sequel, just for kicks.)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Hey, what are you guys doing on my page? *giggles into hand*

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP AT THIS HOUR?

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

I'm getting ready to go to bed. :D

The hubs works three shifts, and I keep them with him. This week is overnight.

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

That's awesome. *is jealous* I don't know how many people would be jealous of that. But I am.

~D

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Hehe...I'm glad you didn't mean the kittie's were for brekky.

That is a good point about having a character's POV or attitude acting to undercut the sacchrine. It could be a very useful balancing tool if you wanted to make sure something didn't get too happy.

That reminds me of a C.S. Lewis character: Puddleglum. I loved his wetblanket attitude! Of course lots of things went wrong for the characters in the Silver Chair, but his comments, negative as they were, still served for a laugh. *Loves Puddleglum*

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

ARGH! kitties. Kitties, Miquela. *has an apostrophe use affliction since commencing The Traveler's Daughter*