November 2, 2007
Happily Ever After?
Let’s talk about HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
No, no, not that land-mine of a discussion about whether a romance MUST end in one.
Let’s talk about the DEFINITION of HEA.
Sometimes I’m a glutton for punishment. I like tinkering with the idea of this in my stories, stretching the boundaries here and there.
So I’d appreciate any feedback on what any of you would consider a HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I’ve listed a few ideas below, or feel free to post your own definition.
The hero and heroine end up together. Period.
The hero and heroine get everything they want, and live in joy for all their days.
The hero and heroine get ALMOST everything they want, and the few things they lack serve to bring them even closer together.
Every day of their future life is bound to be a struggle—but they have each other.
The frog does NOT turn into a handsome prince after he’s kissed—but the heroine has come to love him anyway (and he proves to be awfully good with that long tongue). 
He’s condemned to Hell by some higher power, and she goes with him because…well, because.
They both die, but their essences live on in some romantic dream land. (Sex optional, sharing of souls mandatory). 
yeah, the last two, not too keen on . . .
Let’s say it’s easier to say what I don’t want. I read a book once (a romance ) that ended w/ the hero basically telling ther heroine, “I don’t know if we’ll be together for long, but let’s have fun for now.” Don’t like that one. If it’s implied but not out right said, doesn’t bother me so much, because I can fantasize they will live together forever in the land of babies and picket fenses, but when he’s saying . . . “just for now” nope . .
Probably a combination of sentences three and four is what I prefer to read.
I know that in some books this is only implied - to satisfy the HEA purists, -but I think of HEA’s as a leap of faith, a hope and not a given.
I’ll take 1, 2, and 5, please. 3 is a maybe.
4 is just … too much like real people’s sad stories. No thanks. I don’t want to imagine that their HEA involves working three jobs each just to pay the mortgage and the grocery bill and take care of their disabled child. Now I’m sad.
6 is not so bad if it’s erotica and Hell is a euphemism for eternal kink fest.
No 7. Ever. I already saw that movie and the ending bit.
1 and 2 please, at least in my romances. Maybe 3.
Thanks, ladies, for your valuable input!
(Raine, whose latest ‘romance’ may be a problem…)
Well, I guess it depends on how the story works, but I’d at least like to see the H/h end up together and…alive, lol.