I distinctly remember one summer afternoon when I was about 15, wandering around a video rental store (remember those?) with my mother. We couldn’t agree on a movie. She wanted a musical, or a romantic comedy. I wanted an edgy coming of age story, and I may have said something along the lines of “But Mooommm….there’s no drama in a musical. You know how it’s going to end – the hero gets the girl and they live happily ever after!”
That was a lifetime ago. Now I’m the Mom. And every time I pick up a novel – usually a sweet romance or a fantasy where the hero gets the girl in the end – I remember that afternoon. I think the difference is that now I have plenty of real-life drama. I don’t need it in my entertainment. When I find an hour to read, I want to know that while the hero and heroine may go through a lot, eventually they’ll come together for happily ever after.
Those are the stories I write too. I know the ending long before I’ve worked out how the two characters will get there.
What about you? Do you skip the drama and go straight to the happy endings too?
