With story endings, the reader has to have a sense of satisfaction. But does this mean that the ending has to be a happy one? I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that that’s not the case. Almost every horror movie has an unhappy ending where the hero doesn’t win. Sure, there are some movies where the protagonist does live at the end, but it’s normally at the loss of all his friends or his mental well being. That’s not really winning, and it’s not really a happy ending.

I’m currently writing a story that doesn’t have a happy ending. There’s just something about an unhappy ending that intrigues me. Maybe it’s from watching too many horror movies.

Both endings are true in real life, maybe a mix of them of really. In real life, every thing is not tied up in a neat bow. We don’t get the benefit of knowing how everyone’s story ends. You might say that’s why we read books or watch movies, because we want that unrealistic sense of closure. But sometimes, perhaps oftentimes, I find that I don’t want complete closure. Sometimes, I want an unhappy “Stephen King” ending that leaves me wondering “where does the main character go from here?”