It's funny how readers get proprietary about stories they put effort into absorbing. But since they each have their own reasons for reading fanfiction in the first place (escapism, boredom, literary interest, dissatisfaction with the source material), it's impossible to please every reader.
The part that amazes me about reader reaction to Grey is that there was already so much heartfail in that story, so many red flags that what Bella and Edward had wasn't a healthy relationship, and people still expect a gift-wrapped, fairy tale ending. I still don't think you needed to post an alternate ending. I prefer the original.
I think that's why heartfail is considered scary in fandom. They read fanfics for escapism and when things don't work out perfectly, or work out horribly, it's a little too 'real' and defeats the purpose for reading the fic in the first place.
so many red flags
THANK YOU! When I wrote it, I tried to make it look like Edward was the healthy one, but it because increasingly obvious throughout the fic that he was actually the seriously damaged one. Neither one had any solid ground to stand on and he would have destroyed her eventually. There was no way that could end up a fairytale.
I don't think I needed to post the alternate ending either, but the truth was that it was the original ending, before I changed my mind because it didn't fit at all. I've been majorly flamed for posting it and "not sticking to my guns", but it was already written and some people really enjoyed that they had the option for an almost-sort-of-not-really-happy ending.
see, and the thing is, I still haven't read Grey (you can hit me--it's the original one on my TBR list, back before I even knew what a TBR list was) because I'm almost afraid I'll be the one to go, "Sorry, not heartfaily enough." (ETA: This is despite having complete faith in your ability to tear my heart out. Rational vs. irrational...)
But I could never be angry with you for anything you write. I may, however, shake a hairbrush at you because, well, that's just funny.
Lol, I don't mind that you haven't read Grey. I've read it a second time a while later and it's riddled with mistakes, inconsistencies, and cliches and I totally rushed the ending (my number one downfall in fics).
And really, I think it's been toted as far more heartfail than it actually is, especially now that there are more fics going there. I think the difference is that when I wrote it, people weren't interested in reading heartfail at all and authors were, for the most part, complying to those wishes. It was just something shocking that "oh, it doesn't work out?" and not really as terrible as it seems. There were only a small handful of fics that ended in heartbreak before that and it's become a bit more accepted by readers now
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And technically it's not 2 years until the 5th of December... and that's just the first chapter. It didn't end until about 8 months after that.
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The part that amazes me about reader reaction to Grey is that there was already so much heartfail in that story, so many red flags that what Bella and Edward had wasn't a healthy relationship, and people still expect a gift-wrapped, fairy tale ending. I still don't think you needed to post an alternate ending. I prefer the original.
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so many red flags
THANK YOU! When I wrote it, I tried to make it look like Edward was the healthy one, but it because increasingly obvious throughout the fic that he was actually the seriously damaged one. Neither one had any solid ground to stand on and he would have destroyed her eventually. There was no way that could end up a fairytale.
I don't think I needed to post the alternate ending either, but the truth was that it was the original ending, before I changed my mind because it didn't fit at all. I've been majorly flamed for posting it and "not sticking to my guns", but it was already written and some people really enjoyed that they had the option for an almost-sort-of-not-really-happy ending.
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But I could never be angry with you for anything you write. I may, however, shake a hairbrush at you because, well, that's just funny.
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And really, I think it's been toted as far more heartfail than it actually is, especially now that there are more fics going there. I think the difference is that when I wrote it, people weren't interested in reading heartfail at all and authors were, for the most part, complying to those wishes. It was just something shocking that "oh, it doesn't work out?" and not really as terrible as it seems. There were only a small handful of fics that ended in heartbreak before that and it's become a bit more accepted by readers now ( ... )
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