Unhappy Endings

[KeithD]

Interestingly, the story category where readers most often call for happy endings, in my experience, is incest. Who would have guessed so many incest readers are hopeless romantics? But it's true. I recently had a comment from someone who liked my brother-sister story but disliked the ending where the brother and sister ended apart (the story leaves it that there's a strong prospect they may get back together, but there's no hint when that may happen) rather than being together. This seems like a strange objection to me. There's almost no way that a sister and brother COULD remain together in a truly happy, romantic way. They would be condemned by society, even today. They would have to deal with their own, almost inevitable, feelings of guilt, as well as the practical problem that they're unlikely to have children and be able to raise a normal family together. The taboo is part of what makes the category interesting, and it can't be whisked away as though by a magic wand.

I think a happy ending to an incest story is mostly an attempt to make incest palatable.

 

[mildlyaroused]

Interestingly, the story category where readers most often call for happy endings, in my experience, is incest. Who would have guessed so many incest readers are hopeless romantics? But it's true. I recently had a comment from someone who liked my brother-sister story but disliked the ending where the brother and sister ended apart (the story leaves it that there's a strong prospect they may get back together, but there's no hint when that may happen) rather than being together. This seems like a strange objection to me. There's almost no way that a sister and brother COULD remain together in a truly happy, romantic way. They would be condemned by society, even today. They would have to deal with their own, almost inevitable, feelings of guilt, as well as the practical problem that they're unlikely to have children and be able to raise a normal family together. The taboo is part of what makes the category interesting, and it can't be whisked away as though by a magic wand.

I have always generally maintained that most incest readers secretly want romance. That whole category just lends itself to the forbidden romance type narratives. I mean, most incest stories don't even have much to do with incest as a complication or issue beyond the general "Ooh, we shouldn't do this! We might get caught!"

What incest does is inject a note of tension and dirtiness into what are otherwise usually quite vanilla (often even wholesome) relationships. It also (and I think this fact is slept on) allows writers and readers to bypass exposition and get to the meat of a story. We all inherently understand familial relationships, so we understand the playing field. We know what's at stake. Let's just get into it!

 

[ElectricBlue]

It also (and I think this fact is slept on) allows writers and readers to bypass exposition and get to the meat of a story. We all inherently understand familial relationships, so we understand the playing field. We know what's at stake. Let's just get into it!

Not sure I agree with you there. From some of the stories I've read (I don't read in the category much, to be fair), I'd say the opposite. It's pretty clear from many stories that the authors don't have a brother or sister at all (setting momcest and dadcest aside, because one hopes that's all a fantasy). For context, I'm a brother in between two sisters.

 

[mildlyaroused]

Not sure I agree with you there. From some of the stories I've read (I don't read in the category much, to be fair), I'd say the opposite. It's pretty clear from many stories that the authors don't have a brother or sister at all (setting momcest and dadcest aside, because one hopes that's all a fantasy). For context, I'm a brother in between two sisters.

That's true.

If I were to engage in incest (which isn't to say I would!!!!!), I'm not sure I'd constantly refer to my sibling as "bro" or "sis" while having sex. Lol...

 

[Kumquatqueen]

That's true.

If I were to engage in incest (which isn't to say I would!!!!!), I'm not sure I'd constantly refer to my sibling as "bro" or "sis" while having sex. Lol...

I read up on what the incest readers like, to try to produce a story when I have zero interest in the concept. Apparently they really like dialogue emphasising the sibling relationship, so I tried to get as many references in as possible without saying 'bro' or 'sis' or using brother or sister as titles, and making the dialogue halfway plausible.

Ended up quoting a fair few song lyrics - Billy Idol and Skid Row, in particular. (Hey little sister, what have you done? / I know a thing or two, 'bout a sweet little sister. Etc.)

I admit I don't actually have an older brother in real life. I don't think I could have written the story if I did.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

What incest does is inject a note of tension and dirtiness into what are otherwise usually quite vanilla (often even wholesome) relationships. It also (and I think this fact is slept on) allows writers and readers to bypass exposition and get to the meat of a story. We all inherently understand familial relationships, so we understand the playing field. We know what's at stake. Let's just get into it!

That's an interesting take. There might be something there.

If you think about it, the majority (even the vast majority) of lit readers really only want their fantasy recited back to them. If your fave fantasy kink is incest, the biggest obstacle to it actually coming true is the social (and possibly legal) backlash that goes with it. So the fantasy becomes "what if there was a reality where all of it was just accepted instead of shunned? Wow, that would solve everything and then I could fuck my Mom (or she could fuck me) with zero repercussions!" So a good chunk of the readers probably just want someone to recite that alternate reality back to them - a reality with no barriers to their kink, a reality with no conflict nor strife, which of course means no plot, just the perfect happy fantasy. It would certainly make sense at least - less plot, more sex, all that. And that jives with pretty much any other fantasy like exhibition (wow! I just ran into a girl who just likes to happily put on a show! - no strife nor conflict - little plot, lotsa sex), mature (wow! the neighbor's daughter just happens to be wild for my silver hair and she's uber flirty! - no stride nor conflict - little plot, lotsa sex), etc etc. Remove all obstacles and pave the direct path to the fantasy and a whole lotta readers will eat it up.

 

[Yarglenurp]

That's an interesting take. There might be something there.

If you think about it, the majority (even the vast majority) of lit readers really only want their fantasy recited back to them. If your fave fantasy kink is incest, the biggest obstacle to it actually coming true is the social (and possibly legal) backlash that goes with it. So the fantasy becomes "what if there was a reality where all of it was just accepted instead of shunned? Wow, that would solve everything and then I could fuck my Mom (or she could fuck me) with zero repercussions!" So a good chunk of the readers probably just want someone to recite that alternate reality back to them - a reality with no barriers to their kink, a reality with no conflict nor strife, which of course means no plot, just the perfect happy fantasy. It would certainly make sense at least - less plot, more sex, all that. And that jives with pretty much any other fantasy like exhibition (wow! I just ran into a girl who just likes to happily put on a show! - no strife nor conflict - little plot, lotsa sex), mature (wow! the neighbor's daughter just happens to be wild for my silver hair and she's uber flirty! - no stride nor conflict - little plot, lotsa sex), etc etc. Remove all obstacles and pave the direct path to the fantasy and a whole lotta readers will eat it up.

I’d want to live in that world, if I could. Drama is overrated. I’d rather live in a place where everyone is happy.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I’d want to live in that world, if I could. Drama is overrated. I’d rather live in a place where everyone is happy.

In real life, sure but it's boring as fuck to read if you ask me.