Let’s say you build a bridge. You build the nicest on-ramp, you put the nicest lamp posts, the nicest pavement, and the most beautiful railings in the history of bridges. And the bridge ends on a cliff. There might be some nice views on top of the bridge to nowhere, but it’s a bridge to nowhere.
That’s a work of fiction with a bad ending. A work of fiction is a work, not a person, so where it leads to is very much an integral part of the work.
A work of fiction isn’t a bridge either. It’s a journey.
My analogy would liken it more to a cross-country trip to some fabled destination. You embark on the trip and have great music great friends/family in the car. See great sights, stop at great places along the way and enjoy great regional foods. Then you get to the destination and it’s a big let down.
Was the whole trip a waste? Not in my opinion. Sure, the destination was a letdown but think of all the fun you had getting there.
If you set to walk around the park aimlessly, then sure, destination doesn’t matter. And plenty of fiction is built like this.
If you set out to climp the Everest, keep talking about the summit, and then end up falling off a cliff and breaking your neck midway, the journey was a fiasco.
Let’s say you build a bridge. You build the nicest on-ramp, you put the nicest lamp posts, the nicest pavement, and the most beautiful railings in the history of bridges. And the bridge ends on a cliff. There might be some nice views on top of the bridge to nowhere, but it’s a bridge to nowhere.
That’s a work of fiction with a bad ending. A work of fiction is a work, not a person, so where it leads to is very much an integral part of the work.
A work of fiction isn’t a bridge either. It’s a journey.
My analogy would liken it more to a cross-country trip to some fabled destination. You embark on the trip and have great music great friends/family in the car. See great sights, stop at great places along the way and enjoy great regional foods. Then you get to the destination and it’s a big let down.
Was the whole trip a waste? Not in my opinion. Sure, the destination was a letdown but think of all the fun you had getting there.
There are several types of journey.
If you set to walk around the park aimlessly, then sure, destination doesn’t matter. And plenty of fiction is built like this.
If you set out to climp the Everest, keep talking about the summit, and then end up falling off a cliff and breaking your neck midway, the journey was a fiasco.