"When I grow up/ I wanna be famous/ I wanna be a star ... Fresh and clean/ Number one chick when I step out on the scene"

Okay so the subject title isn't exactly dead on for me. I'm not saying I want to be a famous movie star or singer or anything (I was just trying to think of a song about growing up and sadly, The Pussycat Dolls popped into my head first). But I will admit that I've always wanted to write a book (hence why I started this blog. To practice, have my writing somewhat out there in the public, and it makes me work on my editing skills). But honestly, don't a lot of people think they could write a book? Just within my own family: my dad, sister AE, sister LA, and myself all think we could write a book (and I'm not saying any of us couldn't by any means but thats 40% of a family thinking they could. Sort of a large percentage for a rather difficult feat). And then you look at some of the fools getting books published these days: Kathy Griffin, Tracy Morgan, Tori Spelling, Lauren Conrad (Sidenote: I won't lie. I want to read LC's book. Wellllll... when I was waiting on my mom to finish shopping in Target one day, I may have picked it up and read the first two chapters and been intrigued. Do I think she wrote it without any assistance or heavy editing by another person? I'm pretty skeptical. All I know is, I want to finish reading it but new books are not a luxury in the life of a recent college graduate aka the unemployed). But seriously, they are getting books published? That makes it seem like anyone can, right? Well if you know the right people and have a ton of money to burn.

I've been kicking around a couple ideas for a few years but there is one in particular I have harped on the most. I came up with it in the tenth grade but as I've experienced more things in life (you know, like being able to drive, going to college, and graduating), the idea has matured as well. And no, I will not share it with you (while I like you, I'm not sure I trust you. To repeat, most people think they can write a book and I'm not giving you a head start with my idea). I'm not saying writing a book is easy. It obviously takes a lot of work. But do you know what I think the hardest part of a book is? The ending. I read a lot (more contemporary stuff like Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks, Kristin Hannah, Emily Giffin, etc) and I've come to the conclusion that there are three basic endings:

1. The happy ending. I think deep down, we all want a happy ending especially when we are reading about characters we are now attached to and have become familiar with. But at the same time, the happy ending (HE) is cliched, not entirely realistic, and overdone. At least I myself have a love/hate relationship with the HE. And I'd say the number one HE is the girl gets the guy or vice versa. And while you've become attached to this character and you've been rooting for them for 300+ pages, it does get a little old and not to mention predictable. But I mean there is a reason the most famous ending line is, "and they lived happily ever after". We want to believe that even if we aren't experiencing our HE at this very moment, it can still be around the corner, waiting for us to stumble across it. And we read these HEs to vicariously experience ones that inspire us on the way to our very own happy ending. At least that's what I like to think, but what do I know?

2. The Independent ending. Ugh. These sort of annoy me because I am a romantic deep down (a cynical romantic actually). But you know these endings, it's when the main character realizes she doesn't need a man in her life to be happy, even though she has pined over him for the last 350 pages, but then she decides she is just fine on her own. I'm not saying this isn't possible but I mean come on, author. Don't build up these feelings and a conflict and the confusion just to completely abandon it in the last chapter. These are the authors who are anti-HE, I think they try to appeal to those who don't believe that 'all's well that ends well', but I get more frustrated with these endings than the HEs.

3. The Ambiguous ending. I think authors pick this ending in order to please both the romantics and the realists in their readership. Choose the middle of the road and then everyone is happy. No no no no. I want to be told what happened. I don't want to infer about it myself. That's the point. You're the storyteller. Tell me what happens. Does the author just run out of steam? Does she not want the typical HE but doesn't want to go all feminist on her readers either? Ugh. I'll never forget the book I trudged through (Sidenote: It's very rare that I abandon a book even if I'm not enjoying it. If nothing else, maybe there will be a quote that I like or there will be a redeeming ending) and got to the final sentence that basically read "She stood beside her open car door, poised to get in and leave everything behind her but when she saw her one true love watching her from the porch, she knew what she had to do." WHAT does she have to do?!?! Does she turn back or does she get in and drive off into the sunset? I need to know! So if I am a romantic, I believe she went back to the guy and they lived happily ever after but if I am a realist, I think that she left and got on with her life? These are the most frustrating of all, which is ironic because I think the author thinks they are pleasing both sides. Maybe some people are happy with these endings but I am not.

But the bottom line is, you aren't going to please every reader with your ending. I realize that. It's impossible to please everyone. But it's just so hard to pick what you want to happen. Happy ending, realistic ending, or ambiguous? You have some authors like Picoult that can throw you a complete curve ball at you in the final sentence and that's what makes her a unique writer. But what about the rest? Are you a bad writer cause you choose to have a HE? Are you lame cause you are ambiguous at the end? Are you a realist if you have an independent ending? It's just so gosh darn hard to decide!