: Re: How advisable is it to end a love story on a downer? For example, it doesn't end with the leads getting together; rather, one of them dies or the relationship is left ambiguous. I know that

@Nimeshi163

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In line with what Fred Bob said, I think it can feel upsetting as a reader if the romance is the main plot-line and it just ends with one of them dying or whatever.

I am not against unhappy endings, but they have to be done right. I feel like the best way to have the relationship end unhappily is if there is a greater message you are trying to portray. For example:

In his literary classic 1984, (spoilers, if you haven't read it) George Orwell has an ending that is very much so an unhappy one. In part one, you learn, through Winston, what the regime is like. Through Julia and their romance, Winston believes in rebelling against the regime. When they are both captured, you hope that their love for each other is enough to keep them strong, but it isn't. They both break, and turn on each other, demonstrating that Big Brother always wins. It wouldn't be true to Orwell's dystopian future if their love prevailed enough to upset the entire regime. By the end of the novel, you feel defeated, but that is the point. You don't feel robbed of a good ending by the author--you feel upset that Big Brother is how it is, and the general dismay was the entire point of the book and its ending.

You could also use the relationship to prove a point. Maybe X and Y, who love each other, aren't good for each other. And the story demonstrates how unhealthy their relationship is, until the characters finally realize it themselves. And they end up, not together, but still better off.

I think the main thing to keep in mind is that the ending doesn't have to be "happy" but it should still convey the overall message of your story, and it should be meaningful, even if it isn't happy.

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