post a story with two endings??

[regularguy13]

I have a story and I can't decide how it should end? Does the girl stay or go?

Both are plausible endings. I'm a bit of a romantic and favor she stay, but, I can also see her walking away (into the sunset, of course).

Can I give both and let the readers choose/vote/enjoy the ending they prefer?

It worked in the story, "The Lady, or the Tiger?"


Thanks in advance, r

 

[BiscuitHammer]

I seem to recall...

That 'choose your own adventure' type stories are not allowed, so make sure you steer clear of that little pitfall. Sounds like fun tho...

 

[MrDeadbird]

Hummm

It seem like a senseless limitation.

 

[rae121452]

post your favorite ending first and then in a separate block post the clearly labelled alternative ending. you could even ask that a separate italicized paragraph be printed as an introduction, stating that the reader can pick the ending they prefer. i think it sounds like a great idea.

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

This could work out with a bit of JS or CSS, but given the limitations of the Literotica format, you have to post one ending first, then the other following it. It wouldn't so much be a "choose your own" as it would be "read the second if you choose". That would diminish the gimmick significantly.

Depending on how much of the story the ending accounts for, you might consider simultaneously publishing two different near-identical stories with different endings. It might be an interesting experiment to see which gets better ratings.

 

[Gentleman_G]

Why not posting both endings as different chapters? i.e. - 'bad ending' and 'happy ending' or 'original ending' and 'alternative ending'. That leaves it up to the reader to determine which one they want to use as canon.

Wouldn`t be my first choice though; if I write a story I`d definitely stick to the ending I prefer as that`s the story I want to tell. I wouldn`t have an alternative ending in the first place as I`m not writing for popularity.

 

[ausfet]

It might be an interesting experiment to see which gets better ratings.

My guess would be 'the one with the happy ending'.

 

[ElectricBlue]

post your favorite ending first and then in a separate block post the clearly labelled alternative ending. you could even ask that a separate italicized paragraph be printed as an introduction, stating that the reader can pick the ending they prefer. i think it sounds like a great idea.

I've a story here that does exactly that - by hooking back to an earlier alternate start/alternate story turning point, I gave closure to both story possibilities.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Thinking about Pulp Fiction, which starts and ends at the same event. It worked and worked well. Rules are made to be broken, but be prepared to thunder in if it isn't done very, very well.

 

[Handley_Page]

It seem like a senseless limitation.

Regardless of what it seems, if them's the Rules, you don't got a choice, I'm thinkin'.

 

[Voboy]

You’re the writer. It’s your story.

Who, better than you, should know how it ends?

If you really can’t do this, I recommend you leave it as a cliffhanger. Include neither ending. You’ll still be letting the reader decide how it ends. But brace for impact on the comments front.

 

[Hypoxia]

I wrote a 3-part piece that I couldn't resolve simply, so I wrote a 4th chapter containing a half-dozen alternate endings, some building on others. It did fairly well.

 

[Bramblethorn]

That 'choose your own adventure' type stories are not allowed, so make sure you steer clear of that little pitfall. Sounds like fun tho...

Literotica has a couple of CYOA stories: https://www.literotica.com/storyxs/c_stor.shtml

That said, I don't know if they're still doing them - those stories are quite old and I imagine it'd be a bit of work on Laurel's side to set up all the individual pages and links.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Actually, you could post as three different stories with the title making them parts.

Then on the first part you have two links, one to the happy ending and one to the unhappy ending. You are allowed to post links to other stories of yours.

And if you explain it in the notes section Laurel might let them go through. The hard part would be getting the links in at the time of publication...which Laurel can do, but will she?

Story Part 01
Story Part 02: Ending 01
Story Part 03: Ending 02

 

[TarnishedPenny]

It just occurred to me that the most famous erotic novel of all time ends that way, in a sense. Look at the last page of The Story of O:

It was only after daybreak, after all the dancers had left, that Sir Stephen and the Commander, awakening Natalie who was asleep at O's feet, helped O to her feet, led her to the middle of the courtyard, unfastened her chain and removed her mask and, laying her back upon a table, possessed her one after the other.

In a final chapter, which has been suppressed, O returned to Roissy, where she was abandoned by Sir Stephen.

There exists a second ending to the story of O, according to which O, seeing that Sir Stephen was about to leave her, said she would prefer to die. Sir Stephen gave her his consent.

 

[ElectricBlue]

And if you explain it in the notes section Laurel might let them go through. The hard part would be getting the links in at the time of publication...which Laurel can do, but will she?

Yes, she will.

I have a collaborative story up, where the whole story is in my story file, and a shortened first section on my collaborators page. We both submitted at the same time with the same explanatory Note to the Editor. Laurel posted the stories and sorted out the links - my version links to his home page, his version links to the complete story.

 

[regularguy13]

Thanks for the comments - Decision made

I've re-read the story and I've identified the problem. It's me.

The story was evolved. My original concept/plot has been tossed. As usual once characters get flesh out, they take over, and the story, like water, makes its own path.

The ending the story requires was not the 'happily ever after' ending I wanted to use.

I'm going with ending the story and characters demand.