Happily Ever After -- by Jane Kelley

I believe my books should have happy endings.

I don't have a lot of power in the world, but I do have that one. I can, if I rewrite enough times, provide a satisfying conclusion to whatever drama I have just put my character through. If my girl is hiking, she will reach her goal. If my parrot is lost, he will find his way home. If my ghost is unhappy, she will find peace. And if my boy believes in believing, then he will get the girl. At least for now.

But I also believe in justice. I won't arbitrarily provide a heap of happiness just because we're a few pages from the end. My characters have to earn their rewards.

Actually, that means the writer has to write well enough to earn them. Yup. That means me. I have to make my characters' troubles real, and their reactions to their troubles even more real. Consequences must be suffered. Lessons learned. I have to punish the wicked––or at least not reward them. Because that's part of justice too.

Yes, I believe in happy endings. And I hope that those endings will make my readers happy.
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