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Why do people always put these at the end of a chapter? It always pisses me off and leaves me with a bad impression of the state of the story, even if the rest of it was really engaging. Even worse if they're shadowy assholes playing the pronoun game in the shadows, because I deeply loathe having my reading time wasted on vague nonsense that will inevitably have to either be covered again with the details filled in when it actually becomes relevant, or will never become relevant. Even then, putting that bullshit early in a chapter and then giving me some plot and/or character moments to end on a high note is always batter, so... just why? Why is it almost univewrsal to tag scenes from an antagonist perspective on as the last part of a chapter, or as an epilogue to book-format fiction?

Bueller?

Bueller?

Bueller?

Anyone?
'Tension', 'keeping things open', or any other excuse to make it seem like the opposition has a plan.

Sometimes it's even because the author has planned out what the opposition is doing and wants to show their work.
That's the reason for cutting away to things the usual viewpoint character has no knowledge of, but why's everyone gotta ruin the mood and leave a bad impression going away by putting it at the end? That's my main question here.
(03-20-2022, 08:00 AM)classicdrogn Wrote: [ -> ]Why do people always put these at the end of a chapter?

Some writers think that stories have to be dark, "edgy" (whatever that means), and depressing, and can't imagine why readers would want a happy ending. These people need psychological help.

Some writers (myself included on occasion) put an enemy-side scene at the end of a story in a continuing saga in order to have a sequel hook. These people need to make sure they aren't over-using the trope.

Some writers just stop at a point where they can't come up with anything else. These people need to conquer their writer's block.
Another reason is that villain perspective doesn't fit into the flow of the work, but the author wants to include it so it just gets chucked on the end.  They spend all this time figuring out why the villains are so villainous, and gotta share it, right?  And then they think it's okay to put it at the end because everyone else is doing it.

But most of all, it's a consequence of our late capitalist culture, which intentionally leaves people unfulfilled so they keep coming back to get more product.

robkelk Wrote:Some writers think that stories have to be dark, "edgy" (whatever that means), and depressing, and can't imagine why readers would want a happy ending. These people need psychological help.
As someone who spends most of his time obsessing over slice of life anime, I think we all need different things emotionally, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to explore darker emotions.  Maybe no one gives feedback.  Most of us are starved for feedback.  Maybe just... offer C&C that points out that the ending left you unsatisfied.