Alternative Book Endings
I enjoy movies with a director’s cut, deleted scenes, and exciting commentary. These extra bits add to the experience and provide insight into the movie creation process. A personal favorite is the Austin Powers commentary track. Hilarious!
This weekend, I watched a YouTube video about the original ending of Dr. Strangelove. If you have not seen the excellent movie, it is about a crazy air base commander starting WWIII. The original ending had a giant pie fight among the world leaders, but the movie release was atomic bomb blast stock footage.
This discussion inspired me to think about other movies with drastically different endings: Bladerunner, Terminator 2, I Am Legend and The Butterfly Effect. Well, what happened? First, a script was written, and a team made the move. The director/producer/test audience wanted something different when they watched it. So, the team reshot the ending.
This makes perfect sense because we all have made something, looked at it, and then changed it. My garage is full of half-attempts and leftover pieces. But what about a book? While common in movies, I do not recall any book including an alternate ending. Why not?
In my fourth book, I planned to end it with a grand reunion, but while writing, I realized this ending was unrealistic and inappropriate for the next book in the series. So, when I got to the last chapter, I changed the ending to have the characters go their separate ways. Thus, I had an alternate ending in mind but did not write it down, which is the closest I have ever come to creating an alternate ending. In other books, I re-wrote or deleted major sections to correct flaws. So, it is possible to have an alternate text that my readers have not seen.
Would my readers be interested in this material? I think some might find it interesting and gain insight into my writing process. But where would a writer put that text? I suppose the best place would be their website, which is closest to a “DVD Extras Menu.” Is that a solution? I have visited several author’s websites and have never seen deleted material. I recall seeing a published first draft of a famous author’s book at a used bookstore. I have since forgotten the name; obviously, it did not make an impression.
One reason might be that readers would not know what to make of this text. “Did the author mess up?” “Why are they telling me this?” “So, they wanted to end the book this way?” “Why not combine the two?” Another reason is that it takes effort to edit/proofread this material and there is no financial benefit.
Another reason might lie at the commitment level. An alternate ending would reveal the author’s lack of writing confidence. “What? Is there a third ending I do not know about?” “The original is better.”
Finally, I do not want to show the world my mistakes. Take my fourth book ending as an example. I admit that my first ending was weak. Why celebrate my lack of writing ability? “Hey, world, look at me! I wrote something subpar.” Yay? The whole point of spending thousands of hours writing/editing is for readers to enjoy the result. A flawed version does not help.
Yet, I still enjoy watching alternative-ending movies. What is the big difference? I pondered the matter and developed a theory. A book is in a different entertainment category. They are long stretches of linear concepts, while a movie is driven by limited dialog and big visuals. I would argue that other parts of the brain are triggered, and the intended audience knows this.
A movie has actors, editors, camera operators, microphones, sets, locations, producers, theaters, DVDs, big money, foreign markets, and illegally downloaded copies. A book only has an author. So, we get it. With all the moving parts, a movie is bound to have issues. Viewers accept this. Alternatively, readers do not let authors off the hook because they have total control.
I wanted to offer some proof of my theory. Why did famous spy novelist Tom Clancy not write a romance book? This category of books is undoubtedly popular and profitable, and Tom had the talent to write an excellent romance novel. I can feel the readers of this article getting upset. The people who enjoy romance books think, “Hey! Stop using my book category as an example.” And Tom Clancy fans think, “Hey! Stop tarnishing the memory of my favorite author.”
Tom (when he was alive) was aware of your feelings and chose not to change book categories because this would have dumped a load of ice water on his career. This means that Tom respected his loyal readers, understood his limitations/market, and respected other readers.
Let’s flip this thought. Mega action stars, such as Dwayne Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Jason Statham, star in a romantic movie. What if it is a hit? Romance movie viewers will watch it, while action viewers will not. What if it is a failure? All viewers will not watch it. What if their next movie is action? Will anybody refuse to watch it because of the prior romance movie? Nope.
So, there is a mental difference. Readers have an expectation, which is perfection. An alternate ending does not have a place in their minds. So, it is unlikely that alternate endings and first drafts will ever become popular. I certainly will never show the world my mistakes.
You’re the best -Bill
April 02, 2025
This weekend, I watched a YouTube video about the original ending of Dr. Strangelove. If you have not seen the excellent movie, it is about a crazy air base commander starting WWIII. The original ending had a giant pie fight among the world leaders, but the movie release was atomic bomb blast stock footage.
This discussion inspired me to think about other movies with drastically different endings: Bladerunner, Terminator 2, I Am Legend and The Butterfly Effect. Well, what happened? First, a script was written, and a team made the move. The director/producer/test audience wanted something different when they watched it. So, the team reshot the ending.
This makes perfect sense because we all have made something, looked at it, and then changed it. My garage is full of half-attempts and leftover pieces. But what about a book? While common in movies, I do not recall any book including an alternate ending. Why not?
In my fourth book, I planned to end it with a grand reunion, but while writing, I realized this ending was unrealistic and inappropriate for the next book in the series. So, when I got to the last chapter, I changed the ending to have the characters go their separate ways. Thus, I had an alternate ending in mind but did not write it down, which is the closest I have ever come to creating an alternate ending. In other books, I re-wrote or deleted major sections to correct flaws. So, it is possible to have an alternate text that my readers have not seen.
Would my readers be interested in this material? I think some might find it interesting and gain insight into my writing process. But where would a writer put that text? I suppose the best place would be their website, which is closest to a “DVD Extras Menu.” Is that a solution? I have visited several author’s websites and have never seen deleted material. I recall seeing a published first draft of a famous author’s book at a used bookstore. I have since forgotten the name; obviously, it did not make an impression.
One reason might be that readers would not know what to make of this text. “Did the author mess up?” “Why are they telling me this?” “So, they wanted to end the book this way?” “Why not combine the two?” Another reason is that it takes effort to edit/proofread this material and there is no financial benefit.
Another reason might lie at the commitment level. An alternate ending would reveal the author’s lack of writing confidence. “What? Is there a third ending I do not know about?” “The original is better.”
Finally, I do not want to show the world my mistakes. Take my fourth book ending as an example. I admit that my first ending was weak. Why celebrate my lack of writing ability? “Hey, world, look at me! I wrote something subpar.” Yay? The whole point of spending thousands of hours writing/editing is for readers to enjoy the result. A flawed version does not help.
Yet, I still enjoy watching alternative-ending movies. What is the big difference? I pondered the matter and developed a theory. A book is in a different entertainment category. They are long stretches of linear concepts, while a movie is driven by limited dialog and big visuals. I would argue that other parts of the brain are triggered, and the intended audience knows this.
A movie has actors, editors, camera operators, microphones, sets, locations, producers, theaters, DVDs, big money, foreign markets, and illegally downloaded copies. A book only has an author. So, we get it. With all the moving parts, a movie is bound to have issues. Viewers accept this. Alternatively, readers do not let authors off the hook because they have total control.
I wanted to offer some proof of my theory. Why did famous spy novelist Tom Clancy not write a romance book? This category of books is undoubtedly popular and profitable, and Tom had the talent to write an excellent romance novel. I can feel the readers of this article getting upset. The people who enjoy romance books think, “Hey! Stop using my book category as an example.” And Tom Clancy fans think, “Hey! Stop tarnishing the memory of my favorite author.”
Tom (when he was alive) was aware of your feelings and chose not to change book categories because this would have dumped a load of ice water on his career. This means that Tom respected his loyal readers, understood his limitations/market, and respected other readers.
Let’s flip this thought. Mega action stars, such as Dwayne Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Jason Statham, star in a romantic movie. What if it is a hit? Romance movie viewers will watch it, while action viewers will not. What if it is a failure? All viewers will not watch it. What if their next movie is action? Will anybody refuse to watch it because of the prior romance movie? Nope.
So, there is a mental difference. Readers have an expectation, which is perfection. An alternate ending does not have a place in their minds. So, it is unlikely that alternate endings and first drafts will ever become popular. I certainly will never show the world my mistakes.
You’re the best -Bill
April 02, 2025
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