tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21582709.post274672075276958024..comments2024-02-21T10:23:37.299+00:00Comments on Fluttering Butterflies: Author Responses: Hopeful endingsMichelle Fluttering Butterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08793681725475475156noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21582709.post-6243741589639912622015-05-26T18:17:47.173+01:002015-05-26T18:17:47.173+01:00This is such a fantastic idea, Michelle! I'd l...This is such a fantastic idea, Michelle! I'd love to see more of these kinds of posts in future! And I love the authors' answers!<br /><br />I think I agree with the hope isn't always necessary argument. I think we can make our own hope. In the instance of Only Ever Yours, it may not have a hopeful, positive ending, but it's a book that fills me with hope. Why? Because of how I reacted to it, and how everyone else is reacting to it. Because of the awards it's winning, causing more people to pick it up. Only Ever Yours is shocking, and so very thought-provoking. It's doing so well not just because it's an incredible story, but because it's go us all talking - about that world, about our own word, about sexism, gender inequality, feminism. It's got people saying, "That is scary, that's not right, we don't want this to become our future." And that is where it makes me hopeful. A single female teenager who reads it might think twice about what she reads/sees in a magazine. Someone might decide not to make that sexist joke. Another person may decide not to think again as they're thinking bitchy thoughts, or when they're thinking negatively about themselves. They're small steps, but they're positive ones. And maybe they'll lead to people doing bigger things for feminism and gender equality. So yeah, Only Ever Yours makes me hopeful.Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02828378728962868575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21582709.post-89301730416815965142015-05-23T19:27:14.657+01:002015-05-23T19:27:14.657+01:00I'm not sure where I fall in the argument to b...I'm not sure where I fall in the argument to be honest. I don't mind sad or depressing endings, as long as they are right for the book. But after investing a few hours of my time, I like to take something from it, so I'd prefer a sliver of hope even if it is buried deep, or at least that the promise of hope isn't pulled out from under my feet in the last couple of pages.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17994804810007576090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21582709.post-30247109477421267552015-05-22T15:32:30.176+01:002015-05-22T15:32:30.176+01:00This is a great blog, but, sadly, I think there ar...This is a great blog, but, sadly, I think there are a great deal of MG fiction that give rose-tinted views of difficult issues (less so in teen fiction). There is a lot of "up-tight" concern about the truth and how it might potentially upset readers. It's an important balance, and I see, more often than not, safe/hopeful resolutions when a realistic one can equally offer hope and the comfort of a shared reality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21582709.post-79643399955191484002015-05-22T12:57:33.985+01:002015-05-22T12:57:33.985+01:00This is fascinating, I love hearing from all the d...This is fascinating, I love hearing from all the different authors with their own views - such a great idea, thank you for thinking of it and sharing! I don't think any topics should be off the table in books, and I don't think authors should feel an obligation to their readers. Writing first and foremost is the author telling a story they want to tell, the sharing it with others comes at a much later point if they're lucky.<br />Different books need different things. I don't want an author to shield me, I want them to tell their story in the way they want to, I'll then judge if a book is working or not working for me. I need hope in my stories, even the saddest books that have me sobbing and thinking about them for days after I've finished all have one thing in common - hope. The human race needs hope. It is as vital as breathing. So give me any topic, anything tackled no holds barred, and don't feel an obligation to me authors - I want the stories you want to tell, no matter how dark and tragic, just so long as there is hope.Rosyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06460676250901770530noreply@blogger.com