I wrote my first ‘Hollywood ending’ recently. As I finished typing it up, I felt no overwhelming guilt, no fear of exposure. No sense of selling out.
The story was based on actual events. The specifics of that story will out over the next few months but suffice it to say that the audience the story is intended for wouldn’t have been able to handle the truth. The story’s prefaced with ‘Inspired by a true story’ – having had to ditch ‘Based on a true story’ (too close to the bone) and ‘Inspired by true events’ (too specific) – and I wrote it My Way.
Yeah. I tacked a happy ending on to it.
And life is good.
Hmmm, no sense of selling out, huh? Me thinks thou dost protest too much. (I suspect that’s actually nothing like the original Shakespeare, but I gave it my best shot.) I for one am shocked. A sad day for the principles of independent film writing. But then, a happy day for those of us who secretly yearn for that rush of warm fuzzies that comes with a happy ending. Good on ya mate.