Time-Travel Romance Endings..whatcha think?

ladyleeona · May 19, 2011

Okay wonderful people,

I've got a problem. I'm working on a time-travel romance. I'm stoked about it.

The problem is the ending. Originally, I planned on my MC staying in the time she, um, landed in. She doesn't have many connections with the present time, so I didn't really see a problem there.

Then, last night, I started wondering about bringing her back to the present. Possibly making the whole book a dream-like projection of her past life. And then maybe bringing the hero to the present, reincarnated or something.

Obviously the goal is to make any ending emotionally satisfying to the reader. But thinking about this got me wondering: what would YOU rather see and why?

Feel free to post examples you liked, hated, whatever. I'm all ears

serabeara · May 19, 2011

I usually like them staying put. Karen Marie Moning is the only author who've I've enjoyed that does it differently.

I don't know what it is, I just guess I like the adventure of them being with their man in a different time, whether it's back in history or into the future.

And I noticed I said "being with their man". I have also found I like it when the woman is the time-traveler more than I do when it's the man. Not really sure why that is either, if it's just the books I've read or if I have a real preference for it.

sunandshadow · May 19, 2011

Reincarnated hero is a bad idea in my opinion. Reincarnation implies that the past version died - how long did he live without the heroine before that death? Was he lonely the rest of his life, or did he marry someone else? Bad either way. Plus, does the reincarnated one have the memories of the original? If not, you've just dumped your relationship development down the drain and they need to start over. If he does, has he had them since he was been born, and been waiting two decades or so to meet her again? Awkward. Even if you find a way around all these problems, modernizing the hero is a cheaty ending because it removes all the cultural conflicts they've probably been dealing with - it's like the cop-out beauty and the beast ending where the beast is transformed into a prince.

Robin Bayne · May 19, 2011

I agree--- I think reincarnation is an unsatisfying ending.

ladyleeona · May 19, 2011

sunandshadow said:
Even if you find a way around all these problems, modernizing the hero is a cheaty ending because it removes all the cultural conflicts they've probably been dealing with - it's like the cop-out beauty and the beast ending where the beast is transformed into a prince.

I agree with this. But, like serabeara said, I've seen the meeting-in-current times be a great HEA. (From KMM especially.)

Maybe reincarnation wasn't what I meant. The reasoning against it is legitimate. What if the hero could choose to travel to present times to reunite with the heroine? With full memory, no death, no other wives, children, etc.?

Or is that a writerly cop-out?

sunandshadow · May 19, 2011

ladylilchubb said:
I agree with this. But, like serabeara said, I've seen the meeting-in-current times be a great HEA. (From KMM especially.)

Maybe reincarnation wasn't what I meant. The reasoning against it is legitimate. What if the hero could choose to travel to present times to reunite with the heroine? With full memory, no death, no other wives, children, etc.?

Or is that a writerly cop-out?

I don't think that would be a cop-out if you emphasized that the hero is sacrificing his familiar surroundings and and family he had there to go live with the heroine. It does make me wonder how he's going to earn a living - he would not have a social security number or a highschool degree or be able to drive, plus a host of smaller problems like not being familiar with modern laws or manners or food or computers... If the heroine or her family were rich it would not be a problem - they could house him and help him through applying for citizenship and maybe help him get a job or give him a job on their own estate or in a family business.

Ann_Mayburn · May 19, 2011

I agree with sunandshadow. If he stays behind and then is reincarnated, I wonder if he spent the remainder of his last incarnation in misery because she is gone.
Then if he comes with her I feel bad that he had to leave behind everyone he knows and loves. If your leading lady has no connections, and I'm guessing he probably does, I feel bummed for him. Plus, no job/id/etc=royal headache that snaps me out of the story.
Part of the magic of TT romance, for me, is the leading lady getting to live in that fantastical time. Once she's back to the land of McDonald's and global warming it loses the appeal of a TT romance.

ladyleeona · May 19, 2011

Ann_Mayburn said:
Part of the magic of TT romance, for me, is the leading lady getting to live in that fantastical time. Once she's back to the land of McDonald's and global warming it loses the appeal of a TT romance.

LOL. I don't think this could be said better. Thanks, everyone

.

(Any more thoughts on this more than welcome--please feel free to type away

Lil · May 19, 2011

Jude Deveraux did the return/reincarnation thing in A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. Some people loved it but I think even more were screaming in agony, feeling utterly betrayed.

frimble3 · May 19, 2011

For me, the appeal of time-travel stories is seeing how someone with a modern upbringing/POV responds to a different time. If the story comes back to 'now', the magic is gone. It isn't the same if someone from the past comes to the present, because, well, I know how the present works.

cate townsend · May 19, 2011

ladylilchubb said:
What if the hero could choose to travel to present times to reunite with the heroine? With full memory, no death, no other wives, children, etc.?

Or is that a writerly cop-out?

I really like the idea of the hero coming to the present; then you get the idea of a traveler coming to the future as well as one that had gone to the past, and comparing their perspectives. Sounds like a fun write. Best of luck!

Irysangel · May 20, 2011

This is so interesting - and so true! I love time travels but I am a big fan of the hero and heroine staying in the past. I guess because I feel the heroine is more adaptable than the hero? What useful skills will the hero have in the present? Whereas I think the modern heroine will have a lot more skills to bring to the past.

Or is that just me?

serabeara · May 20, 2011

Irysangel said:
This is so interesting - and so true! I love time travels but I am a big fan of the hero and heroine staying in the past. I guess because I feel the heroine is more adaptable than the hero? What useful skills will the hero have in the present? Whereas I think the modern heroine will have a lot more skills to bring to the past.

Or is that just me?

No, I feel the same way. Moning kinda hand-waved this away in most her books, and I've seen other authors who bring men to the present do silly things (I remember a hero fighting a microwave in one book) but generally I just like the heroine to do the time-traveling and for them to stay where they are.

Reincarnation I definitely hate. I was one of those readers screaming in agony over A Knight in Shining Armor.

ladyleeona · May 21, 2011

serabeara said:
No, I feel the same way. Moning kinda hand-waved this away in most her books, and I've seen other authors who bring men to the present do silly things (I remember a hero fighting a microwave in one book) but generally I just like the heroine to do the time-traveling and for them to stay where they are.

Reincarnation I definitely hate. I was one of those readers screaming in agony over A Knight in Shining Armor.

Now that you mention it, Moning did just kind of put those issues on the back burner. (I could only recall one story where hero-man traveled to the present.) But, given how much power KMM allowed the Fae to have, it probably could have all worked out okay.

I've got some funny-voodoo business going on in this WIP, enough to get my heroine back into history, but probably not enough to repeat the process for my hero and garner all the required travel documents...lol.

So. I'm thinking she stays. Thanks, everybody

Robin Bayne · May 22, 2011

Lil said:
Jude Deveraux did the return/reincarnation thing in A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. Some people loved it but I think even more were screaming in agony, feeling utterly betrayed.

I know I did.

Ambri · May 27, 2011

Jude Deveraux did the return/reincarnation thing in A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. Some people loved it but I think even more were screaming in agony, feeling utterly betrayed.

Yeah, I haven't read another of her books since putting that one down in disgust. I tend to prefer the heroine staying in the past. I think it ties into the romantic/ wish fulfillment aspect of the genre.

Time-Travel Romance Endings..whatcha think?

Time-travel endings: what do you like?

MC stays put where she lands

MC returns to original time (with hero in some form)

Who cares, so long as it's satisfying

ladyleeona

fluently sarcastic grandma offender

serabeara

Very Necessary

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Robin Bayne

~writes for Him~

ladyleeona

fluently sarcastic grandma offender

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Ann_Mayburn

Smutty McTitters

ladyleeona

fluently sarcastic grandma offender

Lil

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

cate townsend

Irysangel

She of Many Names

serabeara

Very Necessary

ladyleeona

fluently sarcastic grandma offender

Robin Bayne

~writes for Him~

Ambri

Plotting something