how would your short story end?

You wake up to the sound of your phone notifying you of an incoming text message. It's from your boss. The message is short and sweet: "Work canceled due to snow. See you tomorrow." You glance out the window and see the snow falling fast and heavy. So much for the forecaster's assertion that this would be a light dusting. There is already a foot on the ground. The neighborhood kids will be knocking soon enough to offer to shovel. You know it's worth the $30 to let them. You throw on some sweatpants, a hoodie and some slipper socks. You walk downstairs and start a fire in your fireplace. While waiting for the kindling to catch you go to the kitchen and make some breakfast. After you've finished your eggs, bacon and toast, you boil some water. Normally you would have a cup of coffee after breakfast but a snowed-in day calls for a change in plans. You mix the hot water in with the hot chocolate powder you just poured into your tall mug. You return to your living room and throw a couple of logs on top of the burning embers from the kindling that has all but burned away. You sit down in your comfy chair, recline your feet and...

This is where the story hits a fork in the road. There are numerous possibilities for how this story may end. Here are a couple:

1. ...open your book to page one. You have a long day of reading ahead of you with no distractions.

2. ...grab your remote to press play. You have been waiting for a good opportunity to watch this particular movie, and you have finally found your chance.

Which of these endings would finish your short story above? I know there are other alternative endings that would fit here (like writing, playing video games, etc.), but which these would you choose to end your story with? Would you rather read a good book or watch a good movie? I added "good" as a qualifier. I think most people would prefer the book or movie to be good, so we're going to assume that it is for the purpose of this blog.

I could personally do either, but I certainly do have my preference. Let me briefly discuss each before I make that preference known.

I like watching movies because it plays out before your eyes. I don't like movies to drag on but I don't like them to end too quickly either. As long as they're staying within the plot and developing the story, I don't mind their length. My favorite movies are "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. I only watch the extended editions. I cannot get enough of that story. I wouldn't have minded if they added 5 more hours to the movies, so long as it was a good 5 hours. I'm simply not a fan of short movies.

I like reading books because I get to use my imagination. My mind gets to fill in all of the details. My mind creates a picture of the people and places. This may seem to contradict what I like about movies, but the truth is that there is an advantage to each. That being said, I love being able to stimulate my mind with imagination. Books typically take longer and are much more in depth. This is why I dislike short movies. I don't want a quick resolution. I want good build-up, twists and turns and a well-thought resolution. When reading a book, I feel like I'm part of the story. My favorite books are The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I love the depth into which the books go. The story is so well thought-out. J.R.R. Tolkien developed an entire alternate world with such attention to detail.

I think that I make my preference pretty clear in these descriptions above. I definitely prefer a good book to a good movie any day of the week. When books are made into movies or movies into books there are rare occasions when I prefer the movie, but I almost always prefer the book. "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy may be the only story where I like the book and movie equally.

So, I would end this story with the first ending. I would curl up and read a book (though, I could foresee myself curling up and writing a blog or something too). What's your preference? Click on the voting buttons on the left of this post to cast your vote. You're also free, as always, to leave a comment.