See, this is what is frustrating... take Cormac Mccarthy for example. Love his novel,
Outer Dark, the guy refuses to even use quotation marks in dialogue, and his novel
The Road was made into motion picture film yet somehow we have to jump through hoops for agents/editors, change an ending if an agent say it sucks etc... it all just seems so controlling, when in fact its art... yet some refuse to even use quotation marks and end up doing very well. I can only imagine the editor shaking his head...
about to re-read your long reply but thats the first thing that came to mind hearing about an gent telling me to change an ending LOL.