Why you should not avoid all stories with a [Sad] or [Dark] tag and why you should give them a chance. · 1:56am Jan 21st, 2014
Yesterday, I made a thread here asking if there were any stories you would not read because of a tag.
I found common tags that were avoided. HiE, anthro, sex, gore, and troll to name a few. I can see why people would avoid those because those are things I avoid too. I have my reasons for that.
But then came the sad and dark ones. At first I didn't think much of it, I simply thought people avoided them because to each their own right? People want to read the stories they want. So with that all being said in that thread, I went on to do other things.
So let me tell you a story what happened after that. I had nothing to do, so I decided to see if there was anything on Netflix. And bam, Attack on Titan was added to it. Now I never seen it, but I heard so many good things about it.
10 episodes later I had to stop myself since it was getting too late. But then a thought hit me, I became invested into the story so much more because of the sad and dark scenes. This got me thinking even more.
When I look back to some of the greatest stories, movies, and shows, most of them had these sad, dark moments that to me, would warrant it having a [Sad] or [Dark] tag to it. Even stories that you don't expect. But because they had these low moments, the story came out so much better.
Let me give you an example, Toy Story 3. (There will be spoilers)
Toy Story 3
There is a scene that speaks VOLUMES and have such dark, sad undertones yet they are "kid" movies. When Woody and his friends are in the incinerator at the dump. They all slowly get pulled to the massive furnace, desperately trying to escape. But nothing is working as they get pulled closer and closer to the fire.
Jessie looks to Buzz for help. But Buzz holds out his hand. Jessie is shocked, but then understands the situation. Inevitability. Slowly, all the toys gather hands one by one. Woody fights on, trying to escape yet to no avail. He also turns to Buzz, looking for help. But just like before, Buzz holds out his hand. Woody now understands, he cannot fight any more. It is futile. So they all grab hands as they stare into the fiery abyss. They are scared but accept their fate. But at least, for one brief moment, they have each other.
That was one of the most compelling scenes I have ever scene, and it was in a movie about toys. I was on edge, I was so into it right now. How could anyone not feel for them, to wish that they would be saved?
It's an emotional rollercoaster. You take a character you love, put them through hell, and cheer for them when they win in the end. The low points are what give the high points meaning. You can't appreciate the light without first knowing darkness.
That is why I argue that you should take a chance on some stories that have a [Dark] or [Sad] tag. Yes, no one wants to be sad, but it makes the ending so much better knowing what they went through.
To me, that is why shows like Game of Thrones is so popular. Seeing character go through hell, you feel for them. Even if a character that appears to be a jerk, one sad moment makes you look at them in a completely different light.
Welp that is my two cents for the day.
This is totally something I think about when writing my story, which has both a [Sad] and [Dark] tag.
They can, yes, for those two respective tags. But at the same time, it can just be a bad premise. I love the dark and sad themes, dark especially, but often its a tricky balance. The Monster Below has a nice blend of dark and light, and does the interaction between the protagonist and the world very well. The Fifth has a nice spot that you are immediately shown an equestria that feels gritty, rough, and rough.The hero is anything but, and comes across as an iconic standard, yet, isn't. Terminal World spins the world as something cracked from the start, the world above, below, often broken, and bleak, yet even the best are limited to places they can go.
Dark helps shape the world, but overdone, well... can break immersion.. Shadows of the Knight has nearly had me drop it, the dark just eh, overdone, in more than many ways. Succession is getting near this point with the easy plot armor villain. There was one or two others that i can't recall that were near this point too sadly.
Good point. I might add that sad/dark can have literary and/or cathartic value for some. In some cases it may also dispel the reader's sense of isolation.
1741549
Yep! There can be a bad story with a sad or dark tag. But the point was to skim over a good one just because of it.
Look at Game of Thrones, it is a well done story with sad and dark elements. Thats why we watch it, because it is good.
1741568 Game of thrones, never agreed with me, sure, the world amazing, the lines great, but sadly, it felt a low fantasy game of risk, or an angled spin on a splintering mob. What it is based on, was better at conveying the issue far better. Yet, your points are very valid still. I enjoy music thats harsh, gloomy, and the same for all of your reasons. Its that compelling moment the music connects. The dark stories, the author is willing to go and show the world is harsh, the world is bleak, yet, for all that folks endure, there is a light they move to, a virtue they dance to, and they earn that happy end, even if its not quite one. Without the dark, there can be no light, after all.
I believe I once told you why I avoided them like the plague, but as a short recap, it's because in this fandom more often than not "dark" means "edgy", with blood, gore, pointless violence and even rape (literal or figurative, like mind-type), now I will say your changeling stories (that I just finished reading in regards to the latest of UTSWs for work reasons) kinda change those ideas a bit, but still, after dropping so many stories because they got retardedly bloody, one tends to be left traumatized, sort of speak.
1741714
Yep, that is a fear I well understand. Most often or not, they use the dark or sad tag to insert needless, descriptive violence. And I can see that. Why movies today that just have a lot of violence turn me away.
But what that being said, the point was not to skim over every story that automatically has the those tags. Maybe it has sad for a portion, but see what the story is about. because sometimes, it can end in a great story.
Those dark moments only make the high ones that much better.
1741774 Jesus ever since you replied to me fimfiction has been bombarding me EVERY F...ING MINUTE with email notifications about it.
Just what the hell is going on?!?
1741841
Yeah the site is acting funny for me too.
Crap should I stop replying back?!
1741872 It's the site, not you, so don't worry about it (already turned off my phone.
Already tried to remove the email notifications, but it doesn't let me as well...
1741926
Yep not working on my end either.
Oh well XD.
personally, I don't even look at the tags, I go by characters and summary, and occasionally word count.
I agree. But it seems that a lot of sad or dark stories don't pique my interest anyway, simply because descriptions tend not to interest me. Coincidence, I suppose.
And seriously, fuck anthro.
I wrote my own blog post as a response to this.
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/278490/why-are-saddark-stories-overlooked
I do think you have a great point, but here is what I thought.
Yeah its because of that the story Twifly is so underrated
There is different shades of Dark.
Not going to read:
Grimdark: dark for sake of dark, spilled guts, psycho OoC, etc.
Not-tagged-as-dark-but-gloom: Adventure stories, where every chapter filled with gloom and doom, almost every city messed up in some way, etc. Example: Steadfast Sky.
Cheerful story with sudden downer ending.
Any story with downer ending, even if author considers said ending as "Happy" or "bittersweet".
Main character 100% corrupted and insaveable.
Stories in which characters treated as cannonfodder.
Going to read:
Just Dark: Dark stories without cannonfodder ponies, and with EarnYourHappyEnding. Example: "Solitary Locust" (at least, chapters I - VIII.)
Tragedy: when said tragedy happened in first chapter and character is slowly come to terms with it and going over it (No downer ending).
My Little Over Analysis: "My Little Heartbreak" series has Tragedy-Sad-Dark tags, but all of those happening in the head of Heartbreak, story itself not so dark.
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When I see story with "dark" tag I usually GoogleSearch it with keywords "died OR killed OR murdered", etc, and read last chapter (if complete). If story is "clear", I read it.
2152433 You don't read stories with downer endings? Isn't that a wee bit sheltering? The greatest and oldest-known epic in human literary history ends on a downer ending.
2170332 Thanks, but after 11 years of school literature I've read enough of "The greatest and oldest-known epic in human literary history".
2170472
Lol. So far I think most of my dar stories may be in the category you are comfortable with. Flowers may be the exception, but I wrote that because it was fun to write.