On Writing Grimdark · 12:29pm May 10th, 2013
First, on the latest update. I mentioned earlier that it was going to have a Rainbow Dash and Rarity section, but RD's section just kept going and going until I decided just to give her the chapter. So, either Rarity will get her own chapter in the next or it will be a Rarity/Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy chapter.
On writing with the grimdark tag - You know what? I hate the term. It's so loaded with things that I don't think properly represents the fic, but I end up having to use it simply because there is violence in Upheaval. So I'm stuck with it and ever stigma it carries with it. Now, in FimFic it's just called "dark" but the stigma is still there.
Now, I certainly can't speak for every author who writers with this tag. In fact, I'm just going to speak for myself. Here are some of the things I've encountered that's said about this tag and what I think about the matter.
Grimdark is for people who just want to burn it all down - No, I don't want to "burn it all down". I want to toss it all into the fire so I can see for myself how strong it all truly is. There's a difference. It's not about reveling in the destruction, it's marveling at the strength it takes to survive, grow, and move on. I try to include the theme of hope in my stories among other things. But there is no "Hope" tag now is there?
It's all gorefests and misery porn - It's not. Yes, most of the bad ones are, but there are bad fics within any genre. I don't read about Comedy stories being called "jokefests" or "meme porn" or Romance stories being called "sapfests" or "cuddling porn" (if they're not turning into actual porn). What makes Grimdark the exemption? Gratuitous amounts of anything will ruin any story. I don't care if a particular genre has more. So more people fail at it, it's not the genre's fault. There's nothing inherently bad about the genre that causes the writer to fail.
Stories about ponies should be happy, cuddly and funny. Not dark, serious, and violent. That's not what the show's about! - Did some kind of super special council on all fanfiction convene before I joined this fandom? Kind of like a Council of Nicaea for ponyfics? Did Lauren Faust appear dressed as a roman empress to condemn anyone who dared to write grimdark ponyfics as a heretic? I missed a lot if such was the case. I don't care if it's an ocean away. I'd have flown over to attend.
There are many reasons why people read/write fan fiction. One reason I know is true with me is so I can explore themes and events that I know the show would never touch. When I want a dose the stuff the show is all about then I'd watch the show. Which I do. Repeatedly in fact. The episodes are enough for me. So why should I bother with fan fiction that deals with the same material? Now, when I start to entertain thoughts on what I would be like if things were different for the characters of the show, where else would I turn to but fan fiction? Variety is one of fan fiction's strengths and variety includes all the stuff that the show is "not about".
People who write grimdark think that "darker" automatically means "better" - No, I don't think darker = better. I like dark, but I also like light-hearted stuff. If I didn't, how did I discover and like the show in the first place? It certainly wasn't while I was searching for dark, edgy, and violent stuff. Reading/writing about one thing doesn't immediately exclude others. Just because I like dark and violent stories doesn't mean I think everything else is crap. So why did I write a "dark" story and not a light-hearted one? Because it was the story that I had in my mind and wanted to write. That's it.
Excellently put, pretty much what i search for in fics.
Another tag could indeed be good, until then it seem to work fairly well simply avoiding the "tradgedy" tag in combination with sad and dark at least.
Hopefully, one day we can say "i like grimdark" without everyone automatically thinking i revel in stuff along the lines of cupcakes and deranged mutilation. Then again, there are a few good dark ask blogs out there
At any rate, keep up the amazing work good sir
I was just thinking of blogging on the same subject, but I think you already said more-or-less what I was going to say.
I couldn't have put it better myself
grimdark is most definitely NOT what people seem to tend to make it out to be
"aarrgh, blood, death, murder, gore, porn, everybody dies!!!!"
a good dark has conflict, it has dark THEMES like conspiracy, murder plots, war, but doesn't resort to gore-tastic content. it doesn't put porn wherever it can realistically put it, however it may have the odd dark-ish sex scene here and there, without over-doing it.....
a bad dark, will have the content I have put above ^
however it will be unnecessarily over the top, and gratuitous. and it tends to steer away from the story for the sake of putting more gore in it.
a good dark also focuses heavily on story and narrative, to get the themes across and make the required impact on the reader that a good dark needs to make
at least...that's how I view darks. being only a reader and not a writer, I can't really be counted on for a professional view on the subject, rather I can only give a personal opinion.....
Your thoughts mirror my opinions exactly. It's a shame for a genre with such high potential to get a bad rap for some frankly absurd reasons.
Hehe, my thoughts exactly.
Dark isn't violence porn, but rather seeing them pull through.
Or it could be a suspense horror fic.
Either way it's not gore-porn.
What I find confusing is that to me "grimdark" is an inherently ironic term, and implies being over the top to the point of black comedy. "Dark" implies something that is serious, but grimdark refers to using dark themes to excess and not seriously. That's why WH40K is the arc-example. It is ludicrously over the top in it's grimness and darkness and is not meant to be taken "seriously".
Some of my favorite fics have dark aspects, The Immortal Game and Past Sins are some of the most popular stories in the fandom. I know one really is not as dark at the other, but it still has some depressing topics. I thought many fics that were labeled "Grimdark" were really more "Dark", though I haven't been reading fan fiction enough to know what "Grimdark" really means. I always thought it was more of a tragedy that contained a little more violence and harder adversity for the characters.
The thing about the dark tag is, its often misused. Actually, tags in general are misused. Your story has some dark elements, it sets a dark tone, but it's debatable whether it needs the actual tag. Adventure to be sure, but during an adventure you should expect some dangerous things to happen, or somepony to get hurt. On your story I would be inclined to say tag it adventure, and then add a warning in the description that while its not tagged as such, you should expect some dark elements.
"I don't want to "burn it all down". I want to toss it all into the fire so I can see for myself how strong it all truly is. There's a difference. It's not about reveling in the destruction, it's marveling at the strength it takes to survive, grow, and move on"
I agree with the rest of the article, but I really wanna frame this quote. There is something about how the core ideas of the show about Friendship and whatnot can also apply in a more fucked up version of the universe that really appeals to me, and are what make stories such as Upheaval, Crisis and FoE so amazing.
think i have with it is that it has to have a balance, darkened fiction, and sometimes people make the msitake that it can only be dark if it is burned all to the ground or worse. so they chose to drown a filly rather than have the filly suffer yet live and become motivation in some way or form. and in a way tht, even as the foe is laid low and the day saved, the scars remain always.