Shades of Dark: What Merits a Tag? · 1:25am Mar 20th, 2015
Back to Normal has hit the top of the featured box (if you have M stories turned off), but it remains highly controversial:
The main issue is something I didn't quite expect: ponies who see it as dark, see it as overwhelmingly, unredeemably dark. 
While I expected a good deal of schism on the subject matter, I didn't expect the extremeness of some of the emotional reactions it's prompting. I probably should have, though! This underscores how easy it can be to lose perspective when writing with subtlety on ethically questionable issues. 
My M story has the exact same problem, except that I fully expected it there. 
Based on this, I'm currently pondering whether Back to Normal should have a Dark tag. 
It's at least a little dark for nearly all readers, but is it accurate to frame the story as "Dark" for ponies who haven't read it? I'm less concerned with "gaining hooves" than I am with wasting the time of potential readers.
Please let me know your thoughts! 
I don't consider it dark dark. It's ending is only dark was you realize it. And in the end, everything is back to normal as far as everypony believes. If you ever wrote a follow up about one of (and I personally think it best if it was only one, Maybe Blitz from how Dash said her flying was off after switch but that's just an idea) the others learned the truth and confronted Nightfall/Twilight about it. That cool get dark especially if Twi/Night convinces that pony not to tell the others
But that's just how I feel about it. What do you think?
I find dark tags are typically only appropriate when there is a forbidding dread within the the story as a main element or if the story is based around a concept of going against moral compasses (I.E Deciding whether to let a villain get away or save some lives) It could be argued that your story fits under those but really I feel it doesn't, but that also has to deal with my bias of 1. finding mental based trauma not that scary/dark and 2. I agree with Twilight/Tinkles choice, so I don't find it a dark or foreboding
So either way my opinion (and nothing but) is that it really doesn't deserve the dark tag, maybe a grey tag if it existed for "iffy ethical choice" but not a dark tag.
There's really nothing dark about it. I'd leave it off.
I have a hunch that many of the people who read it didn't up vote it simply because they felt the tags where inappropriate.
And as I mentioned in the story itself while the story in it's majority /for the most part don't fit Dark story archetypes the conclusion does have a dark element, and the conclusion is such an important part of the story that the entire story does deserve a tag that goes along with it.
As far as I'm concerned I'm sure it was on your best interest not to add the dark tag and I can see why you felt it was not necessary (I sympathize with that opinion) however that resulted in massive frustration from your readers and by this point is fair to call that move a mistake.
Please have no doubts that your story will be better received with the addition of the dark tag, however if I were you I would add at least one author note in the description or/and the beginning of the chapter explaining how I felt it didn't fit.
~Leonzilla
2893491
So you would alter the memories(by any artifice: journals, records, photoshop) of those close to you until you were comfortable with how they viewed you through their lens? I'll lay fear and ignorance at your feet for not enough life experiences.
And yes, I am still fearful and ignorant of my future, and I have done that to others and it works the way you intended it to work only 0.0001% of the time.
This story at least merits a [TRAGEDY] tag.
It wasn't dark, tragic at the end and sad, but not dark. The problem is it is a touchy subject and some people are going to be bothered by it. they are the ones that want a dark tag because it bothers them more and they feel that alone justifies it. If you feel the need to add a dark tag that's fine, but don't add one because others say you have too.
2893948
Oddly enough, I find it more Dark than Tragic!
2893742 Your putting words in my mouth m8, I never said I would do it to alter their perception of myself, and neither did Twilight/Tinkle did that in the story, he did what he did not on a perception of altering his view of himself but on their perception of the world around them so they wouldn't be stuck traumatized by Twilight's mistake and could live normal lives.
This is especially apparent by the fact that Twilight knows what it feels like to be the other gender hen she really shouldn't have seeing how the author made her a transexual in the story.
So to get to my point based on my perceptions of the story, which we might not share, I believe Twilight did it for the better of her friends and not herself, which I would almost assuredly concur with it ended up being the lesser of two evils.
2894997
2895140
Guise plz. Guise plz. Ths is srs.
2894997
Guise. Guise.
It's Nightfall Twinkle, with a "w".
This isn't my Mane 6 get turned into toilets fic. That one is coming in a week or two.
Just kidding, of course!
maybe
2895182 Woops forgot the w xD
2895140 If we're going to quote me
As I said before good sir, your assuming I'm saying things I'm not meaning based on your perception of the stroy and it's characters
I believe Twilight/Twinkle did what they for the better of her/his friends, opposing to what I assume (maybe not accurately) you believe (I'll just say "they" for ease) that they did it for their own betterment.
Either way I'll just say it plainly. I simply believe that if it's I can ethically deem it as the lesser of two evils to safely alter my friends memories to prevent severe mental trauma or anything similar, than with great amounts of distaste and hopeless guit, I would do it.