Posted by VHunter on 7/13/2007, 8:14 am, in reply to "Re: I know I'm not Maureen but....." Your story sounds so intriguing! Are you suuure you don't want to post it!?!? lol --Previous Message--
67.79.71.170
Indeed, my friend, we are the few, the proud, the deep! 
The majority of films and books today are edited to please the public rather than be the best that they can be. One of the reasons I don't think I could ever make it as an author is that I would not sway to popular opinion. Which is, of course, not very good for business! But there is hope, movies like Spiderman 3 & Lord of the Rings ,for example, prove that. Now if only we can learn to write like Tolkien!
: Well, what got me on this was writing the A/Ns
: of the next CC chapter (that I was going to
: post that night...). As I wrote those words
: and realized what I needed to spell out then
: and there, I really did get depressed. And,
: I think it was because of reader
: expectations. That's when I started looking
: back at my "Of the Remaining" and
: seeing just how much the 'romance' factor
: really does turn people's heads.
:
: Of course, as for that story, I haven't even
: finished writing it yet. I may just finish
: it and give it to my editor (she can't wait
: to read it). There are too many
: questionable issues in the story that I just
: think no one else would really appreciate.
: ~sighs~
:
: Maureen, as for the depression thought, I
: didn't write the intro to make people feel
: depressed. I wrote it merely to introduce
: the setting for the rest of my story
: >_>. Odd, I know, but I'm an abnormal
: person indeed. At least my editor tells me
: so. As for slitting wrists...I am VERY
: sorry if anyone felt like doing that after
: my intro! It was good stuff to me, but
: then, it may have been a little hard core
: for less mature readers. One of the key
: things I wanted to do in the intro
: was....well, I'm not saying. It was one of
: the actual core points of using that scene
: as the intro, and I'm just guessing no one
: picked up on it (if anyone did, they haven't
: mentioned it). And as for Lestrade's flaw,
: well it was in there; I just didn't spell it
: out. This intro had a point, a very
: specific point and a very specific question.
: I just don't think anyone noticed.
:
: Boswell and VHunter, most of my favorite
: songs and stories are the sad ones. I just
: feel empty when I read a story that ends in
: 'happily ever after'. I suppose I just
: prefer realism; after a great struggle, are
: things really perfect? Can life be suddenly
: carefree and content? Doubtful. Those
: struggles are what, to me, makes the story
: worthwhile. Those are the stories you
: remember and those are the stories you look
: back on, and those are the stories that
: meant something. The happy ending where
: everything becomes lined in silver to me
: falsifies and diminishes the very struggle
: that gave the story meaning. For me, I feel
: that a situation should not be lightened
: merely for the reader. I would rather have
: something told to me straight than given a
: sugar-coated lie. Guess that makes us three
: deeper readers?
:
: The rest of the story was going to center on
: a different character and a new side
: character. It was certainly not going to be
: depressing, and most of the parts would not
: be that soul-wrenching, but, every part of
: the story was going to have a point. Now,
: looking at it, it probably is too deep to
: post and the structure isn't something
: anyone would like. Ah well. I just need to
: learn to give up on the world. Holding
: other people up to any kind of expectation
: at all is a bit of a stretch (hence the
: reason I had no expectations for the Eragon
: movie...).
:
: Ah well. I suppose the romance isn't bad
: (if taken in small doses). I just still
: wish that there were some deeper, angstier
: fics out there, and a few drama/tragedies to
: go with them
:
: ~CyleFlynt
:
: --Previous Message--
: You're absolutely correct, Maureen. The best
: stories may be sad, but they're not just
: plain depressing. Usually it's one of two
: ways: a mostly happy story with as sad
: ending; or
: a story that's sad throughout then has a
: happy ending. But there are a lot of readers
: and/or viewers that do enjoy stories of
: sacrifice. I think it's simply because
: people wish that they knew for certain that
: if they were given the kinds of choices the
: characters are given, that they too would do
: the right thing.
: Through much experience I've found that most
: people who have had troublesome lives enjoy
: mainly uplifting/happy stories. People
: who've lived perfectly good lives usually
: lean toward more tragic stories. But that,
: of course, is just an example of human
: nature. We always want whatever it is that
: we don't have.
:
: --Previous Message--
: But that's the point. People do need to
: learn
: to deal with hard times, and therefore
: stories should _deal_ with depressing
: subjects, but plan _not_ to depress the
: reader. Give people a sad ending or a happy
: ending, but not a pointless gray one.
:
: Most readers feel that life is too short for
: being programmed into a bout of depression,
: and they have a perfect right to resent
: being depressed by somebody else, on
: purpose. (Especially since depression's
: depth and frequency seems to be connected
: not just to neurochemistry, but also to
: certain bad habits of thought, like brooding
: or imagining that all is useless and
: everyone hates you.) Even a sad story needs
: moments when a bit of happiness or hope
: peeks through; or at least it ought to have
: changes of pace to give the reader a bit of
: a mental break. A satisfying story keeps the
: reader's enjoyment (and mental health!) in
: mind, as well as the fact that readers can
: easily choose not to read a story, or stop
: in the middle.
:
: Of course, it is difficult to prove to a
: reader that you are worthy of their trust.
: That's why stories need to start in an
: entertaining and interesting way; it's a
: sort of promise to the reader, or a payment
: in advance.
:
: Probably part of what makes tragedy sad but
: not depressing is that tragedies point out
: "If he hadn't done this, or this, he
: would have been all right. He could have
: chosen this other path, but chose not
: to." So perhaps tragedies believe in
: free will, but depressing stories don't.
:
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