This was a really interesting post to read. I can sort of see both sides of the issues involved--I *do* often read stories, novels, watch movies, whatever, for the escapist angle, just something with a happy ending and not necessarily requiring a big emotional or intellectual investment. And there are also pieces of art that have happy endings or might appear escapist that are actually very well-crafted and with deep layers and all that.
But I also really get a lot of of darker things, which often require much more in terms of investment, the kind of investment not everyone is willing to make. Shows like Homicide, Farscape, The Wire, The Shield, are darker in tone and also not as suited for pure escapism--you need to make a commitment to watching and paying attention. That commitment has a pretty cool pay-off, but it is a certain amount of work, and not everyone is willing to do that.
And I'm not always willing to make that commitment to a story, because I do tend to see fanfic as more of a direct escape. I've never refused to read a story just because it had a death in it, though, and I have written deathfic--and had some of the same problems you're talking about, with betas who didn't want to read the story, let alone beta it; feeling like it was one of my strongest stories and yet was not getting the response other things did, etc.
On the other hand, I as a writer sometimes have a hard time making the commitment to write something deeper (and often darker) as well--I want my stories to be good, to be respected, but I also am conscious of the escapism of what I want to read. I'm not articulating this that well, because it's not completely clear to me either--there are shades of grey and points along a line, and I'm not sure I'm the best person to judge where I or anyone else is on that line.
Anyway, your post made me think, as your posts usually do, and I want to encourage you to continue to write the stories you want to write, that you feel strongly about, whether or not they end up killing off any beloved characters.
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But I also really get a lot of of darker things, which often require much more in terms of investment, the kind of investment not everyone is willing to make. Shows like Homicide, Farscape, The Wire, The Shield, are darker in tone and also not as suited for pure escapism--you need to make a commitment to watching and paying attention. That commitment has a pretty cool pay-off, but it is a certain amount of work, and not everyone is willing to do that.
And I'm not always willing to make that commitment to a story, because I do tend to see fanfic as more of a direct escape. I've never refused to read a story just because it had a death in it, though, and I have written deathfic--and had some of the same problems you're talking about, with betas who didn't want to read the story, let alone beta it; feeling like it was one of my strongest stories and yet was not getting the response other things did, etc.
On the other hand, I as a writer sometimes have a hard time making the commitment to write something deeper (and often darker) as well--I want my stories to be good, to be respected, but I also am conscious of the escapism of what I want to read. I'm not articulating this that well, because it's not completely clear to me either--there are shades of grey and points along a line, and I'm not sure I'm the best person to judge where I or anyone else is on that line.
Anyway, your post made me think, as your posts usually do, and I want to encourage you to continue to write the stories you want to write, that you feel strongly about, whether or not they end up killing off any beloved characters.