I can’t think of a story idea that doesn’t have a heavy subject in it, I LIKE DARK THEMES, but i feel like this is a problem kind of. i’m

[IndigoShirtProd]

But it still annoyed me how I couldn’t find a story that lacked themes like this in my entire list of more than 20 unfinished concepts. I asked if this was an issue and I was told yes it was.

Describing it now I think there might have been a miscommunication in what I meant vs what they meant.

So this is what happened.

So you're at a personal impasse, stuck between a rock and a hard place so to speak. But my follow up question is, are you looking for advice or just looking to discuss this personal, creative problem? Because you don't seem receptive to any of the dialogue presented here by other forumgoers.

[Kelheor]

Well they give you a sh*tty advice, that's it. If you portray (-ed) exclusively POC and women in a bad way, that's not the problem of your stories having a sensitive content whatsoever, so yeah. A completely different issue to work with.

[Surihpas]

Well that’s a whole other question and I’m not sure how it relates to the first. I think to me the short answer though is actual research and empathy. Thankfully, it would seem like you have access to the internet, and therefor a lot of information that you can find about different topics. Even if they’re not identical to what you write because of fantastical elements there’s almost always something close. And whatever gap remains you fill with how the character would feel and behave. As writers, we should know our characters the best - their pasts, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Based on all of those, we can try and empathize, and understand how would different situations make them feel and act.

[JoshRaed]

Wait was I unreceptive?

What should I have listened to that I didn’t?

[IndigoShirtProd]

I think the better question is, what have you listened to? It's just, before these last few responses, you seemed to be sidestepping what people have said and had defensive responses, though maybe I'm just misinterpreting your replies.

[JoshRaed]

Yeah but I still feel like there’s this massive mental gap here in my ability because of this.

Like if shrek didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have the foresight to ever imagine it existing because it has no bigotry or abuse in it. The same goes for how to train your dragon. Or a lot of things.

Does that make sense?

[JoshRaed]

Im reading this and i’m confused. What do you think I should have said rather than what I did say? Like I wasn’t trying to dodge the question I was trying to honestly answer it in a way that made it make sense.

Was me dumping the entire discord drama the part where I stopped sidestepping? Should I have said it all from the beginning?

[IndigoShirtProd]

Like if shrek didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have the foresight to ever imagine it existing because it has no bigotry or abuse in it. The same goes for how to train your dragon. Or a lot of things.

But why are you putting the onus on yourself to have to write stories like that, especially if you don't have the experience or even passion to do so. Like if those types of stories don't spark your imagination, you shouldn't feel bad over that. I don't like historical fiction, should I stress myself out because I have a hard time writing stories set in a different time? No! And you shouldn't worry about your attraction to storytelling of a darker subject matter.

Was me dumping the entire discord drama the part where I stopped sidestepping? Should I have said it all from the beginning?

Well, it would have been appreciated context. I think people assumed you were looking for a certain type of advice. And I'm still under the impression your conflict, brought on by the opinions of others, is something that you shouldn't have to be worried about.

[JoshRaed]

I was looking for certain type of advice. I wanted advice on how to have an idea that was not the kind of ideas that I felt out of my depth doing as an inexperienced writer.

Like I still planned to keep writing the ideas I had before, I just felt like I needed to have at least one non-triggering idea. i’m pretty sure most writers do it with no effort.

Like I don’t even think i’d like my non-triggering idea or ever write it, I just felt I should be able to have one.

[IndigoShirtProd]

I just felt I should be able to have one.

Okay so why do you feel that way? And sorry if my line of questioning seems circular.

[JoshRaed]

A story can still be fun, happy and enjoyable for even small children while touching on these things. Just look at Finding Nemo; a movie about a widower whose whole family were killed and now his disabled son is lost somewhere and he must overcome deadly peril to find him. It's a fun movie! For kids! Or My Neighbour Totoro, where two girls move to the countryside because their mother is dealing with a bad illness, and at one point everyone in the neighbourhood thinks one of them died and they go out looking, terrified they might find a body... it's a whimsical, magical children's movie!

I had thoughts exactly like this when wondering why I couldn’t think of an idea like this. Like I couldn’t even name a story like this off the top of my head. I was told to take inspiration from the kind of media I watch, but that’s how I got here. That was one of the main reason why I was struggling to do this.

[JoshRaed]

I don’t know. I think i’m just still bothered by what happened yesterday. I don’t think I would have cared if that didn’t happen.

[IndigoShirtProd]

And I don't think you should care. People will have their criticisms and opinions, and the best part about being a creator is, you don't have to listen to all of it. I'm not saying you should never listen when people critique you, it's just that you have to learn how to parse out what's useful and matters, and what doesn't.

[JoshRaed]

Yeah, I think you may have misidentified it as an issue when maybe that's not the issue?

Yeah looking back on it that’s exactly what happened. I think i’ve definitely addressed the actual issue.

[JoshRaed]

Nobody's ever said Steven King is a bad writer because nearly all his books are horror or thriller genre stories, or put... I dunno, Sarah Waters on blast for writing almost entirely Historical fiction, or told Brandon Sanderson that he's lacking as a writer because he's never written a modern setting Romantic Comedy story.

I nearly missed this earlier, but I wish I hadn’t, it’s such a great point honestly.

[darthmongoose]

Good, you should definitely thank @IndigoShirtProd and @Kelheor for managing to help you really get to the bottom of what the real issue was. They did amazingly!

[IndigoShirtProd]

I'm glad you got to the bottom of it. Sometimes we as creators have too many expectations for ourselves. Sometimes we just need a reminder that we're only human and we don't have to be able to do everything and anything.

[JoshRaed]

Thanks I guess for helping me work through this thing.

[IndigoShirtProd]

Yea, yea you're welcome

[system]

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