Some questions about what types of things you like to read. Help me out! (poll)

Writers' Corner
1

See the results of this poll: Choose one answer per question

Respondents: 10 (This poll is closed)

  • 1- Moral ambiguity : 7 (16%)
  • 1- Cut and dry : 2 (4%)
  • 2- I hate violence in stories : 2 (4%)
  • 2- I like violence in stories : 3 (7%)
  • 2- I’m only okay with violence when it’s justified : 7 (16%)
  • 3- Evil villains : 2 (4%)
  • 3- Relatable villains : 9 (20%)
  • 4- Bleak ending : 3 (7%)
  • 4- Happy ending : 3 (7%)
  • 4- Ambiguous ending: 7 (16%)
2

I voted on the rest of the questions, but I felt the need to explain my answer for number 3. Villains certainly should be evil, if they are too relatable then the reader feels bad when they are defeated by the hero. However, there’s no such thing as someone doing something “because they’re evil.” Everyone thinks they are doing the right thing, or at least the thing right for them. They might hurt someone else because they’re carrying a grudge against a specific race/religion/gender/any other thing, or because they are selfish and care about themselves more than others. But what life events made them that way? Why would they feel the need to do something “evil”? These are questions every writer needs to think about. So my answer is a little bit of both. Villains shouldn’t be too sympathy-drawing, but they can’t be completely evil either.
Sorry for the unsolicited philosophical discussion. (:oops:)

3

Grr… * :oops:

4

Stupid emoticons

5

I voted for every poll, which probably doesn’t help you narrow down what you want to write, and I also decided to answer the questions so you could understand where I’m coming from. I think in the end, it depends on what your story (and characters) are about- does the story ultimately end on a happy note despite all the heavy stuff, or on a bleak note though with a hopeful note to it? [name_f]Do[/name_f] the characters’ struggle with morally ambigious choices and people propel the plot forward, hinder it, or is it just easier to make it cut and dried? I’ve struggled with pretty heavy stories in the past so I know what you’re going through; my advice is to really think about the story and characters and how you want to write it.

  1. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you prefer stories that are morally ambiguous where the meeting characters make difficult decisions that could be polarizing? Or stories that are cut and dry and easy to understand?

~I prefer both kinds actually. I like morally ambigious stories and characters because it adds an interesting depth to the story, but I also like cut-and-dry stories where it’s easy to tell the good guys from the bad.

  1. When it comes to violence, do you shy away from it and dislike when stories involve violence? Or do you enjoy the action and thrill of violence? Or are you only okay with violence in stories when it’s clearly justified?

~I think the kind of violence depends on the story and characters and what they are likely to do in situations that require violence. I certainly don’t shy away from it but if it has to be done, it should be done tastefully or at least well-written.

  1. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you prefer villains that are multifaceted, realistic, and potentially sympathetic? Or virus that are wicked, treacherous, and evil?

~I prefer both. I like multifaceted villains, who are interesting, and but I also like the unrepententedly wicked characters as well.

  1. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you prefer endings that are bleak and somewhat sad? Endings that are happy and hopeful? Or endings that are very ambiguous?

~As a reader I would prefer a happy ending but that should always depend on the story and how it ends…