Real Life Issues + The Sims = Yay or Nay?

[mmmcheezy225]

So I have this unreleased story project that I'm working on, and so far I'm really proud of the plot. In my opinion, it's my most intricate to date. However, the first few chapters are pretty intense drama-wise, which is a definite change from earlier story entries. Some of the topics deal with addiction, depression, mental illnesses, and racism; aka hot-button topics that I've never tackled before. I don't want to alienate my readers, but I can't skip out on these chapters because they are very important for the storyline. I have this belief that you don't get to fully know people until you see them at their absolute worst. Same goes for sims.

So my question is, other than putting little warning stickers at the beginning of the entry, what else can I do to ensure that I won't alienate readers? Also, what is your personal opinion of heavy chapters/stories?

[Stacy]

If people are going to be alienated by those topics, I'm not sure if there's anything you can do to prevent that. Warnings and maybe like an author's note explaining things and being open to conversation is about as much as you can do.

And my opinion - I'm all for it. I like my fiction dark and angsty and heavy and deep.

[thelunarfox]

What Stacy said.

I'd also say that it probably depends on how you handle the topics. So long as the topics are important and handled honestly, not just thrown in for the sake of drama, I would think you'd be good.

[celebkiriedhel]

You are going to alienate some readers no matter what you do. If you understand and accept that, the rest follows.

Heavy topics are generally 'owned' by the readers more than light topics. That is, if you're talking about mental illness - then you need to handle it in a way that honest about it, and not light on. Because if you make it into a joke, or be superficial about it, people who have mental illness and read your story will take it personally.

On the other hand, if you write it well - you'll get a faithful reader in them because they know you 'get' them. And that can be a very good thing. Or a bad thing because they have high expectations of you - depending on how you look at it.

Personally - I prefer stories with depth. (I also like light and fluffy stories so maybe I'm less discriminating than I think I am?)

And I certainly appreciate when people make an honest attempt at a deep subject.

[sb]

Check out how Qui handles the same issues. Please do.

And unless you're going to hit your readers over the head relentlessly, you shouldn't worry about it. You are writing for an adult audience. Most of us have written about similar topics. Put up a warning and go for it!

[blackdaisies]

I couldn't really answer this because I do prefer my reading (in sims and non-sims) to be a little more on the fluffy side. I like movies with eye-candy and clever stories than heavier, drama-laden types. Not to say that I won't watch them and there are definitely lots of more heavier stories that I enjoy, but this is my preference when seeking out entertainment.

I'd also say that it probably depends on how you handle the topics. So long as the topics are important and handled honestly, not just thrown in for the sake of drama, I would think you'd be good.

I really agree with this. On occasion, I'll come across a sim story/legacy where something was thrown in just for the sake of shock value and it just didn't make sense.

[mmmcheezy225]

Oooh, insight. Thank you all for responding! *reads*

@stacy I'm definitely thinking about writing little author's notes after each chapter of the prologue, just to clear up some "iffy" things.

@lunar The heavier topics are very, very important in order to get to know the characters. I don't like to make light of serious topics, unless done in a consoling way as opposed to an offensive one. I guess that's why I'm a little nervous; I'm afraid that I'm either taking it too seriously or not seriously enough.

@kiri I'm actually keeping the mental illness ambiguous. I figure that if I don't state exactly what condition he/she has, or if he/she even has one at all, it will be up to the reader's imagination and it won't be as offensive. I certainly wouldn't want to offend anyone, and I know that poking fun at a race or a condition will do just that.

@sb I'm actually reading Qui's story right now. And that's a very good point, I'm just a little uneasy. Probably a lack of faith in my ability to deliver heavy dialogue, light on the embellishments.

blackdaisies I prefer fluffiness too, to be honest. *high fives*

[sb]

I think you have to go back to yet another thread. Not everyone is going to like what you write. You can't reach both the fluffy and the non fluffy readers at the same time. People like to read what they like to read. We're all different. It's your choice as a writer to decide where to go and what you get and what you give up with that choice. I will say that it is probably as difficult to write fluffy successfully as it is to write non fluffy.

[dinuriel]

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with everyone else. Not everyone likes reading about dark topics, but on the other hand, it isn't as if nobody does. Personally, I love me some controversy. As long as you handle it well, you should be fine

Also, sometimes readers don't react like you would expect. For example, I have this one character who had a sexual/romantic affair with his sister and spent the next few years moping around after their parents found out and made them marry different people. When the relationship was first revealed, I was expecting a ton of criticism, but it never came. The readers got that there was a story there--not just a gratuitous bit of shock value (though I will admit that I am a bit of a shock value whore, but that's not the point). Sometimes, you just have to trust that the readers understand what you're trying to say

[celebkiriedhel]

Van - it also helped with your story, that it was appropriate for the time, it wasn't such a shock because it fit with both the story and the setting.

[thelunarfox]

Van, I have to admit, that storyline surprised me too, as the reader. I didn't expect my reaction, lol. I didn't feel it was just placed there for shock value, and somehow the whole thing made sense. I sure a lot of the reader reaction had to do with how the storyline was handled.

[mmmcheezy225]

Dec 3, 2010 1:39:41 GMT -5 @sb said:

I think you have to go back to yet another thread. Not everyone is going to like what you write. You can't reach both the fluffy and the non fluffy readers at the same time. People like to read what they like to read. We're all different. It's your choice as a writer to decide where to go and what you get and what you give up with that choice. I will say that it is probably as difficult to write fluffy successfully as it is to write non fluffy.

I understand that not everyone will like what I write, but I do still care somewhat about what the readers will get out of it, because I've had a few regular readers for I think about a year now when I was still doing fluffier, lighter things. Don't get me wrong, it got dramatic at times, but not really in a *gasp* sort of way. That's why I'm concerned about alienating them. I really do want to publish the sims' stories though, because I feel that if I don't I'm doing not only myself a disservice, but the sims themselves and the people who might actually enjoy reading the story. I guess I'll publish it for me, and hope that it won't drive them away.

[sfe]

I'd say go for it, just like the rest said! It's inevitable that you will alienate some readers, but it won't really be your fault. If they're more on the fluffy side, all you can do is warn them. You shouldn't supress your creativity for the sake of some potentially easily offended readers.

[mmmcheezy225]

Very true. I'll release the chapter tomorrow. *excited*

[infinitygoddess]

Frankly, I just put Contains: (insert whatever stuff is in it). That's really about all I can do. If someone isn't into slash, sexual content and some real tough issues (like homophobia, which is very prevalent in Mikhailachev Manor, particularly in the prequels), then it's really not my problem if they go ahead and read it anyways.

Whiners will find whatever means to find something to whine about. I've found this much out ages ago back when I was doing anime fansites.

[mdpthatsme]

I have warnings...though most of the time the warnings are reserved for my sarcasm.

I actually have not found a story that pushes my buttons yet. Maybe I'm not looking far enough, but I don't think my stories have offended anyone yet. If they, in some way, have offended someone, the offended haven't voiced their opinion. [shrug moment]

I tackle racism, violence, and such in my stories. It's actually more of specie-ism though with the Androids and Humanoids. To me, the more real the emotion and feeling of the characters in the plot, obviously the more real the story will be. Though I do love fantasy and it being "not" real events, if the characters didn't cry over their buddy dying...I would be deeply unsatisied.

I'm rambling.

mmmcheezy225: I look forward to the release of your story!

[qui]

Other than the warnings and a side note expressing that it's not your personal feelings toward the matter, there is nothing you can do.

As far as racism, it's a part of life. One that we will probably never be able to escape. Why shouldn't it be written about?

[Stacy]

Dec 4, 2010 17:45:46 GMT -5 @qui said:

Other than the warnings and a side note expressing that it's not your personal feelings toward the matter, there is nothing you can do.

As far as racism, it's a part of life. One that we will probably never be able to escape. Why shouldn't it be written about?

*claps*

Clapping for writing about it, btw. Not the never being able to escape it part.

I'm writing the LJ post at the moment but yeah - I'm probably going to bring it over here at some point.

[qui]

I am a strong believer in talking about things to shed light on it. If no one speaks on it, how can we learn from it?

[Stacy]

Dec 4, 2010 20:16:01 GMT -5 @qui said:

I am a strong believer in talking about things to shed light on it. If no one speaks on it, how can we learn from it?

Me too!

And also - I just reread my post and realized how it could be misinterpreted. I agree that we'll probably never escape it. But obviously that thought doesn't make me all happy and clappy.