Some FoLCs don't like angst? Makes me wonder how some of us got through some of the really emotional episodes in the series. TOGOM comes to mind, as do any of the ones where Lois' deep desire for children - natural or adopted - is thwarted by biology or her reputation. When Clark "died" from that Kryptonian virus, Lois' pain was very true-to-life. And who can forget Clark's heart agony when he threw the engagement ring into space, then flew out to fetch it just because hope yet lived in him?
If you read a book on writing fiction, the author will tell you very quickly that you
must have some drama in your tale. Without that pressure, your characters cannot grow and mature, just as a diamond will remain a lump of carbon without tons of pressure over time pressing on it. The best comedies of both the silver and small screens contain elements of drama, if only to make the laughter more natural.
A person's true character is not formed by pressure or tension, but the person's character is revealed by that pressure and tension. Clark is Superman - but not because he has powers. He is Superman
because he is Clark, who is a good man with a strong moral center. How many times have we read (or written) that if one such as Lex Luthor had Superman's powers it would be a complete disaster for the entire world?
No one can live his or her life without some drama. It's rarely fun, but prevailing against the pressure and tension is something we all must do else we crumble and fall away. And one of the ways people learn to deal with angst is to watch others do so successfully. If Clark and Lois can succeed under diamond-inducing pressure, maybe we can learn something from them and apply that something to our own lives.
I do not mean to belittle light, comedic, or purely romantic tales. I do not insist that a trip to these boards means an automatic buzzkill. If you check my list of stories on the archive
(here), you'll find a few which meet the low-angst threshold of nearly everyone who reads them. There is room for all kinds of stories. I only suggest that we all give the truly dramatic tales a fair chance to stand on their own and please your reading palate.
