So please keeping writing but remember we read to enjoy not to be grossed out or dismayed but what happens to our favorite characters.
Whoa, hang on there, kmar. You are absolutely entitled to your opinion on what makes a good story. You are also entirely entitled to read what suits your own personal reading tastes and avoid what doesn't.
But you are not entitled to imply that the entire readership of the mbs shares your tastes and opinions on what is a good story and what they like to read. Nor that authors should only write stories which appeal to your tastes and only your tastes because those tastes are shared by the rest of the community.
A case in point is fanfic dealing with the theme of rape. You don't enjoy them and don't like to read them. That's perfectly fair enough. But on the other side of coin, others in the fandom clearly do appreciate a good story told, no matter if the theme is difficult. As evidenced by the fact, for example, that Becky's Bain's story, In A Dark Time, which has this theme - won the 2002 Kerth award for Best Tearjerker.
Similarly, I can think of several deathfic which I have enjoyed - although there are many which I haven't - and which have been popularly received by FoLCs in general.
So, clearly, you don't speak for every FoLC and not all FoLCs share your view on where the line between enjoyment and grossed out lies. As with nfic, it's a fairly grey area which each reader must work out for themselves.
So, let me reiterate the rules of this forum. So long as they follow the rules of the mbs, authors here are free to write whatever they wish. Whether that means stories with adult themes - including violent themes - death fic, hurt/comfort or extreme angst...alongside the waffy, the kidfic, the comedies and all other themes in between.
I don't believe that any writer here on the mbs writes and posts a story with the intent of grossing out readers. I think they write the stories which interest them, which appeal to them, which intrigue them and, sometimes, which the Muse insists on whether they want to go there or not.
Whether every reader appreciates the story or wants to read it is another matter. But certainly, no author here should feel constrained on writing as they wish, because there is certainly as wide a readership as there is a wide variety of stories and themes.
LabRat
