The Curious Case of Unrelenting Angst

[enchanted49]

I'm curious.  I can deal with a fair amount of angst in a story, after all life is a series of the good the bad and the not so pretty.

However chapter after chapter of unrelenting, agonizing angst? Not so much - especially if it seems that the story is presenting the reader with angst for angst sake.  My poor heart just can't take it.  For example

Comments

[anonymousgrunt]

More and more often, I find myself raging at stories like that. The very worst offenders bend their characters and plots beyond reason to amp up the "angst". Given the nature of the world our characters live in, there are more than enough dramatic threats to use without resorting to OOC behavior.

From what I've seen, those stories are the domain of teenage girls who love to ride the Drama Llama. They're also given scads of gushing reviews by other girls of the same bent, so the author ends up thinking that they're King Shit and without need of improvement. All in all, they mostly make me cringe.

Oh, and I'm sorry for not taking your poll, but as a guy none of them really apply to me.

[enchanted49]

'Ride the Drama Llama" **chuckles** Never heard that one before, I'll be using that at the office.

A well written story gets me every time and while I admire the writing, my heart can't take the strain and I am often left scratching my head.

I'll admit the poll was geared towards the feminine perspective, with the exception of the reference to suicidal tendencies.

Me, I like to be drained every once in a while so I'll watch the Joy Luck Club or This is My Father just so I can sob my heart out.

[enchanted49]

I'm a bit more of a masochist or maybe that's me being an optimist, I tend to linger on and on an on.

There is this one writer that has, and I shit you not, four unfinished stories, that start off with great promise and then go off into this emotional quagmire of unrelenting angst and unresolved mystery. Each story is prefaced with; 'this one will be short, I promise'.

After being reeled in for the fourth time I finally relented and wrote a review telling the author that I would only read her stories when they had completed listed on the story page.

Moral of the story? Maggie is a sucker for a well written story.

[enchanted49]

Hey there Jane I thought you'd be incommunicado. It's great to hear from you. By the way I'm almost done with chapter three. Let me know if you want to see it.

Hope you're doing well

Maggie

[enchanted49]

It's more for your enjoyment than anything else, because you're such a sweetheart. Please note that it's totally raw, I've not re-read it so grammar errors abound, and my sounding board sorta co-writer hasn't read it yet, so.... **shrugs**

Okay that disclaimer in place I'll send it over to ya. So take your time and offer any suggestions you like.

Maggie

[winchley]

I love angst that serves a purpose and leads to a resolution within the story. I flock to it IF I see the point to it and feel like there'll be some warm fuzzies at that end, but if it looks like the characters are going to be shot down again and again and I see no hope of resolution I run.