I think I waver in both ends of the spectrem. Though I tend to stay dark grey.

Personally, I'm quite the optimist, but my fics tend to go very gray in parts. I'm a big fan of the endings that are mixed good/bad. I also think that whether an ending is 'happy' or not depends on the characters' attitudes towards things than anything else.

If, as Connie said, they are able to cling to a genuine (and not self-delusional) hope or are able to be at peace with things, then it's a happy ending. If it all ends in bitterness and despair, then it's not. Death and destruction have little to do with it.

Or, what Ple said:

Because ultimately, it's the whole death and taxes thing. The end is inevitable, it's how we face it that matters.

So true. I find that the characters create their own happy or unhappy endings inside their own heads.

Whether I like a schmoopy or angsty story depends in large part on what fandom I'm reading. In due South stories I want the more traditional happy ending to win out. In stories based on ME shows, however, things need to be at least a little bit dark and twisted, or it just doesn't ring true.

Secret Slasha names have been revealed.

This one is mine.

I don't know. I mean, I don't consider myself a darkfic writer.

Well, I don't think you are either, FWIW. Your stuff doesn't have that aura of "look! Look how *dark* I can be! Woo!" that I associate with the kind of darkfic that's basically depressed fluff.

Er, which I may possibly have an issue with. Huh.

Your stuff doesn't have that aura of "look! Look how *dark* I can be! Woo!" that I associate with the kind of darkfic that's basically depressed fluff.

Snerk. That's a good way of putting it. Blackened marshmallows, some of it.

Stuff that's dark and makes me think and hurt I like. Stuff that's just "I See Some Scoobies and I Want Them To Turn Black"? I can't stand.

Not nice with the earworm!

Is there a line between darkfic and realistic fic? Cause life isn't all marshmallow peeps and pretty flowers.

Edit: Crosspost with Plei. Stupid work.

For me, I think it's a matter of whether I get the vibe that the writer said "here's the story I want to tell, which is dark" or "hey, this would be really, really dark! Let's tell this story!" The latter feels, I don't know, self-congratulatory? Unless I like it, of course, in which case it's kind of fun. (I am vast and contain multitudes...)

"hey, this would be really, really dark! Let's tell this story!"

That way leads to bad, bad, bad incest fics with typos like "bowls".

At the worst, that is.

Okay, I don't know what kind of incest fic requires use of the word "bowel." Just, no.