The problem with most fanfiction on this site - Comments

I totally agree with you! I am very picky on this site because nearly every single fanfic is the same with these 'major issues'. Yes depression, bulimia and suicide are serious issues that are affecting young people today but the majority of these fanfics are clearly written by young teenagers who are obsessed with thinking that self harming is cool or whatever. I find it incredibly frustrating because they clearly don't understand how a person feels when they're that down. I've just recently been diagnosed with depression and I was very close to self-harming again, my aunt committed suicide and I was in an abusive relationship but I'm getting help and I use this site as a creative outlet and a coping mechanim, even though i've experienced some of the shit these authors write about, even I get sick of them. I actually sometimes get offended to the way some of the stories are written but then again it's probably due to the authors own ignorance.

What also annoys me as a writer is that I feel that when I lose subscribers and such, it's because my story doesn't have all that drama. What's wrong with having a nice relatively drama free story? Or perhaps it could just be because i'm not very good. Either way, i'm saying I agree, not every story needs a main character who is depressed. I don't think that it should mean depression, self-harm, suicide and abuse should never be put into stories, in fact I think it could be extremely beneficial if someone did it right. But with them being such complex issues I understand it would be very difficult to do. I personally would love to do one based on my own life experiences but just don't know if I could do it justice.

@Leah
Trust me, i wouldnt expect a kiss either and my depression go away. But the self harm and bullying and suicidal thoughts and actions, are realistic but some arent. My uncle, back in the 90's hung himself. My other uncle attempted suicide by jumping off a building. My father, my own father, was a self harmer and attempted suicide. So if you are telling me that all of these suicides and depression are unrealistic, my family is very realistic.

And reading these stories wont make a problem disappear. I know this as a fact. Im trying to get clean of self harming, these stories dont make it disappear but they give me a look into alternate lives of my heroes.

(BTW: if you still feel like killing yourself or still have thoughts message me and we could talk, mutal feeling then)

plus if you dont like these themes dont read it, or dont say you think it should stop because you can write what you want, i can write what i want, and the person who has been to all of the My Chemical Romance concerts before can write what they think about or think will make an excellent story.

Also spme of the very best have had these themes in them.

I agree that most of the fics on this site are unrealistic, and that a good story can be written without the characters having an eating dissorder or coming from an abusive relationship etc. But in the end it is the authors decision to include those themes in their stories. I'm not trying to come off as rude, but if you find stories like that offensive because they are unrealistic, you don't have to read them. There are plenty of other fics that don't include those themes.

@Chloe_XD13

no no no no no. You can't tell me that someone reading this makes them better. Trust me. When I was trying to figure out how to kill myself, looking through stories so I didn't go do something worse instead, none of these helped me. Not one. Do you know why? Because they ARE unrealistic, because most of them are childish, and almost all of them are complete fantasy. I'm not saying that you absolutely can't write about someone who has depression, but write it with some respect! Write about how it can take weeks for someone to not feel guilty about being happy, write about how sometimes you know someone wants to help but you don't want them disappointed in not getting well so you push them away, write about how different medications make you sick and sometimes make things worse before the chemicals start working.

Just don't expect me to sit here and read about how just because someone got a kiss in the hallway from their crush they are instantly better.

@MCR_ShatteredHeart

I'm not saying that a writer who uses those things as a plot device is a bad writer. I'm saying that if a person HAS to have something like that for a character to be 'interesting', if they cannot write a character without that, that without a suicide attempt under their belt the character is 'boring', that's what makes someone a bad writer. There are so many more things that can give a character the angst that most people (myself included) like to read and write about.

Okay first I completely understand where you are coming from, I really do. It's like they're almost making a joke out if the situation, right? Here's the thing, I think it's been mentioned but these people could be going through these situations and maybe this is how they wish things woul actually happen. I don't see it as unrealistic expectations from the writers but maybe more like wishful thinking and hope.

I do agree I think there could be different situations involved in stories and as I say that I am aware I am a quilty party. One of my stories a girl is attacked by her boyfriend and in another the girl in the beginning tried to commit suicide. However I would like to think I'm doing both of these situations justice.

Now one thing that's bothering me is you calling people who use these situations "bad writers". It's not that they're bad writers, some it's their first fanfic and others this is practice to get better. I just think calling them bad writers is a little harsh and it's not going to help anyone.

I think we've covered that issues mentally and physically cannot just magically disappear with a kiss or the words "I love you." Again what if the writer is feeling suicidal and just wished there was someone to say those words, maybe it would make them feel a bit better. I don't think it would fix everything right then and there but again it's that wishful thinking and hoping. What can't happen in real life can in the story because it's a story, it's fiction.

Again I seriously get where you are coming from, I really do. I just don't think you should be hateful to those writers when you don't know their story. Maybe a comment on the story giving a nice critique, it would help then become better writers. Hope this all makes sense, sorry it's long and I'm not trying to start anything.

xoxo
Emily

@Leah

I agree with your reply to DeadPony but losing your hand is very rare im not saying that it COULDNT happen but its rare. I am a self harmer and i have depression. I dont have a problem when i read this and see someone who has these. Gerard way for example had depression. Vic Fuentes used to self harm. So we are either writing what our heroes have done that they have survived or we are coping with what we do. I mean would you rather have a 12 year old depressdd and cutting or would you rather have he reading a fanfic with her heroes who are dealing with her problems...

-Chloe_XD13

@Chloe_XD13

see the comment I just made to Dead Pony.

Also, in reply to you, there are many ways to have a character be in pain, physically or emotionally, without mental illness being involved. It's not about who's right or wrong here, it's about people being decent human beings and not trivializing serious illnesses.

@Dead Pony

Let's try to put this in to perspective. I don't think this is any less serious, but just for example, let's say you had suffered an accident and lost your hand. You are very self conscious about it. It bothers you ever day and even if you wear a prosthetic or have physical therapy to deal with any residual pain or weakness from the injury, you know it's not going to get better.

Now imagine that you saw people doing things like, wrapping their hands in bandages and pretending they didn't have a hand. Or writing about characters that cut off their hands because someone left them, or about people who magically recovered their hand and were perfectly healthy because someone loved them despite their injury. How would that make you feel? That people are acting like it's not a big deal to be without a hand? That it's something that can be fixed instantly with a new boyfriend, or that it's something that doesn't affect someone every day? Or that people read these and think that they can cure someone with love when sometimes even giving your soul to someone can't help?

that's how I feel with how most of these stories are portrayed. That they don't take something serious that is indeed very serious, and affects the people that deal with it every day. Sometimes people don't realize that just a kiss won't cure everything.

Oops it the submit button 2 times sorry

@Leah
I jave dealt with all three as well and what I put in my story is what I want! And some people put a. Little to much in there story and some put only a little and we know that a kiss doesn't make it go away believe me I know but it's their story's and their life and I respect your opinion but sometimes your gonna have to get over it no offence (sent from my iPod sorry for bad grammar or anything)

@Leah
I jave dealt with all three as well and what I put in my story is what I want! And some people put a. Little to much in there story and some put only a little and we know that a kiss doesn't make it go away believe me I know but it's their story's and their life and I respect your opinion but sometimes your gonna have to get over it no offence (sent from my iPod sorry for bad grammar or anything)

@Leah
I understand your views but im not saying that the problem has to involve a suicidal ideation or depression or eating disorders im saying that a tradgedy can increase the want to read a story. I mean not everyone can relate to suicide. But you can relate to a hardship in your life, like a timw when you got in trouble for something bad or anything really. Now not saying a kiss magicall makes a problem disappear, i know that. Im saying someone there who is there for you. For example my best friend loves me and hates to see me sad or just broken. And when she texts me and it says something like "You need to stay here and you can survive" i feel hope. A story needs hope for te character that has that sense of pain. Im not saying that it has to be something bad like harming yourself in many ways, it could be like a murder or a car crash or a loved one dying. But you still need that love to say that everything Isnt gone.

I know you think people should stop but in some cases tey are telling their stories. Not all of them but some of them. It is the way we can express ourselves and our thoughts. If we feel like shit one day, and you write fanfic (for any band not neccisarily My Chemical Romance) but you can put that in there and create an alternate day for you.

To close i know that there can be many amazing stories with out harming yourself but the ones with it and the author has a connection with it are some of the very best because they are real, not saying others are terrible but the connections just give some hope. Especially when these people have their heroes in these stories either cutting or attempting suicide and them getting better not from love but just getting better it puts hope. Knowing that yeah its not real but reality is what you choose if you read fanfic and you wish it were reality then let it be but everyone has their opinions and i do not hate from what you say i under sstand it from what your point is and there are probably like a gazillion people that agree with you and there a gazillion that agree with me so it is just the way you think and i totally respect that.

Chloe_XD13 Stay Ugly!

@Chloe_XD13
You can have an interesting story without self harm or suicide! You can have a good story without any of that! A relationship can be tense because of an affair, or lost love, or Gerard broke his leg and can't do house work so Frank gets mad at him, idk! Anything, the problem can be literally ANYTHING ELSE.

Obviously someone else case, I care!! I can't relate to a single character who wants to commit suicide because it's written childishly and is in no way realistic or respectful to ME, who has had issues with both self harm and suicidal thoughts and had to deal with family members who also had trouble with that.

You can have someone tell you that they love you and you'll be ok! But can it be for a different reason?

How do you think I feel knowing that I have to deal with doctors and medication and the stigma of a mental illness when in a story it just magically goes away with a kiss? it's unrealistic and makes people not understand what it's REALLY like. That's why I'm so passionate about this and I think people should stop.

So not trying to sound smart here but, with out the love that makws things better in these fanfics how the fuck do we get interested. Yeah, i understand that love wont cure a damn thing but this is our creative minds, no one elses. We make these characters attempt suicide and self harm and have eating disorders because we can relate to them. And all we want to have is love telling us it will be okay now that there is someone there for us. But in general where is the story with out love and a problem. You can not just say someone had an eating disorder and the end. In our minds love can cure that...

Chloe_XD13 Keep Running!

@Dead Pony
oops pressed submit twice sorry

@Dead Pony
but from what I've seen, it is completely disrespectful for people who actually have depression, live in an abusive relationship, or deal with self harm. I've dealt with all three, personally, and never ONCE have I seen something dealt with respectfully or even realistically! You can have angst and drama in a story WITHOUT a character trying to kill themselves, you can have a tense relationship without it being centered around a character's self harm.

I wouldn't care less if people wrote about any of that but NO ONE does it in a way that portrays what actually happens. It only shows fantasy and gives people unrealistic expectations about what it's like to live with any of that.

Ok I understand where you are coming from but maybe they do that to express their feelings or maybe their
life events and trust I know boyfriends or girlfriends are NOT going to help but let people do what they want and I respect your opinion but people have different ways of writing and mine is one of the things with self harm and abuse but people like my story and it actually depends on how you write it~ Dead Pony