Light hearted vs Serious

[Flaze]

So this thread is very simple with what it's about, I'm not really good at coming up with deep discussions but I was actually wondering about this myself.

So we all have our tastes in what we like to write and read, that can vary from person to person as everyone has a different opinion on how things should be.

So basically, when it comes to stories do you prefer light hearted or serious stories. This might differ between reading and writing though as some people prefer to write serious stories but might like to read more light hearted stuff or vice versa.

I myself like a bit of both, I think that they're both elements that go hand in hand and that combining them works better, and it's how these two elements balance out that really brings out a story. Not that I don't think all serious stories can't be good especially since a lot of popular movies and books and tv shows have serious stories, but I still think that there should be that sense of comedy and cheerfulness or something like that from time to time.

When it comes to my writing I like to mix up both genres together but I myself lean more towards more light hearted stuff, I can write them up better plus it lets me have more fun and picks up my mood.

When it comes to reading I don't really mind and I feel mostly the same way as when I write, though again I do like my comedy.

 

[AetherX]

When reading, I absolutely have to have both. Life has it's ups and downs, so unless you're writing a really short story then your plot should have its ups and downs too. It really gives your characters more depth to see how they handle themselves in both serious and lighthearted situations.

As for my writing... I try to go for a balance, but I honestly am not sure how well I do it. I often feel like my writing is moodier and darker than I mean it to be, but I haven't really gotten feedback on that aspect. I make a conscious effort to add some humor, even in the darker moments, but I might be the only person that finds myself funny.

One way or another, I really think having a mix adds to the impact of both kind of moments. If you're writing a really dark fic, then it doesn't feel like that big of a deal when a character dies. But when you have happy moments to fall down from, then sad/dark events hit so much harder. On the other end, light moments seem much happier and can actually be treasured by the reader when they're coming up from darker moments.

 

[Dread Advocate]

When reading, I tend to prefer a bit more serious stuff. I don't mind light-heartedness, so long as it's appropriate. The Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, and Kane Chronicles have light-hearted content down almost perfectly, and mix it and seriousness very well. But in my readings of Ted Dekker's works, they're almost completely humorless.

When writing, it really depends on what I'm writing. The Epoch of Aletheia is pretty serious, and it can be difficult to be light-hearted unless one specific character is involved in the scene. Star Soul is also pretty serious, but because of how much I eat, sleep and breathe and how heavily inspired it is by Star Wars I find it relatively easy to balance it out.

 

[kintsugi]

I go fairly grimdark in my own writing, but I enjoy reading a wide range of works. I guess my ideal range would be mildly dark with a good mix of humor--Attack on Titan, for instance (a show with which I have fallen wildly in love), is an anime/manga about a post-apocalyptic world where zombies pop in from the sky and eat everyone, and most of the cast ends up dead, but there are still some really funny moments (potato). And on the less depressing end of the spectrum, there are shows like Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra, which have some surprisingly heavy subject matter and yet make some hilarious jokes around it (although more humor in AtLA than in LoK, I think).

I'd definitely go for a nice mix in both in most works, but I've read some really exceptional works that are almost entirely grimdark. I haven't found purely light/comedy works yet that I've loved, but I'm sure they exist.

So I guess it really depends on the author at it's core lame response is lame, I know

 

[matt0044]

I go fairly grimdark in my own writing, but I enjoy reading a wide range of works. I guess my ideal range would be mildly dark with a good mix of humor--Attack on Titan, for instance (a show with which I have fallen wildly in love), is an anime/manga about a post-apocalyptic world where zombies pop in from the sky and eat everyone, and most of the cast ends up dead, but there are still some really funny moments (potato).

Higurashi also provides a good balance, showing the good and bad humans are capable of in such a believable and compelling way. It's this sort of balance than Horror movies (nowadays) need because it helps us get invested in the characters enough to be horrified when the s**t hits the fan.

 

[Crystalanachrony]

Like most people here, I tend towards a mix. Really what attracts me to a story is not how fluffy or grimdark it is, but how it presents it. You can have the darkest, most morbid story on the history of the planet -- but if you write it in a snarky, fast-talking way, then I will probably appreciate it more than the same story written completely dry. It doesn't matter whether the story is idyllic or dystopian, happy or sad subject matter. I just want to have a good, lively, sufficiently snarktastic narration.

 

[harryheart]

Following the trade, I'm one who likes a good mix of both because I believe it greatly adds depth to a story and helps us to understand characters better, have a better understanding of a scene or allow suspense and tension to work in a more dramatic way too. Also I just find it adds a nice 'flavour' to a story where before it may have just been quite bland. Sometimes stories can be too light hearted or too serious, and having elements of both help break that up a bit more.

 

[Glitchipedia]

I like reading both. When it comes to writing, I tend to lean towards the more serious end. Mostly because I think that's how the world at large is.

 

[moosie]

For me, like anything I read, it just depends if I find the plot interesting. For example, some of the nuzlockes I read. Some of them are serious as heck, with no room for silliness anywhere (Pokemon: Pitch Black for example, having a sadistic, possibly insane protagonist who'd kill for a fancy pair of shoes and promote poké-cannibalism ._.) to more light hearted and silly ones like Petty's, Kynim's works and stuff, though, really these two's works can be a mix. And many many more examples outside of Pokemon fanfiction/comics. Just, whatever sounds like it'd be interesting to read/watch.

For writing, it's kind of the same, whatever whim or mood I feel like when I'm writing/planning/sketching. It's usually a mix, though (that is... If I could improve my humor :x )

 

[Drakon]

I lean towards the darker, high octane stories. But I'm not averse to comedy in high octane stories.

 

[Baby Seals]

I like having dark moments in my fics, but normally there is a happy ending. I mix comedy and drama quite well - two of my most comedic OCs have an evil, overly restrictive, mother who is not played for laughs.