I wish I could write. God, do I wish I could write. But, I can't. And it's
beyond me why I even try. It seems to me as though all the really good fics
are always dark or depressing. I can't write dark and depressing fics. It's
impossible for me too. I can never really be serious, and this is a REAL
big problem for me. I have failed several classes because I could not write
a serious paper. Looking at some of the lab reports I have turned in, it's
amazing I passed physics. If I can't write a serious lab report, there is
no way I can write a serious story.

I can sympathise with you. I hate "dark and depressing" fics as well and
avoid them as much as possible. If I ever want to read something that will
get me depressed, I can just look at a newspaper. 

So obviously, I don't regard being "dark and depressing" as a prereqiusite
for high quality any story (fanfic, anime, movie or anything else). *BUT*,
and this is a big but, as has been often stated, conflict (whether physical,
emotional, verbal or otherwise) is the most important part in any story. I
can't remember who, but somebody said that you have to get the characters
*INTO* the worst situation possible before you can get them out of it.  And
you should always try to keep the ending in doubt for as long as possible)

I'll use an example from one of my own fics. In "Guardian Angel", readers
were meant believe that Iczer-1 and Iczer-2's souls had been destroyed. 
*I*, as the writer, knew all along that they would be brought back at the
end, but I tried not to give it away to the readers.

Other examples of this philosophy at work can be seen in a a whole heap of
different anime. For example, in the ending episodes of the first series 
of _Sailor Moon_, all the senshi except Sailor Moon are killed, and 
Endymion is brainwashed by Beryl into trying to kill Sailor Moon. And at 
the climax of _Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind_, Nausicaa is helpless to
stop the stampede of angry Ohmu. In both of these anime, it looks very much
like the main character is doomed and there's no hope, yet they both have
happy endings. Even a film as bright and happy as _Kiki's Delivery Service_
has a period like this, when it looks like Kiki's lost her magical powers.

In conclusion, a story doesn't have to be dark and depressing to be good -
just make sure that the characters EARN their happy ending.

Hope this helps :-D

  


___________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Dynon, Eternal champion of all things Iczer and Mekton-Z

CAESAR: Brutus, why does this man follow such a profession?
BRUTUS: For money, Caesar. He tells me he wants to die rich.
CAESAR: And so he shall. Give him this sack of gold and then strangle him.
   - The Goon Show: The Histories of Pliny the Elder