We hurt the ones we love the most.

[kohaku]

A recent entry in lotrips_finders reminded me of something I wondered about for quite some time now:

Why is there such a huge demand for stories where our boys get injured or hurt or suffer in any way? Why do readers want to read about it and why do writers feel the need to write about it?

I have seen those stories in all of my fandoms, and except for Deathfic I did read some of them too. I don't mean to judge those stories, I just want to know if there are essays about it. I have read so many good essays on the subject of fan fiction, but haven't found any theories whatsoever on this particular subject.

So. Please help me. Are there essays, or do you have opinions, thoughts? Anything really. :)

Comments

[fractal-moonshi.livejournal.com]

I did a little googling, and found this site, which has lots of entertaining-looking reading material:

The Fanfic Symposium: Columns by Topic
http://www.trickster.org/symposium/coltopic.html

These are four articles on the site that I read, that are relevant to your question. Some of the others may be, as well.

Hurt/Comfort: a Confession and a Celebration by Renae
http://www.trickster.org/symposium/symp55.html

We Always Hurt the Ones We Love by Lucy Gilliam
http://www.trickster.org/symposium/symp13.htm

Why On Earth Rape Fics Exist by Emmuzka
http://www.trickster.org/symposium/symp109.html

You're a Spiteful Bitch! Why I Hurt the Ones I Love by Cyndiana
http://www.trickster.org/symposium/symp145.html

[kohaku1977.livejournal.com]

Sadly I'm at work now, and can't read them but THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I love love love your comment(s) about the subject itself. I haven't really thought about the concept of hurt in common fiction. Maybe because a novel normally is longer than the average fan fiction, and therefore the hurt does not seem to be so severe or "concentrated". In fan fiction, a lot of hurt is inflicted during a very short period of time. I remember that kidnapping stories were very popular once. So there really happens a lot, while in a novel it might take a few chapters.

Do you know The Hero's Journey, as Joseph Campbell describes it? If you don't, it's basically you have described when you talked about the hero having to face obstacles to reach a goal. Campbell's writings about the Hero's journey in world literature is fascinating, if you do want to look it up however, the book is called "Hero with a Thousand Faces."

You made me realise the different ways in which I consume fiction (as in novels) and fan fiction. With fan fiction I don't expect there to be character development in the sense of a history of the character. In novels this "history" or pre-story not only helps in understanding a character or in creating a believable character, it's also some kind of foreshadowing of what might happen later on.

Maybe that's why the violence in fanfiction always strikes me as harder.

I'm curious about your story and I'm looking forward to reading it. The hurt you're protraying is of a more realistic kind, as opposed to hurt inflicted randomly by total strangers. I'm also looking foward to reading the story you linked and the material in the comment. <3

Thank you so much!