What is Dark?

There are books that we call Dark.  There are ideas we call Dark.

What is Dark to readers?

Are we sitting in a room trying to read with no lights on.  No, although ereaders do help with this dark issue these days. ;P

What makes a read Dark to you?

I've used the term when writing a few reviews as well.  The author has gone deep into emotions -- emotions that are sparked from not so pleasant happenings.  Not always does there have to be death, but it's a very good indicator too.  The world of the story can have a dark feel.  Now, I almost wanted to put negative in the place of dark.  The world is usually not a happy place, bad things are at work and that adds to the dark feel for me.  The characters can be dark.  This might be where some of the death comes in.  And unpleasant things are done to other characters, or maybe already done to the ones you have.

I'm thinking you need some light in this to counter the dreariness created.  Some sort of hope to balance out the down of the dark.  Or even a small spark of hope that things can change.  Something needs a spark to shine through, show there could be something good that comes from all the dreariness that pulls down.

Or, is dark simply a scary feeling you get when reading?  I've heard that reference a few times.

Words...are there words associated with the dark feeling of a story you read?

Where have you found dark books at?  Fantasy, Urban Fantasy?  What about with Romance?  A blend of a dreary dark tale and a spark of a romance that could make it through the doomed world around them?



Just a thought to maybe spark some thoughts...

Writing Update - June

Melissa:

Jackie's been buried under school work and I've been buried under family stuff.

It's been a rough month of June around here.  Not much writing is getting done.  June was to be a big month for me.  I had HUGE plans for my stories - research and re-writing to prepare for July.  Ha!  Life always has different ideas for us.  Although, I know my mind keeps wondering back to the stories I have here and want to get working on to get to a ground zero draft.  Even to the thanks of Danielle (a great friend on Twitter) I've come up with more LOADS MORE! ideas in one world I've been working.  And maybe even different stand-alone novella stories.  :) We'll see what happens, if I ever get to experiment with them.

But with the month of hellballs I've not got to make any actual words.  Lots of family issues to get through and I haven't even got to do around my own house yet.  As of the weekend, I was digging a long ditch in the rain and mud.  So, July is off to a slow start.

But, talking about July.  You know I can't refuse a challenge.  Not that it's a challenge, but I'm totally addicted to NaNoWriMo.  Gives me a reason to sit my arse in the chair and work.  Well, Camp NaNoWriMo is running for July as well.  I had to sign up.  Yes, it was a last minute thing, but I'm doing it.

My goal...only a simple 10k words.  I know, that was my goal in April and I not only met it I surpassed it by 20k.  I'm not planning on that this round.  This round I'm going to re-write and write new.  They both will be in the same world, just different characters in the next novella book.  The story will continue.  That is my goal, and I will stick to it.  (It's hard for me, but I want to do it and have my mind set on it.)

So, if you see me struggling on Twitter during July, give me a shove to keep going.  Now, into July we go...

Have a great month!