Point is, you can't have light without the dark, saints without the sinners. If your protagonists have nothing they must overcome, then you don't have a story. No one wants to read about Harry Potter waking up, then spending all day in his jammies reading books while drinking buttermilk. Sure it'd be hella relaxing and we'd definitely relate, but a good book it wouldn't be. Your stories can be as dark as you need them to be. Don't be afraid to reveal a character who is a psychopath, a Hitler-clone, Jack the Ripper II, or Charles Manson. Let him or her be the last person we'd ever wish to meet in our lives. As for Poe's demise, I watched a documentary once that claimed he had died of rabies when a rabid cat, ironically his most favorite animal, either bit him or scratched him. @Lemex - Both Poe's mother and his wife died of tuberculosis. #historynerdmoment
Agreed! A thousand times over. I think that's why one can find a Pixar movie heartbreaking and a horror movie laughable. There is just so much power in contrast.
Thanks everyone, this has given me some nice perspective. I realized some things I hadn't before. On reflection my writing has had some very "light" moments. I guess maybe I was judging myself a bit harshly.
