Why add unnecessary suffering, especially when it is not needed and over the top?

[Alfir]

It is necessary to create edgy characters

 

[Le_ther]

Before I start let me clarify some things. This is not an attack on anyone but an actual question. Is it just failed attempts at drama? Is it something going over my head? Why is it so common in the adventure genera, that it feels like 70% of these stories have it? Also, I understand that some stories, like tragedies, are all about suffering, but I am not talking about those. I am talking about when said suffering is unneeded, unexpected, and, oftentimes, the story would barely change if the scene(s) was replaced with something more benign. I am also not talking about those edgy stories we wrote as kids when rebelling while saying things like ‘morality is nothing more than the chains that tie us down and keep us weak’. I am asking why add unneeded random suffering in something like a romcom?

Often times whenI am reading some action/adventure story, it randomly becomes some sort of suffering or torture porn. Justifying it by saying it is the proof that you can not be nice, but the amount of pain they create at that point is absurdly unrealistic in that situation. It is like killing someone because they stuttered in a typical romcom. It just feels unwanted, cheap, and edgy to me.

It also isn’t always physical pain, but also sometimes emotional pain. Too often a character will randomly betray someone because the protagonists life needs to start as a tragedy, or there will be a arbitrary 50 page disagreement over something so esoteric that the conflict feels as if it is just put there for conflicts sake. I understand that this is now often meme’d on in the young master/lady trope, but I am not talking about that. I am talking about your typical fantasy story where a party is randomly torn apart because LotR did it, or a romance where the partners misunderstand eachother, and now look for someone else while everyone is unhappy until the very end of the story, and yet the situation could be fixed with two or three sentences. Seriously, what is the point to that suffering?

Most people think that a gary stu or mary sue characters are trash

 

[sam9501]

Before I start let me clarify some things. This is not an attack on anyone but an actual question. Is it just failed attempts at drama? Is it something going over my head? Why is it so common in the adventure genera, that it feels like 70% of these stories have it? Also, I understand that some stories, like tragedies, are all about suffering, but I am not talking about those. I am talking about when said suffering is unneeded, unexpected, and, oftentimes, the story would barely change if the scene(s) was replaced with something more benign. I am also not talking about those edgy stories we wrote as kids when rebelling while saying things like ‘morality is nothing more than the chains that tie us down and keep us weak’. I am asking why add unneeded random suffering in something like a romcom?

Often times whenI am reading some action/adventure story, it randomly becomes some sort of suffering or torture porn. Justifying it by saying it is the proof that you can not be nice, but the amount of pain they create at that point is absurdly unrealistic in that situation. It is like killing someone because they stuttered in a typical romcom. It just feels unwanted, cheap, and edgy to me.

It also isn’t always physical pain, but also sometimes emotional pain. Too often a character will randomly betray someone because the protagonists life needs to start as a tragedy, or there will be a arbitrary 50 page disagreement over something so esoteric that the conflict feels as if it is just put there for conflicts sake. I understand that this is now often meme’d on in the young master/lady trope, but I am not talking about that. I am talking about your typical fantasy story where a party is randomly torn apart because LotR did it, or a romance where the partners misunderstand eachother, and now look for someone else while everyone is unhappy until the very end of the story, and yet the situation could be fixed with two or three sentences. Seriously, what is the point to that suffering?

Edge

 

[Oreo]

Seriously, what is the point to that suffering?

It's like filler chapter/episodes. Some author want to make their story longer.

 

[StainedGlassThreads]

Personally I write and read stories where the characters suffer a lot because that's what entertains me. Some people will write fluffy slice-of-life or power fantasy isekais because that's what they find comforting and inspiring. Not me. Watching a character drag themself through literal hell, or dragged through it by their friends, until they can all reach a point where they're capable of resting and recovering, is more comforting and inspiring to me.
Bad things will probably happen in my life, and I probably will not be one of the lucky few who win the lottery or gets whisked away to become the chosen one with a harem of adoring lovers. So I'd instead like to watch someone survive something significantly worse, so I'll know I can be strong enough to drag myself through stuff like that too, or that other people will help me through it. And I'd like to provide a similar comfort to others, if it's possible.
Everyone has their own wish fulfillment, but also everyone gets wish fulfillment from different places. I happen to get it from Immense Suffering, paradoxically.

...Or maybe I'm just a really edgy personality. Who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I do agree with what others have added, that sometimes it's an inexperienced author clumsily trying to create conflict and the like, but thought I'd add this perspective too.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

I make my characters suffer for growth purposes and so that certain characters could unlock hidden abilities like regeneration. Though I take it easy on them for the most part once they've suffered enough for the plot. I also use it to expose how evil and desperate the villains are. Was it entirely necessary? No. Did it help develope the characters and plot? Yes. Did the suffering characters learn and grow as a result? Yes. If all the answers to these questions were no then it would have been pointless.

 

[BearlyAlive]

My story starts with my MC being imprisoned by a group of idiots that rule a whole kingdom of smarter people by mind controlling them. Does that count as needless suffering?

Anyway, melodrama is unneeded outside of tragedies where it's essential. But it gives the same kind of kick that mindless harem powertrips seem to give weebs, so 'current year writers' drown their stories in it like they're dipping nachos into sauce.

Can't even watch any TV without either teenage melodrama or power trips. Where's the good old engaging story? Where's the need to think for yourself? And where's my f*cking sanwich?!?

 

[kophzi]

I just like making my characters suffer.
:)

 

[LilTV1155]

Humans are cruel and they need something to vent their emotions on.

 

[Premier]

It's cheap heat.

Don't need to plot out a proper story, just have bad shit happen to your character for no real reason.