The Webnovel Writer's Chatgroup 31 What Is A Story? Part 1

Why? Because…I don't want people to judge them for voicing out their own beliefs. Everyone is ent.i.tled to an opinion and Authors are ent.i.tled to theirs. This topic is very sensitive so I have to ensure that they won't kill me after they read this chapter. To my fellow authors, Ahem! Don't kill me.

The censored word is EPAR spelled backwards.]

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Elyon just finished uploading his new chapter in Webnovels, when he decided to visit the Writer's Discord Chatroom. He thought that it will be just one of those "usual days" when authors talk about random things and complete utter nonsense. Little did he know that today, he will witness one of the most heated debates that ever happened since he joined the server.

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Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: I'll say it once and say it loud for the people in the back: There's nothing wrong with putting **** in a story as a plot device, but when it's the point of the story and shown as exemplary behavior by the main character, you should be committed to asylum.

LickMyShoes: Biggest fking thing that some people just can't seem to understand.

Murakami_Takai: *Every writer of magical realism flinches*

Elyon: lmao! Include fantasy writers there as well.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: What does magical realism have to do with anything? I don't recall **** in any of the GGM or Kafka stories I read.

Murakami_Takai: *WN magical realism.

WWFire: Why does "****" should come out on all magical realism -_-

SpicyGinger: Just bc sb writes about **** and the mc acts like he didn't do a bad thing doesn't mean the author needs to be in asylum... it just means realistic and faithful to character bc any kind of characters exist.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: Translated or Original?

SpicyGinger: Now I hate ****... but I can't accept what he said.

WWFire: Magical realism rise and falls fast.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: The entire point of the story glorifies ****. That's why it's unacceptable.

SpicyGinger: Like how?

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: I could see maybe a novel with an anti-protag who falls into darkness and ends up raping someone, though it'd be very hard to read for me personally. But, when the plot of the story is all about how this guy is going around raping women, that's just not okay. Meanwhile, kids are on the site reading about this. Webnovel advertises it cause it's getting a bunch of clicks.

WWFire: I'd rather have an mc that is anti-hero rather than a full-blown villain.

Flameyaksha: I rather have a comedic one.

SpicyGinger: Why is it not okay? Its a story... anything can happen... fiction isn't about morality... and there is an age restriction.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: How do I get this across to you?

Murakami_Takai: There is no premise to **** novels.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: There are some things that should not be immortalized on the page.

LickMyShoes: The way you write a story depicts the kind of morals you have.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: I might not go so far as to say that...But, I think if your entire fantasy world is built around the premise of ****, then that's seriously problematic and at the very least you need therapy.

LickMyShoes: The way if **** is needed, then so be it. But, how it's portrayed plays a lot into that.

SpicyGinger: Ow... so you write to show your morals.... I personally write to create a world as real as possible... with no bias from my morality.

Murakami_Takai: Actually, why is **** being portrayed in anything other than a "tell"?

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: Then that's sending the subliminal message that "Hey, this is a good thing."

Elyon watched the discussion with a frown. He can feel that the tension is rising by the minute. The way things are going, it could only go to a full-blown debate if the mods don't step in, and stop the discussion.

Murakami Takai: What's the point in showing a **** scene if your story isn't focused on what **** can do to the person being raped?

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: In some cases, there is merit to showing it to showcase the character's development. The trauma they experience in the moment.

SpicyGinger: @Mr.DropDeads.e.xy I'm not trying to teach the world morals... I would describe a world where any kind of character exists.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: And how that moves into the afterward. @SpicyGinger What is the point of a story?

SpicyGinger: Where bad things happen Evil wins. Evil rapes and doesn't feel guilty.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: Just answer that. What is the point of a story?

SpicyGinger: Anything.

Murakami Takai: A story teaches us things that we probably won't be able to experience ourselves; and prepares us for "if" that happens lol.

Elyon: Tsk @Murakami Takai You've read too many isekai novels.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: I don't know. I give up honestly.

Murakami Takai: Stories, in general, are there to teach us something.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: It's truly concerning that you can't understand what's wrong with having a story centered around the glorification of ****.

Elyon: The premise of asking writers the question "What is a Story?" is amazing in itself because it can lead to many answers depending on how the author perceives his own works.

Murakami Takai: No, a story is not something that's up for debate.

SpicyGinger: I don't get you guys... why should a story teach positive things all the times? Why can't it show the world where extremely ugly people exist? Where bad endings exist... bad ppl **** and get away with it...Why does a writer who writes something bad needs to be reprimanded? You don't know him and u can't judge him just because of that... maybe just like I said, he's trying his own style without letting his feelings and how the world will see him as get in the way…

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: A story can have plenty of purposes: Pleasure, moral, fantasy, etc. @SpicyGinger BECAUSE IT'S NOT SHOWING THE CHARACTER DOING IT AS BAD.

WWFire: Bottom line; no one should say that your mc (or any char) is normal when they say "Any people in the world should be able to freely **** without any repercussion."

Murakami Takai: What I mean is, "what is a story" has one answer.

Elyon: Hehe and that answer is?

Murakami Takai: and that answer is to get a point across.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: IT'S PUTTING THE ACT OF **** ON A PEDESTAL, SUBLIMINALLY TEACHING THAT "DOING THIS IS A GOOD THING. WHY WOULD SOMETHING THAT FEELS GOOD BE BAD?"

Murakami Takai: To deliver your premise that you have come up with as an author

SpicyGinger: If he says it's good... then it's wrong... but if he writes about it without letting his own voice interfere in the story... it's okay... he just needs to not interfere himself.

Sleepis4theWeak: I agree to SpicyGinger it shouldn't be all rainbows and clear skies in the novels.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: I never said it should be all rainbows. OF COURSE, bad characters should exist. Bad people exist. There would be no conflict without them.

Sleepis4theWeak: We are free to be a reflection of the dark side of the world.

Mr.DropDeads.e.xy: Writing about the human condition is one of the things that makes novelism interesting. But, it's literally just some XX-year-old neckbeard's fantasy about going out on the street and becoming powerful by raping innocent women.

CoolGuySan: Yeesus. Tf. I come back and I come to this. If it's like a social thought experiment kinda deal then sure, but power fantasy **** is never a good thing IMO.

LickMyShoes: What you write impacts the reader and it is an author's responsibility to know what kind of message their novel is giving out to others.

Sleepis4theWeak: True. But, it is the reader's own decision to be influenced or not. Either way, both have responsibilities and own mind.

The authors who usually lurk in the back of the Discord chatroom stirred because of this heated discussion. They watched in bated breath on how this scene will come to a close.

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Elyon leaned back on his chair and asked himself "What is a story?" If he was to answer as a reader, he would probably say.

'A story is something that I enjoy reading. There are good and bad stories. There are stories that I like and dislike. For example, I don't particularly read Mystery and Science Fiction novels because I can't relate to them.'

A very simple answer, because as readers they only care about the story that they find interesting. But, as a writer? Elyon pondered for a bit before coming to a conclusion.

'For me, storytelling is giving life to characters. The moment that the readers see these "characters" as living, breathing ent.i.ties and not just some written text proves that the author has succeeded in bringing his story to life.'

'Indeed. An author can have many definitions of what a story is. My reason for writing a story is to pa.s.s a message to the people. Every author has their own reason for writing a story. Each and every one of them has their own opinions and perspective on how they create their WORLD.'

'Their world, their rules, their responsibilities.'

Elyon looked at the discord chatroom. He knew that this discussion will sooner or later come to an end. It will only be a matter of time. The only question is…what will the ending be?

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When will the curtain fall? Obviously, it will be on the next installment of Writer's Chatgroup.

Until then, ask yourself…What is a story to you? Feel free to post your answer in the comment section.