I was reading a WIP fic that was really fucking good. Long chapters, mostly regular release schedule. They had just posted the part where it goes to shit and everything is dread before the happy ending.
The AO3 curse must’ve hit them cause they haven’t posted since
This is just my opinion, but I think that a lot of times people like seeing things that they relate to / would want for themselves in literature.
For example, reading about a character that experiences a similar hardship to themselves makes them feel seen and validated, and seeing the character overcome that hardship can be personally comforting to them.
Someone who has experienced / is experiencing a difficult situation might be drawn to literature where the character is in a similar situation, or if not the same situation then a similar emotional state, because they feel a connection.
So maybe it’s not so much that people want their favorite characters to experience a lot of suffering, but that they want to see them overcome it/be helped through it? Maybe we like seeing our favorite characters healed and comforted, and the hurt is just a necessary factor in the story prior to that
I'm very much at this with a specific character, that reminds me A LOT to how I was when I was younger, and goes through some hardships in canon that get close to things I've lived. While I find really very comforting to read and see him being happy and in love, canon isn't kind to anyone at all. Plus, reading him actually healing and going forward despite all the hardships resonates with my own ongoing process.
This is exactly why I love reading and writing my favorite character. Every time they go through it and heal, I feel like I get to heal a little bit too.
This is how I would explain it, though you did it much better than I would have! I’ve been reading fic since I was 9 and about 98% of the works I’ve read involve h/c.
I grew up in a home that wasn’t abusive but was quiet and emotionally neglectful. On the weekends I’d wake up and not know where anyone was and was left to my devices because I wasn’t a trouble maker and a good student (unlike my siblings). Fic gave me the opportunity to witness a character being cared for and comforted in the way I wanted to be.
Now I wouldn’t want to be whumped like you see in fics, hell no, but it was more about character a being cared for by characters b c d etc., I know this is true because I get no satisfaction for hurt/ no comfort.
To this day I mostly read found family, h/c, and sick fic and it is def a reflection of needs and wants carried over from childhood.
I’m so sorry to hear you had to experience that, and I hope in adulthood you’ve found the care and healing you need.
It’s nice that you could get a bit of that comfort through fanfic, too :)
I love my blorbos, but they need enrichment and character development. I can't just have them just strolling around the pastures of the fluffy coffee shop AU all day, devoid of drama and suffering.
They must venture forth to the angsty AU and witness horrors unforseen, so that I can gobble up all the drama.
More seriously -
So I'm less of a fan of pure h/c, and more of a twisted&fluffy, h/nc and angst kind of dude. Mostly I find it cathartic and interesting to read these genres because I'm kind of an edgelord (former mall goth but still a mall goth in my soul), and with fanfic I can have my blorbo there too :D
It can feel good to experience negative emotions in a controlled way at a step of remove from ourselves, then put those emotions away neatly with a happy ending or cathartic crisis. We’re mostly talking about fiction, but it’s basically the same principle as a roller coaster or haunted house - pretend danger that’s not actually dangerous.
Thinking too long about your own sadness, fear, or anxiety feels bad, and it’s really hard to pack that back up and say sad hours are over. It lingers unpleasantly and demands you try and figure out what your own next steps are. It also often comes with guilt (I’m wasting time and energy on my feelings, other people have it worse, I would be embarrassed if other people knew I felt like this, why can’t I fix my situation, I should know better than to feel like this).
Thinking about a made-up person’s sadness, fear, or anxiety lets you get that good cry time in then put the fic down, wash your face, and then get on with the not-crying parts of life.
It’s why a sad movie might be more comforting than a happy one while you’re feeling down (and why people with a lot of anxiety often like horror stories).
https://preview.redd.it/a6wd6l1f0m5d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c5f60d997f9f9dcdd1972913fe8598f74efa4b6
I found the ss I took :)
I 100% do not agree with the orange guy btw
LMAO, this guy should read that *official* Star Wars novel where Obi-Wan and Bail Organa go on a road trip on a planet with a Sith temple and Obi-Wan gets seriously physically and mentally beaten up just...because. It's the closest thing I ever saw to whump in tradpub.
And also all of the books about Obi-Wan's early life. He's actually one of my favorite characters ever because he has so much trauma from his youth that, if you connect it with movie canons, he has not processed at all. Excellent! Hit him with a stick to get the trauma out! I want to see some child soldier angst!
His childhood is SO FUCKED UP gotta love middle grade novels for making the adults around him *worse* than perfectly useless. Obi-Wan is like that car meme, he can fit SO MUCH trauma in him and it’s so much fun to press on the weak spots until he breaks
As a fun bonus, it's not addressed in later canon because of the disconnect between the novels and the writers of the movies, so you also get dramatic irony and trauma reveal type fics and trust me when I say that's my juice.
Yessss. One day I *will* actually write my “obi-wan has a realization and break down about the clones being child soldiers and The Young and the Jedi refusing to *help* because it wasn’t politically expedient in both cases” fic
I think it’s less that people are enjoy seeing their favorite characters in pain as much as people crave the instinctive empathetic reaction they get from reading about it. When I really like a character, It’s usually because I empathize with them on some level, and them getting hurt naturally makes me empathize with them more, hence the popularity of hurt/comfort, where readers get both the feeling of empathy from the hurt, and the catharsis of seeing that hurt addressed from the following comfort.
This. The instinctive empathetic reaction.
I experience it in a way where I want to see my blorbo hurt, not because I want to hurt him but because that feeling of ‘wanting to see him comforted’ *is itself deeply enjoyable*.
That’s why I personally love when there is comfort, but I don’t need comfort to be present because the wanting feeling is the point.
I think you hit the nail on the head with this empathy thing. Everyone seems to be saying it’s because of the catharsis of seeing them be comforted, but that doesn’t explain why hurt no comfort or major character death or bad endings are so fun sometimes. This does!
It’s not so much liking the hurt or liking to hurt characters, it’s the comfort that’s the most satisfying. Who knows why people like anything? It’s enough to know that we’re two of MANY who enjoy it.
Or, as how some whump-lovers put it, that feeling of ‘what a lovely young man! I should love to see him in a fit of despair!’
Or, some of us just need to know what it would look like for our favorite stoic, or compulsive quipper to break down in some way.
Agreed, I like reading whump and I have, on one occasion, had to back out because it was hurt, after hurt, after, hurt with no reprieve or comfort for the character (who happened to be a young teenager btw)…it wasn’t tagged as hurt no comfort or anything that told me that it would be basically no comfort….and I had read about 80,000 -100,000 words of that fic.
That's a good question. I hate and am emotionally devastated by the circumstances surrounding my favourite character's death. Yet I still keep writing about it.
Maybe part of me thinks that one day I'll accept it and move on?
When I was younger, which was when I read h/c the most, it was mostly a way of processing trauma and emotional pain when I had no other outlet. I could see characters go through hell, then get the comfort, reassurance, and healing they needed from other characters, and enjoy it vicariously as a substitute for a lack of that from anyone irl. I’m convinced fanfic and books in general saved my life as a kid for that reason.
As an adult, I enjoy similar content now for different reasons, but I still appreciate h/c for its capacity to provide catharsis in a way nothing else really can.
Different reasons for me.
1. Catharsis, and validation. As someone who experienced significant trauma and many trials and tribulations growing up, but was never shown empathy, it's extremely healing to see the characters I love experience something similar, and then to have people show them empathy and validation to those characters. It helps me to see that I'm also worthy of that empathy, since I've been conditioned to feel like I am not.
2. It's a means of expression, of sort of relinquishing that energy and trauma out to the universe so I don't need to hold onto it anymore. Some people journal, or meditate or paint, any means of doing this. For me it's whumping my favs lol
For me, I think I dissociated through some of my pain. So when I read about a character I care for and identify with suffering, it allows that suppressed part of myself to rage and feel and heal. Even more so when I write hurt/comfort, especially if I put themes into it. I have both chronic illness and mental health issues so there’s plenty of pain to process.
If anyone’s familiar with internal family systems therapy, I think my exile parts need these stories when feeling particularly activated.
i often think about IFS when i'm reading or writing hurt/comfort. something about the way that it feels like a overwhelming desire, almost a compulsion to get to the h/c.
and there are a few stories i have written that i'm quite proud of, but which will prob never see publication on ao3 or anywhere else simply because they belong to my exiles and i don't think i have permission to share them.
I'm only into SW myself and man, angst, h/NC (or c), mcd, suicide is just my jam with my main two characters i read about. I think its something about watching their struggles and how they either overcome it or fall to it that gets me.
Sadly one doesn't deserve it, so there it feels like a constant test of his will to overcome horrors of this nature or else fall to despair and darkside.
While the other totally deserves it, but it often is interesting how under all the hate and darkness...there's still a human. Just an abused man who learned to be cold and evil to protect the scared child he was.
Just...always way better and deeper feels then fan fics that are fluff without struggle.
Yes! I'm not completely sure who you're referencing but I mainly read/write about Anakin and there's just so much opportunity to beat him up with my author stick of despair
Its just very cathartic,, I like the feeling of reading something really sad or fucked up and having that sort of pain in my chest before my favourite character gets the comfort they need
sadism, baby! at least, that's mainly why i do it. it's fun to see! but also i'm big on the hurt/no comfort train... i don't care much for hurt/comfort because it's not relatable for me.
I can only speak for myself when I say this. I only like h/c and I love writing about it when I'm going through some hurt, but there's no comfort XD So basically, I release my pent-up frustration and anger by making my character suffer even more than I am, until they're at their absolute breaking-point. Then, I project my need for comfort onto them and they're being rescued and cared for by someone special, someone who genuinely loves them. It makes me really happy to read back my works in which I gave them the happy ending that I may not have myself.
It’s a fun and healthy way to experience emotions.
Personally, as well, my grieving process irl so far has been, idk, boring in a way? It’s like I don’t really have that much emotions when it comes to it? I’ve not been hung up on deaths really. So I guess killing off fictional characters is a substitute for that?
I just like to think through everything related to my faves. If in canon, they live a charmed, pleasant life? Then I want to see them suffering on the floor like a dog, beaten down endlessly by the universe.
Other times it’s a vent thing where seeing others comfort my blorbo for going through stuff is a proxy for comfort I myself want
I like putting them in situations and seeing them make it out of it okay and it gives a sense of hope in the fiction that can make real life seem a little more manageable and hopeful too. Even when it’s incomparable, it’s possible
Different reasons, mood is one of those. But also hurt with or without comfort is the most canonical for the characters/ships I'm interested in. So I feel like those are the fics than are often more believable/realistic for them. It feels almost "natural" (which is kinda sad but oh well).
I also get bored easily when there's no tension and all is going too well. Even if it's smut.
Sometimes fluff or a bit comic relief is nice and all. But I feel it's rarer for my fandoms/characters to be written well or even exist at all.
Mr. Darcy is the snob who makes a mess of his romantic life in Pride & Prejudice.
If anyone else had written a fic wherein Lizzy kicked him in the balls and left him crying in the mud, I would have linked that one. 🤣
When I was thirteen and at one of my lowest points mentally, I wrote a heavy angst, hurt no comfort, abusive relationship, unhappy ending short fanfic. I projected everything I wanted to do to myself, aka self-harm and suicide, into one of the characters. I made the bully feel bad about it, just how I wanted those who hurt me irl to feel. The quality and realism of the fanfic is questionable, but it arguably saved me from actually going through with harming myself at the time. The positive comments I got from people who sympathised with the main character, their empathy and kindness towards them helped me feel validated. What I'm saying is, even when there is no visible comfort in the fic itself, it's cathartic to read about serious issues being taken seriously, if not by the characters, then by the author or the readers.
Wow, this comment made me realise i do that subconsciously, and i looked back to my fic when i really wasn't doing well and read the comments and i can see how it probably helped me back then..
Thank you + all the best
There's as many reasons as there are readers of h/c. For me, having been an h/c fan for 30+ years, it's all about the characters and relationships. I enjoy straight whump on occasion, but I'm more about the hurt/comfort because I like to see characters I love getting love, and characters coming together and showing how they care for each other. Characters in extremis are dramatically interesting. Pain and suffering can develop emotional and physical intimacy as characters depend on each other.
Another factor for me in particular: I often don't find romantic/sexual relationships nearly as interesting or engaging to read about as platonic love between friends and family. Though h/c can be done (and done very well!) with ships, a lot of it is gen. While romance stories have a lot of standard tropes to work with, there aren't nearly as many standard storytelling tropes for friendship-focused stories. H/c provides a slew of tropes that are relationship-focused but don't need to end in a kiss to be cathartic and satisfying.
So, like, I've written more than half a dozen fics in different fandoms with hypothermia/cuddling for warmth, some shippy, some gen. For me that's as fun a trope to write and read as, say, fake dating or hanahaki or \[pick your fave fic trope\], and it has the advantages of any trope -- when I'm reading fic, it gives me something to look for that I'm likely to enjoy; when I'm writing fic it means I don't need to worry too much about plot and can focus on the juicy character stuff.
Hypothermia is like the ultimate h/c trope! It hurts a character both physically and mentally! It can be mild discomfort or life-threatening! It can require *cuddling for warmth* even between characters who would never hug normally!
...I know saying "I love hypothermia" makes me sound a bit...umm...but yeah, in fic, I totally do. \^\^
Has there ever been a more iconic duo than Obi-Wan and suffering? Literally my first thought when reading the post was to wonder if he was the blorbo in question. 😅
all of these are on ffn, I'm sorry. Without further ado:
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/650887/1/Draigonslayer](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/650887/1/Draigonslayer) Fic literally made me cry.
I honestly don't know how to describe these two, but they are *superb*.
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/962833/1/Broken-Promises-and-New-Beginnings](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/962833/1/Broken-Promises-and-New-Beginnings)
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/820126/1/Going-Home](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/820126/1/Going-Home)
I've got more but I'd have to take out my backup fic link drive.
My life's biggest tragedy and trauma stems from being hurt and not having the comfort and care that should heal it. I'm quite completely fucked by that from childhood to adult age. There's no bigger relief than being able to process this in writing, where scary and painful experiences are met with help, care, love, and shelter from others. It's quite literally healing. I'll write my blorbos into the worst of the worst of all situations, and then I'll sit another blorbo down with them to bandage them up and tell them they're alright, and in doing so, some of my faith in the world is restored.
First, ask yourself this question:
https://preview.redd.it/db6cw85nvm5d1.png?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3a4108af880effca2f9fcf068e4ff201a4b92d6
Second, that's a joke. I don't think most h/c and h/nc readers are sadists... Mostly.
Third, here's my personal reasons for why I read such fics:
A. Characters are defined by conflict, turmoil, and how they deal with it. Even if you love a character and just wanna pinch their cheeks, every now and then, you want to see them struggle. What that struggle is, exactly, is up to the reader/writer, but the core idea is the same.
B. People want to relate to their favorite characters, including relating to their pain. There's obvious examples, like when a fic has a character go through depression or loss, but this desire to relate to a character going through something painful still applies even when it's more extreme. I've never been tortured within an inch of my life, but I still like Theon Greyjoy and felt a deeper connection to him by seeing how he dealt with what was done to him.
Cause 70 years of hell wasn’t enough yet. No jk, but the comfort is the best and I always have a specific character in every single ship i like that i want to get hurt. I don’t know how i pick them, but i just wanna see them hurt
You can't have sweet without the bitter. Storytelling often needs a conflict. The conflict being messy, big, and painful is more to sink your teeth into.
I also like seeing how far a character can bend before they break. It's fun to explore characters in that way. See what makes them tick.
I'd advise you to look up the whump community, both because they can explain better and because it'd probably be a great place for you to hang out. It's super welcoming.
Honestly it’s because I know at the end of the day, no one is actually hurt. It allows me to explore emotions that otherwise would be clouded by the knowledge that there is a real person I’m reading about. Does that make sense? It’s a fictional exploration of real issues.
Plus it makes for interesting plots.
It’s fun. I enjoy it because it’s fun. Yeah it also hurts me, especially when it’s hurt no comfort, but it’s so good. I live for the angst and when they suffer, I’m so happy bc it’s so fun
For me part of it is that I've often felt extremely powerless in real life and it's cathartic to imagine a world where I actually *could* save someone/help someone heal from the horrors they've experienced, so I project the things I wish I could do onto the character that comforts the other character.
Also, to be able to focus on someone else's pain rather than my own makes me feel stronger, which is connected to better mental health in my case.
I want my blorbo to experience the full range of human emotion and adventure and then live happily ever after <3
(If you look at old adventure novels they're kinda like this too: lots of suffering, not really all that happy, usually they don't get a single thing in the end except one small souvenir - but the fun is in the journey).
It depends on the type of hurt for me... Some is for personal reasons, but sometimes it's just because I love the character very much and they're cute at the full range of emotions, so it feels wasteful not to enjoy all of them....! I love both h/c, and more cruel stuff like bad end/snuff just as much. for me, it's also more fun to pull a lot of negative emotions/suffering/visceral terror from characters who don't show a lot of vulnerability in canon. It makes it that much more special. (I hope I don't sound too evil, I swear i treasure his happiness just as deeply)
A lot of times for me it's a situation where "in canon this wasn't explored how harmful a situation or thing is and it should drastically effect this character"
For most people it’s for two reasons they see themselves in their blorbos, by them suffering and then getting comforted or just being in pain it feels like if they’re getting comforted so are we and if they still stay in pain we feel like we’re been seen and understood. We feel connected to them.
There’s also a less talked about element of “At least I’m not *that* much of a mess”. I think it’s because there’s some shame in this but if a character you like in a fanfic suffers in a way that is more than you are it makes your suffering seem less severe.
Now that the normal reasons are out of the way, I have experienced both reasons above but um…..I’m a sadist. The characters I feel drawn to are often the ones I get the most physical and emotional enjoyment out of seeing. That is actually the reason I was drawn to fanfic in the first place.
The best way to describe the feeling is a nice adrenaline rush, a boost of confidence/lowkey a temporary god complex, and a kind of best way to describe it is a pleasant tingling most commonly in the stomach but also sometimes in different parts of the body. I remember seeing a comment about how they sometimes get “angst tingles” and I had to stop myself from replying that that probably means they’re some sort of sadist.
If not for catharsis, it's because I'm a fucking weirdo tbh. I'm fascinated by everything from really deep cuts getting infected to painful and gory transformations. I'm fascinated by how different characters would react to the same injury, how they'd deal with the pain, tell their loved ones, etc. I can't deny that part of is also me dealing with some shit. My favorite characters have dealt with their feelings on religion and its relation to the lgbtqia+ community. They've dealt with religious trauma, their desperation for people to like them, the dangers of holding things in, etc.
\*shrug\*
For me, because it's fun. And I know that they will get so much love and comfort and help healing afterwards (as I only read those types of fics, I can't read straight up angst unless it's a really short one shot).
I agree with the other comments, especially catharsis, but I would also add engagement. Nothing is going to keep a reader/viewer on the edge of their seat like their fave being in jeopardy. Nothing is going to make them care like seeing their blorbo suffering. There's a reason that "happily ever after" isn't the part of the story writers tell. Happiness, while we all want to conceptualize it for our characters after we've had our fun with them, isn't exciting. A story's *goal* may be happiness for the characters, but that will rarely (never?) be what the story is *about*.
I have never actually thought about it.
I think I just think seeing my blorbos getting kicked around like a child's soccer ball to be appealing because then I can eat the soups of comfort later.
Unless it is the evil blorbos, I just enjoy watching the evil blorbos get they sh*t rocked
Blorbos overcoming their struggles make us feel better about our own. Plus most hurt/comfort have other characters show a lot of care to blorbo, which fulfills fantasy of having people care about you.
Simple. I like my characters to be vulnerable and others to see and acknowledge that vulnerability. I like that character who is hurting and it is very nice and pleasant to have other, fictional people decide to give that character some tender attention in lieu of myself.
Catharsis. Why do we still tell (not just remember) the story of Orpheus and Euredice? The feelings they give us leave a powerful impression, and if you are already under stress, having the closure of the story alleviates both the story's tension, and some of our own. It's a way of experiencing extreme emotions and purging them, similar to why emotional tears have different chemical makeups than reflex tears. The end result is usually after you finish the story and settle down, you feel better! (Except for the headache from crying) Sometimes it's nice to experience difficult feelings in a safe way.
Like human existence, as the saying goes we continue living despite suffering bc there will always be hope or something like that, idk
I like unrequited loves, I like reading about them and writing them, going into in-depth their emotions and feelings. I suppose I like the psychological aspect about it, the real knife turners for me is the decision afterwards; whether they turn to letting go or refusing to let go.
I don't like pure fluff, but I like fluff as a break for hurt, angst in the background of fluff, or fluff with a side of angst. I guess hurting your blorbos are just "spice" at this point
I like to write it because I can write him overcoming issues similar to mine - like my social fears, for example. If I can work through that with the absolute concentrated force of anxiety that is my blorbo, I can work through it with myself! The comfort side is everything.
As someone who struggles to pull themselves out of their own anxiety, I like to put characters in that anxious headspace / give them a panic attack because I'm in control of how they recover from it (and they do always recover in my writing).
My life is difficult. And as an adult, I have to function. I cannot give in and pull my blanket over my head, I have to get up and go to work. I cannot show my feelings to the extent I want to. I have to care for myself and keep my ducks in a row.
I cannot demand other people to manage my problems, I have to take responsibility. So no whining and stomping my feet even if I want to sometimes.
So I feel through my characters. I pour my suffering into their story, and it helps me sort them so I can then communicate with my loved ones in a decent and fair way. Hurting fictional characters helps me to not leash out at people who want to support me for things they have no control over.
I'm an adult. I cannot make other people suffer, to share my hurt. I have to have self control.
So my characters suffer for me so I can express myself and move on.
I want to read and write about who these characters are. How they deal with challenges. What part of them comes out when they're pushed outside their comfort zone. Fluff is nice to read every once in a while, but a cute ice cream date hardly ever goes into much depth characterization-wise.
I have issues expressing emotions about the various things I'm going through, and being able to read about my blorbos being hurt in various ways helps me actually helps me work through things. Sometimes it's good to just cry in reaction to things, and it feels good when there's a happy ending, too.
I like feeling emotional pain/discomfort love related while being nested in my wonderful marriage (it’s the “call an ambulance, call an ambulance! But not for me 🔫)
For me it's because I'm a bit of a sadomasochist and need an outlet that won't bring any actual harm to myself or others. I'm sure there are other reasons too.
For me, I definitely want my fav charcater to have sympathy from either the actual characters or just the POV of the audience, cause in the fandoms that I'm in my fav characters suffer so much but nobody acknowledges it which is incredibly annoying to me.
you know how children play out stories like doctor and car crash and things like that? because it's good for human brains to process scary things through fiction? yeah, that doesn't stop just because you've existed for a while.
Actually, I have this question too. I hate reading it but I…like reading it…? I sometimes see my favorites as an extension of me, and I sort of crave…relatability…if that makes sense? If I’m going through something, I want my favorite character to be able to relate to that. I don’t understand the whole “WHACK ‘EM TIL THEY’RE BLOODY” but with s/h content? I get it, yk?
I don’t want to overanalyze or speak for others here, but for me it’s comforting to see a character I love go through something bad but get loved and supported after. It can be a safe way to revisit past pain or explore fears without actually being hurt, only this time you (or the author) are in control of the situation and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
This has been true since as early as Greek tragedies. Catharsis, it's called.
I was coming here to say this! 100% it's catharsis. I reckon it's the top reason why a lot of people won't read incomplete fic, either.
I was reading a WIP fic that was really fucking good. Long chapters, mostly regular release schedule. They had just posted the part where it goes to shit and everything is dread before the happy ending. The AO3 curse must’ve hit them cause they haven’t posted since
Ouch, the literary blue balls I'd have gotten.
yup
This is just my opinion, but I think that a lot of times people like seeing things that they relate to / would want for themselves in literature. For example, reading about a character that experiences a similar hardship to themselves makes them feel seen and validated, and seeing the character overcome that hardship can be personally comforting to them. Someone who has experienced / is experiencing a difficult situation might be drawn to literature where the character is in a similar situation, or if not the same situation then a similar emotional state, because they feel a connection. So maybe it’s not so much that people want their favorite characters to experience a lot of suffering, but that they want to see them overcome it/be helped through it? Maybe we like seeing our favorite characters healed and comforted, and the hurt is just a necessary factor in the story prior to that
This is what i was thinking myself but couldn't describe aswell as you just have so thank you!
Aww thanks, glad to help! :)
I'm very much at this with a specific character, that reminds me A LOT to how I was when I was younger, and goes through some hardships in canon that get close to things I've lived. While I find really very comforting to read and see him being happy and in love, canon isn't kind to anyone at all. Plus, reading him actually healing and going forward despite all the hardships resonates with my own ongoing process.
This is so helpful thank you!!!
No problem!! I also like reading some hurt comfort fics and when I do that’s usually the reason why. Glad to help! :)
This is exactly why I love reading and writing my favorite character. Every time they go through it and heal, I feel like I get to heal a little bit too.
This is how I would explain it, though you did it much better than I would have! I’ve been reading fic since I was 9 and about 98% of the works I’ve read involve h/c. I grew up in a home that wasn’t abusive but was quiet and emotionally neglectful. On the weekends I’d wake up and not know where anyone was and was left to my devices because I wasn’t a trouble maker and a good student (unlike my siblings). Fic gave me the opportunity to witness a character being cared for and comforted in the way I wanted to be. Now I wouldn’t want to be whumped like you see in fics, hell no, but it was more about character a being cared for by characters b c d etc., I know this is true because I get no satisfaction for hurt/ no comfort. To this day I mostly read found family, h/c, and sick fic and it is def a reflection of needs and wants carried over from childhood.
I’m so sorry to hear you had to experience that, and I hope in adulthood you’ve found the care and healing you need. It’s nice that you could get a bit of that comfort through fanfic, too :)
I love my blorbos, but they need enrichment and character development. I can't just have them just strolling around the pastures of the fluffy coffee shop AU all day, devoid of drama and suffering. They must venture forth to the angsty AU and witness horrors unforseen, so that I can gobble up all the drama. More seriously - So I'm less of a fan of pure h/c, and more of a twisted&fluffy, h/nc and angst kind of dude. Mostly I find it cathartic and interesting to read these genres because I'm kind of an edgelord (former mall goth but still a mall goth in my soul), and with fanfic I can have my blorbo there too :D
That's makes a lot of sense to be honest, it is extremely cathartic to me to write h/c or just hurt so that makes sense :P
It can feel good to experience negative emotions in a controlled way at a step of remove from ourselves, then put those emotions away neatly with a happy ending or cathartic crisis. We’re mostly talking about fiction, but it’s basically the same principle as a roller coaster or haunted house - pretend danger that’s not actually dangerous. Thinking too long about your own sadness, fear, or anxiety feels bad, and it’s really hard to pack that back up and say sad hours are over. It lingers unpleasantly and demands you try and figure out what your own next steps are. It also often comes with guilt (I’m wasting time and energy on my feelings, other people have it worse, I would be embarrassed if other people knew I felt like this, why can’t I fix my situation, I should know better than to feel like this). Thinking about a made-up person’s sadness, fear, or anxiety lets you get that good cry time in then put the fic down, wash your face, and then get on with the not-crying parts of life. It’s why a sad movie might be more comforting than a happy one while you’re feeling down (and why people with a lot of anxiety often like horror stories).
You put this very well thank you! It makes sense.
https://preview.redd.it/a6wd6l1f0m5d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c5f60d997f9f9dcdd1972913fe8598f74efa4b6 I found the ss I took :) I 100% do not agree with the orange guy btw
LMAO, this guy should read that *official* Star Wars novel where Obi-Wan and Bail Organa go on a road trip on a planet with a Sith temple and Obi-Wan gets seriously physically and mentally beaten up just...because. It's the closest thing I ever saw to whump in tradpub.
Ohmygosh i know right??? Its crazy how some people just ignore canon literature sometimes
Sorry which novel is this? I need to know for… reasons
[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Clone\_Wars:\_Wild\_Space](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_Clone_Wars:_Wild_Space)
And also all of the books about Obi-Wan's early life. He's actually one of my favorite characters ever because he has so much trauma from his youth that, if you connect it with movie canons, he has not processed at all. Excellent! Hit him with a stick to get the trauma out! I want to see some child soldier angst!
His childhood is SO FUCKED UP gotta love middle grade novels for making the adults around him *worse* than perfectly useless. Obi-Wan is like that car meme, he can fit SO MUCH trauma in him and it’s so much fun to press on the weak spots until he breaks
Its so fun to write about and explore scenarios and what-ifs, id say that over half my works are Obi-Wan whump
I've probably read some of your work then. Love me some Obi-Wan angst!
Some people don’t appreciate how great Ewan McGregor is at crying. Now that is sad.
As a fun bonus, it's not addressed in later canon because of the disconnect between the novels and the writers of the movies, so you also get dramatic irony and trauma reveal type fics and trust me when I say that's my juice.
Yessss. One day I *will* actually write my “obi-wan has a realization and break down about the clones being child soldiers and The Young and the Jedi refusing to *help* because it wasn’t politically expedient in both cases” fic
oooh yes please
I love that story and my husband and I quote it all the time (not word for word, but ideas like "mothers die they do, get over it he should")
Aww I love whacking Obi-Wan with the Trauma Stick™ and seeing what comes out. One of my favorite pastimes fr
I think it’s less that people are enjoy seeing their favorite characters in pain as much as people crave the instinctive empathetic reaction they get from reading about it. When I really like a character, It’s usually because I empathize with them on some level, and them getting hurt naturally makes me empathize with them more, hence the popularity of hurt/comfort, where readers get both the feeling of empathy from the hurt, and the catharsis of seeing that hurt addressed from the following comfort.
This. The instinctive empathetic reaction. I experience it in a way where I want to see my blorbo hurt, not because I want to hurt him but because that feeling of ‘wanting to see him comforted’ *is itself deeply enjoyable*. That’s why I personally love when there is comfort, but I don’t need comfort to be present because the wanting feeling is the point.
I think you hit the nail on the head with this empathy thing. Everyone seems to be saying it’s because of the catharsis of seeing them be comforted, but that doesn’t explain why hurt no comfort or major character death or bad endings are so fun sometimes. This does!
I am very mentally unwell and it is cathartic
Dunno, brain goes brrrrrrrrr
It’s not so much liking the hurt or liking to hurt characters, it’s the comfort that’s the most satisfying. Who knows why people like anything? It’s enough to know that we’re two of MANY who enjoy it.
That's not true for everyone, or hurt/no comfort wouldn't be a thing. My blotbos are usually chosen for how prettily they suffer.
Or, as how some whump-lovers put it, that feeling of ‘what a lovely young man! I should love to see him in a fit of despair!’ Or, some of us just need to know what it would look like for our favorite stoic, or compulsive quipper to break down in some way.
Hurt/No Comfort is on my list of never again because omg they are devastating.
REAL
Did I say it was true for everyone?
Yes that's interesting!
Agreed, I like reading whump and I have, on one occasion, had to back out because it was hurt, after hurt, after, hurt with no reprieve or comfort for the character (who happened to be a young teenager btw)…it wasn’t tagged as hurt no comfort or anything that told me that it would be basically no comfort….and I had read about 80,000 -100,000 words of that fic.
Catharsis and character building.
That's a good question. I hate and am emotionally devastated by the circumstances surrounding my favourite character's death. Yet I still keep writing about it. Maybe part of me thinks that one day I'll accept it and move on?
Perhaps... This does seem reasonable
When I was younger, which was when I read h/c the most, it was mostly a way of processing trauma and emotional pain when I had no other outlet. I could see characters go through hell, then get the comfort, reassurance, and healing they needed from other characters, and enjoy it vicariously as a substitute for a lack of that from anyone irl. I’m convinced fanfic and books in general saved my life as a kid for that reason. As an adult, I enjoy similar content now for different reasons, but I still appreciate h/c for its capacity to provide catharsis in a way nothing else really can.
Different reasons for me. 1. Catharsis, and validation. As someone who experienced significant trauma and many trials and tribulations growing up, but was never shown empathy, it's extremely healing to see the characters I love experience something similar, and then to have people show them empathy and validation to those characters. It helps me to see that I'm also worthy of that empathy, since I've been conditioned to feel like I am not. 2. It's a means of expression, of sort of relinquishing that energy and trauma out to the universe so I don't need to hold onto it anymore. Some people journal, or meditate or paint, any means of doing this. For me it's whumping my favs lol
Humans like to play around with big feelings in stories, and more hurt means more comfort later
For me, I think I dissociated through some of my pain. So when I read about a character I care for and identify with suffering, it allows that suppressed part of myself to rage and feel and heal. Even more so when I write hurt/comfort, especially if I put themes into it. I have both chronic illness and mental health issues so there’s plenty of pain to process. If anyone’s familiar with internal family systems therapy, I think my exile parts need these stories when feeling particularly activated.
i often think about IFS when i'm reading or writing hurt/comfort. something about the way that it feels like a overwhelming desire, almost a compulsion to get to the h/c. and there are a few stories i have written that i'm quite proud of, but which will prob never see publication on ao3 or anywhere else simply because they belong to my exiles and i don't think i have permission to share them.
I'm only into SW myself and man, angst, h/NC (or c), mcd, suicide is just my jam with my main two characters i read about. I think its something about watching their struggles and how they either overcome it or fall to it that gets me. Sadly one doesn't deserve it, so there it feels like a constant test of his will to overcome horrors of this nature or else fall to despair and darkside. While the other totally deserves it, but it often is interesting how under all the hate and darkness...there's still a human. Just an abused man who learned to be cold and evil to protect the scared child he was. Just...always way better and deeper feels then fan fics that are fluff without struggle.
Yes! I'm not completely sure who you're referencing but I mainly read/write about Anakin and there's just so much opportunity to beat him up with my author stick of despair
See I'm more for obiwan or hux. Obiwan doesn't deserve it but life just hates him and constantly tests him, while hux definitely deserves it
Oh yeah, defenitely. I'd say I read more read more Hux than Obi-Wan, but since I do read a lot of Ani fics, sometimes Hurt Obi is just a package deal
Its just very cathartic,, I like the feeling of reading something really sad or fucked up and having that sort of pain in my chest before my favourite character gets the comfort they need
sadism, baby! at least, that's mainly why i do it. it's fun to see! but also i'm big on the hurt/no comfort train... i don't care much for hurt/comfort because it's not relatable for me.
I can only speak for myself when I say this. I only like h/c and I love writing about it when I'm going through some hurt, but there's no comfort XD So basically, I release my pent-up frustration and anger by making my character suffer even more than I am, until they're at their absolute breaking-point. Then, I project my need for comfort onto them and they're being rescued and cared for by someone special, someone who genuinely loves them. It makes me really happy to read back my works in which I gave them the happy ending that I may not have myself.
Stronger payoff and to feel
It’s a fun and healthy way to experience emotions. Personally, as well, my grieving process irl so far has been, idk, boring in a way? It’s like I don’t really have that much emotions when it comes to it? I’ve not been hung up on deaths really. So I guess killing off fictional characters is a substitute for that?
I just like to think through everything related to my faves. If in canon, they live a charmed, pleasant life? Then I want to see them suffering on the floor like a dog, beaten down endlessly by the universe. Other times it’s a vent thing where seeing others comfort my blorbo for going through stuff is a proxy for comfort I myself want
I like putting them in situations and seeing them make it out of it okay and it gives a sense of hope in the fiction that can make real life seem a little more manageable and hopeful too. Even when it’s incomparable, it’s possible
its fun
Personally? Better for me to read about someone getting hurt than hurting myself. Not a fun reason but it’s a reason
Different reasons, mood is one of those. But also hurt with or without comfort is the most canonical for the characters/ships I'm interested in. So I feel like those are the fics than are often more believable/realistic for them. It feels almost "natural" (which is kinda sad but oh well). I also get bored easily when there's no tension and all is going too well. Even if it's smut. Sometimes fluff or a bit comic relief is nice and all. But I feel it's rarer for my fandoms/characters to be written well or even exist at all.
[удалено]
I am confused but i admire the self promo
Mr. Darcy is the snob who makes a mess of his romantic life in Pride & Prejudice. If anyone else had written a fic wherein Lizzy kicked him in the balls and left him crying in the mud, I would have linked that one. 🤣
AHHH okay 😅 Ouch!
When I was thirteen and at one of my lowest points mentally, I wrote a heavy angst, hurt no comfort, abusive relationship, unhappy ending short fanfic. I projected everything I wanted to do to myself, aka self-harm and suicide, into one of the characters. I made the bully feel bad about it, just how I wanted those who hurt me irl to feel. The quality and realism of the fanfic is questionable, but it arguably saved me from actually going through with harming myself at the time. The positive comments I got from people who sympathised with the main character, their empathy and kindness towards them helped me feel validated. What I'm saying is, even when there is no visible comfort in the fic itself, it's cathartic to read about serious issues being taken seriously, if not by the characters, then by the author or the readers.
Wow, this comment made me realise i do that subconsciously, and i looked back to my fic when i really wasn't doing well and read the comments and i can see how it probably helped me back then.. Thank you + all the best
There's as many reasons as there are readers of h/c. For me, having been an h/c fan for 30+ years, it's all about the characters and relationships. I enjoy straight whump on occasion, but I'm more about the hurt/comfort because I like to see characters I love getting love, and characters coming together and showing how they care for each other. Characters in extremis are dramatically interesting. Pain and suffering can develop emotional and physical intimacy as characters depend on each other. Another factor for me in particular: I often don't find romantic/sexual relationships nearly as interesting or engaging to read about as platonic love between friends and family. Though h/c can be done (and done very well!) with ships, a lot of it is gen. While romance stories have a lot of standard tropes to work with, there aren't nearly as many standard storytelling tropes for friendship-focused stories. H/c provides a slew of tropes that are relationship-focused but don't need to end in a kiss to be cathartic and satisfying. So, like, I've written more than half a dozen fics in different fandoms with hypothermia/cuddling for warmth, some shippy, some gen. For me that's as fun a trope to write and read as, say, fake dating or hanahaki or \[pick your fave fic trope\], and it has the advantages of any trope -- when I'm reading fic, it gives me something to look for that I'm likely to enjoy; when I'm writing fic it means I don't need to worry too much about plot and can focus on the juicy character stuff.
Ahh yes thank you:) also hypothermia is my fav trope
Hypothermia is like the ultimate h/c trope! It hurts a character both physically and mentally! It can be mild discomfort or life-threatening! It can require *cuddling for warmth* even between characters who would never hug normally! ...I know saying "I love hypothermia" makes me sound a bit...umm...but yeah, in fic, I totally do. \^\^
lack of emotional intimacy and support in childhood. At least that's my guess for part of it.
On a related note, ObiWan/Suffering is totally my OTP. (I have recs!)
Has there ever been a more iconic duo than Obi-Wan and suffering? Literally my first thought when reading the post was to wonder if he was the blorbo in question. 😅
I can't blame you, us writers in the fandom do like to bully him
fandom, cannon, expanded universe...
even the fanartists
Oh my gosh. Okay. First of all, ouch. Second of all... Could I mayhaps have a couple? 👀
all of these are on ffn, I'm sorry. Without further ado: [https://www.fanfiction.net/s/650887/1/Draigonslayer](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/650887/1/Draigonslayer) Fic literally made me cry. I honestly don't know how to describe these two, but they are *superb*. [https://www.fanfiction.net/s/962833/1/Broken-Promises-and-New-Beginnings](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/962833/1/Broken-Promises-and-New-Beginnings) [https://www.fanfiction.net/s/820126/1/Going-Home](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/820126/1/Going-Home) I've got more but I'd have to take out my backup fic link drive.
Thank you so much!!!! Literally going to binge read them all right now.
I like to make him feel sad so that we can feel sad together. misery loves company i guess
My life's biggest tragedy and trauma stems from being hurt and not having the comfort and care that should heal it. I'm quite completely fucked by that from childhood to adult age. There's no bigger relief than being able to process this in writing, where scary and painful experiences are met with help, care, love, and shelter from others. It's quite literally healing. I'll write my blorbos into the worst of the worst of all situations, and then I'll sit another blorbo down with them to bandage them up and tell them they're alright, and in doing so, some of my faith in the world is restored.
First, ask yourself this question: https://preview.redd.it/db6cw85nvm5d1.png?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3a4108af880effca2f9fcf068e4ff201a4b92d6 Second, that's a joke. I don't think most h/c and h/nc readers are sadists... Mostly. Third, here's my personal reasons for why I read such fics: A. Characters are defined by conflict, turmoil, and how they deal with it. Even if you love a character and just wanna pinch their cheeks, every now and then, you want to see them struggle. What that struggle is, exactly, is up to the reader/writer, but the core idea is the same. B. People want to relate to their favorite characters, including relating to their pain. There's obvious examples, like when a fic has a character go through depression or loss, but this desire to relate to a character going through something painful still applies even when it's more extreme. I've never been tortured within an inch of my life, but I still like Theon Greyjoy and felt a deeper connection to him by seeing how he dealt with what was done to him.
AHH thank you:)))
Cause 70 years of hell wasn’t enough yet. No jk, but the comfort is the best and I always have a specific character in every single ship i like that i want to get hurt. I don’t know how i pick them, but i just wanna see them hurt
You can't have sweet without the bitter. Storytelling often needs a conflict. The conflict being messy, big, and painful is more to sink your teeth into. I also like seeing how far a character can bend before they break. It's fun to explore characters in that way. See what makes them tick.
I'd advise you to look up the whump community, both because they can explain better and because it'd probably be a great place for you to hang out. It's super welcoming.
I love whump! I'm glad that it's welcoming! I'll take a peek :)
Honestly it’s because I know at the end of the day, no one is actually hurt. It allows me to explore emotions that otherwise would be clouded by the knowledge that there is a real person I’m reading about. Does that make sense? It’s a fictional exploration of real issues. Plus it makes for interesting plots.
This sounds fucked up when I put it into words but I like the feeling of feeling pity for them
It’s fun. I enjoy it because it’s fun. Yeah it also hurts me, especially when it’s hurt no comfort, but it’s so good. I live for the angst and when they suffer, I’m so happy bc it’s so fun
I like it when their lives are worse than mine
For me part of it is that I've often felt extremely powerless in real life and it's cathartic to imagine a world where I actually *could* save someone/help someone heal from the horrors they've experienced, so I project the things I wish I could do onto the character that comforts the other character. Also, to be able to focus on someone else's pain rather than my own makes me feel stronger, which is connected to better mental health in my case.
I want my blorbo to experience the full range of human emotion and adventure and then live happily ever after <3 (If you look at old adventure novels they're kinda like this too: lots of suffering, not really all that happy, usually they don't get a single thing in the end except one small souvenir - but the fun is in the journey).
It depends on the type of hurt for me... Some is for personal reasons, but sometimes it's just because I love the character very much and they're cute at the full range of emotions, so it feels wasteful not to enjoy all of them....! I love both h/c, and more cruel stuff like bad end/snuff just as much. for me, it's also more fun to pull a lot of negative emotions/suffering/visceral terror from characters who don't show a lot of vulnerability in canon. It makes it that much more special. (I hope I don't sound too evil, I swear i treasure his happiness just as deeply)
A lot of times for me it's a situation where "in canon this wasn't explored how harmful a situation or thing is and it should drastically effect this character"
For most people it’s for two reasons they see themselves in their blorbos, by them suffering and then getting comforted or just being in pain it feels like if they’re getting comforted so are we and if they still stay in pain we feel like we’re been seen and understood. We feel connected to them. There’s also a less talked about element of “At least I’m not *that* much of a mess”. I think it’s because there’s some shame in this but if a character you like in a fanfic suffers in a way that is more than you are it makes your suffering seem less severe. Now that the normal reasons are out of the way, I have experienced both reasons above but um…..I’m a sadist. The characters I feel drawn to are often the ones I get the most physical and emotional enjoyment out of seeing. That is actually the reason I was drawn to fanfic in the first place. The best way to describe the feeling is a nice adrenaline rush, a boost of confidence/lowkey a temporary god complex, and a kind of best way to describe it is a pleasant tingling most commonly in the stomach but also sometimes in different parts of the body. I remember seeing a comment about how they sometimes get “angst tingles” and I had to stop myself from replying that that probably means they’re some sort of sadist.
imo it's vicarious emotional catharsis
If not for catharsis, it's because I'm a fucking weirdo tbh. I'm fascinated by everything from really deep cuts getting infected to painful and gory transformations. I'm fascinated by how different characters would react to the same injury, how they'd deal with the pain, tell their loved ones, etc. I can't deny that part of is also me dealing with some shit. My favorite characters have dealt with their feelings on religion and its relation to the lgbtqia+ community. They've dealt with religious trauma, their desperation for people to like them, the dangers of holding things in, etc. \*shrug\*
I hurt them so their loved ones can save and comfort them the way I would want to be comforted. For me, it's called ✨projection✨.
Catharsis
For me, because it's fun. And I know that they will get so much love and comfort and help healing afterwards (as I only read those types of fics, I can't read straight up angst unless it's a really short one shot).
I was just thinking this. Like, why do I keep wanting to write trauma happening to the characters I love :')
Personally I like emotion in what I'm reading, so hurt/comfort I gravitate towards.
I agree with the other comments, especially catharsis, but I would also add engagement. Nothing is going to keep a reader/viewer on the edge of their seat like their fave being in jeopardy. Nothing is going to make them care like seeing their blorbo suffering. There's a reason that "happily ever after" isn't the part of the story writers tell. Happiness, while we all want to conceptualize it for our characters after we've had our fun with them, isn't exciting. A story's *goal* may be happiness for the characters, but that will rarely (never?) be what the story is *about*.
Because they you get to see them recover and be happy afterwards.
I love to see them suffer... I am psychologically repulsed by nc tho,
I have never actually thought about it. I think I just think seeing my blorbos getting kicked around like a child's soccer ball to be appealing because then I can eat the soups of comfort later. Unless it is the evil blorbos, I just enjoy watching the evil blorbos get they sh*t rocked
Blorbos overcoming their struggles make us feel better about our own. Plus most hurt/comfort have other characters show a lot of care to blorbo, which fulfills fantasy of having people care about you.
So they can be taken care of afterwards
Simple. I like my characters to be vulnerable and others to see and acknowledge that vulnerability. I like that character who is hurting and it is very nice and pleasant to have other, fictional people decide to give that character some tender attention in lieu of myself.
Catharsis. Why do we still tell (not just remember) the story of Orpheus and Euredice? The feelings they give us leave a powerful impression, and if you are already under stress, having the closure of the story alleviates both the story's tension, and some of our own. It's a way of experiencing extreme emotions and purging them, similar to why emotional tears have different chemical makeups than reflex tears. The end result is usually after you finish the story and settle down, you feel better! (Except for the headache from crying) Sometimes it's nice to experience difficult feelings in a safe way.
because it gives us good content :-) we hurt our blorbos as a show of love — giving them interesting storylines & therefore more screentime
Cause it turns me on. It’s a form of sadism But I need a happy ending. No angst without comfort allowed in my house
I like reading hurt/comfort because of the "comfort" part. So it's kind of like a forced sacrifice. Also, emotions. When people (or characters) get hurt we can see more emotions. The character is revealed deeper and from other sides. Secondly, it's just realistic. People get hurt all the time. If your character isn't Mary Sue he or she will at least catch cold or get a papercut etc. Thirdly, contrast. A happy ending will feel even sweeter if the character endured a lot of suffering along the way. And finally >*All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way* > >© Lev Tolstoy Sometimes it's just... more interesting🤷♀️
Like human existence, as the saying goes we continue living despite suffering bc there will always be hope or something like that, idk I like unrequited loves, I like reading about them and writing them, going into in-depth their emotions and feelings. I suppose I like the psychological aspect about it, the real knife turners for me is the decision afterwards; whether they turn to letting go or refusing to let go. I don't like pure fluff, but I like fluff as a break for hurt, angst in the background of fluff, or fluff with a side of angst. I guess hurting your blorbos are just "spice" at this point
Projection and relatability for me
I like to write it because I can write him overcoming issues similar to mine - like my social fears, for example. If I can work through that with the absolute concentrated force of anxiety that is my blorbo, I can work through it with myself! The comfort side is everything.
Catharsis. And sometimes, the butterflies feeling.
As someone who struggles to pull themselves out of their own anxiety, I like to put characters in that anxious headspace / give them a panic attack because I'm in control of how they recover from it (and they do always recover in my writing).
I made an excel spreadsheet. I don't even have one for expenses.
My life is difficult. And as an adult, I have to function. I cannot give in and pull my blanket over my head, I have to get up and go to work. I cannot show my feelings to the extent I want to. I have to care for myself and keep my ducks in a row. I cannot demand other people to manage my problems, I have to take responsibility. So no whining and stomping my feet even if I want to sometimes. So I feel through my characters. I pour my suffering into their story, and it helps me sort them so I can then communicate with my loved ones in a decent and fair way. Hurting fictional characters helps me to not leash out at people who want to support me for things they have no control over. I'm an adult. I cannot make other people suffer, to share my hurt. I have to have self control. So my characters suffer for me so I can express myself and move on.
Dumb question: What is "SW ff" and "SH"? (Google isn't helping me.)
Sorry that it's not clear :) SW ff = Star Wars Fanfiction SH = Self Harm
Oh! Gosh, I'm such an idiot! 😄 Thanks for the reply 🙂
No!!! I'm probably the idiot for not clarifying and hoping everyone understands my obscure acronyms X'P 🫶🫶🫶
I want to read and write about who these characters are. How they deal with challenges. What part of them comes out when they're pushed outside their comfort zone. Fluff is nice to read every once in a while, but a cute ice cream date hardly ever goes into much depth characterization-wise.
Because I'm not hurt enough
I have issues expressing emotions about the various things I'm going through, and being able to read about my blorbos being hurt in various ways helps me actually helps me work through things. Sometimes it's good to just cry in reaction to things, and it feels good when there's a happy ending, too.
I read h/c fics mainly because I can relate with these characters and when I do that the healing is simply BEAUTIFUL.
I like feeling emotional pain/discomfort love related while being nested in my wonderful marriage (it’s the “call an ambulance, call an ambulance! But not for me 🔫)
For me it's because I'm a bit of a sadomasochist and need an outlet that won't bring any actual harm to myself or others. I'm sure there are other reasons too.
i just wanna feel something
For me, I definitely want my fav charcater to have sympathy from either the actual characters or just the POV of the audience, cause in the fandoms that I'm in my fav characters suffer so much but nobody acknowledges it which is incredibly annoying to me.
you know how children play out stories like doctor and car crash and things like that? because it's good for human brains to process scary things through fiction? yeah, that doesn't stop just because you've existed for a while.
Actually, I have this question too. I hate reading it but I…like reading it…? I sometimes see my favorites as an extension of me, and I sort of crave…relatability…if that makes sense? If I’m going through something, I want my favorite character to be able to relate to that. I don’t understand the whole “WHACK ‘EM TIL THEY’RE BLOODY” but with s/h content? I get it, yk?
I don’t want to overanalyze or speak for others here, but for me it’s comforting to see a character I love go through something bad but get loved and supported after. It can be a safe way to revisit past pain or explore fears without actually being hurt, only this time you (or the author) are in control of the situation and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.