So hello everyone today's, I suppose a controversial topic because I'm so annoyed right now. I just needed some place to go. So I've been noticing this, a disturbing trend in literature where everyone is traumatized, where everyone is a victim, and where there is no space for positive stories anymore. I get it. People want us to feel like the world has not improved, but there's so much more to improve
Binati Sheth
@Binati_Sheth · 5:00
That is what is missing. That is so epically missing from books these days because it is about trauma, trauma, trauma, trauma. And as you succinctly pointed out, the trauma gets watered down. I am not getting anything from the trauma except information, and I'm not feeling anything for it because it's been watered down. It's been beaten into my face, right? And I'm like, please move on to something else. Right?
Sreeja V
@Wordsmith · 2:22
And of course, we say that life imitates art. And when art starts giving us these utterly desolate and pessimistic views about things, then where else do we seek our inspiration from? So this is a valid point. Benithi and I fully agree with you. And I hope that we write for the sake of sharing our enriching life experiences as well. Right now. Be going beyond sensationalism, going beyond commercials. Let us look at sharing things that can help others by having an optimistic view of life
But from another perspective, I wonder if it just is the common way that is used as a tool to help the reader feel a connection to the characters, right? I'm human, you're human. We all struggle, we all experience these things and so this is how we can connect. But I don't know, I can't imagine that this didn't exist before, but maybe it was done in a different way
Ahmed Areeb Abid
@areebb · 4:13
But what's recently happening is people are using that as a hook and then creating their own stories and romanticizing mental illness and how overthinking and anxiety and all that, all those phenomena. So I really don't know if I made a lot of sense. But I just wanted to reply to you because I really love your swells. I love your voice and the way you articulate yourself. So thank you
Binati Sheth
@Binati_Sheth · 4:57
Hello. I totally loved listening to your swell too. I think dark academia is such a great example of what you said. I especially loved what you call Tumblr because exactly, it is where people are going to romanticize mental illness, right? I mean, there is like I was browsing through Tumblr because of course, whether it is good or not, there are some interesting trends that emerge from that site
Binati Sheth
@Binati_Sheth · 4:59
You need to create the perfect balance between a positive take and a negative take to create a story. The thing I'm referring to is how positivity is completely missing from action. Right? If you write a positive book, people are going to leave reviews like this is unrealistic. I know some genuinely happy people in the world and they exist, meaning happiness. I'm not talking about toxic positivity. I'm talking about happier is a choice
Binati Sheth
@Binati_Sheth · 4:04
May I am not sure. Let's see if she responds. I invited her. If she doesn't, I didn't. But thank you for the attention seeking part. And I really like that thing that you said, which is what I find concerning because indeed, literature is a yardstick of sorts about the society we live in. And when a majority, like 99.99% of modern literature
So, yeah, the trauma pond template in literature is probably going to be around, and trauma self help books are going to be flying off the shelves. While the desire to validate other people's suffering is a great thing, we still have so much to understand about trauma in all its myriad forms. And while people like us might be the ones who believe in redeeming stories, there are also those who despise breezy, feel good ones and are totally fascinated with pain and violence in literature
Ahmed Areeb Abid
@areebb · 3:33
And they are in their own bubble which they feel that if they would have been alive at the Dark Academy and times they would have had done this all building castles and air and that's what they're doing. And this entire as you mentioned, a story which I'm not very familiar with but what usually people are doing they take parts of movies which are eye catching and which are usually the standout and usually these movies are like very mediocre
Binati Sheth
@Binati_Sheth · 4:58
We can't look at people as the worst mistakes, the worst decisions that made. Like, that does not define who they are. That defines a part of their existence. I think that has to carry forward into literature also. I don't think it is