How dark is too dark?

[ThrillingHuman]

I have been thinking of writing a story where the protagonist(s(?)) want nothing more than to maximise their and others' despair, and, while I'll probably only imply and never show or tell the very gory and disgusting details like cannibalism, self-mutulation, pedophilia, necrophilia etc, so it will technically still fall under the terms of use on this site, the question still stands: how dark is too dark?

 

[MoodyFoxCat]

Too dark is when the world tells you that "enough is enough"

Okay think about this, "shock factor" yes it is indeed a thing and it's pretty common on the internet and wherever else it's found but there's a reason why there are rules put up in accordance with such depraved, down under deep dark deep down abyssal type of messed up context. In my opinion, too dark is when you just put it there because

1. It's no longer relevant in the story yet it still added in as a pointless filler.
2. Just begging to hope that the shock factor can at least carry with the plot instead of something else, something better.
3. The story is entirely dependent on "too dark" blob of texts.

As far as details go, best to go with the most simple implication and try to think how it makes a reader in their perspective think, imagine, visualize the intended imagery based on what was read from that particular scene. Predict it but know that every reader is an individual, no same person can react alike like another unless there's a simple understandable agreeable circumstance that you put the character/s in the situation.

Aight I'm done brainstorming, hope this helps.

 

[NotaNuffian]

For me as a dipshit writer, it is whether if you yourself as an author can write it out.

I myself have some sick shits in docs but I can never finish or even publish it just because present me (aka future me when compared to past me) cannot stomach the work. If you have such fetish, then don't worry, there are more of those with similar thoughts as you out there. So feel free and go wild, just don't expect a grade higher than 3* cuz people will bombard you to hell.

Also, give implicit wordings instead of explicitly state out how burned your human arm is, I wrote a line that goes " as Dylan watches in horror and pain that his arm slowly blackens, the shock of his arm burning coupled by the smell of cooked flesh nauseated him further. He can only shout a voiceless cry as he is petrified under her spell and his arm is dead, the waxy skin and meat flake off to reveal bony whites and pain is no longer there."

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

When you tap into the abyss, never continue tapping it for too long as it has dire consequences. When writing with a dark theme, there isn't a limit to how you write it but you need to worry for your own health when continuing to tap into that theme. I think Berserk manga might be a good indication to how dark you go. The darkness might be a good thing but too much and it may harm you instead of benefiting you on the long run.

 

[Agentt]

Too dark is when its not your genre. I ruined an isekai by very vividly expressing the pain the MC feels when she dies.

 

[Enoch]

I'm afraid there is no such thing as too dark. I would say it only goes as far as it matches your story. You wouldn't throw murder or rape into a series that every chapter up until now has been for kids. If you are going to throw a curveball to the reader, make sure it's early on or hinted at.

I will say, though, that needlessly adding in graphic or shocking things gives off an amateurish feel. When terrible things happen it needs to fit into the story you've already created. Can you write a story about how miserable some dude's life is? Sure. Will it be very interesting after you already know what's going to happen for every other chapter? Probably not.