The Dilemma with Dystopians
Drama, angst, and despair, these are all themes that have been permeating media since its creation. Shakespeare was famous for tragedies, and George Orwell wrote hopeless commentaries on society and the path mankind was taking. Even before that, the Greeks were obsessed with tragic tales of misfortune and fate. Heavy, sorrowful themes have always been present in teachings, stories, theater, and music. But this topic has only grown in recent years. Dystopian stories have grown in popularity in recent years after the publication of books like The Hunger Games.
As someone who grew up during that time, I am quite familiar with the new young adult dystopian craze. It never interested me. The books were heavy and weighed the ready down as they flipped the pages. The hopelessness and despair of the characters bled through the page, leaving me feeling drained and depressed. It was the opposite of satisfying for me. Even the endings of the stories left something to be desired. This is not to say anything against the stories themselves or the writers of this genre but I never walked away from a dystopian story feeling glad I had read it.
The obsession with this type of story, in young adult novels at least, has faded to a background buzz. It will likely rise again and claim a new generation’s interest or dislike. But the ramifications of the surge in serious, “realist” fiction remains to this day. Many readers and writers will be aware that Fantasy and Science-fiction stories have begun to rise in demand over the last few years. However, these are not the same Speculative fiction stories of the past. Fantasy especially has changed from magical tales of dragons and harrowing adventures to a greater emphasis on danger, internal struggles, and loss. Many Fantasy stories end in tragedy and very few allow all their characters to survive till the end. This also is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people enjoy stories with high risk. Some people desire and even need to consume stories that deal with more difficult issues like grief and betrayal. I myself have enjoyed and found solace in those types of stories. There is a time and season for everything.
But sometimes, you just want to escape. As the old saying goes, “Laughter is the best medicine”. Life can be difficult and discouraging. Stories shouldn’t have to be that way too. For many, fiction is a form of escapism. It is a break from the dreary and mundane. Like a breath of fresh air, a good novel can carry away some of your worries in the breeze. Sometimes, a light-hearted story is just what the doctor ordered.
A Lighter Approach
What do I mean by a light-hearted story?
It’s just that, light-hearted. When a person reads a light-hearted story, they will not feel tired as they flip through the pages. They won’t be so consumed with worry over the characters that they can’t rest or be swept away in the story. They should be transfixed by the wonder of it all, the story, the characters, the world. Think of that fluttery feeling you get in your chest when someone you love smiles at you. I don’t just mean the romantic type of love. I mean family and friends as well. Think of the peace you feel when you see a friendly face in a crowd of strangers. That is the feeling I associate with a light-hearted story.
It doesn’t have to be difficult to construct such a story.
In fact, I believe there are six key elements to describe a light-hearted story. These elements are more repeating themes I’ve noticed among light-hearted stories than requirements. It’s not necessarily a good idea to set about writing a story with the sole purpose of making it light-hearted. Even fun, carefree stories have serious moments. If they didn’t, there would be no plot. Light-hearted stories just have a more upbeat, optimistic theme in the undercurrents. Write your story any way you’d like. Rules in writing are meant to be broken, after all. But if you want to create a story to encourage and uplift, then consider the following.
- Comedy – Comedy does not have to come in the form of stand-up. There does not need to be an endless flurry of corny jokes that make the readers roll their eyes. It doesn’t hurt to have a few jokes carefully inserted in conversations or even in the character’s internal dialogue. Sarcasm is another great tool when used in moderation. Sarcastic characters tend to attract readers. They demonstrate personality and appear lifelike and likable most of the time. Again, everything in moderation. A character with a constant quip on their tongue may have the opposite effect and appear annoying instead. A light-hearted story should not be afraid to dive head first off the comedic diving board. Each person has a different sense of humor, so feel free to write jokes that you think are funny. Chances are, other people will find them funny too. Don’t overthink things too much. The best jokes I have written are usually unintentional. Comedy doesn’t just come in the form of jokes though. Situational comedy is a great tool to utilize. Think of Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges. If you need inspiration, watch a few skits done by comedians. Situational comedy in stories will usually not be as obvious but it’s a good starting point. Characters getting lost can be turned from a despairing situation to an adventure with the help of a little comedy. Awkward situations happen in real life too, so take inspiration from your own experiences.
- Doesn’t take itself too seriously – Or, if it does, it’s to comedic effect. What do I mean by this? A good light-hearted story isn’t too serious. It doesn’t put an emphasis on drama, heartache, or pain. It definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. It pokes fun at the situation or the characters or both. It’s not afraid to make light in the dark. If something starts to get too serious, a character might crack a joke. Maybe the circumstances of a situation become so ridiculous that the reader can’t help but laugh. Maybe one of the characters is so serious all the time that jokes fly over their head or they ignore them, to the delight or chagrin of another character. The stakes of these stories can still be high, the danger might still be serious, and the characters might get discouraged, they almost definitely will, but in the midst of the darkness, there will be a light for the reader to latch onto.
- A funny or sarcastic main character – The main character sets the tone for the story. If the character is grumpy and pessimistic, the story will probably follow the same path at least in the beginning. The story takes place from the main character’s perspective. Their thoughts and actions are what move the plot forward. In a light-hearted story, the main character is what makes the story enjoyable to read. There are a number of methods to make the character fit the story’s goal. The character could be a bit dim-witted or ridiculously naive. Maybe they are very serious but ridiculous things keep happening to them and they are completely baffled by it. Maybe they have a blown-out-of-proportion personality. An anger issue that you can imagine making their head turn red. A complex of some sort like they are overly sensitive about their height. Maybe they have a fear or superstition that is played to a comedic effect like a refusal to wear white after Labor Day. Maybe the character takes themselves seriously but no one else does. Maybe they are bitingly sarcastic, that’s my favorite type of character. Something I’ve noticed with light-hearted stories is that the roles of the characters are usually moved around. For example, in most stories, the hero’s friend or the side character would carry the comedic position in the group. In a light-hearted story, the main character usually falls into this role. At the end of the day, the character is the star of the story. It is their job to drive the story forward and set its tone.
- Struggles – The stakes of the story shouldn’t be set so high they are hopeless. The problems the characters face should be important to them and the reader but the stakes shouldn’t be so high the reward is unobtainable. There needs to payoff at the end of the story. A happy ending, if you will. And the issue the characters face is usually more external in this type of story. The main challenge of the story should be something that doesn’t weigh the characters down too much. If it is a deeply moral issue, the story might take on a darker tone. If tragedies keep building up, the story will become more serious. Keep this in mind when writing your story. Insert both lows and highs for your characters. They shouldn’t constantly fail and suffer. They should have brief moments of respite and some joy along the way. Constant pain and suffering make for a pessimistic story. Weigh the bad with the good and make sure to strike a balance that works for your story.
- Description – Description is an infinitely useful tool in storytelling. Light-hearted stories tend to use several descriptive tactics to ease tension and add comedy to the plot. Have you ever heard of hyperbole? It means blowing things WAY out of proportion. Exaggerate everything! For example, “The crack was a gaping chasm that extended to unfathomable depths and halted passersby as they strolled across the sidewalk.” Make a small problem into a big problem. Let your character make mistakes and let them make their situation worse than it needs to be. As much as it’s great to think this is merely a comedic device, take a look around, people do this all the time in real life. Over-emphasize little details. Be creative in your descriptions. One of my favorite literary devices to use is a metaphor. Using a metaphor is like saying that something is like something else (though not using the word “like” because if you do then that is a simile, not a metaphor). This can be great for making a story light-hearted. Use ridiculous metaphors that don’t make any sense to give the reader pause and make them smile. For example, “His eyes were green traffic lights urging me to move on.” Ridiculous, right. Perhaps it’s not the best example, but you get the point.
- A Happy Ending – The most important thing in making a story light-hearted is a happy ending. No matter what struggles the characters face, let them win in the end. Or make them realize that what they thought they wanted was not what they needed after all. Either way, the reader should be able to walk away from the story with a happy feeling in their chest. The stories that people think of with nostalgia usually leave the reader with this type of feeling. It is a feeling of satisfaction, sometimes bitter-sweet but not sour. There should be a sense of levity, not weight and depression. It’s hard to explain the feeling a light-hearted story gives you but think of it this way, if it puts a smile on your face, then it made you happy. It lifted your heart.
Your story could be about anything and everything. The plot doesn’t matter. You could write about the anguish of dropping your ice cream on the sidewalk five seconds after getting it. You can talk about important issues or totally unimportant ones. What will really drive the story forward is how the character feels about the issue. There is a time and place for sad or serious stories but next time you are writing, consider taking a more optimistic route. Lift people up whenever you can. Put a smile on their face. Distract them from the woes of the world for only a moment. When writing a light-hearted story, there will be more serious moments but what matters is that there is light in the darkness and an ending that will satisfy the reader and the writer. Make your readers feel better than they did before they picked up your book. The world is a tough place and the only news lately seems to be bad. It’s easy to just follow the trend of despair and hopelessness but what good does that do? The trend of writing stories that make you think, Well, my life’s bad, but at least it’s not that bad, is something that needs to stop. Be the light that you want to see in the world. Write a light-hearted story and put a smile on someone’s face.
S.G.Morand 
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