I haven't yet read your stories, but I will check them out because dark stories are interesting and often have depth that peaches-and-rainbows stories lack.
I'm sorry several people left you such rude comments. But Anita's comment is interesting to me, because there is a disturbing trend (even though it's not seen so much in post-2000 writing) where female characters are often either a) nothing more than vessels for male characters' development or b) abused ad nauseum because some people find salacious content titillating and edgy. The
Bechdel test exists for a reason.
I don't have an issue with female characters being weak, but to the extent that she's just a flat stupid character - I do have an issue, because that's boring and not fun to read. Both male and female (and other) characters should have depth and behave in a way that makes sense for them. If a woman is like the princess from Mario where she is kidnapped a suspicious amount of times without anything changing, I start to ask some questions. :) To be clear, I'm definitely not saying that your writing is like that - I haven't read your writing yet, just that for many it's a valid criticism (and Anita may have been triggered).
Sometimes, even though it's unfair, when you're living in a patriarchal society and you personally experience some patriarchal BS, reading the slightest thing can set you off and you can criticize someone unfairly.
Personally, my writing isn't that "dark." I think it's because I want a wider audience, but I never really set out to write something that isn't dark.
