In the end, the moral quandary are a trifling matter. The writer's job is not to inflict the pain, but to display it. Happy endngs aren't garunteed. Pain is.

quandaries*

Oh my God, don't even get me started on that one. When I was writing my entry into the Team TF contest awhile back, I wrote a flashback to fill in backstory of the Ninetales that belonged to the main character. I'd done tragic backstories before, so I didn't think it would be anything new. What I'd failed to consider was that those had always been the life of the main character. With my tendencies towards projection and author-insertion, it really just felt like I was telling my story, so there was no harm in it. Usually a major portion of the conflict stemmed from the main character's faults anyway. But this was the story of an infant Vulpix kit. She was pure and innocent, then tragedy struck out of nowhere. Her family was killed by two cruel twists of fate in rapid succession. She was left badly beaten, but survived, wishing that she hadn't. I've worked very hard on my writing, often going through the night, but I've never written something that was so draining as this. I still felt the determined inspiration that I always had, but I just couldn't find the strength to continue. Even though I had written it, it was heart wrenching to read. I couldn't even finish it. I quit for days just before reaching the end of the scene. I wouldn't admit it, but it hurt because I felt like I had done that to her. I could've given her a perfectly normal, happy childhood, but I passed on that opportunity in favor of the sadistic trials that I put her through. I started her life with a gauntlet of unimaginable pain and left her with scars that would never heal. I couldn't believe how guilty I felt, but I pressed on and finished writing the scene, and the story, as I had intended. In fact it turned out incredibly well. I'm certain that it would've had nowhere near the emotional power it did if I had relented. I can't say that I regret it now, but I most certainly did then. I learned not to underestimate the power that I wield over my characters. And vice versa...

I think it's difficult, but needed. If your character has no hardships approaching them, what's the point of the story? I'd understand if it were some one-shoot quickie sort of thing, but in a truly fleshed out story? There needs to be something that happens to your character in my mind.

Probably more often than I'd like to admit...

Sometimes I probably get to attached to a character and I'd hate to put him through a situation he couldn't get himself out of or something that would put a great deal of traumatic stress on him/her. I've managed to do so once or twice... but still. I guess you could say I'm a total sucker for happy, neatly tied up endings.

I am merciless. I'll leave it at that.

It's easy so long as they are troubles we can relate to. Not to say we have to experience it to be able to allow it to happen, but so long as we can both perceive and conceive the situation, it will happen as we write it.