Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
I think there's a bit of a difference. In LotR, they suffer and the world looks bleak, but at some level you always know they're going to destroy that ring. From the moment of the pledge at the Council of Elrond, that strength and that purpose drive the story.

Now, I haven't read your story, but I think that a lot of dark pony fanfiction, in general tends to spend more time reveling in the suffering. Readers get upset because the ponies are in such a happy world and many authors seem to delight in making them suffer and be miserable, and there's always the possibility of a story having a Hamlet style ending. So people get a little antsy when they see a fanfic labeled dark because it doesn't have that sense of pervading hope that keeps your head up when you're reading LotR.
I know, I know ... and I like to think my story is actually very hopeful, despite the darkness. Yes, things look bleak, but the characters aren't giving up and I certainly hope the readers don't feel like it's definitely going to end only in tears and despair. Somehow there might be a happy ending, or at least a bittersweet ending, that's what I want readers to think.

I suppose the description could be read very bleakly, like there's no hope at all, ever, but I'd never write a (serious) story where there's no hope at all, ever.