[Lawtan]

*Looks through* *Realizes I am not sure how many things I do/do not trip over in writing*
...Overuse of Symbolism. I am tired of extreme emphasis on symbolism, to the point of distracting from the actual story. To me, symbolism should be more akin to the "easter eggs" you find in a game that unlock the "true" ending.
Symbolism is often iffy, because the meaning of symbols changes over time, and people's mindsets/experiences interpret them differently. A train down the tunnel - entering purgatory, sex, factual information, or what?

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...Hopeless stories/"Cathartic" stories - The sort of story where the main character is forced into a "deterministic" doom in the end or where everything is pointless rubs me very wrong. I don't really understand how reading about another suffering makes you feel better or "released/refreshed" - catharsis.
In truth, I never really consider such stories finished. Things don't just "end" with tragedy in real life, and I see this ending as more a repetitive frustrating cliffhanger.