Angst

A style of fanfic writing in which psychological suffering and mental anguish are the major themes. Angst writing has been known throughout the time of Daria fandom, but since the end of the TV series, it has become more common. A number of writers are particularly known for their "angsty" works (Angst Lords), though other writers are quite capable of producing works with extraordinary displays of emotional torment (e.g., Kara Wild, Diane Long, and Richard Lobinske).

Many have questioned the appropriateness of angst fanfic given that Daria was primarily a comedy/satire show. However, in response to a question from Kara Wild, show creator Glenn Eichler remarked, "We didn't want to do a show about the misfits finding happiness through solidarity. We didn't want anyone finding happiness, period. A basic tenet of the Tao of Daria is that life is not fair, and any fan fiction that concludes differently violates the secret Daria rulebook buried at the base of an unmarked peak in the Alleghenies." This doesn't mean Daria was about angst and nothing else, but it does throw open the door to that style of writing as an option. Jane Lane herself seems to display the tendencies of an angst writer in "Write Where It Hurts," when she offers Daria Morgendorffer advice on how to overcome writer's block on a class assignment: "What's the problem? Take people you know and have them do whatever you want. I'd make them crawl, I tell you. Crawl!"

It is interesting that Daria fandom acknowledges angst writing, but does not often acknowledge tragedy as a writing category. Not all angst stories have tragic endings; those that have (relatively) happy endings are often melodramas.

While angst has its adherents, it has also worn thin for others and can be badly overdone. A dead-on comic parody of angst writing has been offered by MMan, "Angst Nauseum," that is well worth reading.