Beating that dead story warnings horse...

[scribblinlenore]

This is something that comes up every now and then for me personally, and now it's come up for fandom in general since it's summer and these issues always crop up when there's nothing to watch on the TeeVee.



I get why people want warnings. Fan fiction isn't like picking up a book off the shelf at the Barnes and Noble. I've really come to understand that. We all have pre-existing attachments to the characters, and that gives us sensitivities we don't have with original fiction, and I do truly believe that fan writers should do their best to put warnings on stories for things that are truly beyond the pale, like character death, rape, incest, bestiality, etc. Fandom is a community, and we should extend this courtesy. Or at least, I should say that *I'm* willing to extend that courtesy.

Still, I'm dismayed when I read "why can't writers put warnings on their stories" rants (I come across one pretty much every week, and want to make it clear that this is a general response, not specific to any one person) and there always seems to be an assumption that writers are being careless or purposefully trying to get people to read things they're not interested in. And never, EVER any recognition that people have different perspectives on things, that they have different values and cultures and life experiences, and therefore read things differently. That what to one person needs a stern warning is...not even a blip on the old radar to someone else. Stories don't always fit neatly into categories. If you feed John Sheppard to the Wraith, that's clearly character death. But what about a story where Rodney's body dies, but he continues to exist as a completely responsive and tangible holographic being? If Kolya rapes Rodney to get his command codes from him, that's plainly non-con. But what if John wants to have sex with Rodney but can't allow himself to do it because of DADT or his own internalized homophobia or...whatever, and he manipulates Rodney into "forcing" him? It's not always black and white.

I've gotten more than one outraged email from someone who was upset that I hadn't put a non-con warning on a story, and in each case, it honestly never, once occurred to me that there was non-con to be warned for. Didn't even OCCUR to me. That was simply not how I saw it, and I still don't, and I never will. Different people, different perspectives. No cure for that.

As much as I believe in extending courtesy, that will never change my conviction that a reader's comfort is ALWAYS her own responsibility. I know from my own personal experience that there are almost always hints and warnings of something that is going to happen in a story that's going to make me uncomfortable. If I continue reading anyway, that's on me. If I'm reading a story by someone who is such a bad writer that a gang rape is suddenly just going to fall out of the sky, then that's also on me. I should really know better.

Nobody promised anybody a rose garden around here. You seriously expect me to warn you for angst? For fluff? For an unhappy ending? Are you kidding me? As displeasing as it can be to read things you don't enjoy, you know what? You're gonna live.

Comments

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's just because it's a Friday, and I'm losing my mind, but this image:

"a gang rape is suddenly just going to fall out of the sky"

is cracking me up. Although my mental image is actually more like an orgy falling out of the sky, with limbs everywhere.

Ahem.

But yes, I take your point, and generally agree. I've had people email me and say that my story scarred them for life, and I'm all, well, it's about a sadomasochistic zombie and it's rated R; were you expecting fluffy bunnies? For some people you can't warn heavily enough, because they're going to wade in no matter what.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

If it were an orgy falling out of the sky, it would be funny! *g*

I've had people email me that something I wrote gave them flashbacks to when they were raped, and I'm like: Sorry, you don't get to put that on me. I'm not a bad writer, and things don't fall out of the sky in my stories, and if someone doesn't stop reading when it becomes clear how things are going...well, that's their responsibility.

*aside* Are you sure you don't need anything for tonight? I'm happy to bring...whatever.

[vylit.livejournal.com]

I refuse to put warnings on stories. I know that makes some people rageblackout, but I hate seeing warnings on fic. I mean, I'll tell someone if there's a pairing, so they won't stumble onto incest accidentally, but I think that part of the beauty of reading a fic is not knowing where it'll go. I hate summaries and warnings that tell me what's going to happen. I want the story to unfold, and I want to discover it without being warned ahead of time.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I totally hear you, Vi. I've actually missed out on good stories because I paid too much attention to the pairings/warnings, and then heard from someone later that the story wasn't the way I imagined it was from what I'd read in the header.

I have sometimes considered adopting a "no warnings" policy, stating that in the header of every story, so people can take a chance or not. Because I do think part of the problem is that people get so dependent on warnings that they suspend their own judgment. "Well, it's titled 'The Hideous Gang Rape of Rodney' but there's no non-con warning, so I guess that must just be a metaphor or somthing, I'll go ahead and read it..."

The one thing I'm sure of is that someone is always going to be complaining, no matter what we do!

[onelittlesleep.livejournal.com]

I don't write many warnings on my fics because the story isn't just going to be about one character's death, or one plot point, but about a myriad of things that go hand in hand, or are like a passing stone, and I wouldn't want to just hilight one or draw attention to it, or make it more than it is. I don't want to warn, truthfully, because I don't want to spoil or set up an expectation. I think my stories are best unexplained, and a reader can get out of them what they will. If they find something about it disturbing, then they ought not to finish.

Yes, there is responsibility in writing, but there is an equal responsibility in reading. A reader needs to be shrewd and protect his/her own interest. The only readers I definitely feel should be protected from inappropriate material are the ones underage. Other than that, readers need to grow the fuck up.

Um, also. Yes, please. Where is this John fic where he coerces Rodney into fucking him??

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. It is hard reducing an entire narrative to a few categories. But I try not to think of warnings as a summary of the story. And, hey, if it keeps people from sending me "how dare you!" emails I'm all for it. I just wish people could be more aware that it's an art, not a science.

Where is this John fic where he coerces Rodney into fucking him??

Hee! Maybe someone will write it.

[beeej.livejournal.com]

I agree that whether or not to list warnings or even pairings and genre is completely at the discretion of the author, but I still appreciate it when they are there. I'm more likely to read their story if I have an idea of who and what it's about.

There is always a gray area, and the examples you've given wouldn't bother me at all if they weren't listed as warnings. But there are writers who post with nothing but the title, fandom, and rating. Hell, sometimes they don't even list the fandom. With so much fic being posted every day, I need a little more info if I'm going to invest time in reading something.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I totally hear you, and I think it's a perfectly valid, responsible readerly decision to say: I'm not going to invest time in stories that don't have a summary or warnings or anything that gives me a hint about it. I feel the same way!

But some people act like warnings should be a foolproof guarantee that they'll never read anything that disturbs them. And that's just...a seriously unreasonable expectation.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

The more people moan about the warnings thing, the less amenable I am to actually giving them.

It makes me despair of the comprehension ability of some readers as much as anything else. As you said, you can tell when something is building up (and therefore stop reading) and if you can't tell it's the kind of story you should be closing within the first paragraph.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I feel that way sometimes, too. Like using warnings at all is giving a false impression that I'm somehow guaranteeing that no one will find anything objectionable in the story beyond what I've warned for. I've toyed with having a blanket "no warning" policy that I always mention in the header.

In the end, no matter what you do, there's always going to be someone who's unhappy!

[improperlydone.livejournal.com]

I do not put warnings on stories and I will not do it either. Period. I hate doing summaries, and they're usually the first line of the story or a song lyric if I do put them. But I just don't do warnings. I usually don't write death fic either, but I routinely skip over stories that are labeled 'death fic'. Know why? Because you've given away what could have been a turning point in the story. Thanks for saving me the time to read it. I do appreciate that.

Why people are so 'sensitive' about angst I have no clue. (If someone warns me about angst, I know it's actually OOT melodrama and not angst.)

My take: Just read the damn story or don't. I will not take the blame if you're PMSing and you're upset that I don't have my characters running around in the clouds to make you happy. It's the Internet. You deal with it. If you're not adult enough, I suggest you disconnect and write you own damn fairytale.

And if someone is so gung ho for warnings, why don't people warn for crap fic or the fact that their characters don't remotely resemble anyone on the show they're writing about? You warn me of the men crying over hangnails and I'll warn you if they get angry and yell at one another, 'kay?

PMS made me write this, though I'd feel exactly the same otherwise.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

why don't people warn for crap fic

Absolutely! If I have to warn for someone having their tongue cut out, they should have to warn for piss poor characterisation and grown men behaving like teenaged girls. That's far more distressing.

[carta.livejournal.com]

I am not a fan of warning for every little thing that might be in the story. I also don't like ratings, sixteen-line header notes, and a lot of what seems to be de rigeur in fanfic writing these days. I slide into Bitter Old Fandom Queen territory easily on this topic, but suffice it to say that until people start giving extremely OOC warnings, or "this story blows chunks" warnings, then I'm not going to take warnings seriously.

Besides, part of reading a story is the journey, and warning of non-con and such dilutes that journey for me.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

but suffice it to say that until people start giving extremely OOC warnings, or "this story blows chunks" warnings, then I'm not going to take warnings seriously.

Hee! Of course, skimming the first paragraph is usually all the warning a gal needs for those things. And I agree. Warnings can really dilute the power of a story. I don't mind including them for the people who really want them. And the people who don't, can just ignore them. But it's annoying to me when warnings get confused with some kind of guarantee.

[jfc013.livejournal.com]

I routinely skip stories with "character death" warnings, and say I hate that kind of story, but I don't. If it's done effectively, I can enjoy reading just about anything. (Okay, except mpreg. Ick.)

I've even written some character death stories, but did I say it in the labels/notes? Hell, no! A lot of people think I write fluff, so if I'm specifically going to be non-fluffy, I put little "watch out--we're getting dark here" notes in the headers. That should be enough, and I've had no complaints, or none vehement enough that I remember them.

I do prefer rated stories, too, because I often don't have time to read anything rated softer than R! I'm a porn slut, and proud of it!

[catmoran.livejournal.com]

!!!You should have warned for your dislike of mpreg, you've just hurt my feelings!!!

[/silly]

[medea-aries.livejournal.com]

I´m not a writer, but I don´t get why people just refuse to hit the back button. If at any point I see the thing´s not my cuppa, I stop reading.

Sides´, all authors have their style. You read RivkaT, you get Clark-Lex tango-ing mindfucks, you go over tizzy´s, and you get morally ambiguos Lex an apple pie-Clark, at fleshdress´ you get unusual parings. Once you see what a writter´s work is about, why would you click on expecting something different?

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I say ditto to the back button. I mean, warnings/summaries/pairings/ratings can help people find the stories they want to read, and I'm all for that. I just don't get why people expect warnings to be guarantees. It's just so...unrealistic!

And you're right. Most writers do have particular styles, and once you're hip to that, you can go back for more or not.

[catmoran.livejournal.com]

I'm wishy-washy about warnings.

For myself, I usually don't care if they're there or not, but sometimes I will stick to the comfort of heavy warnings. (Though even in the latter case, I'm happy to 'create' my own warnings by skimming the last few paragraphs!)

At the same time, sometimes I will suggest to an author that ze might consider warning for 'x', for future readers.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Though even in the latter case, I'm happy to 'create' my own warnings by skimming the last few paragraphs!

Exactly! I do that with books all the time. I have a few hangups, things that make me really cranky, so I'll skim ahead to make sure there's none of that before I invest the time to read the thing. Works like a charm!

[keepaofthecheez.livejournal.com]

What an absolutely wonderful post. I couldn't have agreed more with just about everything you said...would you mind if I linked to this, or discussed it in an entry I plan to make later tonight?

*hugs*

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Totally feel free to quote or discuss. And I don't mind if you link to it either. But it's locked, and I think I'm going to keep it locked. I just-- feel more comfortable having this kind of discussion limited just to my flist.

[emily-anne.livejournal.com]

Nobody promised anybody a rose garden around here. You seriously expect me to warn you for angst?

Actually I'd prefer a warning that said, "Seriously angsty - don't read if you don't want to be depressed," than one which specified, say, character death.

I admit that I'm not a fan of warnings. When it comes to things like bestiality, non-con, scat, incest, etc then sure, put a clear warning up (though I do think it's overkill for - as an example - a fic that's clearly labelled Sam/Dean to have a big, flashing INCEST warning, 'cause ... duh!). Those are squicky societal taboos and I respect that some people want to actively avoid them. But character death? Adultery? Gimme a break. Those aren't warnings, they're spoilers! If I see a 'character death' warning it colours how I then read the fic. And when I get to the pivotal moment I think, "Ah, so that's who dies," rather than it being the emotional gut-punch it should be.

I think writers should let their readers know what they're getting in to but they shouldn't have to hold their readers' hands. Unless there's something in the fic that pushes it over the edge into squick territory, I say just assign the fic a genre and be done with it. If someone reads a fic labelled 'angst' and then complains that Lex dies at the end ... well, tough shit! Go to the fluff section next time!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I find it really hard to put labels on my stories. Only in fandom is that the writer's job. In publishing, the book store decides what shelf to put a book on. An editorial assistant (probably) writes the flap copy. The marketing department writes a press release. I once saw a story of mine that I thought was poignant and surreal described as fluff. So, just, go figure! *g*

[ingrid-m.livejournal.com]

*nods* Here lies the single great problem with warnings, once a writer starts, where do they stop? Because the things you could warn every reader for is virtually infinite.

I think the art of the summary is a lost one. Part tease/reader bait, part book flap, part warning sign ... that should be the best indicator of what a reader is in for if they click "open", but we usually dash off the poor neglected thing as "too hard to bother with", when, in reality, that should be paid as much attention to as the story itself.

Warnings were the first step down the slippery slope of laziness that summary neglect started and now readers demand them and writers hate them, both with good reason.

To heck with warnings -- better summaries, I say! *nods*

[jfc013.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah--a point I forgot to make in my original comment: I like writing summaries. I like writing SHORT summaries. I've written summaries of a single word. They're fun.

Do people still READ headers? So many fics posted to LJ anymore (in my preferred fandom, anyway) are leaving them off that I wonder sometimes...

[luthorienne.livejournal.com]

I, myself, am a big fan of the whole idea that if someone is unhappy with something they're reading -- they should stop reading it. If authors choose to warn about things, that's fine, but I don't expect it; and I've occasionally read things I wouldn't have read if there had been a warning, that I'm glad I didn't miss. (What an amazingly bad sentence that was.)

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I, myself, am a big fan of the whole idea that if someone is unhappy with something they're reading -- they should stop reading it.

Me too! I mean, I don't always follow my own advice, but when I keep reading in the face of some pretty overwhelming evidence that I should stop, I blame only myself!

[dossier.livejournal.com]

holy cow--I go to work and look what happens while I'm gone! So, how.where did this kerfuffle appear?

I prefer to read with no warnings, no pairings, and as brief a summary as possible. If I'm posting to a community, I'll follow their rules, otherwise, in my own space? not at all. I think I have one story that REALLY REALLY needed a warning, and I obliged. Oh wait, make that two...go me!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I don't honestly know where it started, but it's something that's been on my mind anyway because of some emails I've gotten. So when the subject started turning up on my flist, it stirred me to finally post about it.

I honestly don't mind trying to give readers information about a story so they can decide if they want to read or it not. I just have a problem with the notion that if someone ends up reading something they don't enjoy the author fell down on the job giving warnings. That's so annoying to me!

[sparktastic.livejournal.com]

I've just written and posted a fic, essentially gen, wherein my character is blinded. If I tell something like that ahead of time, well... where's the shocking impact?

Similarly, I've written wingfic, and the fact it's wingfic isn't made clear until very very near the end. I don't think it would be anywhere near as shocking, if you know ahead of time what's actually going on.

Basically, warnings are fine, but they kill suspense. And sometimes, that's the *point* of the fic!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Basically, warnings are fine, but they kill suspense. And sometimes, that's the *point* of the fic!

Absolutely! I totally agree. It's really completely subjective trying to decide what to warn for. Blinding a character or wingfic? That seems totally unncessary to me. Mostly I try to warn for things that cross society's line in some way, like rape or incest or extreme violence. I'd also warn for character death, just because I know a few people personally who are so devastated at just the idea of a character-death story, that it makes me sympathetic to that. But, honestly, I'm never going to write a character death story anyway, so the point is really moot! *g*

[tenillypo.livejournal.com]

As a reader, the only things I look at are ratings so I can keep from reading porn at work, story title, and summary. Those should tell me pretty much all I need to know. The cleaner the header, the more likely I am to read the story. Pairing is appreciated, since there are some that just don't interest me, but if it's an author I know I like? I'll read even a pairing that I hate.

If I can't tell from how a header is constructed whether or not the story is likely to be my cup of tea, then usually a look at the first paragraph is enough. And if it turns out 3/4 of the way in that I'm wrong? Then shame on me, and back I go to find something else more to my taste. It's called knowing what I like and using my own damn judgement.

I mean, it's not like we're talking about War and Peace here. Most fan fiction just isn't that long. And even the longer novellas -- if I've liked something enough to keep reading it for an hour or two, then odds are the story style isn't likely to take a turn. Even if it does, I'll still have gotten the enjoyment out of the first half, so where's the problem?

Why people think they deserve to have things spoon fed to them is beyond me.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

The cleaner the header, the more likely I am to read the story.

I feel absolutely the same way. In fact, I'm actively put off by someone who's trying to tell me too much about the story before I've even started to read it. Never seems to bode well.

ingrid_m had a good point about authors often times not crafting a very good summary for their stories. I know I'm guilty of that. I always find it difficult and frustrating. But that is basically the flap copy of fan fiction, and it shouldn't be long, but it should really tell you something about the story. I'm going to try to take that more seriously.

Ultimately, though, it's the first paragraph that decides me on a story. Either it grabs me or it doesn't.

[lizzie451.livejournal.com]

hmmm... I'm of two minds on this issue. I mean, sometimes a warning will lessen the impact of things, but then sometimes I'm *not* in the mood for a deathfic or non-con or what-have-you...

If the writer has a warning, that's good, I would be more likely to read the story. But then I'm more interested in the pairing than the warnings. Some pairings I just do not find interesting and I have so little free time that I'd rather search for fic specifically, or get a rec from someone I 'trust' than be annoyed...

*g* I will say that I read a 'partner betrayal' fic over in Sentinel that scarred me for life, but it *did* have a warning, I just didn't realize what it meant (ie that blair or jim were betraying the other) and that betrayal did practically drop out of the sky b/c it showed up in the last paragraph or two of the whole fic.

But really, I'm not 'entitled' to anything as a reader, and I'm not 'required' to warn for anything if I don't want to as a writer. I probably *should* warn for my writing being for crap, but I don't do that either! *g*

If you think a warning will help get rid of some of those 'you've made me blind' emails, then go for it, but it's *your* choice, ya know?

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I'm of two minds on this issue. I mean, sometimes a warning will lessen the impact of things, but then sometimes I'm *not* in the mood for a deathfic or non-con or what-have-you...

I'm with you on that. I won't read a story that warns for character death, and yet, there are a few stories I've read that either didn't include a warning or I didn't notice the warning, and they're just amazing. I'm glad I read them. So it's definitely conflicted for me.

If you think a warning will help get rid of some of those 'you've made me blind' emails, then go for it, but it's *your* choice, ya know?

*nods* Although it probably won't stop me from getting those emails, because I'm not always going to be able to guess what's going to set people off. As I said in my post, it honestly never occurred to me that either of the story that someone complained didn't have a non-con warning was actually non-con. Consent is an issue that's murky in real life. It's not surprising that people are going to have different takes on it when it comes to stories.

But I am happy to try to offer some information about a story that will help people decide whether they want to read it or not.

[zaganthi.livejournal.com]

I appreciate dark and non-con sorts of warnings for one reason...

Because sometimes, that's all I want to read, and dammit, warnings like that make it easier for me to skip the fluff and get right to the violence.

I do it out of common courtesy now, but if someone's been reading stories I'm involved in the writing of for more than two stories, they'll have gotten the point that they can walk into it expecting darker things. That's what I enjoy exploring. I like taking characters and breaking them down into pieces again and again and again, and then I try to build them back up.

Which is why my website ended up with a general 'we're sick people' warning. Because there's no other way to 'warn' for things like torture, blinding, maiming, rape, headfucking, whatever. It also blanket covers incest, age-play and anything else that came up.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Because sometimes, that's all I want to read, and dammit, warnings like that make it easier for me to skip the fluff and get right to the violence.

Hee! Yes, I appreciate those warnings when that's what I'm in the mood for, as well.

I think the problem for me is that I write two different extremes, either the serious porn or fluffy comedy. So people don't necessarily know what they're going to be getting. Of course, the tone and the setting should make it clear by the end of the first page or so.

I've talked to other writers who get the same kind of complaining emails, and they don't let it bother them. I obviously need to make my peace with the fact that you can't please everyone all the time.

[sakuracorr.livejournal.com]

I seriously hate the amount of warning that people feel is necessary for fic, but on the other side of the coin, I suppose I can see where it is helpful. I do prefer to know I'm getting myself into kid!fic if I'm getting myself into kid!fic.

Though I think we need to all chill if people are emailing you because they "weren't properly warned." I mean, it is fic. I'm assuming non-con is not in the PG-13 rating area? We're all adults here. If it bothers you, click the back button and go read something else. I mean, the world isn't filtered, so you're going to come across things you don't like, best to learn how to move on and forget them.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I mean, the world isn't filtered, so you're going to come across things you don't like, best to learn how to move on and forget them.

I do feel that way. Although as I've been reading comments to this post and thinking more about it, I've also realized that I just need to let it go and not be so bothered by these occasional emails. I know other writers who have had the same experience and they just shrug about it. I need to remember you can't make everyone happy all the time.

[isagel.livejournal.com]

I just had this experience with an on-going WiP from someone on my f-list that I happened to come across today, which really brought home to me why I prefer there not to be many warnings on stories. This fic turned out to contain something that I don't normally read, that - with a few exceptions for stories that are in some way exceptional - doesn't interest me and which has the potential of squicking me if it's badly done. If the header had said, "This is a story about X", I would have skipped it. However, having a warning for this content would completely have spoiled the plot of the story and made it pointless, and when, many parts in, things took this turn, I hadn't seen it coming at all, and I was *happy* that I was taken by surprise. So by not putting warnings on her story, this writer gave me a great reading experience that I would otherwise have missed out on. Fan fiction can be very predictable, and sometimes the predictability is one of its attractions, but I love it when a writer can really surprise me. What would story-telling be without unexpected twists and the feeling that you don't know how things will end until it's all over? Not very interesting, in my book.

There is one story on my site that has a warning - for extreme BDSM content - and I wouldn't dream of putting up warnings for the rest. I guess that's as far as I'll go: I'll warn for violence (be it sexualized or otherwise) if it's beyond what you can see on prime time tv, and everything else is fair game. I remember some of the mails I got about The Same River really bugged me, because people were angry with me over the ending. But the thing is that even if I'd been in the habit of warning for unhappy endings, I wouldn't have warned for that, because I didn't perceive it as unhappy. Which is of course why warnings can never really work - everyone reads through the filter of their own mind, and everyone's experience of the same text is different. There's nothing to be done about that.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I had much the same fortunate surprise that you described with a Smallville story that either didn't have a character death label on it or I didn't notice it. Amazing story. I'm glad I didn't miss it. But if there'd been a warning, I'd have skipped it.

I remember some of the mails I got about The Same River really bugged me, because people were angry with me over the ending.

I remember that. I was amazed that people were complaining, because it's such an amazing story and the ending is totally organic to it and there's definitely room for hope. That's not unhappy in my book. Also, it's your damned story! You get to tell it any way you see fit.

Which is of course why warnings can never really work - everyone reads through the filter of their own mind, and everyone's experience of the same text is different. There's nothing to be done about that.

Precisely! I don't know why that's such a difficult concept for people to grasp, but apparently it is.

aaaaaaaaaamen

[philexos.livejournal.com]

a reader's comfort is ALWAYS her own responsibility.

Yes, ma'am. After all, isn't this why we all succumb to adulthood? So we can make our own choices. I choose to read, and that is on me, entirely, bombs and all. And if I respond and comment, "I am now scarred for life because of your fic!" Well, it's sincerely meant as a compliment! :)

And now I must bounce off and read some more!

Re: aaaaaaaaaamen

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

And if I respond and comment, "I am now scarred for life because of your fic!" Well, it's sincerely meant as a compliment! :)

Hee! There needs to be more of you! :)

[shaggirl.livejournal.com]

Ever the voice of reason. ;)

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I do get annoyed by the whole "why didn't you warn me" thing. I'm glad I'm not coming across as a cranky crazy person! *g*

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

I don't like warnings very much. They can keep you from potentially wonderful stories. I do it myself because I'm a very accommodating person, but sometimes I tend to be vague, or sometimes confusing. After all if I put a warning on a story, say--"Look out! Clark eats his family and friends in this one!" then where's the sense of discovery--where's the fun? You might as well print a story that's only warning notes and call it good.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

After all if I put a warning on a story, say--"Look out! Clark eats his family and friends in this one!" then where's the sense of discovery--where's the fun?

Okay. First? Hee! And then: so true! If someone is really sensitive about what they read and they don't care if the story is totally spoiled for them, then they can just skim it first and make sure nothing is going in a direction they don't like.

Take of yourselves, peoples! That's what I say.

[celli]

I struggle with this a lot. On the one hand, I am really sensitive to rape/non-con issues in a story, and I've had to train myself to stop reading at the first hint of something like that--which is really hard, especially when it's a good story. But I know if I keep reading I'll upset myself. So I do appreciate it when that's warned for.

But I totally see what you're saying, that different people view different things as warn-able. And some writers (and readers) feel very strongly that a warning changes the feeling of the story too much, and I have to respect their perspective on that.

I've seen several writers say, "I choose not to warn, and if the consequence is that people choose not to read my stories, I accept that consequence." That makes a lot of sense to me--and I think it's a little more value-neutral than "warning/not warning is right, and I'm going to lambast you for disagreeing with me."

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I've seen several writers say, "I choose not to warn, and if the consequence is that people choose not to read my stories, I accept that consequence."

I totally respect that approach, as well. I honestly don't mind doing my best to put warnings for things that cross societal lines, but that's all I can do. My best. It's never going to be foolproof, simply because everyone does see things differently and stories aren't always black and white. If the way I warn isn't working for someone, I totally respect their decision not to read my stories anymore. In fact, I'd prefer that.