warnings

[sophinisba]

What are your feelings about warning labels on fics?


How specific do you think they should be? Do you ever get to resenting them as spoilers, feel that the warning is giving away something about the fic that, as an author or as a reader, you would rather keep a surprise? Have you ever had readers complain that there was something in a fic that they weren't prepared for? Have you ever felt that way yourself and resented the author for not having warned you?

Heh, and have you noticed that I tend to ask these questions without giving my own thoughts on the matter? I'm not sure if this is more something intentional like not wanting to shape other people's thoughts too much or make them reluctant to disagree, or if it's more just me being a wimp.

I have mixed feelings about it all. When I started reading fanfic I thought it was a helpful and considerate idea, and sometimes even made it easier to find the things that I wanted. (I don't think most people here will hate me if I say that sometimes, yeah, I'm in the mood for a story with some violence, or a character death, or for something unusually kinky or a PWP.) Also, there aren't many warning labels that will keep me from trying out a fic, but sometimes I'm glad to know the disturbing thing is coming, to be more prepared for it. I don't think I squick all that easily and the things that could really bug me are probably too specific for me to expect authors to put up labels about them.

I should also say though that some of my favorite fics, including monster WIPs which I've spent many, many hours reading, come with no warnings at all, or only something as vague as "potentially disturbing elements" or "lots of angst". And nothing in these fics has made me wish I hadn't read them, but I can see how other people could get upset.

Do I worry too much?

Comments

[shirebound]

I want as many warning/labels/summary as I can get! If there's major angst, character death, a pairing I don't care about, etc., I want to know that before I waste any time reading something that won't interest me (or will make me sorry I read it). I actually try to write extremely complete story summaries myself (full of spoilers, I suppose), so folks will know what to expect.

[slipperieslope.livejournal.com]

In fanfic I want to know pairings, rating, genre (I loathe het). Warnings for: non-canon death of major canon characters (kill any OC you want without warning), non-con & rape, chan, blood sports, hurt/no comfort, excessive violence& torture.

: )

[suzy-74.livejournal.com]

I like the labels.

It's the first thing I sort a fic by, i.e do I want to read this or not. Since there are so many different things I like to read and not enough time, I need this to be able to skip things I don't want to read or are not in the mood to read. Like you said, it's an easy way to find a fic you want to read.

I want to know what pairings is in the fics, that comes first, at least the main pair. And rating is a must. And I prefer if it says if it's gen or slash or het fic. I read and like all, but want to know before hand what I am to expect. It also states if the author see it as a slash fic or a gen fic. Can be good to know. Genre is a good thing too to put up.

Extra warnings such as extremely angsty, violence or death fics is a plus. I don't like death fics. I tend to avoid them, but sometimes I read them anyway because I've read other fics by this author and knows the story will likely be good. I prefer happy endings, so death warnings concerning a major character is in my opinion very welcomed.

I have also read a lot of fics that don't have many labels and I've found them good. I also don't squick easily so that is not why I want the labels. It simply is more easy to find the fics I want to read. Only if I have extra time or if someone has rec'd a story will I find and read those without labels.

Of course, a summery that gives the whole plot away is not a good thing. That would destroy the fun of reading. The tension of not knowing is a thrill. So to try and summon this up. Yes, I want labels but only short ones that don't give away too much.
=)

Surprise me

[mariole.livejournal.com]

Personally, I resent them as spoilers. I wish no fics were labeled, because I hate being spoiled. It really ruins my enjoyment of a fic. I don't want a hint that minor character X is to meet a grisly death-- just kill him, and let me react with proper emotion to the event! If you're writing an AU, kill whomever you want: Aragorn, Frodo, I don't care. (Well, I care, but it _is_ an AU; take it where you will.)

I even resent dropping the name of the pairing, because often that's part of the fun--discovering who will end up with whom. However, I realize that many people want to read only about certain characters or certain pairings, so I always provide at least the major character.

On the other hand, I realize that some people really do have issues with certain kinds of violence or kinky sex. It is polite to warn them, but I'd prefer to warn as vaguely as possible. Warnings about slash or het strike me as simply silly, but then, I write both and read both so I don't have a drum to beat in either arena.

What I do like: the rating, and the genre (humor, drama, angst). That's enough to prepare me for the mood. I can trust a good writer to handle the story and plot elements to my satisfaction, no warnings required. :)

[lilybaggins.livejournal.com]

As for myself, I only need to know the pairing and appreciate a warning for character death. That's because I really cannot abide character death of Aragorn or Frodo in a story, and if I'm reading a story and that is involved and I invested my precious time reading it and was not informed and am now a grumbling, depressed, crying mass of neoplasm because of the fic---well---that usually just makes me upset at the author.

However, there are all sorts of things that squick people, and I've discovered on various lists and groups and here that if I have non-con, het, child abuse, extreme medical detail, or anything else "unusual" that I'd best put a warning on it or I'm going to piss an awful lot of people off. There are many more people upset by lack of warnings than by spoilers posted, and I have a lot of people on my flist that I *know* avoid certain things.

Maybe if I didn't know these people personally, I might not be as good with warnings, but I do it in an attempt to spare my flist from things I know they'd prefer not to read. And I think warnings are really common courtesy to people.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

*tacklehugs* When are you coming home?

Anyway, I have mixed feelings about warnings on fics. On one hand, I feel like mariole, where I wish I didn't know that certain things were coming up. If Frodo or Aragorn died in an AU, I would be devastated, but I'd want to be carried along on that ride without knowing it was going to happen. A simple AU warning or angst warning would do for that.

But I understand why warnings are there. Most warnings won't keep me from reading a fic. Er...well, some will. Like incest. Or chan slash. Or child abuse of any kind. But some people feel that same way about things that I don't mind reading, like excessive violence or non-con or slash or het and so it seems necessary.

I warn for: non-con, no happy ending, non-canon character death, excessive violence, mpreg, slash (but I refuse to warn for interspecies slash because first of all, the pairing speaks for itself and second of all, why assume that interspecies slash is any squickier than hobbitslash?), het, etc.