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I've been reading about the edges of what seems to be a big dispute about warnings on fanfic. I don't want to argue here about anyone else's warnings; instead, I'm wondering whether mine are sufficient. I don't write a lot of the hot-button issues for people: I don't kill major characters, I don't want rape or any kind of non-con in my stories (heck, I hardly have even implications of sex in my stories!). I do get into some medical details, and a couple of my stories deal with PTSD, which I realized only recently I never labeled as such.
Ought I to label PTSD as such, or give any other kind of warning? For anyone who wants to look, do you think my warnings are sufficient, too vague, too idiosyncratic, or helpful?
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sg_fignewton has asked people what kinds of summaries make them read stories, and I was also discussing this on another LJ (I've forgotten whose; if you've seen my comments there, please remind me!). I realized that I've been describing as summaries I don't like exactly the sort of summaries I give for my own stories. I mean, really:
• Is "'Menace' retold from a crucial point of view" actually a useful summary, or too vague to be any help? (If I've done my job right, you figure out whose point of view within a few sentences--am I wrong to hold onto that element of surprise?).
• "Sam and her brother talk after 'Threads'"--I don't want to spoil "Threads" for anyone who hasn't seen it and so might not know of what I consider a major character and arc development, but I doubt I would read this story, if it were written by an author I didn't know and I stumbled across it on a day when I already have several tabs' worth of fic open!
My stories can all be found at Aelfgyfu's Mead Hall. (That's actually the link to the right-hand side of the bar above my entries on my LJ page, but I've noticed that people keep missing it, perhaps because they read my entries on their friends' page or in their own style rather than on my page in my style. Or maybe they miss it because it's not differentiated from the "Previous Entries" "Next Entries" etc. standard info in the bar.)
Feel free to comment on my warnings, summaries, etc.; I don't feel that I get a lot of readers, and I'd appreciate anything that could help me attract more. I'm also curious about what my friends do, and happy to talk about your descriptions, either in comments or on your LJ, if you make a similar post. (Dang, I suppose this entry is too long to start a meme! We could do:
1. Are my warnings too detailed, too vague, or just right?
2. Which of my summaries do you like best? Least?)
Ought I to label PTSD as such, or give any other kind of warning? For anyone who wants to look, do you think my warnings are sufficient, too vague, too idiosyncratic, or helpful?
On a related note,
sg_fignewton has asked people what kinds of summaries make them read stories, and I was also discussing this on another LJ (I've forgotten whose; if you've seen my comments there, please remind me!). I realized that I've been describing as summaries I don't like exactly the sort of summaries I give for my own stories. I mean, really: • Is "'Menace' retold from a crucial point of view" actually a useful summary, or too vague to be any help? (If I've done my job right, you figure out whose point of view within a few sentences--am I wrong to hold onto that element of surprise?).
• "Sam and her brother talk after 'Threads'"--I don't want to spoil "Threads" for anyone who hasn't seen it and so might not know of what I consider a major character and arc development, but I doubt I would read this story, if it were written by an author I didn't know and I stumbled across it on a day when I already have several tabs' worth of fic open!
My stories can all be found at Aelfgyfu's Mead Hall. (That's actually the link to the right-hand side of the bar above my entries on my LJ page, but I've noticed that people keep missing it, perhaps because they read my entries on their friends' page or in their own style rather than on my page in my style. Or maybe they miss it because it's not differentiated from the "Previous Entries" "Next Entries" etc. standard info in the bar.)
Feel free to comment on my warnings, summaries, etc.; I don't feel that I get a lot of readers, and I'd appreciate anything that could help me attract more. I'm also curious about what my friends do, and happy to talk about your descriptions, either in comments or on your LJ, if you make a similar post. (Dang, I suppose this entry is too long to start a meme! We could do:
1. Are my warnings too detailed, too vague, or just right?
2. Which of my summaries do you like best? Least?)
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*hugs you*
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I do think it's better to mark something "18" that doesn't need it than not to mark something that way that does!
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Sometimes now I do put 18 (swearing) as the warning, as I know you and several others might be OK reading that but don't want the sex *g*.
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When I see that the rating is for language, I might raise my eyebrows, but at least I know I can read it fairly safely! That would be the kind of story where I'd wait until Small Child was asleep or close my home office door most of the way so I'd have a moment to switch screens if necessary. (If I close it all the way, there is usually only a minute or two before a cat comes and insists on coming in. Once in, the cat will give me even less time before demanding to get out.)
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Puppet sex? OK, riiiiight . . . *Steps away cautiously and hopes no one will get hurt* *bg*.
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Having just looked at all you story
summariesheaders, I'd say that your summaries are fine. However, the distinction I made, is essential. Standing alone, some of your summaries aren't enough. However, the word count, spoilers and categories (gen, drama, h/c, etc) as well as the summaries, are fine. If that makes sense.Edited for HTML and English fail...
God. Edited again for more English fail.
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I
hatereally don't appreciate character death warnings. Not all the time; if your story starts with the character already dead/you it in the first sentence, then feel free to warn for character death (mostly because I don't care). However, if the death is part of the story/plot development, then hell mend you (the author) for telling me that at the beginning of the story. Death is kinda, y'know, to be expected when you have people that are, y'know, living. And if you (the reader) don't know that by this point, then god, you have much bigger issues than character death warnings on a story. *deep breath*I have read stories with a CD warning. And I have even read stories in which the warned for CD happens as part of the story. For the most part, I've enjoyed these stories well enough, but they do lose something, for me, by my knowing that one of the main characters (in the story) will die. I have actually read one, maybe two, stories in which I was warned at the start for CD and I got to the end and was utterly surprised, and devastated, to discover that Rodney (/John/whoever) had died!? But that was one (or two) very, very, very well written stories out of countless others.
I actually don't get as pissed off with CD warnings on stories as it appears above. Tho, that's mostly because of years of people doing and I am resigned. But I have always disliked CD warnings on fic.
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Well, that's me, then! If I want death, I read the news. I don't expect major character death often on Stargate, and every one of them has upset me (I include some recurring characters under "major character"). If someone warns for "dark content" or "apocafic" or "intense violence" or even "upsetting content/violence," I've been warned, though I haven't been spoiled for a character death. If I'm reading a PG (or perhaps even a PG-13) story with no violence warnings or "mild violence" and a character dies, I am ticked. Yes, this has happened to me, repeatedly. I don't think I actually complained to any of the authors--but I don't think I'd have been wrong to suggest a higher rating or a stronger warning.
When I read an R story, especially with warnings of violence, and a character dies, then I'm upset, but I have no business complaining. If I read an R fic tagged "apocalypse" or "dark" and I don't expect someone to die, then clearly I've lost my mind.
Occasionally, I read stories with a character death warning, and then I'm braced for it; I usually don't know who will die, and I have only myself to blame if I don't like it. I've never felt the warning ruined the story for me, and I do wish more people would put some warning (any of the ones I've listed or others: dark, intense violence, grave bodily harm, apocafic, etc.).
As you say, header information all has to be taken together. I've gotten better at reading between the lines and figuring out when character death may be implied.
But if I want death, I'll watch Caprica (which I do NOT plan to watch) or the news. I go to fandom to be happy.
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[I'm away for the day, and don't have time to respond to the rest of you comment, I just wanted to apologise now.]
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It has also been pointed out to me by BH that
1) I left AU off the list of appropriate warnings: if I see "AU," I know all bets are off, and anyone or everyone could die. (That's why I rarely read AUs in most fandoms, except Primeval--where, oddly enough, the AUs are where the fic writers bring back the characters that the show killed!
2) The author of "Haar" should be careful about saying she wants all fic to be happy. I should note that warnings on the story itself include: "some bad language and dark thoughts", and the warning on my main page reads: "Warning: Not really a darkfic, I hope, but probably not a story to read to cheer yourself up." At least it's not all doom and gloom.
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The whole converation about warnings and summaries got me thinking, as well. I never do summaries. Are people skipping my stories because of it? Since I don't write anything that I consider anything other than PG-13, I don't really think about warnings, just spoiler notices, but there was one story about Daniel and Vala after 'Origin' that really shouls have had a warning, in retrospect. Some discussion of, um, burning... Guess I better go add a warning to that.
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On the summaries, why do the summaries matter so much if there's a rating, especially when it's gen? Just curious--but I admit that I hate writing the darn things and am probably looking for a way out.
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I also use the summaries to gauge whether the writer has a grasp of English grammar and punctuation. If the summary contains multiple errors, I'm unlikely to read the story! As an English professor, I'm really bothered by poor grammar and punctuation. I see a surprising amount of fic written by people who do not seem to have acquired basic skills in writing. That's excusable when non-native speakers of English want to reach a wider audience, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy reading it. When writers are native speakers of English, well, then it just annoys me.
I don't think I'm awfully good at summaries myself, but I try to use them to hook readers who are deciding whether to spend their time reading my stories or not.