Fic: warnings and summaries

[aelfgyfu_mead]

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?

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?)

Comments

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

I think youre summaries are fine, hon - but then they are such tricky things! I warn HARDCORE for all my fics, but then most of my fics ARE hardcore, lol!

*hugs you*

[lukadreaming.livejournal.com]

I tend to shove 18 on as a default warning unless it's very obviously gen or something pretty light. I would specifically warn for death and rape in the unlikely event of me writing either. I might also adopt, if appropriate, fredbassett's rather nicely worded 'Warning: Advert/extreme kink, depending on your views' line *g*.

[loriel-eris.livejournal.com]

Both yahtzee63 here and seperis here said some stuff which I pretty much 95% agree with. (The 5% which I do not agree with, is the bit in which old shows do not require spoilers. *g*) But all joking aside, I'm pretty much with hese two posts. Especially relevant bit for this post, is what seperis said. ;)

Having just looked at all you story summaries headers, 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.

[sg-betty.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm going to have to go look! ;) I don't really read summaries. If it's gen and PG, I'll read it. It's not like there's tons of those...

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.