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(no subject)
I don't get it. I still think fooling people into reading something with a bad ending by omitting a warning is mean.
...y'know... there's just nothin' I can say to that.
Stark Incomprehension all round, lads?
...y'know... there's just nothin' I can say to that.
Stark Incomprehension all round, lads?
no subject
Warnings are a double edged sword, in fanfiction. On one level, many people will read anything and don't WANT to know about warnings/plot spoilers. On the other, many people don't want to read certain things, as is their right.
Many of you have pointed out that the real world is not a place of happy endings always prevailing, and that is true, but I also have to make the point that fanficion is not the real world. Many people read it for escape, and don't want to be burdened with the heavier points of life.
Books, films and television shows are all mediums that have a lot more publicity than the piece of fiction that a single person posts online. A film has a rating (one user stated that they have no warnings -- I'm not sure about elsewhere, but I here in Australia where I am they do carry tags for 'violence', 'horror' etc), and most of them will be seen in previews that give the prespective audience a clear indication of the films' genre, and what its plot might contain. A book is placed in a genre, and has an outline. Usually, genre and summary will give the audience an idea as to what it will contain. Television shows have a combination of these.
When a person wants to read a piece of fanfiction online, the only outline they have (usually) is the outline provided by the writer. It is common courtesy to give a genre (including angst, etc) so the reader has some idea what to expect, to post and adequete rating and give warnings for anything that might be potentially disturbing (such as character death).
I live for the most part in the Harry Potter fandom, so I can only really speak with any authority on that. They are a series of books written for children, and so I think it makes the posting of warnings very important. Fans of say, 'Kill Bill' are much less likely to be wary of stories containing violence and character death than people reading Harry Potter. Warnings should be appropriate to the fandom, as far as angst and adult content go.
In any fandom, I think things like non-consensual sex or character death should be given warnings - it should be up to the reader to decide whether they want to read that. Imagine being a rape victim and not being warned of a story that contained graphic non-con? Or a parent reading about the graphic death of a child? It's just courtesy to warn about such things. We are not the owners of this material, so it is not our creative license.
There is no need to say, in thses cases, WHO is raped, or WHO dies - a general warning will not usually ruin plot, and it sends away those who do not want to read such things.
My two cents.
no subject
It's written for fun, for the most part.
Generally, I agree about rape warnings. Character death, otoh, no. I'm sorry, but if someone dying is going to bother someone, don't read my fic.
A character death warning has ALWAYS unimpressed me, and I've ranted extensively on the subject before.
It wasn't until Stargate fandom that I've ever encountered it before.
Still, I take your point. I think I'll start warning for everything.
no subject
no subject
As a writer I hate the character death warning. Why? Because it takes away a lot of impact that isn't worth it.
There is a really simple solution though, that can spare both writer and reader. I do it myself when I'm just not up to reading fic with bad endings, I scroll down and make sure the ending isn't bad. Yes, it will screw some of the surprise up. But honestly? It doesn't spoil the reading experience of people who are not touchy about the subject.
*laughs hysterically*
(And you know, I'm hugely amused as I quite graphically killed a child without even putting an 'angst!' warning on it OMG!)
I will make the exception that rape should be warned for, but mostly because most other media tend not to do it as violently as fic does (unless you're reading Crow novelizations, of course.)
Then again, I may just warn for inappropriate use of firearms and screw you all.
Re: *laughs hysterically*
As I said, posting warnings is courtesy.
If a good fanfic writer wants to shock their audience, they will warn them about a death and still manage to do so. The ability to expose parts of a plot and still surprise the audience is a mark of talent.
Re: *laughs hysterically*
I disagree with this statement. If the director of The Crying Game had insisted on a full frontal view of
RaJaye Davidon on the movie poster, no amount of skillful crafting could change the fact filmgoers knew the plot twist before they ever saw the move and would not be shocked by it.If Agatha Christie put on the book jacket the disclaimer, "I cheated. The narrator did it," what would even be the point of reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd?
Re: *laughs hysterically*
As for Agatha Christie, the title and genre of the work are indicative of the content... the reader knows that this is some sort of murder to happen, and some sort of twist in the end. Writer reputation also plays a part, there, which doesn't happen in fanfiction, for the most part.
Even someone like JKR (to get back on my HP bandwagon) mentioned before the release of OotP that someone was going to die -- probably as much to generate the 'who will it be?' as to prepare people for the fact that someone WOULD die. That definitely didn't make the ending of the story any less of a surprise.
Re: *laughs hysterically*
When the plot twist is the key to the story, asking writers to reveal it in the front matter is cutting them off at the knees. The talent of the writer is immaterial - you've taken away one of their primary tools, namely, not knowing how the story ends until the very end.
Re: *laughs hysterically*
Re: *laughs hysterically*
I think what this boils down to is a whole bunch of whiny bitches who want the readers to cater to them so they don't actually have to do any work when selecting a fic to read. Because this bullshit about maliciously leaving off labels in order to get people to read the fic? Is bullshit. Trust me, we don't care enough to want to manipulate your sorry little asses. Get the fuck over it.
But really. Okay, let's look at it this way. I'm mortally afraid of bees. Truly fucking phobic. Should I demand everyone warn for bees because it might upset me? By this logic, I should. Better warn for random deserts--some people don't like sand.
This is just such a stupid fucking debate. And you know, you can tell us what you think we should and shouldn't do until you turn blue.
We still don't have to listen to you.
Nor do we actually give a fuck.
Re: *laughs hysterically*
I understand your point about people whining. Of COURSE writers aren't being malicious, but, at the same time, if you don't warn, and you write something potentially upsettting, you're lining yourself up for those sorts of reviews.
It can get out of hand. Generally, I warn for things that are generally accepted as requiring warning: non-con, character death, abuse, that sort of thing. I don't warn for slash or BDSM, but my summaries usually cover if either are involved.
You don't have to listen, of course. Its just my opinion.
Re: *laughs hysterically*
I, for example, would be annoyed at a warning for character death, but I'd like to know if there is slash in the damned story.
Honestly, I don't warn for shit. Either people will read it or not. It's fairly obvious I'm not warning for anything, so I figure anyone who cares will be able to tell.
And I still stand by my (much earlier) statement that everyone reads fanfic at their own risk. You're not guaranteed to like it. That's what happens when you read shit other people write for fun and stuff up at places like FF.N