(no subject)

[lyssie]

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?

Comments

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

I suppose character death warnings come down to being up to the individual writer. If someone's posted a fic rated R or NC-17 and classes it as 'angst' as far as genre goes, a character death warning is probably not necessary, since the reader knows they are reading something potentially upsetting. If, on the other hand, the fic is genre: 'genral' and PG-13, a character death is not really something the average reader would believe to be on the cards.

[woodface]

I think an "angst" label should suffice for character death. I have put warnings on my fics for character death because it really wasn't worth the trouble to keep getting emails where people go "OMG you killed her!!!" Even with a warning I still got feedback from people begging me to make a sequel and undo the death. *shrugs*

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.