Meta, warnings in fanfic
Jun. 11th, 2007 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mari4212I know I'm going over a subject that was old when Star Trek fanzines were still the only way to share fics, but it's coming up again in relation to current fandom discussions and, well, I might as well get my feelings and opinions on this matter straight.
So with the caveat that these are my personal opinions on this matter, and that anything I say here is descriptive as it relates to me, not perscriptive for fandom as a whole, I'm weighing in on the matter.
The first matter that inevitably comes up is the simple question, should we be writing warnings for our fics at all?
We've got conflicting stances in the non-fanfic world. For example, most books are unrated, with no warnings given about character death or hotspot issues. On the other hand, once they've been out for a while, it's easy to find reviews of them which will mention whether those issues are present, and it's a pretty safe bet that children's books won't get gory or detailed, and that teen books will be somewhat circumspect as well. And then we've got tv and movies, where there is a rating system and warnings for sex, language, and violence.
In the fanfic world, there's a spectrum of opinions that range from the people who want warnings for everything under the sun and a few things that might not even exist, and the people who think that nothing should be warned for, ever, and if you run into a fic that contained things that squicked you or hit a flashpoint for you, that's your problem. And most of us lie somewhere between those points, forming a broad continuum of opinions.
Me, I tend to view it as a courtesy to give warnings to my readers. The way I think about it, it's a form of respect to your readers to tell them that certain things that they may or may not be willing to read are present in the fic. I also tend to assume that they'll make a reasonable decision when given the basic information. And for people who don't want to get any spoilers for what they're going to read, I put the warnings behind a cut and tell people to click that cut for those warnings
Then comes the other hotspot. What is worth being warned about?
This one, I won't even try to come up with what fandom as a whole ranges through. There are people who want warnings about fluff, or about darkfic. There are some who think that the basic events that form the canon universe should be warned about, if you're writing about those events. Others don't care if you don't warn them about a story where everyone in canon dies bloodily.
I personally try to stay with the basics. I'll warn if something I'm writing changes canon events, or for what I've seen to be the major hotspots for people, like the death of a canon character or non-canonical ships. And I'm a relatively tame writer, so I'm not likely to hit the hot spots people in fandom have been talking about recently.
So, err, yeah. I've babbled enough about it for right now, and I don't think I've come up with anything earth-shattering. I try to opperate under the principle of respect my readers, and assume that while individual other writers might disagree with how that respect should be shown, most of them are also opperating under that same respect for their readers.
So with the caveat that these are my personal opinions on this matter, and that anything I say here is descriptive as it relates to me, not perscriptive for fandom as a whole, I'm weighing in on the matter.
The first matter that inevitably comes up is the simple question, should we be writing warnings for our fics at all?
We've got conflicting stances in the non-fanfic world. For example, most books are unrated, with no warnings given about character death or hotspot issues. On the other hand, once they've been out for a while, it's easy to find reviews of them which will mention whether those issues are present, and it's a pretty safe bet that children's books won't get gory or detailed, and that teen books will be somewhat circumspect as well. And then we've got tv and movies, where there is a rating system and warnings for sex, language, and violence.
In the fanfic world, there's a spectrum of opinions that range from the people who want warnings for everything under the sun and a few things that might not even exist, and the people who think that nothing should be warned for, ever, and if you run into a fic that contained things that squicked you or hit a flashpoint for you, that's your problem. And most of us lie somewhere between those points, forming a broad continuum of opinions.
Me, I tend to view it as a courtesy to give warnings to my readers. The way I think about it, it's a form of respect to your readers to tell them that certain things that they may or may not be willing to read are present in the fic. I also tend to assume that they'll make a reasonable decision when given the basic information. And for people who don't want to get any spoilers for what they're going to read, I put the warnings behind a cut and tell people to click that cut for those warnings
Then comes the other hotspot. What is worth being warned about?
This one, I won't even try to come up with what fandom as a whole ranges through. There are people who want warnings about fluff, or about darkfic. There are some who think that the basic events that form the canon universe should be warned about, if you're writing about those events. Others don't care if you don't warn them about a story where everyone in canon dies bloodily.
I personally try to stay with the basics. I'll warn if something I'm writing changes canon events, or for what I've seen to be the major hotspots for people, like the death of a canon character or non-canonical ships. And I'm a relatively tame writer, so I'm not likely to hit the hot spots people in fandom have been talking about recently.
So, err, yeah. I've babbled enough about it for right now, and I don't think I've come up with anything earth-shattering. I try to opperate under the principle of respect my readers, and assume that while individual other writers might disagree with how that respect should be shown, most of them are also opperating under that same respect for their readers.
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-11 09:37 pm (UTC)I think warnings can go too far.
Why should I warn for slash? Why should I have to warn for het, or any other relationship? "Explicit sex" (if that's what it is...) is a pretty broad warning. There are some things I will warn for because they are squicky. (Incestuous sisters I'm looking at you.)
... Wait I had a point. It got away from me. *looks for point* Oh! That you're right, published works don't have 'warnings' on them, and my fanfic, shouldn't have to either. (Beyond the ones I mentioned already.) Now, if I wrote fanfic any more this would probably make more sense huh?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-11 10:58 pm (UTC)I tend to do it when I know I'm writing at a sensitive issue for people, but then again, I don't write that much around those points to begin with. (And the whole still being a virgin means that I'm not even going to try to write sex scenes, thank you very much. I know far too well how bad sex scenes sound coming from someone without a clue.) You've read my one recent character death fic, but there I did try to give warning, without necessarily forcing people who don't want the fic to be spoiled to read the spoiler. Although in that case, the title alone pretty much gave away what happened to John.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-11 09:53 pm (UTC)Fanon is a form of escapism for me, at times - and as such I appreciate being warned about darkfic, fluff, and character death, so that when I'm looking to cheer myself up, I can pick appropriately. However, I don't find those ones necessary. And by about a chapter in, you can usually spot a darkfic. If it's not obvious, then it's well written enough for me to read it anyway (i.e. it's not immediately "x has gone bad...", it shows serious character development).
Warning I do see as essential are:
explicit sex - simply because of laws, and the fact that it's something most people would like to choose whether to read about. I don't see the need for a statement regarding slash, but that is to do with my worldview. I do, however, like a statement about pairings. I know, spoils the plot, but I'm a shipper. I read for the romance as much as anything. And it links back to fandom as an escape (does that make sense?).
Death of a canon character? Not so fussed about. It happens.
Incest - Yes, I want a warning. Along with underage sex, specific kinks etc. Sometimes I'll read these things, but I need warnings, as I want to know what I'm getting myself in to. And you can't get this from reviews, because fanfiction reviews reference heavily to the plot. So a little warning here goes a long way, and it usually doesn't give away too much of the plot, whereas in the case of death of a canon character, it can.
Other than that??? Well, AU. Because then you can define between those fics that work with canon, and those that are set in different places. (also, so I can avoid Buffy or DragonBallZ crossovers, which nine times out of 10 indicate a poorly written fic - no offense meant to the few who write brilliant crossovers).
I think the main thing is it's about figuring out the major hotspots, and warning for those that don't affect the plot.
Like you said, it's consideration for the readers. I think warnings are more important in fandom than in printed fic because, as I said before, reviews are unreliable in fandom. They reveal plot, and you don't know anything about those who wrote them. So in lieu of reviews which would show up a lot of the things that we warn about, we need warnings.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-11 11:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-12 11:57 am (UTC)I agree with you about the courtesy thing, though sometimes it drive me batty - mostly when it's plot-spoiling. I to-and-fro on character death because it often IS so plot-spoiling, but mainly I prefer not to because it IS the plot-wrecking kind, sometimes. (But, I know fandom and so there were hidden warnings for Times Sammy Wasn't Possessed. I forgot to at ff.net, and there was a complaint.)
Ones I definitely believe in: Sex scenes (...not that there's ever likely to be one) because there are young kids. And definitely rape (though, see previous brackets) and abuse - because that is triggering stuff and to me, it crosses the line from "I don't like reading it; I'd appreciate a warning." to downright harmful.
The more ones that I believe to be more courtesy than not are the pairings, and just for fandom peace, I think we need the warnings - but I find it ridiculous when people label a fic with two characters as friends as ship-fic, because of fear people will read it that way and freak.
Incest I too-and-fro on too (although I definitely appreciate the warning), but I guess for me it falls under the pairing thing (and if the pairing's shown, you should be able to get that it's incest anyway). If it's not the, uh, 'happy' kind, I think it should come with the abuse warning.
I guess for me, there are the two sides: courtesy and required. Which I guess there is for most people and, unfortunately, it all differs.
(And I don't think I've added anything here at all, but it was interesting to get out. Even if it's not clear. *g*)
no subject
Date: 2008-08-10 01:28 am (UTC)I appreciate warnings regarding dubious-con/non-con, character death, and sexual content involving underage characters. However, if the summary makes it clear that's what I'm getting into, I don't see the need for a separate warning.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-11 02:24 am (UTC)Yeah, if a pairing is listed, I kind of consider that covers informing my readers about who is doing what, and it works as a notification to anyone paying attention about whether or not there is slash, or het, or anything else pairing-wise.
The ones you listed are all things that I think are major flash points, as well as being potentially triggering for people, so I'd always include warnings for them.