A Warning Sign

[hackthis_archive]

You know, I have to admit I've always been one of those people who tended to scoff at warnings on stories. Obviously if somebody warned me that their fic included OOC characters, castrated protagonists, dismemberment, Lana/Clark, Hermione, tentacle porn, explicit dom/sub violence, rape, Slytherin-bashing and/or non-con, I wasn't going to read it. The warning told me ahead of time that it wasn't going to be my thing; no disrespect to those who enjoy those things or a combination thereof, it just wasn't for me.

And then I happened across a story the other day that had a whole bunch of things that would've kept me away if I'd known about them in advance, and if you think this is the part where I say '...and it was a damn good experience', uh, it ain't going to happen. Talk about fucking traumatic. If anyone has some Clorox Wipes for the Brain (TM) handy, I'd really appreciate them.

I only mention this to say that I have a new found understanding of why people put warnings on their stories, because truly, one man's enjoyment is another man's additional therapy session, and I can promise that you will never see any of those afore mention items in my stories. If they are ever contained in a story of mine, I will put up a warning.*


*But if you're expecting a warning every time I knock off a character, well, that's just not going to happen. ;)


In other news, across the US and Canada, but not the UK or France (so don't freak out and think you missed it, D):

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Comments

[fivil.livejournal.com]

I have this very serious "click-away" policy which leads to me not finishing any fics that I don't at least like a little. Sometimes even the scariest shit pulls you in, though, or then something just comes suddenly from behind a corner and you're so into the story you *have to* read it, even if it's painful.

I think people go a bit overboard with warnings. I don't necessarily want to know everything that happens in a fic when I read the warnings. But I do want to have some warnings (if only a rating description, as in "NC-17 for extreme violence"), so I can avoid certain things.

Does that make sense?

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

a. I completely understand what you mean about the click-away policy. I've always felt that way too. The back button is absolutely remarkable, isn it? And yet, you already mention the 'vortex of fic' issue where you really like the story but there are certain elements that you're like 'well, maybe I can just work around them' -- sometimes it works; sometimes not so much so.

b. I agree about the overboard with warnings thing too. That's why I'd always had so much disdain before. It was like 'WARNING: Something happens' and I was all 'well, I should *hope* so', but now I'm starting to see why they might be nice for extraordinarily graphic violence or something of that vein. Nevertheless, there are some people who don't bat an eyelash at that, but find character death is excruciating. Me? I don't care if you knock off everyone, but yet again, I see how this is a really a personal issue.