Twelfth Niffle posted, and Fic Warning Musings

[kennahijja]

Just Niffled:
Out of the Bag by Bernice Russell [Minerva, Snape; gen; G]

Read Niffle, here.
Read story, here.

And a few comments about recent fics made me ponder a question I'd like to put up for discussion:
do you expect/want/dislike Warnings for character death at the beginning of a fic?

Personally, I've been writing my share of character deaths, and *really* don't like the idea of giving the conclusion to a story away at the very beginning. Especially not when there is supposed to be suspense or tension. I've just finished reading Cinnamon's Beautiful World (yes, that's a most definite FIC REC), whose ending practically tore my heart out, but it would have had less impact (and I'd have been extremely put out) if I had known the outcome beforehand.

On the other hand, I understand that there are people who don't like character deaths, and would prefer to have a warning to be able to avoid them.

Would warning for 'dark fic' in general be enough to hint that there might be character death? And if not, do you prefer an explicit warning that takes away some of the story's effect, or prefer no warning and walking into the open knife? ;)

Comments

[s8219.livejournal.com]

I think a warning that it's dark fic is enough, if you want to have the impact of the character death, otherwise it's sorta just waiting for the character to die.

[ajaxbreaker.livejournal.com]

I definitely don't like warnings for character death. Darkfic warnings are OK - I go in half expecting death if it's got that warning, but when you specifically say "character death", I just feel like I've been given a huge spoiler, and I don't like spoilers.
So basically, ITA ;)

[ackonrad.livejournal.com]

I don't really care. I'm someone who's never been able to read a crimi the normal way without looking up to see who the killer is first. I'm not able to avoid spoilers, and I don't particularly mind them. So I'd take it either way.

Oh, and Beautiful World was brilliant, even though the ending broke my heart.

Fic warnings

[leianora.livejournal.com]

I really like the idea of warnings of character death in the fiction, because I can't read them without feeling very bereft and horribly griefstricken--almost as if the character who dies is a real person. I read fan fiction to escape into a happier world, so knowing that there's going to be a death involved, especially if it's a main character is often too daunting for me to read. This didn't use to be the case when I first started reading HP fanfic a year ago, but I've found that, as time has passed, I can't bring myself to read certain things that used to appeal to me. Certain pairings no longer hold my interest, whereas others have managed to find their way into my evil little heart. :-)

I have found, however, that if the death is mentioned, but not described in detail, I can manage to get through the fics a little easier.

[kikei.livejournal.com]

hmm. the most warning I've ever given in any of my fics is pertaining to the ships, and that's not even all the time- mostly when I'm writing cousinships I put it in there so that people go into the fic expecting the pairing, but even that's just on occasion. Death... nah. No warnings there. Probably because the characters I write dying are the ones who are already dead in canon (most notably Sirius and Regulus) so there's really no point.

I personally don't like being told about death, but I understand the need for the warnings- after all, I like to be warned if the fic will be a slashfic (I don't do slash, simply put... I used to but not now) so I wouldn't like to read a fic and then just abandon it halfway through because I wasn't warned about what was going to happen.

'tis quite a debate, isn't it?


-Kiks

[lazy-neutrino.livejournal.com]

Absolutely prefer not to know if there'a a character death coming up. It would have ruined your recent story for me, and if I can just remind you of the first story I wrote, Stop All the Clocks? That only has two characters. A 'character death' spoiler at the start would have utterly ruined the story (and probably disappointed that half of the readers who guessed wrong)!

[bruno-greengras.livejournal.com]

Just want to say that I completely agree with Ajax and s8219 here. 'Warning: darkfic' should be enough to tell the reader that this is going to be heavy stuff.

[daeuiel.livejournal.com]

Personally, I prefer to know if a major character is going to die before I read a story, because I'm not always in the mood to read a story with a character death. And I don't like surprises, either. If the warning is 'dark fic', that's enough to deter those looking for fluff, but I'd still gladly welcome an explicit 'character death' warning in most cases. I understand that it takes away from certain fics, but I think it's also important to let the reader know what they're getting into.

[painless-j.livejournal.com]

I'm a spoiler-whore. Well, I honest one since I'm a co-mod of accio_spoilers. It's difficult to answer your question. I like spoilers because they don't *spoil* reading for me, I enjoy it whether I know what is going to happen or not. In some fics I certainly prefer to have character death warning, in some I don't care. But mostly I prefer to see the warning. I'm easily impressed and affected with such things, if I know that my favourite character is going to die beforehand, I'll still read but it'll be easier for me.

I wonder how you managed to read BW not knowing that he would die. It seems impossible because everybody and his brother spills it.

[painless-j.livejournal.com]

*a* honest one...

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Definitely looks like an interesting group, but one I'd definitely steer clear of :). I *like* surprises :).

I wonder how you managed to read BW not knowing that he would die. It seems impossible because everybody and his brother spills it.

I only checked the first chapter to see if I liked it, and then downloaded the whole and read it at home without once looking at the reviews. I mean I suspected he'd die during reading, with my inner realist hoping he'd die and my inner sap hoping he'd not. I'd seen the story recced several times, but thankfully never with details...

[nadai.livejournal.com]

I prefer no warnings at all, and I really dislike warnings that give away major plot points, like 'CHARACTER DEATH OMG!!!!'. Even 'darkfic' seems superfluous to me - I ought to be able to tell it's going to be dark/angsty within the first couple of paragraphs, anyway.

One compromise I've seen is a warning that's a clickable link, leading to further information for those who want it.

[pushdragon.livejournal.com]

Don't warn - and I say that as one of the readers who *is* squeamish about character death. Warning would take all the tension out of the story. Anyone who's read the smallest sample of your work will know there's a good chance someone will die. We take the risk if we read it.

If I ever sound complainey, you won't take it to heart, will you? You know I'm only kidding. I'm never really wounded or scarred, and I'm always delighted to have read your stories, even the darkest ones. And, with all that darkness, when I get to the end of one of your fics that *does* have a happy ending, it feels like a happy ending that's been *earned*, and all the more beautiful for it.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

If I ever sound complainey, you won't take it to heart, will you? You know I'm only kidding.

Nah, nothing to do with you :). 'Sympathy' was recced on another site with a remark that it could perhaps have used a death-warning, and that got me thinking whether it's something people expect, or just something people who are very concerned about others' sensitivities do as a general favour...

*Your* alternate ending to the fic still makes me wish it had happened this way ;).

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Hm. In your case, the warning should be: "This fic, though by Hijja, DOES NOT contain character death, torture, betrayal, general misery or homosexual sex." Now that would be shocking.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Hey, it has happened! Once or twice...

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I know. That's why the warning is needed.

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

Like a few people said, I think that "warning, darkfic" should be more than sufficient. I would rather not know if a character is going to die before I read a fic and might start to prejudge a fic that said character death in the warning.

[chthonya]

I'd vote for a non-specific 'darkfic' warning - if people are wanting fluff and happiness that really should be enough to keep them out. Some stories hinge on their 'will he won't he' tension. If, as a fandom, we demand to know a plot element that will stop that tension building in the first place, it's not exactly going to encourage people to write well-crafted stories.

[sine-que-non767.livejournal.com]

No deaths warnings. Simply, as I don't like to know that about in other contexts - books, films - I don't appreciate it being forced on me in fic. Compromise: 'heavy angst' or something (ok, that makes me think the author's quoted Evanescence, but you know what I mean ;).