Stuff that I hope doesn't sound whiny
Oct. 1st, 2004 05:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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kamilaa :-)
So the warning thing is still going around the LJs, even though it's finally quiet on tuna gate. It's been...interesting. I've seen a lot of interesting points, the odd derogatory comment (on both sides of the issue) and a lot of fascinating debate. I'm still sticking to my "I'd like to have some warnings available if I want to check them" position, but I can see and understand why so many writers feel that warnings are a courtesy rather a necessity. Writers should have control of the presentation of their fic on their own sites. Warn, don't warn; it's up to the writer. I'd prefer the warnings to be available, but it won't kill me if they aren't. Complying with archive/list policies on the subject is another matter - it's part of the deal you make when you sign up with the list or post your fic to the archive.
I'm wondering whether the difference in opinion stems largely from when people came into fandom. SG has always been primarily Internet-based and warnings are a hot button in SG fandom. A lot of the comments that I've seen complaining about readers who want to avoid certain things in their fic seem to justify it with the comment that warnings in zines were practically unheard of and you always took your chances with them. It often seems to be a matter of pride that people can read anything without allowing it to negatively affect them. I started out in Buffy fandom where warnings are heavily encouraged due to the number of teenagers who might stumble onto fic. It's Internet-based and most archives have policies on content and warnings. I then wandered into SG fandom which, again, is mainly Internet-based and heavily pro-warnings. I've always been able to choose my fic and avoid the things I'd rather not read in fanfic (the things I'll read in original fic are quite different - hmm) and it's quite stunning to read comments deriding that way of reading.
I think, for me, there's always been such a large volume of stuff out there that I used pairings, summaries and any warnings as guides to find things that I'll want to read. If I don't need to read certain things, I don't. I guess that I'm looking for different things in my fanfic, which is why I'm more careful about it (and a couple of my favourite books have several of the things that I'd usually avoid in fanfic). I'm not involved enough in other fandoms to judge how warnings are handled there and what the attitudes are. Most of the fic that I read in other fandoms has been found through recs and word of mouth rather than trawling the archives and personal sites.
A lot of people have said that they wished there were warnings for bad spelling, poor plotting, insane characterisation,beagles and general bad writing. That would be cool :-) Really, the only thing I'd like are warnings for certain strong content and that's a preference, not a "You must comply" demand because at the end of the day I'm both a reader and the only fic I have any control over is my own.
My usual tactic for avoiding bad fic is to read the first couple of paragraphs to see whether I'm going to get annoyed with spelling/grammar/formatting before committing to the HD and reading. That doesn't weed out all the crap writing, but it narrows it down a little and even if it's on the HD, I don't have a problem with giving up on a horrendous thing. I'll give up on a poor fanfic long before I'd give up on a book - this year I've failed to finish two books and lost count of the number of fics. In both cases, I gave up on the books because the writer's style grated on me and I really wish that I'd been able to tolerate it enough to finish. Grrrr.
Speaking of books...why didn't anyone tell me how good Lois McMaster Bujold is? I've been completely hooked for the past couple of weeks. I stumbled across her fantasy book (Curse of Chalion - very good) and am now going through her sci-fi stuff, which is bloody fantastic. I've even ordered a book from county reserve stock at my local library. Why yes, I am an ex-librarian who knows how to find books not available to ordinary mortals :-)
I also found a new (ish - 2003) David and Leigh Eddings book. Kind of a phsychological thriller with hints of other oddness. It hooked me into staying up all night reading it :-) Similar to Mary Higgins Clark plot-wise, but not really because they did things she'd never do. It was, however, strange to read Eddings trademark phrases coming out of the wrong characters' mouths.
And my fabulous father has a copy of Jonathan Strange that I will steal as soon as he finishes. Gotta love fathers with money who buy things I also want. Such as West Wing season 4 DVDs :-))
Research project and revision are progressing. Slowly, but progressing. Got one version of the program I'm writing for the project finished, complete with user interface and error handling, so I'm hopeful that I'm going to meet my deadlines. I will, however, have to work through this weekend *sigh* It's mostly so that I don't feel guilty when everyone is moving furniture and taking up carpets this weekend. They've all agreed that People With FMS Don't Do That (TM) and I can't argue too much because they'll just point out all the times I've nearly killed myself moving or lifting stuff that's too heavy. Guh. I guess I do need to be fit for my exam on the 13th. On Tuesday the carpet-fitters will be here and most of the house will be off-limits while they work. We decided that it was better to have almost the entire house re-carpeted at once and get it over with rather than doing it bit by bit and having the mess around for months. We're regretting the decision now that we've got to work out where the hell to put our stuff.
Mom wants to sell the books. Heathen.
kamilaa :-)So the warning thing is still going around the LJs, even though it's finally quiet on tuna gate. It's been...interesting. I've seen a lot of interesting points, the odd derogatory comment (on both sides of the issue) and a lot of fascinating debate. I'm still sticking to my "I'd like to have some warnings available if I want to check them" position, but I can see and understand why so many writers feel that warnings are a courtesy rather a necessity. Writers should have control of the presentation of their fic on their own sites. Warn, don't warn; it's up to the writer. I'd prefer the warnings to be available, but it won't kill me if they aren't. Complying with archive/list policies on the subject is another matter - it's part of the deal you make when you sign up with the list or post your fic to the archive.
I'm wondering whether the difference in opinion stems largely from when people came into fandom. SG has always been primarily Internet-based and warnings are a hot button in SG fandom. A lot of the comments that I've seen complaining about readers who want to avoid certain things in their fic seem to justify it with the comment that warnings in zines were practically unheard of and you always took your chances with them. It often seems to be a matter of pride that people can read anything without allowing it to negatively affect them. I started out in Buffy fandom where warnings are heavily encouraged due to the number of teenagers who might stumble onto fic. It's Internet-based and most archives have policies on content and warnings. I then wandered into SG fandom which, again, is mainly Internet-based and heavily pro-warnings. I've always been able to choose my fic and avoid the things I'd rather not read in fanfic (the things I'll read in original fic are quite different - hmm) and it's quite stunning to read comments deriding that way of reading.
I think, for me, there's always been such a large volume of stuff out there that I used pairings, summaries and any warnings as guides to find things that I'll want to read. If I don't need to read certain things, I don't. I guess that I'm looking for different things in my fanfic, which is why I'm more careful about it (and a couple of my favourite books have several of the things that I'd usually avoid in fanfic). I'm not involved enough in other fandoms to judge how warnings are handled there and what the attitudes are. Most of the fic that I read in other fandoms has been found through recs and word of mouth rather than trawling the archives and personal sites.
A lot of people have said that they wished there were warnings for bad spelling, poor plotting, insane characterisation,
My usual tactic for avoiding bad fic is to read the first couple of paragraphs to see whether I'm going to get annoyed with spelling/grammar/formatting before committing to the HD and reading. That doesn't weed out all the crap writing, but it narrows it down a little and even if it's on the HD, I don't have a problem with giving up on a horrendous thing. I'll give up on a poor fanfic long before I'd give up on a book - this year I've failed to finish two books and lost count of the number of fics. In both cases, I gave up on the books because the writer's style grated on me and I really wish that I'd been able to tolerate it enough to finish. Grrrr.
Speaking of books...why didn't anyone tell me how good Lois McMaster Bujold is? I've been completely hooked for the past couple of weeks. I stumbled across her fantasy book (Curse of Chalion - very good) and am now going through her sci-fi stuff, which is bloody fantastic. I've even ordered a book from county reserve stock at my local library. Why yes, I am an ex-librarian who knows how to find books not available to ordinary mortals :-)
I also found a new (ish - 2003) David and Leigh Eddings book. Kind of a phsychological thriller with hints of other oddness. It hooked me into staying up all night reading it :-) Similar to Mary Higgins Clark plot-wise, but not really because they did things she'd never do. It was, however, strange to read Eddings trademark phrases coming out of the wrong characters' mouths.
And my fabulous father has a copy of Jonathan Strange that I will steal as soon as he finishes. Gotta love fathers with money who buy things I also want. Such as West Wing season 4 DVDs :-))
Research project and revision are progressing. Slowly, but progressing. Got one version of the program I'm writing for the project finished, complete with user interface and error handling, so I'm hopeful that I'm going to meet my deadlines. I will, however, have to work through this weekend *sigh* It's mostly so that I don't feel guilty when everyone is moving furniture and taking up carpets this weekend. They've all agreed that People With FMS Don't Do That (TM) and I can't argue too much because they'll just point out all the times I've nearly killed myself moving or lifting stuff that's too heavy. Guh. I guess I do need to be fit for my exam on the 13th. On Tuesday the carpet-fitters will be here and most of the house will be off-limits while they work. We decided that it was better to have almost the entire house re-carpeted at once and get it over with rather than doing it bit by bit and having the mess around for months. We're regretting the decision now that we've got to work out where the hell to put our stuff.
Mom wants to sell the books. Heathen.
