What's another word for Warnings?

[browngirl]

So! More contemplation of how I tell people what's in my stories.

I read a rant recently about the practice of listing 'slash' and 'het' among the Warnings, which rant I agreed with, then realized with a shock I was a subject of. I list 'slash' and 'het' because I've been flamed before for not explicitly listing them and I tend to treat the "Warnings" line as a Major Ingredients list, not least because when I'm looking for stories to read I treat it that way. "Hmm, this story lists slash, het, nonmonogamy, and threesomes in its warnings! I'm going to love it!"

However, listing 'slash' and 'het' in warnings may cast a pejorative pall on those genres, or at least seem as if that's what I mean to do. I don't want anyone to think that I think slash is the entertaining description of something fundamentally evil, or that het means "icky unavoidable girl content in here, but we'll return to the slash soon" (not least because I write a lot of stories that have both slash and het in them). Out here, I have only my words to define me, so I should use them as carefully as possible.

Maybe I should rename my "Warnings" line, but what one word would clearly convey "content you should be aware of whether you seek it out or seek to avoid it"?

Comments

[lomedet.livejournal.com]

Contains?

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

How about "N.B." for nota bene? Or just "Notes" or "Content notes" if you think that's clearer. Or maybe even "Genres". And I suppose on LJ, you could use tags to indicate those things.

Come to think of it "Tags" is a pretty neutral term. Would that do?

[gingicat]

I like N.B. for its literary flavor. :)

[sister-wolf.livejournal.com]

I agree w/ lomedet -- using "Contains:" is a nicely neutral way to list the contents of the fic.

Contains: het, slash, threesome sex, and a creative use of neckties (i.e., light bondage)

ta da!

[ithiliana.livejournal.com]

I remember when I used to list Interspecies as a warning!

I am thinking about "labels" which I saw somebody mention...somewhere.

"Contains" is also good.

As some have noted, many people look at the 'warnings' for stuff they want to read!

[capra-maritimus.livejournal.com]

In my fic I started to doing the 'rated R for (list reasons why I picked this rating)' thing. I do warn for excessive violence and rape (and because I have a friend who's an emetophobe, I will warn for vomit, though it's not something I've ever written). I also have all pairings listed so that people can figure out on their own whether it's het or slash...or both. :D Haven't had any complaints so far.

[sophinisba]

Eh, but then other people will get offended by that. Today I saw someone complaining that a line reading "rated PG-13 for slash" in a story heading was homophobic, but this was because the reader assumed that the author wouldn't also label a story "PG-13 for het". I'm frustrated with fandom today.

[capra-maritimus.livejournal.com]

I'm one of those stubborn people who refuses to warn for het OR slash per se. IMO, that's what the rating and the pairing are supposed to do. I'd be more likely to say 'PG-13 for non-explicit sexual situations and profanity' or somesuch and leave the het/slash thing stated by the pairing - something that evolved when I started writing threesomes/moresomes with characters of differing sexes.

But yeah, it's difficult (if not impossible) to please everyone. I'm just trying to avoid harming anyone, and the rest can accept that I may not please them. :D

*huuugs*

[sophinisba]

*hugs* I think we're all trying to do our best! It's a very tricky thing.

*extra hugs for rubynye*

[msilverstar]

You may be talking about my experience, where I knew clearly from a long trend that the author was using "PG" when there was no pairing or a het pairing, and "PG-13 for slash" when there was any kind of m/m romantic relationship even vaguely implied. It started to grate after a dozen or so, so I quietly sent her a message and she replied thoughtfully and has not done it any more.

[dreamflower]

You know, it's very odd, because the post right above yours in my flist was from shared_wisdom, which contained a link to another community, fanfic_spoilme and deals with a similar theme; the post in question is http://lit-gal.livejournal.com/300145.html .

You could just call them "Author's Notes" or maybe "Ingredients list" which would be fairly neutral, as well as amusing!

[callarkhamquick.livejournal.com]

Keywords, contains or authors notes seem like best bet to me.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

hmm...maybe I'm silly but I would think that just listing a pairing would imply that it was slash or het. I always list the pairing or I say no pairings if it's gen...

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

Only to a reader familiar with the fictional universe/s involved. Exception if the names are obviously gendered (John, Mary); exception to the exception if the named person's gender is not the obvious one.

[capra-maritimus.livejournal.com]

That's a point I had thought of, and keep in the back of my mind whenever I list pairings. But, yeah, when you have names like Barriss/Luminala or Anakin/Threepio (Star Wars fandom) and you're not familiar with the fandom, it can get confusing. Hmm....

Yes, I did write those pairings. :D

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

ah, yes! Good point! I hadn't thought of that!

[brownbetty]

In fandoms of mine, though, you can have pairings like Robin/Robin (which, I would argue ought to be Robin II/RobinIV for clarity, but not everyone does) which obviously do not convey gender very well.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Fair enough! I definitely wasn't considering the fandoms where the gender isn't self-evident in the name (considering my fandoms are so very limited and can be counted on less than one hand, lol)! :)

[clwilson2006.livejournal.com]

I don't like the word warnings either, it makes me think that I've written something bad, or wrong. but I myself have things I wont read so do feel the need for some comment in the header. I like the first reply here from lomedet. Contains sounds better, I think I'll borrow that one myself if it's OK.
My personal problem I have (which I think it was you who bought this up before as well) is listing pairings. I like unusual pairings and don't like to always put it in my header as sometimes it can be a spoiler. I also tend not to ship, though will read many ships.
I also subscribe to the "Can't please all of the people all of the time" philosphy. But it's taken me a long time to get there.
One thing I have developed since writing is a thicker skin, though some people out there seem to spend their time sharpening sticks to throw.
oh dear that was a bit rant-ish of me wasn't it. I hope you find something that suits. I for one will continue to read your stuff, regardless of how it's listed because I'm familiar enough to know I like what you write.

[sophinisba]

Eh, I don't think the word warnings implies that something is wrong in itself, just that some people might not want to read it. I always enjoyed your listing of cheerful nonmonogamy among warnings and have copied you on that once or twice. :) But like Claudia says, I don't usually bother to warn (or label) for het, slash, femslash or threesome because I figure it's obvious from the pairing. Still, "Contains" works. I hope you figure out something that works for you and your readers.

[devon99.livejournal.com]

I write gen and slash, but would never list slash as a warning. It's obvious by my pairing if it's a slash fic. I use warnings primarily if the fic contains kinks of some sort that may squick others, eg breathplay/spanking/snowballing etc. That way the reader can choose to read or not.

[red-eft.livejournal.com]

"Content Advisory", or just "Advisory", perhaps? or "contains" as others have suggested.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

Did I ever thank you for this suggestion, being as that it's what I went with?

If not: THANK YOU. :)

[1trackmind.livejournal.com]

I also like contains if you're looking to replace "warnings." I might also keep "warnings" as is and add "genre" for the het/slash/gen labels.

[ilthit.livejournal.com]

My solution is simple yet elegant - I list the pairings involved. If they don't read those and deduce slash from it, they only have themselves to blame. HAH.