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Warnings
I was working on my latest Kikuchi/Onozuka (Haru wo Daiteita) fic, but got distracted the warnings controversy on
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metafandom. (Check out the last few entries on the comm or their "warnings" Delicious tag for relevant posts.) This essay by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
impertinence on Sexual Assault, Triggering, and Warnings: An Essay (Warning: Very explicit discussion of sexual assault and the nature, anatomy, cause & effect of triggers. Is itself triggery.) explains just why warnings are so important to help surivivors of abuse avoid triggers. Some of the insensitive (to say the least) comments in response to requests like these for warnings made me upset enough to write this post, even though my F-list and the communities that I belong to are very good about putting warnings in fic and art headers.When I first got involved with reading and writing fanfiction, I was only vaguely aware of warnings and their purpose, being lucky enough not to have any triggers myself. Mostly I thought of them as tools to find fics that I liked and avoid the ones that might contain things that I dislike. Gradually I became aware of triggers from hearing people talk about them in fandom, and I agreed that it was important to warn for obvious triggers like non-con and dub-con. But the above essay made me realize the magnitude of just how traumatic a trigger can be, that coming across a trigger can throw one back into the moment of the original event that resulted in the trigger, and by that time, the damage is done--it is too late to simply hit the "back" button. I would never, ever want to make anyone relive something as traumatic as a sexual assault when a simple warning could prevent it.
Not that I usually write anything that needs warning for, except maybe an excess of fluff! But on a few occasions I have, even though I wasn't sure if a warning was necessary or not. For example, I warned for a reference to a rape, non-graphically discussed in the past tense in "Phoenix Rising," and in Part 14 of "Scars" I warned for dub-con in the scene between Ash and Tsubasa, where Ash, fueled by his inner wolf's mating instinct, initiates sex with Tsubasa without asking consent, although I made it clear to the reader (if not necessarily to Ash), that Tsubasa went along with it willingly and could have fought Ash off if he chose to. I thought that the scenes were pretty mild and probably wouldn't offend or upset anyone, but it seemed safer to err on the side of caution.
The first archive I posted at (aside from Yahoo Groups) was Ink Stained Fingers (a Harry Potter slash archive), which has an interface similar to Moonshadow's (the Snupin archive), where there are checklists of characters, genres, and warnings that the author checks off, including a handy-dandy "other" category (to be clarified in the author's notes) which can cover anything that might not be listed. So from the start, I was accustomed to including warnings, and it never occured to me to consider warning to be offensive or a burden.
So it's difficult for me to understand the people who do not wish to offer warnings, knowing that it could not just inconvenience or squick a reader, but actively and very badly hurt them. The first objection is usually that the author objects to spoiling a fic, but that can easily be taken care of with a warning that's whited or grayed-out, or hidden under an lj-cut so that readers who wish to can read without being spoiled, and those who need to be cautious can check the warning. Or failing that, most of the pro-warnings crowd would appreciate a general "may contain disturbing content" or "I do not warn; read at your own risk," although obviously that's less helpful than a more specific warning.
Then there are the arguments that one can't possibly guess every possible thing that will trigger someone, and people will get angry if they happen to leave something out. But it seems like the pro-warnings people are just asking authors to warn for the most common triggers, mainly non-con, dub-con, and self-harm, and cheating and character death can also be triggery for many people. They realize that authors can't warn for everything, and ask that authors comply with a request if a reader says, "Hey, this happened to trigger me and can you warn for it next time?" I don't really think that this is too much to ask for. Personally, if someone said that pink bunny slippers triggered them, I would be perfectly happy to warn for it in the future, even if it might seem silly to other people. And really, no one seems to expect an author to warn for anything that idiosyncratic, anyway.
There are complaints that warnings will lead to censorship, which is ridiculous. No one is asking authors to not write about certain subjects, or to change their fics. All they ask is that you put a warning on it. And if the word "warning" offends you because you think of your kink as something positive, you can go with "content" or "tags"--they don't really care what you call it, as long as the reader is able to figure out whether the fic is safe for them to read or not.
(Speaking of "you" in the figurative sense, obviously, not pointing fingers at anyone out there, since as I said above, everyone on the F-list is generally great about warning.)
Really, the main objection seems to boil down to "I resent anyone telling me what I can or can't do in my own journal." And this resentment has been expressed as, "Well, you can't assume that everything out there is safe, so if you read a story without a warning and get triggered, it's your own fault. You need to be active about protecting yourself." And yes, of course we can't assume that everything out on the internet is safe, but this smacks dangerously close to blaming the victim, along the lines of, "Well, if you don't want to get raped, you shouldn't walk alone in that neighborhood at night." Which is doubly hurtful to someone who has been a victim of sexual assault in RL. And no, it will never be 100% safe to read an unwarned fic, but can't we do our part to make fandom a little bit more safe?
Obviously, no one is going to put a gun to your head and force you to put a warning on your fics. But they might say--and have been saying--that they find it rude and hurtful that you refuse to warn. Which is their right, same as your right to say that you don't like warnings.
I just really, really don't get why slapping a few words of warning, or even a warning that they don't warn, is so offensive and oppressive when it can save someone from mental anguish. And on a purely selfish level, I would think that authors would want to attract readers, not offend them and scare them away. I find warnings and labels very helpful in determining what fics I want to read. They don't just help me to avoid the things I dislike, they help me find the things that I like--maybe today I'm in the mood for comedy and fluffy romance, maybe tomorrow I'm in the mood for dark fic. So personally, as an author, I want to give readers the tools that will help them find and enjoy my fics.
As I said, I try to warn when appropriate, but I'm resolving to be even more careful and aware of it in the future.
And on a lighter note, my all-time favorite warning is the "Warning: Spoiler for Hamlet" for More Than Kin and Less Than Kind by Bronze Ribbons! ^_^
ETA 6/26/09:
trigger_fence is compiling a list of authors who do not warn, as a resource that readers can check to avoid possibly being triggered. It seems to be intended as a neutral, helpful resource rather than a blacklist to shame authors, although some of the authors are taking offense to it. I don't see what's the problem--they urged readers to be proactive and protect themselves rather than relying on the authors to take care of them, which is exactly what Trigger Fence seems to be doing.
no subject
One problem I have with very detailed warnings about things other than non-con, dub-con (neither of which I've ever written), or character death (which I've only written when it's been canon anyway) is my fear that they tend to attract some of the very people I want to keep away, namely the under-18 crowd. I'll include them under an adult content cut or in a community that's supposedly limited to adults, but not in an open warning.
no subject
And oh yes, warnings for spoilers are important too! I would have been extremely pissed off if someone had spoiled Deathly Hallows for me before I read it. Although we actually did get into an argument on Yahoo Groups over spoilers for Order of the Phoenix when the book first came out--the mod said that all discussion had to be under a spoiler heading for at least the first couple of weeks, and someone else objected that we were oppressing their freedom of speech and that people who don't want to be spoiled should stay off the internet. Harsh words were exchanged on both sides, and in the end, the objector said that they would refrain from posting at all until the spoiler period was over.
no subject
When will people learn some self-control and that discretion and consideration for others is not the same as censorship? Although I suspect some of the discussion is driven by differences in age and maturity level.
Another aspect of this that baffles me: leaving aside the issue of psychological triggers, content information/warnings/what have you help readers find stories they are interested in and avoid ones they're not. Other than laziness (too bad) and the element of surprise (which can be dealt with in other ways), why would a writer not want to clue a potential reader in to a story's content?
I'm much less inclined to read something when I don't know what it's about or what's likely to be in it. So I think warnings/what have you perform a valuable function for the reader and hence for the writer, who presumably wants to make her or his readers happy and attract more readers, not piss them off.
no subject
However, I do think that warning for ratings-related levels of violence and explicit sex is a good practice, along with giving the general reasons for the ratings. Some people, as has been noted, will be "triggered" by depictions of violence (and I include non/dub-con as violence, not as "sex," per se, because the sex functions as a tool of violence), and not everyone wants to read sexually-explicit material.
One of the essays I read on the metafandom links was objecting to the idea of warning about BDSM in a story, because it's consensual. Well, frankly, I don't care about how consensual it may be, it's still violent, and I don't want to read violence--especially in a sexual setting. However people rationalize it or differently perceive it, I just can't stand the connection of sex with violence and domination. I just don't want that kind of "scripting" in my head.
Basically, I don't care how sexually explicit a story is, or whether the partners are different-sex or same-sex, as long as the interaction between the characters is loving and nonviolent as well as consensual. (And as long as it's part of a real story, not PWP. ;-)) Is that sappy? So be it. ;-) But I know others don't want to read explicit sex scenes, so I have no problem with ratings that let people know what they're in for. And violence is the root of all of the "trigger" issues that I'm aware of--as well as being something some people don't want to read--so warning for violence also makes sense.
no subject
Personally, I like to be warned for character death, although it's a squick, not a trigger. It's just that Snupin is my shiny happy place, and I try to avoid stories where they get killed in the end. Not referring to canon references, of course--I meant more the type of story where it's a shock. Like I was reading a Snupin where it appeared to be a typical "mating bond" story, where Snape and Lupin are imprisoned together just before the full moon, and the only way to save Snape is to have sex because a werewolf doesn't kill his mate. Only the bond didn't take, and Lupin-werewolf killed Snape at the end, and it was like a slap in the face. I understand that giving a warning would have revealed the surprise twist at the end, but boy, I wish I could have avoided that fic. A highlighted warning or warning under the cut would've been nice.
And I do think that even if people can't agree on everything, like character death, it would be nice if people could always warn for sex and violence, as you say--and especially sexual violence. That seems to be the one thing that everyone agrees is a potential trigger.
The BDSM thing seems to be more about semantics--I can understand why someone who practices it in real life doesn't want it to be treated as something negative, but at the same time, it is enough of a trigger and squick for some people that they want to avoid it. Most of the people arguing about it seem to be okay with using a more neutral term such as "content" or "kink" to label BDSM in a fic header. And often, it seems like "warnings" are viewed as attractions by many readers who are looking for their particular kink.
no subject
Warnings are important, even if just so you can avoid reading about subjects or situations you are uncomfortable with or just plain don't want to read. I don't know why people feel they are being censored. Write what you want to write, but I think it's just common courtesy to warn your reading audience. For instance, I love watching Supernatural, but I avoid most SPN fics simply because I don't like reading about incest. A personal squick of mine, but I wouldn't presume to tell anyone it's wrong to write it. That's not my call to make. I would just like a little warning so I know which stories to avoid.
Now, Castiel/Dean, I'm all OVER that. *^-^*
I like to include warnings in my fics even if just for language. I've had people comment that such-and-such a story shouldn't really be rated R, but if you won't find it in a PG-13 movie, I'm not rating the fic PG-13, I don't care if it's rated for a few F-bombs or not. In my mind that automatically makes it R material. I'd rather rate high than low and warn for things that might bother people. In The Hunted I always include a hermaphrodite!D warning with each chapter because some fans might not like or be comfortable with my portrayal of D in this manner. It doesn't censor what I write at all, I'm just giving a heads-up.
Common courtesy, again. Not censorship.
I'm don't get very upset about spoilers, but that's just me. Still, others might not want to know of certain events before they've had a chance to read/watch them so I try to include spoiler warnings in my fics.
As for, BDSM... I don't think BDSM is a bad thing at all, in fact, I enjoy reading it on occasion, depending on what kink is being explored. No golden showers, blood-play or anything like that, please. And just like me, others might not want to read that sort of thing or a particular kink and that's fine. Different strokes for different folks. A little common courtesy goes a LONG way and makes fandom more enjoyable for everyone.
no subject
Supernatural: I really need to get caught up on that series! I didn't have time to watch it when it started airing, so I recently began watching it on dvd. Of course I have tons of other books and dvds and online fics piling up on my "to do" list as well!
I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it, but I've rated a few fics "R" for language as well, even though there's no explicit sex or violence in them. I figure, better to risk over-warning a bit than to under-warn. I think I once used the warning, "Rated R, mainly for Leon's potty-mouth." ^_^
And yeah, I agree that the main thing is to be courteous. And btw, I really do appreciate hermaphrodite!D warnings! It certainly won't stop me from reading a fic, but I like knowing what I'm getting into before I start reading.