My Warning Policy

[sevendeadlyfun]

Short Version: Some stories have warnings. Most do not. The absence of warnings on any story should not be construed to mean that stories without warnings do not have objectionable, upsetting, or graphic content. Please read at your own risk.



I used to put warnings on stories because I saw other people in my fandom doing it. Because I was new, both to Buffy fandom and fanfiction in general, I followed the eminently wise internet policy of "lurk moar". I kept my head down and followed the prevailing fandom trend.

However, I started noticing how uncomfortable certain warnings made me feel. For example, I'm not comfortable with warnings for normal, consensual sexual behavior. I am a dominant woman and a sadist to boot. I enjoy inflicting pain on people. I don't appreciate my sexuality being seen as pathological or dangerous to others simply because it does not fall under the aegis of mainstream sexual mores. I am offended when I see warnings for "m/m sex". Why is this considered something so disturbing that it requires people be cautioned in a "Danger, Will Robinson" fashion?

Some members of various fandoms who have been the victims of sexual violence have recently spoken out against writers who do not put what is seen as appropriate warnings on their work. As a victim of sexual violence myself, I am personally uncomfortable with this issue. No, I don't believe in the "slippery slope" theory and I certainly don't think it will end up with everyone having to warn for egregious use of butter or scenes of intense mediocrity (though that last one might be helpful). I do believe that such types of warnings only fuel the "Your Kink Is Not Okay" or Writing About Rape as a Sexual Fantasy IS Bad and You're A Bad Person For Doing It attacks. Some of these arguments (I don't dare call them debates) pit victims of sexual violence against one another and often, those who use their attacks as fuel for their work or who enjoy consensual forms of power play are called rape apologists and worse.


None of this means that I do not sympathize with those who have had traumatic episodes brought on by a certain story or type of story. I myself have read stories that triggered intense and painful emotional episodes, most notably during the recent round of judging for Fang Fetish. For the first time, I had to pass a story on to another judge because I could not read past the opening scene without breaking down. However, I hesitate to say that because the story did not warn for my particular issue, the author should be held responsible for my pain. The person(s) who injured me are responsible for my pain and it seems unfair to hold anyone else accountable.

What this means is that while I will not add any warnings to stories that do not already carry warnings, I will place this notice prominently in my journal and on my profile so that those readers who require warnings can make their own best judgment as to whether or not they want to read stories with possibly disturbing content. It's the best compromise I can come up with between my own need to not be pathologized, minimized or otherwise attacked for my sexual history and desires, and the needs of those who may be disturbed by what they read in my work.

Comments

[mithril-56.livejournal.com]

Some people (me included) do not view warnings as 'things that may disturb me,' but simply as things I do or do not want to spend my time reading. I don't think it has to be a victim/victimizer issue, though perhaps for some it is.

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

It unfortunately is. There has been a great deal of intense discussion about the issue of warnings here (http://www.journalfen.net/community/unfunnybusiness/127047.html), along with what I view as an uncomfortable amount of shaming for those who don't follow the majority viewpoint on warnings. It seems to be polarizing people on issues of sexuality, i.e. rape victims versus those with alternate sexualities, and I felt it necessary to post this here because of that.

However, most of the people who read my work are accustomed to my lack of warnings and have never made an issue of it. For which, I have to say, I'm eternally grateful.

[mithril-56.livejournal.com]

I'm a proponent of headings which include a warning section, but my philosophy has always been that it's the authors right to use them or not. When there's not a header on something that I think I might want to read (for example, because it's an author I enjoy) I've gotten into the habit of checking their tag listings for the story, which frequently give me the info I'm looking for, and a few times I've written to ask for some info. Sometimes they give it, sometimes they don't, sometimes I read the material, sometimes i don't. It's just the normal give and take and supply and demand aspect of fiction. In the end it all works out one way or another.

[anxiety-junkie.livejournal.com]

I can definitely see your point of view on this; but for me it's a little different. I'm sort of in mithril_56's camp on this one - I use the warnings as a way to avoid wasting time on something I know I probably won't enjoy. I mean, I don't always want to read an mpreg fic, you know? So it's nice to know before I click the cut tag.

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

I lurrve your icon and it pleases me greatly. Just so you know.

I know that many people in fandom share your POV on warnings, it's a sort of back of cover checklist on likes and dislikes. However, there's been a great deal of intense discussion here (http://www.journalfen.net/community/unfunnybusiness/127047.html) about the use of warnings as a tool for victims to protect themselves against triggering material. I respect their need to feel safe, although I question how that's possible on the internet. However, I also feel that I have a right to a safe space here wherein my own sexuality is not pathologized or demonized.

Obviously, in communities that require warnings, I warn. But I've been so uncomfortable with the amount of group shaming going on regarding those who don't post warnings, I felt I had to say something, even if that something is a warning that I don't warn, yanno?

*hugs*

No worries, hon. You've already read the limits of my repetoire. If you haven't run screaming yet, you're not likely to in the future.

[darklingdawns.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of up in the air on warnings, myself. While I can completely see your take that it strengthens the 'otherness' of many forms of sexuality and kink, I also know that 'my kink is not your kink', etc. I don't warn for m/m sex because that's pretty well displayed in the pairing, and if people can't be bothered to read that, then they need to not be on my page to begin with. But I do warn for extreme violence and/or rape to avoid any possible triggers, as well as things I know some people may not care to read, like character death or specific kinks.

As far as reading warnings, I find they do help me. They let me avoid the story if it's something I'm not interested in, like mpreg, or brace myself to find something in the story that might be triggering, which is helpful, because out of the blue can really send me reeling. Buffy nearly lost me as a viewer with the whole bathroom scene, exactly because it was so very unexpected and true to life that it brought up flashbacks and nightmares like crazy. So yeah, sometimes it's a good thing. I find that when I have authors I read frequently, like yourself, I get to know their style and so it doesn't surprise me to see darker things, but for first-time readers, it can be helpful.

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

The whole warnings issue seems to be clustered around the idea that survivors as a group have similar triggers. I find that to be actually a bit disingenuous. Not everyone recovers in the same way, not every assault is the same. What one survivor would find triggering, another would find cathartic and I find it difficult to believe that a "rape" or "dark contents" warning will warn either of them sufficiently as to how the possible problematic content will be portrayed or affect them.

And yes, I do see that there is some Othering going on in fandom right now. Thankfully not in Buffy fandom which, for me anyways, has been a very sex-positive and judgment-free place to write. But the metafandom essays are very harsh towards those with transgressive or alternate sexualities because they're questioning why fandom has to be unsafe for them as well.

It's a pickle and none of it tasty or delicious. I feel like this is just the best compromise I can find. That way I'm not stigmatizing my own sexuality but yet giving readers a heads up that this material may be upsetting to them.

*hugs*

Glad to see you're back! I've missed your fabulousness on my flist!

[raemcn.livejournal.com]

I completely see your view on this and read the fics of all authors I find the summary interesting on with or without them. I only use warnings for big stuff, like rape (never actually written rape but would use) and this is dark so dont' flame me for reading it, but only because I would rather not get a ton of backlash.

Our poor Steph almost quit writing many years ago because she used her own experience to write Me And A Gun. She put up huge warning on the fic in several places, but still got kicked for it! This is a problem I do see w/warnings. She had a something very horrible happen to her, used writing fanfic as a way to get out some issues, and got beat down because some thought it would be amusing to flame her for writing a rape fic without ever reading it just from the warnings.

I say do what you want. You are wonderful enough to write and entertain without payment or begging for praise. You give freely and ppl need to live and let live.

[spankspike.livejournal.com]

As you know I haven't been around here in roughly... ten thousand years - so I thought I'd stop by and see what was going on in your neck of the woods. So of course I read this and lord knows we've talked about this issue ad nauseum. I was thinking about how we'd made our stance on warnings so clear at feedmykink. Then I realized that I don't think I've actually written a real warning on anything in forever. I might mention something specific like rps because people make such a huge hairy deal of it - but seriously how many sentences of a fic with the charachters named James, David, or Nick do you have to read before you figure out it's RPS and not the show's characters before you can hit the back button?

I probably also mentioned underage sex with one or 2 because there seems to be a big deal about that too. But I've certainly long ago given up mentioning that it's m/m and stuff like that. And if i mention a specific kink it's more of a way to let my regular reader's who are waiting for THAT kink specifically, such as daddy!kink, know that their dreams have come true because spankspike has finally written their fav kink again. LOL!

Anyway, I pretty much summed up my feelings about those who were so easily triggered and how they might want to avoid the exposure that makes it likely when we had the whole thing happening at feedmykink. The incident that I now fondly think of as the "Dirty Sanchez Puppy" incident. Thanks of course to your fab iconing skills my darling.

Quoting myself - In that case I'll suggest that perhaps the internet in general is not a good place for you. There are grown-up people here. Grown-ups talk about grown-up things. Sometimes they even do them. This is shocking I know.

I hope you're well. *sheeps you WITHOUT warning*

[laazikaat.livejournal.com]

Somebody (and to my shame I can't remember who) said she read the warnings as a sort of guide to "coming attractions" and I tend to do that too.

Nobody is making me read it, I haven't had to pay to read it, and nobody is forcing me to continue reading if it starts moving into topics that squick me, so I really don't understand the hoo ha.

The only warning I look for is who is being paired, as I have less interest in some pairings, but I enjoy reading all your stories, luv.

*hugs*

edited to correct a spelling boo boo.