fic labelling

[pez]

I want to ask for your opinion on fic labelling, particularly if you've been directed here from word_games.


I know some people from my flist are against not labelling death fics, but recently I've been thinking that I might not label them anymore. It's like, when you buy a novel at the bookshop, you wouldn't know if the character's going to die or not. Same for when you watch a movie. You will get appropriate warnings for sex, language and violence, but not for death.

Sometimes labelling a death fic just spoils the story. I don't have any death fics in the works right now, apart from [Trials of Trust], but if the death is a twist in the plot then giving warning just spoils everything doesn't it?

I don't really like labelling what pairing the story would be, too, but I guess there's no escape from that. People do pick pairings to read; I do that too. Reading the back of a book usually tells you who falls in love with who, if it's a gay story, etc etc.

So, yeah. I'm not very good at constructing a discussion or anything, but I'd like to hear as much opinion as possible. If you can, please tell me if you support not labelling death fics or not. Doesn't have to be followed up by reasons or anything (although that'd be great too). Comment away!

Comments

[branchandroot]

In a commercial story, unless the death is completely gratuitious, a good author always waits until we are attached to a character before killing him or her off. That's what gives the death its meaning within the plot. So the idea that characters should somehow be off limits from death because of previous audience attachment doesn't ring very true to me.

I'd say the question of labeling is a lot more dependent on circumstances than anything that cut and dried.

If what you want to do with a given story is explore the ways the characters might deal with death, if that's the point of the story, then I think labeling it might be a good idea. At that point "death" is pretty much the genre.

If the death is something you intend to shock both characters and audience, then, obviously, you don't want to warn of it specifically. But something in your summary like "dark" or "dark themes" or "disturbing content" would be a courtesy to your readers, and let those who don't like being shocked or disturbed stop reading.

If both are the case...

Personally, I prefer a genre designation, and a back-cover-style summary. Because the fact is, even super-specific labels are darn fuzzy. One author might write "angst" so heart-ripping I never, ever read another of her stories that's labeled that way; another might write "deathfic" so banal I read it when I need a good laugh. One might write NC-17 so un-arousing I think it should be used in abstinence-oriented sex education, while another will write "romance" so hot I think my screen should be smoking. *helpless shrug* Which is why I think summaries (good summaries) are far more useful than labels alone. It gives you a chance to tell readers that there's something disturbing in store without coming right out and giving away a twist.