Author's Notes

[carsonshepherd]

I was just reading a story (on another site) in which three characters were in a Corvette, two adults in the front and a child in the back. The author left a note at the end that stated,

It just occurred to me that the Corvette Stingray may or may not have a backseat. For purposes of this story, it does indeed have a backseat.

Needless to say, I stopped reading right then even though the story had about a million more chapters.

Hello? It's called research. An author's note doesn't make the bad, stupid, icky facts go away. At least Google it!

That's my rant. I try to avoid author's notes except to thank those who helped the story. My only dodgy one was, This is a work of fiction. In real life, unsafe sex kills.

What belongs in author's notes? What notes have you seen that you liked or didn't like?

 

[Despina]

I tire of the constant need to be alerted that I'm about to read porn on a porn site. I get really ticked when a story has come well recommended and I arrive at it only to find all the good shit tacked into a disclaimer at the top that sucks all the hotness out of the butt-sex or ass-whipping I went there to read by deeming it only fiction.

(As for the story you were reading, I'm not sure why they felt the need to include a hot/fast car if they were only going to put a freaking kid into it. That really sucks the hot/fast element out of anything for me.)

 

[carsonshepherd]

I tacked my disclaimer at the end.

Seriously, I did it for myself and not the readers. It was a responsibility thing.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I was just reading a story (on another site) in which three characters were in a Corvette, two adults in the front and a child in the back. The author left a note at the end that stated,

It just occurred to me that the Corvette Stingray may or may not have a backseat. For purposes of this story, it does indeed have a backseat.

Needless to say, I stopped reading right then even though the story had about a million more chapters.

Hello? It's called research. An author's note doesn't make the bad, stupid, icky facts go away. At least Google it!

That's my rant. I try to avoid author's notes except to thank those who helped the story. My only dodgy one was, This is a work of fiction. In real life, unsafe sex kills.

What belongs in author's notes? What notes have you seen that you liked or didn't like?

I am inclined to agree with your rant. Even with the mindless smut that I write, I would research any fact like that. I try to avoid factual errors unless it is a science fiction story or such.

The only author's notes I ever add might be a note before the story starts referring the reader to other stories in a series.

 

[carsonshepherd]

I am inclined to agree with your rant. Even with the mindless smut that I write, I would research any fact like that. I try to avoid factual errors unless it is a science fiction story or such.

The only author's notes I ever add might be a note before the story starts referring the reader to other stories in a series.

Shoddy facts are just inexcusable. "It's just porn" is no excuse.

Anyone else think that a story should speak for itself without a long preface explaining it and its intentions?

 

[Despina]

I tacked my disclaimer at the end.

Seriously, I did it for myself and not the readers. It was a responsibility thing.

I'm proud of you. Promoting safe-sex is the responsible thing to do, no doubt.

I'm a lesbian. It's not much of an issue in my work.

I can appreciate disclaimers at the end of non-consent or incest or anything where multiple partners or unprotected sex is involved, but for Pete's sake, let me suspend reality at least until the end of the story!

Another thing that gets to me in the worst way is speaking to the audience throughout the prose. As though I'm part of some invisible and one-sided conversation. It's useful in comedy/humor stories but elsewhere makes me feel like I just walked into a voyeuristic situation.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

The only author's notes I've used have been to indicate that the story was a sequel...

author's notes that copyright the work are kind of redundant... and it bugs me when they either warn that it IS porn, or that the porn "takes a long long time to get to and you might as well not even start reading it if that's what you're looking for" kind of thing... :x

 

[Despina]

Anyone else think that a story should speak for itself without a long preface explaining it and its intentions?

Yes.

I also think that the little tags beneath the title do more harm (or annoyance) than good.

 

[cloudy]

Shoddy facts are just inexcusable. "It's just porn" is no excuse.

Anyone else think that a story should speak for itself without a long preface explaining it and its intentions?

yes.

The only author's note that I have, other than for the Rainy Day Challenge story, or a sequel, is the one that I put at the end of my holiday story this year because of the subject matter:

author's note: I've lost many friends way too soon to suicide, and I like to think that their pain is gone now, even though ours, those of us left behind, will always be with us because of the way they left us. Maybe they are able to find their hearts and their way once they cross over. I hope so. Thank you for reading, and may you have a joyous holiday season.

 

[entitled]

Yes, they do have back seats large enough for a child to sit in.

*cough*

If there's a lot to author's notes, or if they have a disclaimer that ruins a story, they should be at the end of the work. If it's thank yous or something like what's going to be attached to my next one (letting people know it's just a train of thought), it should be at the top. Or so says the opinionated one.

 

[sophia jane]

I'm not a big fan of author's notes, especially those long disclaimer ones. That said, I love sub joe's author's notes.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Hahaha. Omg, you could, like, go back and change the type of car before you post the story.

I've changed the location of a story, which in turn changed the whole plot, midway through my novel, due to one obvious technical problem. I guess I could've just written a disclaimer stating that for the purpose of my story, the US would just be handing out visas to anybody regardless of income or background.

 

[carsonshepherd]

and it bugs me when they either warn that it IS porn, or that the porn "takes a long long time to get to and you might as well not even start reading it if that's what you're looking for" kind of thing... :x

LOL. Like they'll keep reading after that.

 

[cantdog]

I believe the concept that it is fiction is fully implied. No need to paint the obvious a bright yellow.

I did the "note" thing once. I regret it now, but I had been weak. (There was an automatic one attached to the Rainy Day story, but that was someone else's silly idea.) Skip it. I read them. I've read Larry Niven's and Piers Anthony's and all the "notes" included in the Dangerous Visions stories. Sometimes they are amusing. But they belong out of view until the story is over.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Hahaha. Omg, you could, like, go back and change the type of car before you post the story.

I've changed the location of a story, which in turn changed the whole plot, midway through my novel, due to one obvious technical problem. I guess I could've just written a disclaimer stating that for the purpose of my story, the US would just be handing out visas to anybody regardless of income or background.

There ya go! Problem solved!

 

[Stella_Omega]

I started adding author's notes almost every time. I try to keep them short and amusing, beginning, "Beloved Reader; " like Rudyard Kipling's "O Best Beloved" (his children)
I first used them in Chapter 07 of "Mad Moll" because, although the action has been pretty hot and heavy up to that point, it becomes hardcore S&M and I figured if any Vanilla Lesbians were reading it, they might want to know what was coming. I suppose it worked, I never got any PF complaining about it, anyways...

The one that bothers me right now, is some dour little brat who publishes her fan fiction twaddle, always with a disclaimer; "Meh, this didn't come out so good, sorry. I hate it, actually..." Over and over again. The thing of it is- she's right, and there is no real reason that it should be published. there are at least two dozen of these little bits of verbal goo.
I want to suggest that she take it all down, but of course her widdle ego will be so hurt by my agreeing with her own assessment....

 

[OhMissScarlett]

There ya go! Problem solved!

Yeah, too bad I'm five chapters into the complete rewrite.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Yeah, too bad I'm five chapters into the complete rewrite.

I solved my plot problems BTW. Yay!!!! Now if I would just stop fucking around and write it....

 

[OhMissScarlett]

I solved my plot problems BTW. Yay!!!! Now if I would just stop fucking around and write it....

Same here. I'm posting nude pictures on LJ when I should be writing this sex scene.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I solved my plot problems BTW. Yay!!!! Now if I would just stop fucking around and write it....

Oh, be honest- there's a lot to be said for fucking around, it's why we all of us got into this racket- more or less....

 

[entitled]

Just remember - if you're fucking around, use protection.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Just remember - if you're fucking around, use protection.

Yeah- fuck around safely

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Just remember - if you're fucking around, use protection.

Like knee pads and a helmet?

 

[entitled]

Yeah- fuck around safely

i've got virus protection. So...
Wanna fuck around together, bay-bee?

 

[entitled]

Like knee pads and a helmet?

Only if you're into that type of thing.