Warning Labels, Preambles & Disclaimers?

[bashfullyshameless]

Do you find that you'd prefer to see labels/warnings at the beginning of stories on Lit to let you know whether they're intended as "stroke" stories or something more serious (i.e., containing a plot)? Do such things make any difference to you as a reader? Do you post such warnings as a writer?

Many stories on Lit start off with a warning noting that every character is under 18. Some warn of violence or whatever. I tend to lead off some of mine with long, drawn-out warnings listing every criminal, morally objectionable or even marginally scandalous act in the story I can identify.

I'm sure in some cases "warnings" wouldn't make any difference at all. People will still go to Loving Wives in order to get themselves deliberately offended by the adultery and/or unseemly behavior (I'm fanning myself in a shocked tizzy just thinking about the unmentionable lewdness of it all)...but sometimes I'm surprised at the reactions I see in comment threads, when readers don't seem to understand that a story is *intended* to be humorous, or utterly unrealistic, or whatever...

Thoughts?

 

[Cruel2BKind]

I put a message before all of my stories, not really as a warning, but to say hello, say which stories are coming out when, what I have planned, etc.

Sometimes if there is excessive violence, or not a lot of sex, I will put a disclaimer.

Only put a disclaimer on something that certain viewers will find objectional. Like a lesbian sex scene anywhere outside of lesbian sex, or a warning if there is no sex in a chapter of a longer plot, or if there is incest or cuckolding outside of incest or LW.

You only need to worry about things that your audience will find questionable. Don't worry, if you write a noncon story, you wont have to put a disclaimer that there is nonconsent in the story

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I don't think a "stroke" warning is warranted. That fact is usually obvious within the first three or four paragraphs. WARNING: THIS STORY HAS NO LITERARY VALUE WHATSOEVER AND IS INTENDED SOLELY FOR THE TITILLATION OF THE READER. I can find that out for myself in almost the same time as it takes to read the warning.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't think a stroke needs a disclaimer, as I think many people look for those. I do put one citing that my stories are not stroke, but have a long build up, so if they're looking for stroke this may not be for them.

My stories all have fairly good scores and I haven't gotten a tone of negative feedback so maybe this helps.

I don't put any disclaimer about anything the category normally holds, i.e. this contains incest as its listed in the proper category. I also don't bother with 18+ because I usually establish fairly early that they're over 18.

The only additional warning I have used is I have a few chapters of my series that contain some pretty heavy violence and one that featured drug use.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't think a "stroke" warning is warranted. That fact is usually obvious within the first three or four paragraphs. WARNING: THIS STORY HAS NO LITERARY VALUE WHATSOEVER AND IS INTENDED SOLELY FOR THE TITILLATION OF THE READER. I can find that out for myself in almost the same time as it takes to read the warning.

I think Lit should have hand symbols. One hand would mean stroker two would mean story driven.

 

[sr71plt]

I think any hedging note on the front of a story is defensive and amateurish.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think any hedging note on the front of a story is defensive and amateurish.

No, it's actually called courtesy.

I'm not surprised that you disagree with the concept.

 

[sr71plt]

I don't begrudge you your opinion. And I quite understand you're going to be an asshole in commenting on any of my opinions. That's just your way.

 

[_Lynn_]

I want to read a story, not a disclaimer or warning. I'm smart enough to stop reading if I don't like the topic.

 

[Boxlicker101]

If there is violence or rape or other abuse, I iclude a warning. If there is no sex, I include warning about that too, since many of my readers expect explicit sex.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

I guess I just think of my disclaimers as sort of a 'bulletin board'

I say when chapters of certain pending stories are due

 

[sr71plt]

This is the only up-front notification I'll give--letting readers know on the first segment of a series how many chapters there are and when I anticipate having the last one posted. But, that's not really a "disclaimer," as it isn't disclaiming anything.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't begrudge you your opinion. And I quite understand you're going to be an asshole in commenting on any of my opinions. That's just your way.

Because you are demonstrating your total disdain for both writers who do things differently than you as well as the readers because you could care less about them as well.

It is smart to call out anything "out of the ordinary" in a story. You don't stick GM in an incest story without a warning and I think you should call out extreme violence in any story.

If anything this cuts down on trolling and one bombs, because you're not setting the reader up to "blunder" into something they may not like.

However, do I do a disclaimer if the story is pretty much what it's supposed to be? No, there is no reason to. But if the story does not completely fit the category it's worth it.

 

[Derroreaper]

While I'll agree mainstream books don't do this, I think in short story erotica it can be helpful. Some writers tend to bring multiple categories (Lit categories) into one story.

As a reader, I've appreciated the times when the author warms me there is a "Gay male" scene described in detail, or maybe some "Non Consent" stuff. It gives me a chance to back out and move on to something else.

 

[Anjasa]

I try to warn for content that some people might find triggering.

I post on another site that requires you to entirely tag the story - i.e. if there's an oral scene, you must tag it. I don't really care for that only because it kinda feels like giving away what little plot there might be in pure smut.

 

[Ironiclaconic]

I think it might help with votes and comments. I know I have skipped stories if a note triggered my ick detector, and been grateful for the warning.

 

[sr71plt]

Perhaps the tags on Literotica would be more helpful for the warning purpose if they were on top of the stories rather than not encountered until the margin of the last story page.

 

[Derroreaper]

That would help a lot as well. I've never understood why they are at the end.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

That would help a lot as well. I've never understood why they are at the end.

Perhaps the tags on Literotica would be more helpful for the warning purpose if they were on top of the stories rather than not encountered until the margin of the last story page.

I've never understood why they are at the end, rather than the beginning where they would be far more helpful.

 

[lovecraft68]

Perhaps the tags on Literotica would be more helpful for the warning purpose if they were on top of the stories rather than not encountered until the margin of the last story page.

The problem with that.....

Is that it makes too much sense.

 

[oggbashan]

I needed to include warnings in The Worst Chain Story Ever Ch. 01 otherwise some readers might have taken the story seriously.

But the title should have been enough warning.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Placing clickable tags at the beginning of a story might lead to click-aways, but maybe Manu can present them in "flat" form at the top. I've PM'd him to link him to this convo.

And yes, I often place a writer's note at the beginning of my stories.

As a reader, I always read the blurbs on paperbacks -- not that you get much out of those-- before I skim to get a quick idea of whether or not I want to read the book. I read the inside of hardcover book jackets, and I read book reviews. I consider notes and preambles to fill the same function.

 

[beatrice_dreams]

I do appreciate it when authors put up a disclaimer if the story/chapter 'wanders' a little from their usual genre/category into something a little 'stronger'.

I'm in no way into incest, and when an incest-y scene wound its way without warning in the middle of the story of an author who didn't usually include it and didn't post in the incest category, it was a bit disconcerting, and off-putting for me.

I'm more likely to leave a comment than a bad rating, but I would have just avoided that story if I'd had some warning and saved the author some negative feedback.

 

[sr71plt]

The squeamish about anything (on a porn site!) would best take responsibility for themselves and look at the tags before reading. If something's not in the tags but in the story that disturbs you, that's the starting gate on making someone else responsible for your reading.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

The squeamish about anything (on a porn site!) would best take responsibility for themselves and look at the tags before reading. If something's not in the tags but in the story that disturbs you, that's the starting gate on making someone else responsible for your reading.

I can't help but think that some know-it-all is going to come along and point out how impractical that is since the tags don't show up until the end of the story.



Hold on...




Wait a second....








Here it comes....

Perhaps the tags on Literotica would be more helpful for the warning purpose if they were on top of the stories rather than not encountered until the margin of the last story page.

Damn! I knew that would happen