Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Fun with Polls What is a WHAM?

I've gotten back into writing LnC fanfic lately and it's gotten me thinking. The last time I was writing, there were no such things as WHAM warning threads. Now that we have them, I'd like to know exactly how readers like them to be used.

Do you like to have WHAM warnings? What exactly do you consider a WHAM? What things do you like to be warned about?

~Anna

I usually consider a WHAM to be any moment in a story that could cause the reader a considerable amount of angst and potential heart-trouble to read. This could be any number of things, from a character death to your written tensely near-death Clark or Lois is in peril situation.

I don't care one way or the other if there is a warning about these things or not, but I generally include the kind of mood a reader can expect to find in my author's notes when I've written something.

For me, a WHAM is any Wistful, Heartwrenching, Agonizing Moment that is related to an A-plot. I know that a Lois/Lex kiss can be wistful and heartwrenching and agonizing for anyone even me. But I have somehow linked the word 'WHAM' with A-plot.

I don't really want WHAM warnings - they work as spoilers, and I hate spoilers.

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Anna's got the original meaning of the term... a poignant quiet moment of exquisite angst... (think Clark watching Lois say "yes" to Lex) but it didn't take long for "WHAM" the term to match meanings with "wham" the sound, and it turned into a term to describe death and destruction. I liked the first version better

Warnings may be a good idea, but don't seem to be very practical. Especially since we don't all have the same meaning for the term <g>

My personal no-no's would be the bad guy winning, or a child being abused/dying, although even there, I can get into it if it's written well. I'm thinking LauraBF's heartwrenching "Little Girl Lost" here.

As for L&C making love with anyone but each other -- that may be extremely icky, and I'm not saying I'm likely to like it, but I don't think I'd call it a WHAM.

PJ

The only thing i'd want a warning on is main-character death. If any of our favorite people were going to die, I'd like to be prepared so I can get the tissues, or just put it off for another day. I cry way to easily, and it gives me a headache.

Ditto to what Diane said. Anything heart-wrenching that causes you to cry... I don't like being warned of that because it lessens the impact.

The examples you listed... suppose they could be called WHAMs, but I actually consider them in a different category of their own. I consider things like "Lois and Dan" or "Someone dies" to be a distinction of genre. The dying could certainly be considered a WHAM, though. I don't really think anything else would.

If someone tells me, "Oh! That story has a huge WHAM in it!" I'm not thinking to ask if that means I should watch out for a scene with Lois and Dan. It *could* mean that the situation itself is terribly emotional *because* Lois is with Dan, but all I'd expect the warning to mean is: "Sara, watch out! You're going to cry!"

Sara

Thanks for responding, you guys. I guess there is no clear cut answer (I didn't think there would be ), but this gives me a better idea. Thanks!

~Anna