Yeah, I think the reason some authors dislike the present convention, Rat, is that - like you - they don't like having to provide warnings or reassurances at all.
But, over time, we've come to recognise that if we don't give WHAM warnings there'll be complaints.
For instance, when I posted For The Greater Good, I didn't want to include any comment about the way the story would turn out. But I knew very well that if I didn't offer a reassurance that Clark wouldn't die I'd lose lots of readers. So I included the reassurance - and was proved right by the number of readers who stated firmly that they wouldn't have read the story had I not provided that assurance. Likewise, just this last week when I started to post A Twist of Fates I had a specific question directed at me about the outcome I intended to offer - and I felt obliged to offer reassurance.
Likewise, I remember Lynn, when starting to post Haunting Eden, being pushed quite hard to be more specific about the general WHAM warning she'd decided voluntarily, out of courtesy, to include.
So, while these warnings are't mandatory, they seem to be expected, whether or not authors like the idea of giving spoilers for their stories. As Tank said in the other thread - quoting from a couple of separate posts here:
The simple fact that the gentle readers require writers to post extreme wham, and deathfic warnings at the beginning of their stories should give you a good idea as to how such things are accepted.
I'm not the purveyor of death and descruction as much as people may think, but, like Chris, I do regret the loss of dramatic tension that such warnings rob the story of.
...
Any serious wham, or death has little impact, or dramatic value, if it's known a head of time. But in deference to the probable majority of gentle readers who don't want to read deathfic, or unhappy endings, we have adopted a practice of putting warnings on those fics that might contain such subject matter.
I can totally understand someone not wanting to 'get into' a story then have his/her enjoyment trashed by having someone die, or worse. The unfortunate consequence is that without the 'will he or won't he' dynamic the story impact is blunted.
From what I understand, we have one of the most respectful, and congenial, fanfiction fandoms here. So, if that comes with some extra restrictions and responsiblilities to the gentle readers, then it does. As writers we have chosen to abide by those conventions in order to get the readership we desire.
So I'm just wondering whether the idea of a separate warning thread might be a compromise wherein writers could still abide by convention but not give such a blatant spoiler. No-one is suggesting making it a firm rule, though! Posting a warning is and would remain voluntary - though, as Tank said, most of us do it, for the reasons he cites.
Wendy
