What's your fic poison? + a poll

[51stcenturyfox]

Hey, Gareth David-Lloyd i[Poll #1383064][Poll #1383064]

Comments

[eviinsanemonkey.livejournal.com]

I warn for Slash on my LJ only because I have friends who may stumble on and want to read something and not want to read slash. I used to warn on FFN, now I don't bother and just mention pairings 'cause you get flamed either way. And since I mostly post to pairing specific comms, warning for slash would be silly...

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's the specific comms thing. Obvious pairing is obvious!

Which fandoms do you write for... a lot, right? Are there any where there is very little slash fic?

[lionessvalenti.livejournal.com]

I think putting "male name/male name" when listing pairings is all the slash warning anyone needs. Even if you have unisex names, people know who the characters are in their fandom. Even if multifandom communities, you have to list the fandom, and if you're reading for a fandom you don't know for whatever reason and are shocked to find that Sam and Chris are both women, then you should probably be doing a bit more research before reading a fic without knowing the source material. Especially since slash is more prevalent in some fandoms than others - who knows, Sam/Chris might be the big fandom OTP.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Sam/Chris. I'd be lost there, unless I knew the fandom, and if I didn't know it... why would I be reading fic about these characters?

Shepherd/McKay? If I'm not in SG-1 fandom, how would I know the gender of these people? (But same principle).

Mulder/Scully is often abbreviated to MSR for Mulder/Scully romance. But if you're in X-Files fandom, you know this already.

And here's another question

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Because I can't edit a post with a poll in it or the poll goes funky.

If there is an OC in a pairing, do you want to know if it's a female or male OC before you read the story?

Re: And here's another question

[alba17.livejournal.com]

Yes. Preferably. (I just realized I failed to do that myself. Bad me.)

[lynnenne]

I stick pretty closely to my preferred pairings: Spike/Angel or Spike/Connor (Jossverse), Jack/John or Owen/Gwen (Torchwood), David/Jack (Kings), Brian/Justin (QaF), JM/VK or JM/GDL (RPS), occasionally House/Wilson (House). I'll give other pairings a try, if it's a writer I really like; but even then, it's pretty rare.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

...and that's why I know where to go for a Spike/Angel fix. :D

You do have a fair amount of fandom stuff to read. If someone likes an unusual pairing in one fandom and is focused on that, it's pretty hard to find anything to read unless you try other pairings.

There doesn't really seem to be a ton of Owen/Gwen fic, actually. Maybe I'm just not aware of it.

[babykid528.livejournal.com]

I love smut (I'm definitely reading mostly het lately)!

And I don't usually warn either. I warned M/M Incest in one of my most recent fics, because of the incest, and the fic right before that I actually warned for het, lol!

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

I go through het and slash phases. I like them both. And threesomes. Whatever.

It really depends on the fandom. I prefer Spike/Buffy but certainly like Angel/Spike as well.

[alba17.livejournal.com]

Fun poll, although I just realized I could pick more than one answer. so far, 0 say they don't read that smut! hee. I don't know why, but I was surprised to see most people prefer slash, so far. Thanks for the news re: GDL.

I'll try any pairing and I'm going to go over to the porn battle and read Tosh/Rhys right now (was that yours, can't remember), because I can't wait to see how that one plays out.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

...so far, 0 say they don't read that smut!

Well, this is my journal, after all. :D It's a pornateria!


Yesss, that was mine. It's kinda long. Needed the setup for that one. ;)

[dvanulya.livejournal.com]

You know, I don't think I've ever warned for slash. I just assume that it's TW, there must be slash, and everyone must know that.

As far as pairings, while I love me some Jack/Ianto, and really don't like Jack/Gwen or Ianto/Gwen, I will read other pairings. And even write them, too, apparently. But in the end, it always comes back to Jack/Ianto for me.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Yes, kind of obvious for Torchwood fans. Because. Torchwood!

Will you read Jack/Ianto/Gwen (or someone else, like Jack/Ianto/Owen)? Or does that make you think... er, no thank you!

I will really read any pairing people come up with. If it's sexy. :D

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

How and Well Written Trumps Everything.

I know what you're thinking, but the answer to that is that only buft is hot OR well-written for that pairing because anything else is so OOC.

Otherwise: Bring it on.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Yeah, let's hear it for hot!

See, I wont read domestic fic either, for most pairings (het or slash or femslash) unless I like the writer's stuff.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Personally, I always "warn" for het. AND gen, for that matter. When you write fic in a community of slashers, you (or at least I) always worry that het will be an unnice surprise ;-)

I guess the warning field on my fic headers is more like, caution: may contain...

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Well, it's nice to know what you're getting. :)

Even though I like everything, sometimes I'm in a slashy sort of mood, or not. So it's great to have an idea of the pairings in the summary.



So, er... *poke* How's that threesome story coming along? Something for everyone. Yay!

[shane-mayhem.livejournal.com]

I think gender is stupid. Put whatever names you like. If someone's offended, they should stop reading. ;)

OK, that was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the principle is there. If I don't know a pairing, and I click, and it's het or slash or whatever I don't want to read at the moment, I will stop reading. "Warning" for slash or het seems pointless to me, when, as you mentioned, the [name]/[name] ought to be enough.

Especially because same- or opposite-sex pairings have nothing to do with how smutty a fic is, so what exactly are you warning for? Like if I wrote a Jack/Ianto fic (not that I would ever do that...lol) and it was totally fluffy, why should I warn for anything? The rating/pairing is enough, I think.

:D

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

The rating/pairing is enough, I think.

Agreed!

It's interesting to me, because no pairing really squicks me out (in Torchwood or Doctor Who, anyway). Some don't really appeal, but the gender of the characters is not the reason (the personalities of the characters = the reason).

[blue-fjords.livejournal.com]

My preferred pairing is Jack/Ianto, but I'll read other pairings if I like the author. I just wrote my very first pairing that was not Jack/Ianto (Tosh/Suzie), though I did throw some Jack/Ianto in there.

I actually don't like to read non-canon pairings of characters that are paired w/ others in canon. What I mean is, I don't read Ianto/Owen b/c I see no basis for it, likewise Gwen/Tosh. They feel OOC to me. That being said, I'm willing to try it out if I trust the author (like your Tosh/Rhys and neifile's Jack/Ianto/Owen), and if other people want to write it, by all means, have at it.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And Tosh/Suzie was hot!

It really depends on the author, for me. I love paperclipbitch's Ianto/Owen stuff: http://paperclipbitch.livejournal.com/tag/owen/ianto

Very in-character, with double snark! :)

[cruentum.livejournal.com]

Read the replies re: het warning, and am actually fascinated by the idea that people in a slash fandom feel they need to warn for het? Is this some kind of pseudo-liberal slashy stance? I mean, guys, het is not evil or bad or anything...

Funny enough, it reminds me of the x-tube choice buttons where you click one button for male or female and click the ticky box for like: male, female, or both. It's like predefining a category.

Same in fanfic, and I get it for porn, possibly, when you want to read porn to get off you'd like to read what gets you off thank you very much, but there are stories where there is no sex ... would I still warn for het, like it's some kind of outrageous thing? Look at me calling heterophobia here. Frankly, if people call for 'no warning for slash' then there should also be a 'no warning for het' call. It's the same bloody thing.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

...if people call for 'no warning for slash' then there should also be a 'no warning for het' call

Yeah, I think "warning" would be listing a warning, as you might for a kink or something like non-con. Informing people that there will be sexing involving x pairing in the fic is just basic info, like story length.

So if I see Jack/Rose/Nine and and adult rating, I'm assuming I'm getting het and slash action (Probably. Or it could be a tossup in that case.)

[servus-a-manu.livejournal.com]

I thought that's where "slash" got it's moniker: character "/" character. If it's two males, voilá, you've got your warning. I'm relatively new (less than two years) to online fanfic, but there are some generally accepted formats that I've noticed. Comma gets you no pairing, slash gets you smut (or at least romance). Although as new people come into it, I guess formatting is bound to pushed around a bit.

And I checked "I'll read anything at least once" but what I really meant was "depends on the author". Damn trigger happy clicky-finger!

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Yup, / = pairing, char, char = they're in it, but they're not getting into it. :)

Ok, point taken on the poll!

[lucy-locket.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about this a couple of weeks ago, and I was surprised that a couple of people on my flist agreed with the warnings. I think warning for het or slash is kind of creepy. Like it gives the impression that sexuality is something to be warned about, not right, and I just don't feel comfortable with that at all.

And I used to be limited to reading Jack/Ianto but lately I'm such a multishipper (but a strange one, there are still some pairings I will not touch with a barge pole) and I've started writing other pairings. I like to think I'm making it my mission to make people more open minded when it comes to ships. But yeah, can't change what other people think. I feel bad that it sometimes frustrates me that het is considered unnatural in this fandom. Like, why is het so bad? I don't get it. I don't care about the genders of the characters, it's the personalities I love.

And don't get me started on Gwen bashing fic. It's all massively OOC.

Anyway, yeah...doesn't matter to me if it's het/slash/femslash. And I'll give any pairing a try at least once.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

With an odd pairing, if I trust the writer - or the reccer, I'll really be stoked about checking it out. (Well, I'll read it anyway out of curiosity.)

Like... the stories on your rec list. :)

I think Torchwood may have drawn slash-oriented writers in the first place, so it makes sense that they sort of dominate the fandom, ala QaF.

[unfeathered]

Warning for slash is just stupid, and rather offensive, tbh. As you say, it should be there in the header info anyway.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I pointed out in Vera's journal that I want to be warned for Het - it was kind of a tongue in cheek comment but not entirely.

Because yes, if I find a header that says Jack/John NC17 I am going to be on that puppy like a shot because HEY! slashy goodness (and if it turns out it's NC17 for violence instead it makes no difference).

BUT I have been known to come across headers in the past that read
Female character, Male character NC17 and gone off to read expecting violence/adult story line and got graphic Het sex instead! Cue rapid exit by yours truly.

*doubles back to fill out poll*

*comes back to edit*
Just to be clear I just want a header to tell me if there's graphic het ahead. Not that it has to be a "Warning". Warning is the place you put things that are likely to squick people - like dubcon, or breathplay or - withn my f-list - shmoop :-)

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

I'm agreeing that readers should have an idea what they're going to find.

Hypothetical: What if het UST is in a story? Or something romantic or iffy like... *thinks*

Okay, the Doctor is with Jack, but he's flashing back to the last person he was with and it was Rose, and he thinks about how he loves her too and misses her.

"Ew!" or "That's fine. It's not graphic hexsexing!"

Should there be some mention of this character who's not actually present in the story itself, in your view?

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

I've never thought to warn for slash. I figure giving the pairing and rating makes it pretty clear that you may or may not want to read it. The main thing I warn for is for lack of Spuffyness, since that's my main focus and if I'm going to throw a Spander or Spack in there, I figure I'd better let my regular readers know that it's not going to be Spuffy. I find myself reading more and more gen fic now - the story being more important to me than the pairing(s) involved. A good writer can probably make me believe any (reasonable) pairing throughout the course of a good story - and if he/she can't make me believe it, then I probably won't finish reading it anyway. I don't seek out other pairings, but I'll read them if I trust the author.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Yeah... actually I do know Spike/Buffy readers who will NOT read anything else (ditto Spike/Angel, etc).

And I've got to catch up on Knowing and Watching - and you have a comprehensive summary for that! (But I tend to read longer series when they're finished.) :)

[oneloveonelight.livejournal.com]

I don't feel like you SHOULD have to warn for slash, it feels like homophobia, like warning for boykissing on a soap opera or something. However, I have before and I kind of regret it.

The reason why I've warned for it before on my journal, is because I very rarely post anything super duper explicit, slash OR het on my own journal (comms are a different matter). So I will let people know what's behind the cut in case it's not their thing. And, like some people stated here, I PREFER slash content so I'm more apt to click if I see it, hee! But I will read ANY pairing whatsoever. I just have a few favorites is all.

You make a good point, I think just the names should be enough and if someone bitches or makes a rude comment, well, they should be booted off of course, because homophobia isn't something anyone should tolerate.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Well, I think there's a difference here too, in that my journal is mostly a fandom journal. There are only a few "outside of fandom" people on my f-list, so, you know, random sex fic is expected. :D

That, and everything can be tied back to Doctor Who. Or TORCHWOOD!

[elinor-godwin.livejournal.com]

I'm not reading fanfic much at the moment... though if someone wants to point me in the right direction for Trek fanfic based on the upcoming movie, I'll probably read that. ;) Spock/Kirk/Uhura OT3 anyone? ;)

With summaries and tags, personally if you include the pairing and the rating, that should be enough. Most people read within the fandoms they enjoy and don't need any more than that. Warning for slash (or het) implies there is something wrong with it, that it requires a warning. Just tell me the pairings, the rating, and warn for kink (so I can find it faster!). OC's who have a sexual relationship with a main character (as the main point of the story) should be labeled, so I don't waste my time, and I find most are labeled (Ianto/OC/Jack = Mary Sue).

OTOH, a quick Het or Slash behind the pairing to clarify:
Jack/Gwen (Het)

I wouldn't consider that to be a warning, and that's fine. But to to list Het or Slash under a warning label, I personally find that just wrong.

What gets my goat is TW fic labeled thusly:
Jack/Ianto (of course!)

No, actually it's not of course, unless you're on a Janto-specific board, and I'm not on any, so I don't want to see labels like that - it's offensive. This really pisses me off, to the point that I utterly refuse to read any Janto, my favorite writers excepted. And if someone warns for 'boykissing' I don't even bother. Grow. Up. Please.

Okay... enough complaining! What do I like? Anything, if the writer can convince me of it. I follow the good writers wherever they go. I must admit that my favorite stories involve threesomes at the moment, and that would be my choice if I had to pick. =)

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Spock/Kirk/Uhura OT3 anyone? ;)

OMG that sounds so cool!

What gets my goat is TW fic labeled thusly:
Jack/Ianto (of course!)

Yes, I've seen that and thought... WTH?!!?

I like to assume that it means the writer is known for writing only that pairing. I hope.

[filthgoblin.livejournal.com]

I warn for kinks, darkness, violence and RPF. I don't want people to happen across something that's not to their taste and feel wronged by it. That said, if I start reading something that turns out not to be my cup of superheated infusion of free radicals, I'm fully aware of where the "back" button is on my browser...

I never really used to read gen!fic, but I've found a fandom where I really like the gen and I've started to branch out a bit. It's different, but not in a bad way :)

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

I don't mind backbuttoning either, but when you've got limited time that day, it's nice to know what you're getting.

Fic is like a box o' chocolates...

[andreth47.livejournal.com]

I missed the party!! Damn.

[cookiesofkarma.livejournal.com]

I don't especially write smutty things, but when I do I don't warn. Heck, I often forget to write the pairing. (Which reminds me, I'll go do that now).

And yeah, I have favourite pairings (Jack/John, Ianto/Andy, Spike/Buffy etc) but I'll read anything. If I know a writer is either a) rubbish at writing a pairing or b) tends to hate on a pairing under the cover of promoting it, then I'll skip past it. But it's all good here on LJ. 8D