Before you read a Prosfic...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Somewhere along the way I've picked up the impression that Pros fans tend to be divided most strongly into either slash, gen or het (or various combinations thereof) readers, and that it is on this basis first that we decide whether or not to read a particular Prosfic story. Following an interesting discussion a few weeks ago about labels/categories/warnings etc on Prosfic, Circuit Archive is experimenting with including other information in their lj (and presumably other) updates, and this has got me thinking about it all again - in a rather needs-first-coffee-of-the-morning kind of way!

Basically, I know that I hate all warnings etc on a Prosfic story that I'm about to read, except that I'd like to know whether it's slash, gen or het, because I adore slash, I'll read gen if there's some reason to (or a chance of adding my own subtext!) and I don't want to touch het with a bargepole... a very long bargepole! During the discussion, I came across the idea that most people would view a label of slash, het or gen (or the story's pairings, which actually is a much smarter way of telling us whether it's slash, het or gen!) as the same kind of "spoiler" as, say a deathfic warning, which completely surprised me, took me aback, and got me thinking even more... *g*

And then I remembered that lj lets you do those poll-thingies, and wondered if I might try one of those... though I'd like to hear what people think as well as just seeing numbers, so please do comment as well! So - what kind of, if any, information do you look for before you read a Pros story? (And I'm not really going for the to-warn-about-deathfic/rape/non-consensual debate here, although I've included it in my question and I'm curious about numbers there too, it's more the broader sense of the question - and do we care about age ratings? Are there other things people consider that I've never even thought of?!) So, without further ado:

[Poll #1043269]
I've never tried doing a poll before, so here's hoping it works - do let me know if you have problems... Oh, it looks like you have to vote first, and hit submit, and then comment afterwards - you can't comment and vote at the same time (I just tried it...)! And non-lj members can't vote (says lj, not us), but you can still comment!

Comments

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

I submitted my answer (b) and then thought "but..." *g*
There are times I want to search for certain types of stories, for bdsm or Bodie/Doyle/Murphy for example. When this happens, what I'm looking for is simply information, not "warnings" - luckily the Circuit Archive has that search option, although I have found some odd things in the search results from time to time!

I'm with you on not wanting to know in advance if a story is a death fic. I'll read anything, pretty much, including het (although I then have to read some slash afterwards, just to get the vibe back). So I suppose no warnings would be my preference. Happy for them to be hidden somewhere for other people, though.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Heee! Think-y games for a wet Wednesday... *g* (Or a sunny Thursday, is that where you're up to?!)

I like being able to search very much - and you can do that at all three Pros archives very nicely! But like you say, it's when I'm in the mood for certain types of stories, rather than wanting to read Pros just for the joy (tragic or fluffy) of it!

So you don't mind being waylaid by a het story then... interesting..! That's actually what I was wondering most of all, but not many people have talked about that, they've mostly gone down the scary-deathfic route! I knew I should have deleted that question! Still, tis all interesting!

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

BTW, I loved what you said further down about the "glorious risk" of a story. My thoughts exactly!

o you don't mind being waylaid by a het story then... interesting..!

I do vastly prefer slash, explicit, kinky slash, and I need my fandom to stay slashy and not drift gen-wards, as you know!

But I think it's the same type of thing, that I feel shouldn't know before I start. Then, once it becomes apparent, I have a choice, and that choice depends on the story itself. I can change screens, flip pages, and I will do if there's nothing else to keep me there (like a good plot - I'll forgive much for a good plot - or interesting in some other way). For example, Kazlynh's recent one - I read it all the way through, because they were interesting characterisations, and the idea of him going to see the widow of a fellow agent wasn't entirely strange, and maybe I was hoping that it would turn out differently, which it didn't so much. Except it was sort of temporary het and at the end he was back on the job with Doyle so I liked that *g*.

Oh, on the death story theme, have you read Oriole's "Corpi Delectus" (CD)?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, on the death story theme, have you read Oriole's "Corpi Delectus" (CD)?
Oh, I hadn't, but I have now! Brilliant!

As far as interesting things to keep me in a story, I'm afraid for me the only really interesting thing is the relationship between the lads! Nothing else, on its own, will keep me there in the story, I'm afraid. Much as I love the eps, I love them for the lads themselves, but I re-watch them for the slash! Without that it's just warm, fuzzy nostalgia, which is nice, but doesn't make me want to read fanfic. It's their relationship which is the new adventure for me (perhaps I'm too cynical about the rest of the world these days!) So, basically, yeay that there is so much Pros slash still for me to read... *g*

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

That's one of the the limitations of lists and warnings. I can't imagine someone so sensitive that they wouldn't get a giggle from it! But it is in the Death Stories list.

Maybe there should be warnings for humour as well *g*.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yes!

Suppose it depends on how the categoriser (?!) sees something... I'd never include that as a death story, because it's not the sort to make someone all depressed and low, although technically it is... sort of... *g*

Do you know anything about ratings, btw? I'm still trying to find out how archivists give ratings to stories - cos I've never given a single rating to one of my fics, but of course in Circuit they've all been assigned ratings, if you go look for them. Do you know if it's done by automatic software, searching for words, (Is there such stuff?) or by individual archivists themselves?

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

Also yes, there are story lists on the other archives and they are sometimes better, because they cover 'zines as well.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's the thing, it's the mix of online and zine information that I really want... Hence making up me own... *g*

And ohhhhh, nice icon... *g*