Question about Fanfic warning preferences

[draechaeli]

I have a fanfic idea that involves MPreg. But I really don't want to add it as a warning, because then anytime any characters in the fic have sex people are going to assume they are going to get pregnant.

I just wanted to hear peoples view on this in general. I mean I got into MPreg when I was reading a really good fic and suddenly the male character was pregnant. Personally I have all these standards for MPreg. For me to look for MPreg in a fandom there has to be a decent reason for a guy to get pregnant: a world with magic, a society set a couple hundred years in the future, the parties involved are not strictly human, etc. I will admit that I do often when coming across a MPreg fic in for example: House MD. I read it because I want to know how in 2010ish House got Chase pregnant, or something similar.

I already have this future fic of mine planned out. I have a logical reason for this male getting pregnant. I also believe that I am a good writer, and therefore no one could get angry at me or those respects.

I was just wondering how many people would get angry and stop reading the fic because of surprise MPreg, or would you continue reading because the situation was well thought out, logical (as logical as MPreg can get) and well written?

The second part of this is do you think I would get in trouble on any fanfic posting sites/LJ if I left this warning off? For other reasons this fic will have a pretty high rating so it is not like I'm saying "Please, 12-year-old whose parents would kill me if they knew you read a suplise-mpreg fic, come read!"

Thanks for your imput, and sorry I'm not going to tell you the fandom, since that would ruin the surprise.

[Shadowknight12]

Yes. MPreg is a very controversial subject. Always add the warning. If you do not add it, expect angry reactions. It's just impolite, like forgetting the "death" tag and then gruesomely killing off the main character. Will it kill the surprise and the drama? Perhaps. But it is your duty as a writer to include it.

[pittwitch]

I agree with SK. Mpreg is not everyone's cup of tea. Expect angry reactions, and a note from a moderator, if you don't include it.

[RogueMudblood]

I understand you want to draw more people into your story. All writers do. The problem is, if you don't have the correct warning codes on the story, the readers do get angry, no matter how good your writing is. Even if you just put a warning on that chapter, you'll get angry reactions, simply because people have been reading all along and they don't like Mpreg and would never have read it to begin with had they known. Now, they've invested their time reading your story, only to find it's going to go in a direction they have a personal squick with.

There is actually a section of the TOS that applies:

I will never intentionally cause mental, emotional, or physical harm to any other user of AdultFanFiction.net, because this is a haven set aside for entertainment and artistic expression, and its Archivists wish it to be enjoyable for all.

So, of course, we encourage you to use the correct warnings on the summary, or state "Warnings inside" if they are going to cause you to go over the summary limit. By that, though, we expect them to be at the top of chapter one, and we will look for them there. Otherwise, it can be argued that by not marking your story correctly, you did "intend" to mislead your readers.

The last thing we want is to have to delete stories placed in the archive over tagging issues, something so easily avoided.

Consider it this way: you're reading this involved story about two men which has gripped you emotionally. You've gotten through 15 chapters of some of the best stuff you've read in ages, and it's not completely smut - there's actually plot to it. You're intrigued by the writer, and you've even left them glowing reviews. You click on the link for the latest update and -bam!- rape scene. The first thing in the chapter, these characters, that you've come to know and appreciate, and you've genuinely gotten attached to, are suddenly in a situation involving rape. There was no warning on the story that this would be included, there was no- or little- indication in the actions of the characters from previous chapters that this scene would be here today. How would that affect you as a reader?

[draechaeli]

That was what I was figuring.

It wasn't that I wanted more people to read the fic so much as that when I see some warnings I expect it to happen in between chapters 5 and 10 and when it doesn't happen until chapter 50 I get antsy. like with MPreg I'll be like... 'Ooo, ooo he's pregnant... oh no he's not.' Or in the same instant, the characters in the fic are like 'why is he sick to his stomach and moody?' and I'm screaming at my computer 'He's pregnant you idiot!!!'

So yeah, warn I shall

[Melsiebug]

Thank you for starting this thread, it's helped me to come to a decision over a similar problem I have.

I've been trying to decide if I should edit my story codes to include "Abortion". I didn't include it at the start as I wasn't 100% sure I was going to go in that direction with it, but now I am I've been a bit torn as to what the right thing to do is.

On the one hand it's a subject that people often have very strong feelings over, and I really don't want to upset anyone, I've just had my knuckles rapped by a reviwer for not including "AU" in my synopsis. On the other hand it's an "offscreen" event that I have no intention of describing in detail, and as it's a slash story (not MPreg) it's clearly not going to be happening to one of my central characters. However my main reasoning for not including it would be it acts as a spoiler, and like the originator of this thread I can imagine people reading thinking about when it's going to happen and who to.

Reading the thread has made me realise editing my story codes is the right thing to do, so thanks again.

[Kurahieiritr]

Thanks for the topic. I have a couple readers of my fics who grumbled I did not write a true rapefic per say because it is set up as a flash back sequence the victims have. I opted to remove rapefic from the main tag and put it into my first chapter and clearly tag each additional chapter dealing in the trauma induced flashbacks after that. Sadly, you can't please everyone who reads fan fiction I've found. I have people who follow my work who do not like graphic sex so I put a Warning Graphic lemon on each chapter I post that involves sex. It improved my readership by being so careful. Perhaps it will work for you also.