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➡️ Content warnings on fiction are a courtesy.
➡️ Not every medium of fiction and storytelling has or is expected to have content warnings or extensive tagging.
➡️ Print novels do not traditionally warn for content in any way.
➡️ Until AO3 came along, fanfiction did not traditionally warn for content in any significant way.
➡️ An author is only obligated to warn for content to the degree mandated by the format they publish their fiction on.
➡️ Content warnings beyond the minimum are a courtesy, not an obligation.
➡️ ‘Creator chose not to warn’ is a valid tag that authors are allowed to use on AO3. It means there could be anything in there and you have accepted the risk. ‘May contain peanuts!’
➡️ Writers are allowed to use ‘Creator chose not to warn’ for any reason, including to maintain surprise and avoid spoilers.
➡️ ‘Creator chose not to warn’ is not the same thing as ‘no archive warnings apply’.
➡️ It is your responsibility to protect yourself and close a book, or hit the back button if you find something in fiction that you’re reading that upsets you.
➡️ You are responsible for protecting yourself from fiction that causes you discomfort.
I do, however, want to point out that I am 10x more likely to skip a fic that has Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings. You get burned enough times, everyone pays. And I promise, if you don’t use a warning (and I mean the big ones–major character death, rape, etc.) when you should have, I will never read another fic you write. Never.
So remember that when you click that button. Just like me reading your fic is a choice I am responsible for, whether or not you properly warn is your choice, but that choice doesn’t happen in a vacuum and it has consequences.
100% you always, ALWAYS have the right to skip a fic that is tagged “chose not to warn.”
The tag is there to warn you that the author only wants readers in their audience who are consenting to be surprised.
Writers who tag “chose not to warn” are generally not looking to maximize the audience size of their story but rather to present their story in the most authentic way that feels right to them.
Most writers who tag “chose not to warn” will be glad that you skipped their story if you are not someone who wants to be surprised, and happy for you that you chose to take care of yourself.
I know OP was being very amicable about that response, and I definitely appreciate it, but I do want to address something about that commenter’s tone:
Not every story is for you, and writers are ok with that.
Implicitly framing your disengagement with an author’s work as some kind of retribution for their decision to “not tag properly” (even though they are) isn’t the right mindset. Sometimes you will engage with a work and decide you never want to chance that again and blacklist the writer–just recognize that is not a shortcoming of the author, but simply an incompatibility of your preferences.
#i am writing my stories for people who want to read them#if you don’t want to read them that’s cool#but you’re not punishing me by not wanting to read my thing#you just don’t exist to me#i ain’t making money off this shit so I do not care about marketability or audience appeal#i do deeply appreciate that when given the chance to make exhaustive tags#folks generally do take the time to get precise#my dudes who tag things as Hurt/No Comfort#you’re saving my heart here#but yeah creator chose not to warn is a good tag when you need it
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