I throw a fit (and boycott the fic) if a header spoils me for character death, and won't warn for it either apart from vague 'darkfic/disturbing content'. A lot of people, on the other hand, really want to be warned for this,
For me (and therefore presumably for at least some other readers as well), I need specific warnings for character death because if it's a surprise, it can be highly triggering and can ruin the fic for me(depending on which character it is, how it happens, and RL factors like how I'm feeling that day -- sometimes it simply ruins the fic for me, sometimes it ruins my entire day) but if I know going in that at least one main character is going to die, I'm emotionally prepared for it, won't be triggered, and will be able to enjoy the fic.
It's like those people who can't enjoy enything unless the ending is a total surprise, but in reverse -- I can't enjoy something emotionally intense unless I'm in the proper frame of mind while reading it, and vague warnings generally don't accomplish that at all, because the proper frame of mind to not be triggered by deathfic is different from the proper frame of mind to read dark or disturbing fic where the characters survive. With professional stuff, I tend to handle this by waiting until a television season is out on DVD before watching it, so that I'll already have been spoiled for anything like character deaths or other major traumatic events.
I gues the deciding factor would be: do you (general you) the author place a higher priority on not emotionally upsetting readers with triggers, or on not irritating readers who prefer to approach a fic "cold?" In my experience it usually depends on whether the author herself is a plot-focussed reader who needs to be surprised/can't be spoiled, or whether she has triggers of her own (i.e. that authors tend to do unto others as they would prefer to have others do unto them).
To bring this back around to the original topic, I also have to be in a different mental place to read rape than I do to read kink scenarios where characters are forced into sex and enjoy it (Aliens Made Them Do It, etc.).
no subject
For me (and therefore presumably for at least some other readers as well), I need specific warnings for character death because if it's a surprise, it can be highly triggering and can ruin the fic for me(depending on which character it is, how it happens, and RL factors like how I'm feeling that day -- sometimes it simply ruins the fic for me, sometimes it ruins my entire day) but if I know going in that at least one main character is going to die, I'm emotionally prepared for it, won't be triggered, and will be able to enjoy the fic.
It's like those people who can't enjoy enything unless the ending is a total surprise, but in reverse -- I can't enjoy something emotionally intense unless I'm in the proper frame of mind while reading it, and vague warnings generally don't accomplish that at all, because the proper frame of mind to not be triggered by deathfic is different from the proper frame of mind to read dark or disturbing fic where the characters survive. With professional stuff, I tend to handle this by waiting until a television season is out on DVD before watching it, so that I'll already have been spoiled for anything like character deaths or other major traumatic events.
I gues the deciding factor would be: do you (general you) the author place a higher priority on not emotionally upsetting readers with triggers, or on not irritating readers who prefer to approach a fic "cold?" In my experience it usually depends on whether the author herself is a plot-focussed reader who needs to be surprised/can't be spoiled, or whether she has triggers of her own (i.e. that authors tend to do unto others as they would prefer to have others do unto them).
To bring this back around to the original topic, I also have to be in a different mental place to read rape than I do to read kink scenarios where characters are forced into sex and enjoy it (Aliens Made Them Do It, etc.).