Re: Snippet: Well Then

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

>I am so amused by the reactions!

Well, certainly, we're a diverse bunch, as to be expected, with
membership rapidly approaching 1100. (Go us!) B/D is a sensitive point
for some, so I think a heads-up couldn't hurt.

>a.lose any *intentional* shock value

Well, in that case, just keep the caution general. We've certainly had
that for a variety of fics (remember my "Buffy has a nightmare about
being forced to submit to Snyder" piece?), so you wouldn't necessarily
be giving everything away by saying "possibly disturbing themes" or
something similar.

Plus I didn't get a "big surprise" vibe off of this, with Dawn's
interest being cued early. If you wanted to keep the degree of
consummation in doubt, you could have gone "B/W, possible B/W/D" in the
pairing line and still kept the sisterly-bonding-averse at bay.

>b.have a big ol' lump of headers.

Well, you know, every story *is* supposed to have one :) No, you don't
have to list every pairing in the fic at the top, but if the main combo
is anything other than B/W, that is a divergence from the norm and might
as well be tagged. (Our B/W/T fics seem to do a good job of advertising
themselves as such, for example. And it serves its purpose, since I
just walk on by...[sorry, folks, I just got enough of Tara on the show;
nothing personal])

Particularly if it's something potentially divisive as B/D (even with
Willow, IMO, properly in the middle).

Heck, we're pretty fluid here. I remember you tossing out a couple of
fics with some Buffy/Joyce and Willow/Sheila Rosenberg action last
summer, and there not being too much of a problem about it (again, the
light touch helps). But the last time you put up some B/W/D, there was
a note from Rod saying that there was a little too much B/D talk going
around (there had also been some talk in OT discussion at the time), and
I seem to remember Kimber also cautioning against B/D at another time,
and then we got a couple of reactions here--so I figured I'd mention
the possibility of something to ward off any squeamishness, so I could
keep on enjoying your breezy B/W/D fun without anyone who didn't want to
be upset getting upset. Hence, headers, the gateway to the middle
ground (or some other horribly mixed metaphor).

>How else can I improve?

Um, I'm good here. (But I do seem to be picking up a stray thought from
The Bear that Dawn's self-examination scene should have gone on much
longer...bad Bear! Bad! <g>)

re: "24"

I think it was June-ish, but I'm way too tired to search for the post
number. Anyone?

Off to bed,

Dan

who has a few semi-smutty B/W/D ideas of his own, but spends his time
running lists instead of writing fics...(yeah, that's it, it's the list,
not my being lazy, nuh-uh...really, I swear...aw, come on...)