Fic labeling

[citrinesunset]

Hmmm. I've known for a while now that my system for rating my fics is pretty, well, inconsistent and maybe not the best. I generally use the MPAA rating system (PG, R, NC-17, etc.), but that doesn't seem that helpful, considering the MPAA system isn't used everywhere and those ratings aren't always clear anyway. And I'm not the MPAA's biggest fan. So I'm trying to come up with an alternative. I'm thinking AO3's system (General Audiences, Mature, etc.) is pretty good. Maybe I'll adopt that?

Any ideas/thoughts?

Comments

[kahtyasofia]

I've been thinking of doing the same thing, and we're not alone. Although it wasn't the intent of the archive, it seems to make enough sense to so many of us, we're slooooooowly drifting in that direction.

My LAS's require MPAA, so I'll have to keep using it there, but I think starting with my second Dark Fest entry, I'm going to switch over.

[citrinesunset]

My main thing is I want to be consistent, at least with my fic headers on my journal (I don't really mind using different headers for comms as a rule). The nice thing about using AO3's system would be that my ratings on my journals would match my ratings there.

[kahtyasofia]

Exactly! Anyone getting to the archive from your journal will find consistency in what to expect from your fic, based on your ratings.

[xtricks]

Back in the day, Dem came up with the system used in torchwood_house:

open
standard
mature: (sex, themes, violence)
explicit: (sex, themes, violence)

open = anyone can read,g- pg stuff
standard = most evening TV show stuff
mature = 'R' ish level stuff to Torchwood's more explicit stuff
explicit = adult, in whatever area.

I've come to like it -- I like the breakdown of violence, sex and theme because I'm usually quite fine with any level of sex and violence but some themes can bother me.

[citrinesunset]

Yeah, I've been meaning for a while now to start specifying more based on violence, sex, and theme like that, because I think it's a bit more helpful than a rating alone.

[xtricks]

It works better for me because I prefer information (at least when things get intense) rather than comparison to existing assumptions -- my level of maturity was very different from most people's my age, in different areas.

[citrinesunset]

Yeah, same here. Ratings alone can feel kind of arbitrary and subjective to me.

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

AO3's system is pretty cool, and more useful to fic writing than the MPAA (which is also inconsistently used in fandom). I use demotu's system, which she invented before the AO3 came around, which is also pretty neat and readable here.

[citrinesunset.livejournal.com]

AO3's system is appealing largely because I post my stuff there in addition to here, and that way I'd be able to have one rating everywhere. I like your system too, though.

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's pretty handy, and clear. I like the distinction Dem made in the "why" of a rating, but it's unnecessary. Most comms do require you to use MPAA as well as another system, I've found :).

[citrinesunset.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning for a while to start adding distinctions to my ratings. I think it's a good, simple way of saying what the rating is for.

I haven't actually encountered that much with comms requiring the MPAA system. I think I have a couple times. Maybe I just haven't paid attention.

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

I got rapped by a mod a while back, so maybe it's sticking out in my head :).