Fic!

[extrapenguin]

I (finally) polished up and posted the extended epilogue/sequel to Every Door a Death: Knocking on the Doors of Paradise. Ye Zun POV, smidge under 5k, will likely make little sense unless you read the 30k it's a sequel to.

I also finished my action/adventure story's first draft. It clocks in at 10k, so I'll do gross edits and then post it as two chapters while doing line edits, probably. Reader question: if you saw something tagged with Major Character Death (archive warning) and Temporary Character Death (freeform), how would you interpret that?

(Things inspiring the fic: the legend of Lemminkäinen's mother, the Babylon 5 episode Soul Hunter.)

You might also recall that I posted four ideas on what to do next in the sausage factory post. In the grand tradition of Pingu getting ideas, I'm doing none of them and instead have conceptualized something completely different. Well, the Hallows will still feature, but ... differently. >:D

Comments

[shadaras]

I would probably interpret those tags as: A major character dies during this story, and that's a large part of the story, but it doesn't stick (either they weren't really dead or the plot of the story is in part bringing them back).

[extrapenguin]

And that is the plot of the fic I'm asking the tagging question for! \o/

[trobadora]

Reader question: if you saw something tagged with Major Character Death (archive warning) and Temporary Character Death (freeform), how would you interpret that?

I would read that as two separate things. There's a major character death, but also a temporary character death, so when someone dies in the story, you don't know which this is.

(It would make me check the end of the story before reading. If someone dies permanently, I always want to know in advance.)

[extrapenguin]

Hm. If there were a fic where a major character (for both fic and canon) temporarily dies (with both death and resurrection in-fic), how would you expect that to be tagged?

[trobadora]

Perhaps it's because I've spent too much time with Jack Harkness fic, but I don't think temporary character death needs the archive warning at all. . (Unless you want to fake out your readers.) That's thee way I understand it, and the way I've generally seen it used - the warning is for the real deal, actual death from which the character doesn't come back.

Of course if you're worried it might not be clear what you mean maybe the easiest solution is an author's note?

[extrapenguin]

Given my horrified DNW at people suggesting that I don't put the MCD warning on a fic where a major character dies, I think I'll put the warning on. (I guess it might be a different situation with e.g. Da Ji, who'll automagically come back and we all know it, but this isn't someone who regenerates/has death-cheating abilities in canon.)

[laireshi]

I'd think it's separate deaths. I personally don't consider temporary char death an MCD-warning thing, but I know that varies for people.

[extrapenguin]

Hm. If there were a fic where a major character (for both fic and canon) temporarily dies (with both death and resurrection in-fic), how would you expect that to be tagged? Since there is a major character who dies.

[laireshi]

Just "Temporary Character Death", to be honest. MCD just makes me think someone else dies and doesn't come back. You could explain in notes to be safe, I guess? When I read tags I tend to think that they're about the main fic characters.

[extrapenguin]

I'd still have to pick an archive warning. A major character dies, so tagging it with No archive warning apply would be a lie and CNTW make people wary there was more stuff lurking in the shadows.

[cyberbrain]

Reader question: if you saw something tagged with Major Character Death (archive warning) and Temporary Character Death (freeform), how would you interpret that?
Hmm... I interpret the Major Character Death warning as an endgame kind of warning. Combined with the Temporary Character Death tag, it would make me think two things: 1) maybe the major character gets revived or that 2) it's about a completely different character.
Like trobadora said above, I'd check the ending before reading too.

[extrapenguin]

The fic would be scenario 1). Would there be a combination of tags that would make you certain that what happened in the fic was that a major character died and then was revived in-fic?

[cyberbrain]

Perhaps something that directly mentions the MCD warning? I'm looking at the tags that fall under the same meaning as Temporary Character Death and lots of them go like "Major Character Death is only Temporary." That's something I'd be into, I think.
Alternatively, something like a "character revives" tag might work? But that doesn't seem to have a canonical tag (or I can't find it).

[extrapenguin]

"Major Character Death is only Temporary."
Hmm. That ... sounds interesting. Hmm. I'll go hunting for tags related to resurrection, too.

[lessonsinescapology]

if you saw something tagged with Major Character Death (archive warning) and Temporary Character Death (freeform), how would you interpret that?

LOL! I'd wonder what the author was trying to say and depending on my mood might not read it^^

[extrapenguin]

In this case: the major character death is only temporary.

[lessonsinescapology]

Is there another tag?

Usually I see authors put Major Character Death tag but then follow it with Happy Ending, so I get that the death is just temporary or a plot device.

[extrapenguin]

Oh, there would be other tags! Like Happy Ending and Action/Adventure. The plot's just about a major character who dies and comes back, so it's Major Character Death the archive warning plus also Temporary Character Death the freeform.