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Dilemma - just recommendations or also comments with spoiler risk? [message #67666]

Sun, 14 April 2013 11:41

Kitzyma

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Registered: March 2012
Messages: 238

There is a dilemma.

Unless one says simply something like 'this is good and I recommend it' then there is always the risk of a spoiler. Sometimes even just stating the genre, e.g. 'this is a great ghost story' could give away the twist at the end of a story. Even just mentioninng that there is an interesting twist at the end might spoil the surprise because then the reader will be expecting a twist.

On the other hand, if there are a series of posts saying only 'this is a good story' then reading all those posts won't be very edifying. One might say that if there are several posts recommending a story then it probably is worth looking at. However, looking at the number of posts of that nature could be misleading if, for example, some potential posters think: 'it's already been recommended by a few people, so there's no point in me posting just to repeat what others have said'.

As both a reader and an author, I can see both sides of this. I'd like to see how people interpret a story, how certain parts have affected them, and even what they felt didn't work for them. On the other hand, if I've worked hard to provide a twist or surprise in the story, I don't want to have that spoiled by plot details being posted as part of a discussion.

One suggestion:
Maybe the first post about a story should be strictly just of the 'good story - recommended' sort and any discussion of plot should be only in later posts, possibly after an explicit spoiler warning. Those potential readers who haven't yet read the story but are looking for a recommendation can read that first post and also see how many other posts there are about it, but shouldn't read those later posts. There's little point in discussing a story unless one has read all of it. Anyone who chooses to read later 'discussion' posts should be prepared to risk seeing spoilers.

Any other suggestions?

[Updated on: Sun, 14 April 2013 11:43]

		Dilemma - just recommendations or also comments with spoiler risk? By: Kitzyma on Sun, 14 April 2013 11:41
		Re: Dilemma - just recommendations or also comments with spoiler risk? By: timmy on Sun, 14 April 2013 15:59

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