I will warn if something is dark or skates close to my own edges, but I won't give specifics. I'll just say potentially disturbing content, with the proviso that my work is meant for grown ups who can make their own decisions. Hopefully someone who knows them can recommend it to them.

I am thankful for the whole trash party tagging thing, because it means I can protect my own mental health by staying far, far away.

When you guys tag, do you tag in a particular order? Like the ingredients lists on the side of the box?

Or alphabetical? Or just in the way that makes the words sound best together?

I am thankful for the whole trash party tagging thing, because it means I can protect my own mental health by staying far, far away.

See? It serves a purpose! I can find, you can avoid! I do tag. I just don't WARN. There's a difference. Damn it.

I tag by what I think is the most important element, then I'll sometimes go "No, someone's going to get their panties in a twist about X, I'd better put something in about that." No real order, just as it occurs to me.

I mean, I'm keeping running lists as I write, but I feel like they should have a somewhat better order than, "OH YEAH! THAT!"

Also, like there are implications I should tag for, but can't figure out HOW to tag for in the main story.

I'm like Connie: whatever I happen to think of at the time. Sometimes, after reading someone else's fic I'll think, "huh, maybe that's a tag I could add to fic X." When I first starting tagging on AO3, mine were very minimal. I used the "choose not to warn" constantly, because I figured anything I felt the reader needed to know would be in the tags I use. Still feel that way, pretty much.

Speaking of comments on fic, I was surprised to get a comment on a fic written two years ago from someone who had commented on it when I first posted it. Although, they didn't kudo either time. ::shrugs:: It just made me happy that the story made that much of an impression on them, that they felt the need to come back and leave an even more detailed comment than the first time around. It's nice to know that the story really hit them where it counts.

Comments on old stories are terrific. I love that people are still discovering my stuff and liking it.

It made me even happier that this time around, they also bookmarked it. Then I really know I achieved what I set out to do.