The Etiquette of Holiday fics

[geoviki]

Like all the rest of you, I'm delighting in the reams and reams of new stories and art (and this year's art is especially terrific!). There's the granddaddy, merry_smutmas, and then others like harry_holidays, hd_holidays, smutty_claus, lupin_snape.... an embarrassment of riches!

As we are encouraging each other as writers and artists, I'm trying to leave feedback as well. One thing that caught my notice, though, has left me feeling uneasy, and I wondered what your views are: In your opinion, is it uncouth to leave concrit that's negative on a fest fic? (Disclosure: this is not anything that's happened regarding my own fic, just other folk's.)

I don't see the author requesting any, for one thing. Personally, I won't do it, but then I never leave anything less than praise unless I'm asked specifically and privately. If I don't like something, I just pass it by. Which unfortunately is the same response to something I've not yet read, so the writer is never sure if I'm unhappy or just behind (if the writer even cares what I think), but there you go.

But IMHO, these stories are gifts. And I can't see criticising a gift. Am I over-sensitive? What do you authors and artists think?

Comments

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Okay, here's a question: everyone always says (if they remember) No Scat! Yet have you ever read a fic that had poop-play in it at all? Why do we think our writers are gonna hit us up with this unless we warn them off?

I'm laughing at myself here. I'm sure I've said it too.

[catrinella.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about this just today!

I'm half-tempted to run a scat-fest just to see if anyone would write, but then I'd have to mod it. Ooops.

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha, I know! :D I think it's partly because of Gina's dire, dire warning that if you don't say it, anything goes! The only poopy fic I've ever read was written for a squick fest in the first place, so I should have known better. But really, I mean, while I enjoy the occasional watersports fic, I wouldn't just go and write it for some person when they hadn't requested it specifically, because common sense tells me that this is most decidedly not everyone's kink. On the other hand, some things which I hate are considered commonplace by some, so... caution. :P

I always think I'm pretty easygoing about fic reading and such, but then I read everyone else's requests and go, "right, that! Oooh. Must mention not that, gross! And that!! Disgusting!!" and on it goes. :P