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

[zvi-likes-tv.livejournal.com]

a) if the fic is inherently a gift, then it doesn't really lose that charecteristic because it's posted elsewhere, it's always a gift fic.

But when it's reposted elsewhere, that isn't where the recipient is looking for her present, right? In the context of the gift exchange, it's a gift. Outside that context, it's a story that an author chose to post publically. Like, it's the difference between the people at your birthday commenting on the ugly orange sweater your Aunt Marge gave you, and your hair dresser commenting on the ugly orange sweater you chose to wear to get your hair done in. Same object, different contexts.

what about authors who don't repost?

Authors who don't repost, to my way of thinking, haven't chosen that story to be representative of their work. Sometimes you write something for an exchange, and it's just not something you would have written, given your druthers. Or you ran out of time before the exchange to rewrite it to your satisfaction, but you submitted so as not to be banned from future participation. If they don't repost it publically, out of the context of the exchange, they're not looking for criticism on that story. For whatever reasons, they aren't interested in it anymore.

And, yes, sometimes the reason is just "I totally forgot" but, you know, life is not perfect.

as i've mentioned to bethbethbeth below, "your story sucks" wouldn't ever qualify as concrit in my book. that's never an appropriate comment to say to anyone - author, recipient, mod or innocentbystander.

Well, I'm glad you have such wisdom and discernment. Do you believe that everyone in fandom has your delicacy of feeling? Do you believe that you can, succinctly, clearly, and in a way that will be universally accepted, define concrit?

I don't. I don't even think it's healthy to try to define concrit (although I do think it's a good idea to discuss how to go about giving it.) But I don't think you get to the intelligent and helpful concrit without giving people the space in which to say, "The story sucks." And I know that intelligent and thoughtful people can sincerely disagree as to whether or not modes of argument are rude or belittling. (http://dkwilliams.livejournal.com/72428.html?thread=292332)

I think the only realistic method for concrit is to either allow everything or ban it all. In this particular instance, because it's more about the recipient than the writer, I'm in favor of banning it in the community.

I'm not particularly aghast at the people talking about the stories, in whatever manner, in their own LJs. I think it's tacky to criticize the fics publically before the reveals, but I fully realize that tackiness is in the eye of the beholder.

[best-of-five.livejournal.com]

ahh but your aunt marge hypothetical still doesn't work because the players are all different - if the fic is the sweater, then presumably you (the recipient) are parading it around. by that logic, ONLY if/when the recipient posts the fic somewhere should the fic be available for critiquing. i won't be over here, holding my breath, for that day thanks to all the pesky "fic is writer's property" debates.

thank you for revalidating my mother's belief in my wisdom and discernment. but your condescending tone aside, while you may not agree with what's concrit or not, i think that when something is only rude i.e. if someone says "your story sucks" and leaves it at that, i fail to see anything constructive about it. that's my subjective take on it.

i agree with you that concrit tends to be an all or nothing affair. that is actually the precise reason why i think it should be permitted in gift exchanges/everywhere fic gets posted publicly. see, unlike gifts, fic still sorta belongs to the author and a concrit is a dialogue between a reader and the author. if you (author) don't want the dialogue, then the surefire way to ensure that is don't post it publicly. also, if you (author) want the dialogue but only want it to be "squee", then i'll just be over here rolling my eyes. if you(recipient) want everyone to squee over your gift fic, and can't handle anyone's concrit on it, then i suggest you don't read any of the feedback. or read it and respond to it. it's a free web after all.