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

[maya231.livejournal.com]

I'm skimming through some of the longer comment threads after making my own post, and I think this whole discussion is really interesting.

i actually think that the anon exchanges are an opportunity to [unknowingly] leave concrit for well-known writers.

That's a point I hadn't thought of, and I wonder what authors think about that. Are there other forums where authors can post anonymously and get feedback, if they wanted to do this?

I tend to be uncomfortable leaving public concrit unless it is clear that the author wants this, so I am already a bit more conservative than some on feedback ettiquette. But I think I'm just as, if not more, bothered by the concrit on behalf of the recipient than of the author. It may sound silly, but I think there's something sort of magical about receiving a gift, and hearing criticism (even well meant) sort of tarnishes that moment.

And, I admit, I choose to see these presents as gifts for fandom (I, as a fan, get more presents that way, you see), so it sort of tarnishes my moment too.