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

[wook77.livejournal.com]

Concrit, in and of itself, is a gift as far as I'm concerned. It's important to me as it helps me grow as a writer. If all the comments are "SQUEE THAT"S GREAT", then I'm wondering what they're really meaning. There is always room for improvement and I appreciate that people feel comfortable enough to point out where there might be that improvement.

As far as seeing the author request any, there really isn't an opportunity for it, is there? I always request concrit on my "regular" works and would if given the option on the anon exchanges. Perhaps there should be a concrit: Yes or No option when submitting fic/art.

Finally, concrit is different from criticism as far as I'm concerned. Concrit says, here is a small plothole or this phrase was awkward. Criticism is ZOMGYOUSUCK.

/ramblings.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Except...even if the author was cool with concrit, half the comments would be about things they wrote by request. The author would probably feel fine about that, but the recipient would feel terrible, and presumably that's not what you want when you're posting a gift fic.

[wook77.livejournal.com]

I guess I haven't seen the crit in question here. I have seen some concrit at smutmas and it's all been about the mechanics of the story that doesn't relate (or should't relate) to the request. For example... there was a piece of concrit about a timeline in the story being confusing. That's a mechanics issue that relates to the author. I don't see anyone saying "hey, give me a confusing timeline".

I would never comment on something that could be construed as part of a request (ie, the bottom!harry comment in discussion). We all have our preferences and I would assume that that was a request.

I'm thinking I'm probably splitting hairs here but basically what I mean is things that could be construed as part of the request (scenario, pairing, top/bottom, etc), I wouldn't comment on. Mechanics of the story (phrasing, awkward dialogue, plot holes, etc), I would.

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

I understand that people who are "I like concrit, I want concrit" types won't get this, but there's a fair amount of social pressure not to enjoy what other people see as imperfect and therefore unappealing.

When you, expert knitter, point out the dropped stitches in the sweater my mom just gave me when I wouldn't have even noticed them, you're applying that pressure.

When you, amateur literary critic, complain about things you didn't like in a story someone worked hard to write, hoping desperately that she would please me with it, you are applying that pressure.

Not on her. ON ME. And I don't want it.

[wook77.livejournal.com]

So I should watch what I say because it might make you uncomfortable as a reader? Guess I'm really not getting that and am seeing shades of the reviewgate cropping up here.

Following your comments and how me putting concrit on a story puts the onnus on you to not like it, some of the commenters here said they will only comment if they like something. Using the absense of their comments, I could assume that they didn't like it and view it as a form of concrit and/or criticism by that very absense. There's a pressure, then, knowing that some of the people here didn't comment, that they didn't like it and I wouldn't enjoy it. There are authors that are reading over these comments thinking that a or b didn't comment on their fic and so they obviously hated it.

I realise that you aren't going to agree with my example. I'm just trying to show that, no matter what someone does or doesn't do and/or say, that it can be twisted to leave a pressure on someone to do something if one allows it to.

[chaeldub.livejournal.com]

WORD.

I was going to say *squee* but I thought that might be inappropriate.

*grin*

It's funny how people don't get that - if you don't comment then am I to understand you didn't like it? - part of writing. I've noticed it all over the place. I understand that some people are too busy to comment on all fics at this time of year (but this happens year round) and some don't like all pairings/kinks/blahblahetcetc, but if you see fic a. bottom!harry and dom!draco with 3 comments followed by story b. bottom!harry and dom!draco with a gazillion comments you can pretty much say that story a. possibly had some faults.

So i'm like you, i'd like people to say what problems they saw in my fic, that way I can improve my writing. So maybe next time when you come across one of my fics the same problem hopefully isn't there. Otherwise, how would anyone improve?

*heads back into the HyperDrive compartment looking for the Hydro Spanners*

[best-of-five.livejournal.com]

well said, w00kie. i'm with you. damn i forgot the word reviewgate. i need to try and work that into an exam answer or paper somehow. i would give myself major props for that :)

but yeah, i don't see why concrit suddenly becomes socially unacceptable due to being in a fest.