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

[joanwilder.livejournal.com]

For me, it comes down to the gift-thing. As I'm out of the loop on what was asked for, far be it from me to diminish the recipient's enjoyment by pointing out things that are perhaps related to her request.

Many authors are writing 'out of their element.' The finished product will not be perfect--there may be awkwardness/OCC-ness/plot difficulties, but I dare say that most have done their best to produce what was requested. And as a recipient, I'll be honored that a writer took the time and effort to give me what I wanted, and I'll pin that up proudly on my figurative refrigerator and love every macaroni piece of it, because it's mine.

I will say, however, that after the fest is over, I plan to post my merry_smutmas on my own jounal. Concrit is always welcome there. That's the place for it, not now in the fest communities.