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

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the one you got for HD Holidays, but I'll put it on my list of Things To Read. :) Actually, there, I've only read the one for Emma. H/D is my OTP, too, so I can vouch for you liking this fic, I think! It's definitely the primary pairing. :) It is long, but it's not a fic you have to plough through, you know? It's very handle-able, heh. :)

I can never guess at this kind of thing!!! Ask Rachel; it totally sounds like she knows! :P

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Pppphhfffbtt!! Leave it to Rachael to keep a secret from me. I shall have to poke her.

I read the one for Emma, but found it a bit flat. However, I DID read the one that she *wrote* (because I beta'd it), and it was fan-bloody-tastic. And the one I received... I completely fangirled it. It had an incredible H/D dynamic (yay for revenge-sex!), far more plot than smut, and the smut that was there supported the plot. However, I like really well-written smut, too. So... I'll give yours a read. Will I need a cold shower? LOL.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm an idiot. I was talking with a few people today about the fanfic exchanges, and something someone said reminded me of this conversation, and... I realized I mixed up the HD_Holidays fic for Emma, and the Smutmas fic for Emma. I haven't even read the HD_Holidays one. It was the Smutmas one that fell a bit flat. That's what I get for following two exchanges and not paying careful enough attention. *headdesk*
*meep*
Actually, the one from HD_Holidays is on my to-read list, and it looks really good. Gah... I feel st00pid now. Too many fics... too many authors... can't keep up...
*brain fry*