This post was preapproved by jandco & company.
So, I run a community on LiveJournal called The Twilight Gift Exchange and I simply wanted a public place where I could explain a few things and make an apology.
First of all, the way the gift exchange works is that people sign up with a list of story prompts they'd like to see written. When they sign up with their wish list, they are also agreeing to write a story (or do artwork) for someone else in return. The thing is, they don't get to choose who they write for. With the help of my friend, Shug, <b>I</b> choose who writes which set of prompts.
Please stop and think about that for a minute. Based purely on previous work and a list of things the requestor says they like and don't like in fic, Shug & I tell people what they are going to write.
Not only that, but oftentimes instead of simply writing to the prompts, the author then takes into account the recipients individual tastes. Therefore, the story is truly written FOR the recipient.
Add to that the fact that there is a timelimit on the gift exchange and stories are turned in by a due date. The story has a minimum length requirement and it must be complete.
That is a very difficult set of hinderances to write under.
It's hard to write under a specific set of prompts that the writer had no choice in taking.
It's hard to write a story when you're worried about <b>one</b> person really liking it more than anyone else.
It's hard to write under a time crunch.
Well, we're going to add to that... real life happens and those things are not posted as a disclaimer to a posted story. Computers crash, family members are unwell, RL comes into play and makes it difficult for authors to complete the stories that they promised.
Outside readers are strongly encouraged to read and review, however... really... they have no idea what is involved in creating the stories that have been posted.
Sooo... what's the problem?
The gifts are posted anonymously.
The only people who know who wrote a specific story are: the author, their beta team, Shug, & me.
Yesterday, I posted on twitter a general comment about non-HEA stories. I didn't think about people tying it to a specific story simply because I frequently post this complaint on twitter. Of course, the comment was made after reading a couple of unnamed stories. So, for that, I apologise.
However, whereas I made a general comment about non-HEA stories that was more a general remark, others have made more specific comments. And because this is all anonymous, the author can't defend herself beyond replying to comments on the actual story...well... anonymously.
The worst part about this is that no one knows who this author is and... People don't know! It could very well be a favourite & beloved writer. It could be a good friend. It could be YOUR biggest fan. It could be a first-time writer. No one knows that her computer crashed and she lost her entire first version of the story. No one knows who the story was originally written for and what THAT original recipient likes to read. (Because, remember, the original recipient might have ASKED for a specific type of story.)
So, while I'm grateful and would love for more people to read and review the gift exchange fics (PLEASE DO!!), I am also asking for people to keep everything else in mind. Writing under these conditions is difficult at best. Nothing about it is ideal. And it's important to keep in mind that specific circumstances can hinder the direction, quality, and universal appeal of a particular story.
Anonymous stories are not the place for critique and criticism. That is reserved for when the stories are posted at an archive under their pen name... please wait until there is a "face" attached to the story.
The things I do like this for fandom, I do because I really want to instill a sense of community. So, this sort of thing makes me sad. I like the peace, love, brotherhood... come on with the hippie music please. :)