Also, deathfics are perhaps different from other genres that people dislike because deathfics are emotionally devastating.
Respectfully disagreeing with your generalization here: I don't find them emotionally devastating at all. I fully understand that some other people do and that in this fandom the consensus is that they need to come with a warning, but to me, they're the same as all other fanfic - made up stories about fictional characters - and I evaluate a deathfic using the same criteria I use to evaluate any other story. Is it well-written? Is the characterization good? Does it extrapolate logically from canon? If it accomplishes these things, then I'll probably think it's a good story.
I reserve emotional devastation for things that happen in real life, not for things that happen in fanfic. This is not to say that I belittle people who have stronger responses to stories than I do - just that I don't seem to have the emotional capacity to get *that* worked up about fictional characters.
On the subject of newbies, I appreciate that this forum is open to new members revisiting old topics, especially since I'm a relatively new poster myself. However, I also am of the opinion that lurking for a while before jumping in with both feet is often the better part of wisdom. Newbies should assume some obligation to know the neighborhood before going in and criticising the landscaping.
And that metaphor didn't really work all that well, did it? Oh, well...
The other thing I want to say, and I know I will be jumped on for this , is that, increasingly, comments on fanfics have become "gushes" and "kudos" only. I perceive a chill on real discussion (pros and cons) of the ideas contained within the fanfic as well as on other aspects of a story.
This seems to be a trend in a lot of places, not just here. Even when the author indicates that he or she is open to constructive criticism, many readers are reluctant to voice it for fear of being jumped on either by the author or by the author's bestest friends. Personally, I've elected to go the public praise/private criticism route when offering feedback, and that has so far worked well for me. It's a sure thing that I'm not going to bother with the criticism if I don't feel the story is worthwhile, and most authors seem to understand that. But I admit that this approach doesn't do anything to contribute to the discussion here on the boards, and since I find actual discussions about fics and writing fun, I think that's a shame.
ETA, because I lost my train of thought and failed to make my point: I think what was at issue in this case was that a feedback thread was being used for a general discussion that should have been brought over here from the beginning. It included multiple comments from people who hadn't even
read the story and, thus, couldn't possibly be offering feedback on it. That has nothing to do with the author being willing to accept constructive criticism or with overall chilling effects. Seems more like a matter of geography to me. General discussions about the merits of deathfic belong here, and discussions about specific fics belong in the FDK threads. I just don't see how anyone can discuss a story he or she hasn't read. If the posters didn't want to read the story but did want to revisit the deathfic issue (because one person's dead horse is another's trusty steed...) this forum provides a place for that conversation.
Caroline
