Aspies For Freedom

I hope it's ok to post this here, I was thinking this might be a little too trivial for the support forum.  This has been bugging me for almost 2 weeks now and I know I'm not done festering.  This concerns giving feedback on fics.  Obviously you're not obligated if you don't want to, except in my case it was a gift fic written for me.  The concept may be familiar to those in some livejournal communities.  Not sure about how wide spread it is.  For those not sure, it's like this: You join a giftfic exchange for a fandom.  You anonymously request a pairing, prompt, and include what you don't want.  In return you write a fic for someone else.  Sort of like a secret Santa thing.

For this exchange, we could make our prompts as short or as long as we wanted.  I thought mine was too long and tried to cut it down to the core of what I wanted to read.  The fic I ended up getting was NOT what I was hoping to see.  Of course I appreciate the writer's effort, it's just that there were some things that were contrary to what I asked for that was discussed within the fic that felt like a big "F you!" to me or something.

Maybe I am reading too much into it, but it can't be helped.  It's for slash fic and I requested the pairing in a certain order that made sense to me - I got the reverse.  I requested one of the characters be a college freshmen - I got a college senior.  I asked a character be perplexed about certain events - I got a character not giving a damn why certain events even existed.  I asked that my "top" character caused these events to happen to lure the other character to bed - I got my "top" character swayed to do this based on help from a side character.  And here's what really pissed the crap out of me: the character that I wanted to be the bottom was made the top and kept saying things like he'd take the lead.  Then the fic ended with my intended top character asking if he'd ever be the top!  But that's what I requested!!!!!

I tried to leave praise on what I did enjoy and ignore all the irritating bits.  My gut instinct was to call the writer on not filling the order as prescribed.  I am sourly disappointed.  But, I fear if I did this I will be seen as the community "bleep".  Especially since we writers already put so much time into our fics.  I can't stop trying to figure out why the writer decided to make these changes.  I am sure others enjoyed it with all the praise it got but it's not like they know what my prompt was.  And if they did, I somehow doubt they would be anal enough to care that it was different.

How would you handle such a situation?  Would you also just try and praise what you did like?  I don't want my bluntness to alienate me.  I'm already quiet online anyway, it would seem ripe for people to gang up on me over this as if real life.  I just feel dishonest over leaving false praise.

I do think if you have a written contract specifing that is what is to be provided you are well within your rights to not accept delivery until acceptable. But obviously you have, so that means in his eyes you have accepted it as is. This is a problem.

Seeing you are feeling rather disgruntled it is best to see an attorney. They know the laws  that apply better than any of us here. Bring all paperwork with you.

I'm not entirely sure that I get the concept of gift-fic fully so the following comes as just general advice and not specific to the site or whatever that you are on. It sounds like the kind of thing that wouldn't really lend itself to massive amounts of inspiration, anyway.

However... a few suggestions about criticism.

* Don't be shy about suggesting ways in which someone's work could be improved. (although perhaps not publicly.)

* Look for the seed of something you like. Because that will give the person something to hold onto when they do decide that they feel like another draft.

* At all costs, avoid the words "this is good but..." It really doesn't mean anything. Try to focus on what is good about the work, and then what can be improved upon. Be as specific as possible

* Try (although this is not always possible depending on your overall opinion) to be even-handed in your praise and criticism.

* Even if he/she gets a little defensive at first, it is as good to receive honest critical feedback as it is to give it. Depends on the mood, I suppose, but at some point all halfway decent writers do come to appreciate what you say.

Hope that was some way to helpful, anyway.

I don't think I may have explained it well.  I won't be able to take legal action since we all decided to participate as part of a fandom.  

The whole point is that you agree to write a story if you request one.  The requests are filled anonymously and posted publicly.  My concern is that everyone is just praising everything.  I followed the trend because I didn't want to be labeled the party pooper.

I like the tips above on how to critique.  I'm just wondering would it have been right of me to do so.  I was upset my gift was changed from what it was supposed to be but, I'm just not certain I should go and say I was upset.  You know what I mean?  Everyone is giving praise and then I'm the only one criticizing?  Oddball out and all.

I hope I make sense this time.