Yuletide indecision

[dbskyler]

Okay, I am seriously considering going for Yuletide this year. If I do it, I want to:

a) consider my story a gift to the recipient -- to really try to write them a story that I think they will like, not just write the story that I most want to write out of the options the recipient presents; and

b) consider it a writing challenge, and go into it knowing that I may be stretched as an author.

However, as someone who writes almost entirely G-rated fic and doesn't do a lot of shippy stuff, not even Doctor/Sarah (although I did have them briefly kiss once, wow, how extreme am I), I'm a little worried about fulfilling possible het and slash requests. I sorta kinda get the impression that it's pretty common for people to request het and/or slash, and I just don't know if I can write it. I'm not just talking about bowing out of writing anything adult-rated, which I'm assuming would be pretty acceptable to the community; I mean that I don't know if I can write a romantic pairing at all.

Anyone out there who's done Yuletide have experience with this? I know that optional details are optional, and I also know that this could be the challenge part of the Yuletide challenge for me, but I'm wondering what the odds are of pleasing someone with genfic. Any guesses?

Comments

[eponymous-rose.livejournal.com]

*raises hand* I'm exactly the same way when it comes to writing romantic pairings - I'll do it on occasion, but it always feels really wonky and I'd much rather write a plotty genfic than anything with a hint of romance. Like you, I want to make the fic a real gift to my recipient, but feeling like I absolutely had to write het or slash would make me seriously consider defaulting.

That said, I've only ever done Yuletide once thus far, but the request I chose last year was basically for a one-character fandom, and was thus 100% gen - and so the fic I wrote was an entirely gen action/adventure fic, and it was received really well. My own requests were gen, with a little leeway if people wanted to shoehorn in their OTPs, but the awesome fic I received was pretty much 100% gen as well.

I think that being gen-minded puts you in a less awkward position in some respects, because putting a gen slant on a romantic prompt can be seen with the right goggles as pre-slash or pre-het, whereas putting a romantic slant on a gen prompt can bring the wrath of shipwars down on your head. ;) I get the impression that the requests themselves traditionally aren't too demanding or specific - I'd be uncomfortable if they were. Sometimes people will post something like: "I'd love to see some hawt A/B sexxors, but failing that, anything about their relationship would be interesting", and that's ideal, because it opens you up to writing friendship fic. Ultimately, I've never really seen Yuletide as the NC-17-fest that lots of bigger ficathons invariably seem to become - it's about quality writing in small fandoms.

And keep in mind that these are often fandoms that have little to no fic available at all - folks aren't going to be so picky. ;)

In short: I'm with you on this, and acing Yuletide with genfic can indeed be done. :)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Thanks -- this helps a lot! I don't know of any one-character fandoms that I would feel comfortable offering, but that's definitely a great strategy. However, I know I can write friendship fic, and then maybe someone who really wanted a romantic pairing would be able to read a slightly shippy slant into it. You also make a good point about genfic writers not having to worry about unintentionally coming down on the wrong side of a recipient's shipwar feelings.

And keep in mind that these are often fandoms that have little to no fic available at all - folks aren't going to be so picky. ;)

It does seem like a pretty positive, "I'm so happy you're willing to write this" environment. I'd hate to disappoint someone who really wants OTP fic, but hopefully most requests will have at least some gen leeway to them.

In short: I'm with you on this, and acing Yuletide with genfic can indeed be done. :)

Good to know I'm not alone, and good to know it can be done!

[primsong.livejournal.com]

This was very much my own concern as well, for the same reasons - I appreciate eponymous_rose's answer very much. Thanks for posting the query!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, and yay for fellow genfic writers!

[cavgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who prefers to read and write genfic. I remember being very frustrated, back when I was in the Voyager fandom, because it's nearly impossible to get genuine er, genfic there. And NewWho is SO dominated by Rose that trying to find Nine/Ten anything *minus* Rose and the consequent shippiness is difficult.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I'm still amazed at how sidelined genfic can be sometimes. For instance, I've seen communities give examples of fic headers where one of the lines is "pairing" -- as if the idea of writing fanfic that didn't involve a pairing had never occurred to them.

NewWho is SO dominated by Rose that trying to find Nine/Ten anything *minus* Rose and the consequent shippiness is difficult.

I have seen Nine and Ten paired with other people besides Rose, but have you ever tried to find a fic that both focuses on Ten and Rose and portrays them as platonic friends? Now that's rare.

[evil_plotbunny]

I've never had a problem with writing only gen or ship without sex. Usually people are good about saying I'd like something NC-17, but anything about these characters is good.

Oddly enough, the fandoms I choose for Yuletide, to write or have written for me, are ones I'm more interested in plotty gen than ship (though this year I do have some specific ships, if people are inclined to write ship!fic).

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

So how often would you say that people are okay with platonic relationship fic when they were hoping for NC-17? Just curious . . .

[evil_plotbunny]

I don't know. I think it's a personal thing.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I realized after I posted that that was an impossible question to answer . . . forgive me, I just tend to think you know everything about Yuletide! Even going so far as having magical mental insight into what people will like. : )

[evil_plotbunny]

The thing to remember is that "optional details are optional" and that includes a request for smut.

I'd say that most of the people who sign up understand that. :)

[paranoidangel]

Well, if you were writing for me I'd be jumping for joy at getting genfic :)

But as others have said, generally speaking people are happy to get anything at all for the fandom and characters they've requested. I always think that if someone asks for a pairing I really don't want to write then I can just slip in bits of closeness between them that people are free to interpret shippily if they want to.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! Okay, I am much relieved now.

[thisbluespirit]

I tend towards gen fic more than anything else and I managed to do 3 NYR fics for them last year. I was going to sign up, but it just won't work, timings wise. I so wnat you to - ridiculously, it makes me feel much better about wimping out! ;-) I think the prompts are a mix of enough different things, looking through what was left, you should be okay.

I can't imagine someone not being pleased to get a fic written by you. And with your mistrust of prompts and deadlines, that's a gift indeed you're making.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine someone not being pleased to get a fic written by you.

Wow, that's possibly the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my writing. Thank you! Seriously, though, tastes differ, and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who dislike my writing. Which is totally fine when it's all a matter of taste. I feel more guilty when it's a matter of "I wanted sexy slash/het and you didn't give it to me" . . . but then again, if I tried to give it to them, they still wouldn't be pleased because it would be crap. I just don't see myself as successfully writing the sexy. Not even teen-rated sexy. It's just . . . "wonky," as eponymous_rose so eloquently said above.

I think the prompts are a mix of enough different things, looking through what was left, you should be okay.

That seems to be the consensus, which is very reassuring. And I know I can always play the "optional" card, and hopefully the recipient will be happy even if they don't get exactly what they asked for.

And with your mistrust of prompts and deadlines, that's a gift indeed you're making.

Don't think that doesn't terrify me! But the timing works out very well for me this year, and I figure if I don't do it now, I never will. And so many people talk about what a great experience it is, I'd like to say I did it once. No promises after that, though! : )