seconds Fay's opinion

Question for those who are writing for Yuletide or other fic exchanges:

Let's say you get "optional details" on your request asking for a genre you don't care to write. Yes, the details are optional, but the fic is supposed to be a gift and in theory something the recipient would like to read.

How would you handle such a situation? Say you were asked for schmoopy fic if that's something you've never written. Or explicit het when you mostly prefer to write slash where the sex is only hinted at or referred to in passing. Or a post-apocalyptic AU when both of those genres give you hives on their own.

Optional details are optional. I know we all want to write a story that our recipient will like, but forcing yourself to write outside your comfort zone won't do your recipient any favors either. Don't force it.

Sometimes I write around things. My request last year was for a femslash pairing where one of the characters is canonically married to the hero pretty early on, and is someone I'd never considered as gay, or even subtexty. I wrote a story that was mostly about friendship and some unrequited feelings on the part of the other character, and my recipient seemed to like that.

I try to honor the optional details as much as I can, but only insofar as it makes for a good story.

I've gotten some truly hellacious prompts over the years, and I've had to do some hardcore spinning of the details in order to turn them into a story I wanted to tell.

That being said, just about every other year at Yuletide, I end up tearing my hair out trying to write what my recipient has requested while barely staving off an epic meltdown.

Last year was almost pleasant. This year, a little more tense. I think that means I'll be weeping next year.

I've been taking Dana's approach with my prompt--going with the pairing requested, but making it an intimate non-sexual relationship rather than an intimate sexual one.

Still, I've had cause to wonder. So much of what my recipient seems to like runs a bit counter to my tastes. Not bad, by any means, but just not my cuppa.

I really do like the story I'm writing for yuletide, but I wish it would just FINISH ALREADY.

Oh, look, I'm on the Yuletide Treats list. Which means my writer defaulted.

I saw that. I was last year, which wound up meaning I had something like seven stories to read on Christmas morning.

I strongly suspect you'll wind up with more than one.

Dana, I'm up there, too.

Hmm... There's a request on there that would work as a prompt for a side story to the one I already submitted. I think I could put it together in a way that would work as a standalone.

ponders