Shoulda, woulda, wouldn'ta... What?

[foxyfurs]

Found a Panic! story focused on Urie's young adulthood. The story itself? Amazing. There's craziness and trials and singing and high school problems and the dialogue is astoundingly perfect and I'm not done with it yet, 'cause it's a good read and I don't want it to be over.

And I try not to think too hard about how the author's portrayal of his parents and the religious side of things is just gonna make people not-understand and get angry. The author's not LDS, and doesn't get some of the things right, and I'm ... not scared exactly. More worried? That after all my raving about how great this is, if I suggest a couple word changes -- not plot changes -- for realism's sake, it won't go over well.

'Cause, I mean, it's fiction. It's not *supposed* to be real. Even if it's fiction about real people. And maybe I'm just uncomfortable with how people think about Mormons, and yes I know there are those of us who are absolute dicks and homophobes and clique-ish, but. But there are those of us who read/write slash and who love everyone no matter who they're attracted to, and don't see the point in being conservative if it means disaster relief and humanitarian aid gets ignored. That whole "Love thy neighbor" thing? It's a worldwide rule, man.

What do you think? Should I gush at the author and offer insights as to life-as-a-Mormon? Or should I just gush at the author?

Comments

[casspeach]

If I were the author I'd be grateful for a PM or an email, or even a comment asking if I wanted a PM or an email...but I know other people have been burnt offering this kind of help.

[foxyfurs]

I may gush in comments, and just PM her, asking if she'd mind a couple teeny suggestions for word choices. Also, the fic is from 2008. D'you think she'd care about something written three years back?

Decisions, decisions.

[arasigyrn]

I think a complimentary comment + a private PM about the concerns would work. I know that as a writer, I prefer to know if/where I've goofed because if I'm writing something I don't know from first hand experience, I'd rather someone warned me I was messing up.

Plus, if it's bugging you enough that you're considering mentioning it, then that's really all you need to feel justified in bringing it up. S/he may not be willing to make the changes but I think it would be a nice thing to let them know the problems are there.

[/my two cents]

[foxyfurs]

Yeah, I agree. I just ... how do I *say* something like that? How do I even start? "Excuse me, but I noticed that you put X here, and I wondered if it'd be okay to tell you that was wrong--?"

Stupid brain of mine. Watch me spend the next two days trying to word this so that it's polite and friendly, and instead end up with something so servile and apologetic I look like a complete moron.

[arasigyrn]

Honesty is your best policy, I think. Start with something like "I really enjoyed your story [Possibly insert reference to favourite parts here] but there were one or two things that niggled at me."

Explain where you're coming from and being polite is always appreciated. Fic is still work and being respectful rather than entitled about it would be a good place to start. But this is all subjective and just my take on it.