As far as grammar goes for me, as long as it's not eye bleeding bad and the actual plot to the story is good, then I don't mind a mess up here or there. Hell, I do it all the time. I will not rec a story that's OOC though, that's just wrong on any level. My level of standard is this. If it's good and I like it, I'll rec it. Yes, bad grammar makes some fics harder to read, but if it's not the best and I still enjoy it- then the story's plot/ideas/characterization has something in it worth reccing. To me, while grammar is important, story concept is worth more.

I look for certain basic standards, but more key, I'm certainly not going to rec a fic to others that doesn't entertain or educate me in some way, I like it to have a minimum standard of readability in the grammar & spelling etc, but I admit - every now & again something in a "bad" fic captivates me, bad spelling, OOC, weird plot or whatever notwithstanding. There's something that catches my attention & makes it a good read. For me. If I can figure out why that is & if I think others might enjoy it, then sure I'll rec it but with all the qualifiers so that other can make a judgment as to spend the time or not. And I am wary of doing this, because sometimes no one else gets what you're talking about. For example, I have a weird fixation for a very long WIP that's out there, the plot appeals to my love of fantasy & I love a couple of the characters as portrayed, but the writing is incredibly uneven. Some chapters are amazing & some are clearly rushed. Would I rec it here? probably not for this audience, but I might to die-hard fans of the key characters because IMO they would enjoy some of the same aspects I do about them. Why I loved it? Admittedly its been a while & my memory is hazy, but stuff like this - IIRC House's daughter is bi & hits on Cameron. Turnabout's fair play ;D Thing is taste is subjective & not everything appeals to everyone so having certain standards is tough, but yes, I do look more closely at recs from people who's taste & interests are similar to mine. I'll also look more closely at a persuasive reason in the rec to read something if its out of the norm for me.

I have lots of fics I consider guilty pleasures. They may be awful in spots, but they often have one redeeming quality (or the author does something particularly well) that makes them readable for me. I wouldn't rec these fics though because I recognize it's a personal taste issue. To get a rec out of me, a fic has to achieve a basic level of quality in the writing, and has to be safely in the "grammatically correct" zone. It can't distort the characters to the point where I find them unrecognizable. That's not to say it won't have some flaws, but if all those terms are met, I'll probably rec it (though, usually by the time I've made that decision, I find that a whole bunch of other people have recced the story already on the big boards).

I think that all it takes to rec a story is to like it. I often make a rec to inform other readers that a WIP has been updated. I figure if it's one I'm keeping up with, others are probably keeping up with it too.

I'm wondering is, should rec threads and rec journals and whoever else points out a story to other people in the hopes of entertaining them...should they have some idea of a base level of quality before they're recced? I tend to say no, for a rec thread -- especially if the reccer notes that there are problems, but they thought it worth the read. I'd have to say that maybe half of the recs that I see are actually fics that appeal to me. I look at them, but I know that there are certain authors whose work is well liked, but it isn't my style. Now on the flip side of the coin, with the Housefic Hall of Fame project, I do -- and I think the people voting for those fics -- expect a higher level of proficiency. If the grammar wobbles a bit, that's fine, but to me the voices have to be right, the story has to be good ... it doesn't have to be perfect, but it has to be better than a standard rec. (Though for what it's worth, there are fics in the Hall that still aren't my cup of tea, but they've been voted on by a range of people, and it's not supposed to be my personal list anyway.)

I also rec stories that I like, and have, at times recc'd those with less than stellar grammar, punctuation, etc. simply because I like the story and it hit me in some way. I have also recc'd WIPs to notify about chapter updates when I see that one has been posted, especially when it has not been mentioned for awhile in the recs thread. I've done this even if it is a story I personally don't follow, especially if I remember noticing others are interested in it. The HOF stories on the other hand are definitely those which achieve a certain level of accomplishment. They are those that are a cut above 90% of the majority of stories out there. Not all of them are among my favorites but even those which are not are those that I see as outstanding in their own way.

Interesting question :) I rec what I like, but those tend to be stories that are in character and without major grammar and spelling errors. Problems with either of those things are enough to detract from the story for me - makes me put on my editor's hat and that isn't fun. If I feel there's some aspect to the story that might bother someone, but doesn't bother me, I'll put a short note in the rec so they can choose whether or not they want to read it. Though, I think I've only done that a couple of times - once for a story with a lot of 'British' phrasing and I really can't remember what the other thing was. Must not have been a big deal. I've read a lot of stuff that I've enjoyed, but didn't rec. There are a lot of perfectly nice, well-written stories that entertained me, but that will be out of my head quickly. The ones that offer me something new and interesting about the characters, or that go somewhere I haven't been with the 'verse before, I'll rec. I'll also read the recs of anyone who's written a story I've liked or recced a few stories I've liked. And it's nice not being a true shipper, because I'll read any damn pairing... or threesome, etc. Of course, there are some stories that seem particularly beloved to many that leave me scratching my head, but different strokes for different folks.

You dissin' my recs, zulu? :tritter: No, seriously. I did preface that rec with "exception to the rule." Ninety-nine percent of the fics with that level of grammar errors (which I would still call relatively minor) would not get a rec from me. "Boy Licker" (the fic) rose above those problems and gave me a happy spark, and I knew it would appeal to several people on HHOW. Not everyone, of course. I knew, making the rec, that Blackmare wouldn't be interested, and neither would karaokegal (from LJ), and both for different reasons. If it had to appeal to all, we wouldn't have a rec list. And...what makes a story good, anyway? That is an excellent question. For me, a good story has to have emotional verisimilitude - it feels like it could happen. Slight issues in other areas don't bother me if the verisimilitude is there.

I don't stick to type, genre, number of legs, pairing, etc. If something strikes a chord with me - maybe even a line or two and I want to share it - I rec.

You dissin' my recs, Zulu? Dee, at least I can say that I sincerely appreciated the note of warning, because it proved accurate, though an interesting exercise in understatement. Namaste said that she's not looking for Hall of Fame stories with every rec--well, call me crazy, but I am. I'm looking for something that stands out because it's better than most. Not just grammatically correct--if I'm even reading a story, then that goes without saying. Not just IC, because otherwise I would've gone for the backbutton before I even commented. For me, grammar and ICness aren't things that can be sort of brushed aside for a good cause; they are the basics. A story I rec better have more than just that to offer. And, just to cement that my standards are apparently ridiculously high, that's just to rec. If I nominate something for the Hall of Fame, then the story's proper grammar and IC writing are the least of its attributes, but clearly and unassailably necessary. It better damn well have stayed with me for a couple months, something I've reread, and laughed at, or hurt over, or thought through. I would like it if rec threads had standards; I don't mind that ours doesn't. Better folk than us have yet to agree on a definition of "quality" or "good". If I see a page full of WiP updates...man, that's why I have a scroll bar. That's when I suck it up and get over myself. But Dee, what I enjoyed most about your rec was the discussion it's generated. Now that's a sign of a successful story: when it's one that makes people talk.

I'm more careful than I used to be about reccing - I reced a piece of Huddy crack once that I liked & a lot of folks went "huh?"