I think how easy a pastiche DNW is to adhere to depends a little on the prompt. For example, if the request is for canon-setting Jeeves/Wooster slash, I’d freak out a little to get a DNW like that, because I wouldn’t know what to do instead.
However, there are people who request, say, Stiffy/Madeleine in that fandom. If I were into that ship, I would NOT want to read or write a pastiche. I don’t want a first person Wooster POV like canon, because I want what the fic to be focused on them, not outsider POV. I also don’t want a 1st person POV from Stiffy or Madeleine, because a) that isn’t actually a pastiche of the canon voice and b) trying to make that up from scratch that sounds like a recipe for cringeworthy badfic. So, in this case, getting a pastiche DNW would be a relief.
Even in the canon-setting Jeeves/Wooster slash case, saying what you DO want and why is way more helpful than a simple “DNW pastiche”. Is it because you want more worldbuilding than the books gave you? Would you love to know more about what it’s like to be a waiter at the Drones club? Or maybe you DO want outsider POV of the ship? Is it because you’re interested in exploring the ways in which Bertie can be a slightly unreliable narrator, and having a regular 3rd person narration might help that?
Re: DNW Workshop
However, there are people who request, say, Stiffy/Madeleine in that fandom. If I were into that ship, I would NOT want to read or write a pastiche. I don’t want a first person Wooster POV like canon, because I want what the fic to be focused on them, not outsider POV. I also don’t want a 1st person POV from Stiffy or Madeleine, because a) that isn’t actually a pastiche of the canon voice and b) trying to make that up from scratch that sounds like a recipe for cringeworthy badfic. So, in this case, getting a pastiche DNW would be a relief.
Even in the canon-setting Jeeves/Wooster slash case, saying what you DO want and why is way more helpful than a simple “DNW pastiche”. Is it because you want more worldbuilding than the books gave you? Would you love to know more about what it’s like to be a waiter at the Drones club? Or maybe you DO want outsider POV of the ship? Is it because you’re interested in exploring the ways in which Bertie can be a slightly unreliable narrator, and having a regular 3rd person narration might help that?