Snowflake #3 and #4 (Public Post)

[author_by_night]

In your own space, put some favorite characters into an AU, fuse some favorite canons together, talk about your favorite AU/fusion tropes, or tell us why AU/fusions aren’t your cup of tea.

It all just depends. I like some AUs better than others. I don't really like high school AUs or college AUs. I kind of understand the appeal, they are just not for me.

Also, I don't really like AUs where the entire context changes unless it really explores the what-ifs. Sort of like It's A Wonderful Life. That I can get behind, and have written. But if something major never happened yet the characters remain the same, it's harder for me to buy into. I'm no fun, basically. :P

I love fantasy fusions in non-fantasy fandoms.


In your own space, make a list of things that you wish existed in fandom or elsewhere, and/or that you'd like someone to create or do for you.

- Meta. I always say this, but I'll say it again. I miss meta. I'll take theories and deep character dives over shipping any day. Okay, that's a partial lie, shipping matters to me, though not to the same magnitude as a lot of fans. I have my ships, I love my ships, but it's not all I'm there for, you know?

- More kindness in fan communities. I'm currently in a fandom community that's so nice, and it's reminded me that actually, it IS possible. And drama is hardly new, so it's not that. Rather, I think it's about putting in the work to make a space kind and listening to one another.

For example, someone brought a concern up a few weeks ago, and when I read her post I sucked in my breath. Due to prior experience, I thought, this is it, this is the blow-up. (Even though I actually agreed with her. 100%.) Nope. While there were one or two comments which bordered on testy, that was the worst of it. I'll take "bordered on testy" over some of the things I've seen in prior fandoms. :P But why can't it always be like that, you know? Just listen to people. We're all in this together. *Is a Hufflepuff*

- Far more specific, but speaking of fusions actually, I want a fic where Buffy and Harry meet up for drinks and talk. Maybe it gets shippy, maybe not. I'd just love that.

- A pony. Not really, I just felt like throwing that in there. *Is a dork AND a Hufflepuff*

(Obligatory disclaimer, since I made Harry Potter references here - I don't stand by JK Rowling at all. She's a TERF, and I despise TERFs.)

Comments

[mythicmistress]

I hear you about more kindness in fan communities. I'm in a few communities (outside of Dreamwidth) that are really nice in that way, and it is wonderful. As for meta... Hmm. I do think of the occasional theory, I should get them written up and posted.

[author_by_night]

That's great. :) Yeah, it's nice when you find them, sad that they're so hard to find.

[shipperslist]

More kindness in fan communities.

Yes. More kindness and common sense, less purity wank and gatekeeping. That would be nice.

[author_by_night]

Purity culture in fan culture boggles my mind. Although I'll admit it was there even in some of my past fandoms, but those people tended to be shut down fast. Apparently there are circles where it's very much A Thing. I don't get it. When I was more into fandoms than I am now, it was pretty much Burning Man.

[shipperslist]

Sometimes it really, really makes me wonder what kind of a life they must lead to get their satisfaction and validation from acting all high and mighty on other people who disagree with them. Like, don't they have work? Or school? Or family? Or, I don't know, pets? Why are they acting like high school bullies??

[author_by_night]

I'm not sure. I'll admit I'm not really into tumblr/twitter fandom, so I can't speak with too much authority, but I imagine it doesn't help that fandom's kind of become mainstream, and sadly there are a lot of people who still hold socially conservative values. So they want to do fandom, but want to do it "in line" with their views.

Again, I've seen it before - when I was in the Harry Potter fandom, there were a LOT of religious conservatives running around. But they tended to get shot down pretty quickly - rightfully so. At least where I went, apparently there were bigoted fan spaces, which saddens me a lot.

[shipperslist]

--sadly there are a lot of people who still hold socially conservative values. So they want to do fandom, but want to do it "in line" with their views.

I can't wrap my head around people who want to curate everything to fit to their tastes. How boring!

[author_by_night]

So I was reading through old comments, and I wanted to mention that at the time I commented, I had a COMPLETELY different idea of what purity culture means. I thought it referred to Evangelical Christianity. Now I'm better versed in tumblr fandom, so I get it now. Still agree with you, but it makes way more sense than the Duggar family discovering fandom and taking over... which was my perception before.

[nightfalltwen]

I hear you on the kindness, but I also wish fan communities would grow a thicker skin because everyone seems to take a disagreement/discussion as a personal attack and bullying and it's ridiculous.

[author_by_night]

Oh, I kind of meant that as well. I don't think people who want "niceness" or whatever actually want that. They want everyone to agree with them. Drives me nuts. I mean actually having civil discussions about things without getting one's panties in a twist.

[nightfalltwen]

YES. I want that. I miss just having discussions about canon with people.

[author_by_night]

Right??

[dolorosa_12]

More kindness in fan communities. I'm currently in a fandom community that's so nice, and it's reminded me that actually, it IS possible. And drama is hardly new, so it's not that. Rather, I think it's about putting in the work to make a space kind and listening to one another.

Oh yes. This is my eternal wish for fandom. I want an assumption of good faith and sincerity in communication.

[corvidology]

Kindness if fandom is severely underrated and something we could all use more of in both our online and offline lives.

[author_by_night]

Yes! I completely agree.

[krait]

I miss meta, but I suppose what I really miss is meta being posted on sites where I'll see it. *wry* I suspect it's still out there on Tumblr and such, but I miss the days of journals and comms, where I could find things and interact with them (and, if I was the one posting, could control who saw it).

Relatedly: kindness, I think, is a lot easier to find, and to offer, when the fan community really is one - people whom you know, and have interacted with before, and have a sense of shared interests with. It doesn't surprise me that it's in short supply when "fandom" is so much more widespread and so impermanent; there's a difference between a fan community and a Twitter hashtag, and that difference seems like it's related to the level of conflict 'fandom' now frequently entails.

[author_by_night]

I suspect it's still out there on Tumblr and such, but I miss the days of journals and comms, where I could find things and interact with them (and, if I was the one posting, could control who saw it).

Exactly. I want to be able to interact in a way you really can't on twitter.

when the fan community really is one - people whom you know, and have interacted with before, and have a sense of shared interests with. It doesn't surprise me that it's in short supply when "fandom" is so much more widespread and so impermanent; there's a difference between a fan community and a Twitter hashtag, and that difference seems like it's related to the level of conflict 'fandom' now frequently entails.

That's a really good point. Though even back in the day, there could be a lot of explosive drama. But not on the same level, I don't think.

[tsuki_no_bara]

dear buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket. :D

oh man, i miss meta too. i miss being able to post it in a place where people would see it and comment on it if they had something to add, and i miss being able to read other people's. i love tumblr but while it can be a decent place to post your meta, it's a terrible place to have a running conversation. and yes, fandom is supposed to be fun, and we need to be kind to and understanding of our fellow fen, and talk to each other like adults. (and maybe gently guide the folks who aren't adults yet and who might need a little light mentoring.) gatekeeping helps no one.

[author_by_night]

dear buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket. :D

Ha! That's exactly the line I was trying to quote, but I forgot how it went exactly so I gave up and just said "a pony."


(and maybe gently guide the folks who aren't adults yet and who might need a little light mentoring.)

That too! I was young when I first got into fandom and needed a bit, although there were also people who led me astray, a bit. (Just... really encouraged crappy behavior I bought into as a teen/early twentysomething.) But there was a lot of help, too, and that's really important.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> More kindness in fan communities. I'm currently in a fandom community that's so nice, and it's reminded me that actually, it IS possible. And drama is hardly new, so it's not that. Rather, I think it's about putting in the work to make a space kind and listening to one another.<<

Resources on Kindness

Sample Online Community Parameters

>> - A pony. Not really, I just felt like throwing that in there. *Is a dork AND a Hufflepuff* <<

https://www.ponybox.com/news_details.php?id=3719&title=Pony-Playing-With-Leaf-Blower

Shetland Ponies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Afx4Q568M

Fell Ponies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUdRu58qXdI

Gymkhanas on Ponies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qVrZLzXwUA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFRQtvuh7YM

And my pony club contributions:

"A Means to the Knowledge"

"The Rare Elements of Grace"

>The Outside of a Horse"

Re: Thoughts

[author_by_night]

Thank you!

[silveradept]

It's meta, I suppose, bit I've put more than 500k of words (between quotes and commentary) on the Dragonriders of Pern on AO3, and I really need to get the rest of it posted for a complete and clean away all the way through.

More kindness and talking through with other reasonable people with differences would be fantastic.

If you want to have the possibility of that Harry/Buffy drink, maybe join intoabar if you haven't already and see if the dice favor you. (They might get a drink with someone else, but it'll still be a bar setting.)

[mekare]

Ehat I also miss are the meta newsletters. There used to be one on Lj and later on Dreamwidth but since fandom has gotten so fractured it is so much work to callate something like that.

[author_by_night]

Yeah, and the ones that are there mostly link to tumblr - which I get, that's where conversations happen, but you can't really converse. :/

[mierke]

Meta. I always say this, but I'll say it again. I miss meta. I'll take theories and deep character dives over shipping any day. Okay, that's a partial lie, shipping matters to me, though not to the same magnitude as a lot of fans. I have my ships, I love my ships, but it's not all I'm there for, you know?
Yes yes this!

[lunabee34]

I'm so glad you've found a community that can stand up to criticism and not implode. Yay!

[spikedluv]

I hope you receive Harry and Buffy and kindness.

[rhoda_rants]

I do like fusions, although reading your description I think I may have been using AU and Crossover/Fusion interchangeably? Anything where you're somewhere other than the canon universe.

And you know I love metas and deep dives! I just started a new one for Once Upon A Time; it's a six-parter, so I hope people don't get sick of it.

I'm glad you found a good fandom space. I miss community a lot. There are a couple from the message board days that splintered or went elseweb and, while I'm still in touch with some of the people from those fandoms, having them spread out over the great wide internet is different.

[author_by_night]

Yeah, I think I do the same. They're technically different but I think it's all kind of started to be jumbled together.

Good for you! I would post deep dives, but no one shares my fandoms so I pretty much don't bother. :/ I guess enough people still like Harry Potter, but honestly, I've been into HP for actual decades at this point - I'm really out of things to say. I'm all for talking about the books if people have something new to add, I just... don't. Buffy's right on the borderline there since I was never in the fandom, so there's a lot I never got to discuss, but I imagine the things I'd talk about have already been said...

[rhoda_rants]

I mean, that's the only thing about deep dives. If you don't have at least one other person amongst your mutuals who knows what you're talking about, it feels like you're doing it for nothing.

However, I've also had people contact me months after the fact, who didn't initially comment, to say, "Hey, I loved that 5,000 word thing you wrote about [topic]!" So, I try to think positive.

HP is awkward right now anyway. I don't even know how to talk about it anymore. Honestly, there's nothing to lose by sharing your perspective. Especially for something that's still remembered, but part of a past era, like Buffy. The fact that you were part of the fandom back in the day means your perspective could be really interesting.

[author_by_night]

However, I've also had people contact me months after the fact, who didn't initially comment, to say, "Hey, I loved that 5,000 word thing you wrote about [topic]!" So, I try to think positive.

Absolutely! It's important to remember that a lot of people read, and just don't have anything to add. I'm that way with book and movie review posts - I didn't read/watch it, so I don't have anything to add because I'd rather not talk about something without knowing what I'm talking about, but it doesn't mean I don't appreciate them.

The fact that you were part of the fandom back in the day means your perspective could be really interesting.

I will say as someone who wasn't in the Buffy fandom, I always love to hear from people who were. Sounds like it was another huge, animated fandom.

[rhoda_rants]

I'm the same way, I read more than I comment. I try to remember that when I get frustrated.

Hang on, I think I meant to say, your perspective should be interesting because you weren't in the Buffy fandom back in the day. Things have changed a lot since the 90s, and I know it was progressive and empowering in its day, and still feels that way to those of us who grew up with it, but yeah, some of the language and storylines don't hold up as much as I'd like them to.

It was a great fandom, but I was on the periphery for most of it.

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