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.

[shipperslist]

More kindness in fan communities.

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

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"

[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.

[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.