fandom musings (aka psuedo-meta) - HP specific

[wook77]

The following is some fandom musings (psuedo-meta) about recent comments I've seen. Please keep in mind that I use "you" and mean the "general you". If you feel that the statements or actions apply to you... maybe they do but I didn't write this with you in mind. I wrote this with generalities and a population at large in mind...



I've seen the statement of "I'm bored with HP fandom" or "There's nothing good out there", "where are all the new people to reinvent the fandom", "there's no new artists, authors, etc" far too many times in my flist lately. Keep in mind that I have a small-ish flist, which causes me to wonder what's going on.

I see plenty going on in fandom and I have to wonder, are these people looking at the same fandom I am?

I see plenty of people offering up new stories. I see plenty of new artists out there offering up their work. I see plenty of new stories from semi-established writers and plenty of new takes on "old" pairings.

During a recent IM conversation with a friend that I shan't name, we were discussing how people aren't really commenting and it really feels like no one is out there reading and viewing the works.

I see these two issues as connected.

IMHO - The reason that people are feeling bored with HP Fandom is that they aren't giving new people a chance. They aren't reading new offerings by semi-established authors. They are so fixated on their own ennui that they aren't seeking out new things. Instead, it's easier to say "there's nothing new out there" or "I'm jumping ship to a new fandom because HP Fandom is dying".

I'm not saying don't get yourself a new fandom or two. I'm not saying that someone has to be specifically and only HP otherwise you're an adulterous h0r. Personally, I'm in quite a few fandoms that I love and adore.

I still come back to HP. Why? Because there are so many things out there I haven't read yet. There are so many artists that I haven't experienced yet. When I get "bored", I branch out in pairings and look for something I haven't experienced before.

I'm a H/D or D/H shipper by nature. I prefer slash over het. That doesn't mean that I won't read a McGonagall/Riddle if it intrigues me. I subscribe to quibbler_report so that I can get exposed to a variety of pairings. I also read the thegoldenseeker for het and femmeslash.

Basically, my point is that if you're bored with fandom or think it's imploding and/or dying… look to what you actually do with fandom. Do you give new authors a try? Do you give new pairings, new kinks, new experiences a try? Or do you stick with the same BNF's all the time? Do you keep to your corner of fandom and don't ever "leave the house"?

There are wonderful authors out there that I fangirl like mad. My fellow authors over at hd_365 do a fantastic job with various prompts for a series of interconnected semi-PWPs. anael has some wonderful writings of different pairings. coffeejunkii has written some unbelievably fantastic mpreg stories lately. hp_springsmut has some really fabulous rarepair stories and artwork. mayflo does amazing things with h/d art.

I could go on and on about all the people I fangirl (because there are plenty out there) but those are just a few examples off the top of my head.

If you're only reading people in the BNF groups than perhaps your corner of fandom is dying. BNF's can only put out so much as there are only so many of them. Give someone new a try…I think you'll be amazed at what you find.

/wook's musings and psuedo-meta.

In the spirit of my musings - who do you obsess over? Recc me a story or a piece of artwork... any pairing (even Snape), any rating, slash/het, any kink. Help me expand my horizons.

Comments

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

Before the reccing, let me have a little moan first. What's really pissing me off at the moment is this new trend of not responding to readers comments. It seems to be happening more & more and I don't mean not responding in the first 24 hours after a post, I mean never - it's so rude. I'm actually at the point now where I check to see if an author responds before I'll leave a comment. I think I may post about this to get it off my chest.

Moan over and on to the good stuff. You know I adore this artist but I'll say again go and check out lillithium's website Harry Potter and the Planetarium (http://lillithium.azile.net/frame.html) and drool over pictures, comics and doujinshi's.

Have you read any of nimori's fics? I did rec 3 of her HP/LM fics a few posts ago. Did you read them? And there is also the wonderfully funny The Pandora Complex in which Snape discovers the internet, then slash, then HP slash with him in it. Brilliant. If you like dark!fic there is Memoirs of a Death Eater Whore in which the DE's get more than they bargained for. You need to get a code word to read her NC-17 stuff on her website but it's definitely worth it. She's also a damn good artist too.

[coffeejunkii.livejournal.com]

this new trend of not responding to readers comments.

that's my number one fandom pet peeve right there. i can't stand it! i don't think it's a new trend, though. maybe it's been happening more recently, but i hadn't noticed. i do the same thing you do--i check if someone responds before leaving a comment. i tend to leave more than "awesome!" in my comments, so i don't want to take time to craft a response that gets ignored anyway.

[wearethestars.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. It's irksome when you type out a thought out response to someones fic and they never even acknowledge you. :(

[coffeejunkii.livejournal.com]

yes, rather. i understand busy lives and not having time to respond right away, but not to respond at all....that's pretty unacceptable, imo.

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

It's irksome

It certainly is. I mean, if you've got no intention whatsoever of responding then disable the comment thingy.

[wearethestars.livejournal.com]

Uh huh. But you know what I really like? People who read stories well after the posted date and still comment when they finish.

:X:X:X You are ♥!!!!!1!!!

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

People who read stories well after the posted date and still comment when they finish.

Oh yeah, it's like opening an unexpected gift - always a pleasure. :o)

[wearethestars.livejournal.com]

Yes!!!! This morning when I got your comment on a two month old story, I was thrilled.

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

And that was only part 1. I had to go out, then never got a moments peace when I returned to continue. More later today.

[wearethestars.livejournal.com]

Awww, just part 1 made my day. :D

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

i don't think it's a new trend, though

I have only noticed it in the last couple of months, but now that I have more & more authors seem to be doing it. *shakes fist at them*

[emeraldpen.livejournal.com]

As a new author, I agree with your statement about responding to comments 100 percent. I think it's so important to respond to every comment, even if it's just 1 or 2 words. It's an acknowledgement.

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

As a new author

Oh they are so important. I remember my first fic post where I spent about 10 minutes agonising over how to answer the first 2 comments so I sounded intelligent. They're still important now too. :)

[wook77.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the commenting stuff (for me - it's both ways...) I get so annoyed when authors don't even just drop a note back saying "thanks for letting me know". As CJ says below - I try to leave coherent concrit and commentary (unless I'm so amazed that I leave gobblygook but that's another topic) and I'd like, at the very least, a comment back letting me know it's been acknowledged.

I also don't like the trend of readers not commenting, even if it's just to say "I read this and liked it" or "I read this and didn't like it". Otherwise (at least for me) I feel a bit like I'm talking to an empty room.

I'm on my way over there for both of those. I hadn't read the hp/lm stories but I'm there...Thanks for pointing them out!

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

I feel a bit like I'm talking to an empty room

I know what you mean. I'm still at the stage where lack of comments = shit fic. Hopefully it will pass. Here's the link to the HP/LM fics and I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did:

http://luciology.livejournal.com/36981.html

I note your also an mpreg fan. Have you read the multi author series One of Your Fathers? I did chap 8 & I'm actually quite proud of it. Here's the link to the chapter listing if you haven't read it or lost track of it:

http://dacro.livejournal.com/381211.html

[wook77.livejournal.com]

I haven't actually checked out either of those... so I'll be heading there tomorrow (err, I mean, i'll be working tomorrow *winks*). I do love mpreg. There are some brilliant ones out there and if you wrote it... it's gotta be good as I fangirl you something fierce!

But yeah - that's how I feel about the lack of comments. I get more comments on random rl stuff than my stories and that always makes me go hmmm... is it any good? But - I don't get complaints either (except for a flame that i just got and deleted but that's another story)...so I'm learning to brush off the lack of comments and just keep posting. I know that my flist reads and that's what's important. If there was something awful with my stuff, they would tell me.

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

There are some brilliant ones out there

Amen to that. I'm currently reading the series coffeejunki wrote where Harry & Draco are on the run & Draco's expecting. Rest assured I shall go back & comment on each bit.

as I fangirl you something fierce!

*Blushes* Careful, I won't get my head through the door!