fandom culture in fanfic
Jul. 28th, 2018 01:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaixoSo. I’m podding this story.
It was written in 2011, and seriously, it’s very much A Story of It’s Time. Some of the terms and povs that are used in the story we daren’t use now. Even how sexuality is presented comes across as contrived and heavy handed in a way that people wouldn’t write today, because non hetreonormative sexualty is seen as accepted, and there’s no angst about whom one is attracted to.
A couple weeks ago, I spoke with someone on twitter, who thought that although the culture had become more accepting with alternative sexualites and more sensitive to the needs various, it tended to veer to oversensivity (in terms of fandom), to the point where even say kink memes are verboten - or at least- not so previlant now because certain provclivities would be seen as beyond the pale, to the point where people don’t ask after them anymore.
She was in mourning, and said that was one of the reasons why fandom wans’t really attractive to her anymore (she’s lesbian, relatively woke. Early twenties, and grew up in fandom from 12 years and onwards) because fandom wasn’t necessarily a safe space to let it all hang out like one used to. And a big part of said ‘space’ was to be able to sink into the freakdom without being judged. People either were moved to answer your prompt, or not.
I do remember nodding at her thread because I understood what she meant. Not necessarily due to writing of kink as much as your characters can’t really express themselves clumsily any more, no matter how well meaning (because to be fair, intent isn’t magic).
On one hand, it’s a good thing, because people will only do what is demanded of them. On the other hand, you do get some stirring bits of fic that would be shot down today.
However, it wasn’t not until I started podding this story where the point really hits home. Some of the phrases give me pause (there’s a line that won’t make me stop in my tracks because I’m British, but I know it’s insulting to Americans) that no writer would ever use now, even as an insult. But because when you’re podding a story, everything is STET (let it stand), short of say, minor grammatical errors, it will have to be said. I’ll just try and put this as a podder’s note at the beginning of the story.
That being said, it’s still an enjoyable story. It’s very strong, and has me laughing at times. It reminds me of when I podded Now That I’m In Madrid… I do remember going, “Oh, this story could never fly today.” I’ll finish this podfic, although it might never see the light of day (the last time the writer posted was three years ago so I hold out no hope of her responding), but it’s been nice to spend time with it again. I do hope to finish the reading tonight and edit at leisure.
The main reason why I’m doing this fanfic because there’s a bit of flashback scenes and music nods, so I’m trying to be a bit more experimental in my work. Although I think if the story is strong enough it doesn’t need embellishments, but I’m getting over myself and seeing if I have the ability to actually insert music and sound effects without it distracting from the fanfic.
But yeah, just podding this story this morning, and this is what hits. I’m half tempted to read my own fic from 2011 but… I don’t think I need to. The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.
It was written in 2011, and seriously, it’s very much A Story of It’s Time. Some of the terms and povs that are used in the story we daren’t use now. Even how sexuality is presented comes across as contrived and heavy handed in a way that people wouldn’t write today, because non hetreonormative sexualty is seen as accepted, and there’s no angst about whom one is attracted to.
A couple weeks ago, I spoke with someone on twitter, who thought that although the culture had become more accepting with alternative sexualites and more sensitive to the needs various, it tended to veer to oversensivity (in terms of fandom), to the point where even say kink memes are verboten - or at least- not so previlant now because certain provclivities would be seen as beyond the pale, to the point where people don’t ask after them anymore.
She was in mourning, and said that was one of the reasons why fandom wans’t really attractive to her anymore (she’s lesbian, relatively woke. Early twenties, and grew up in fandom from 12 years and onwards) because fandom wasn’t necessarily a safe space to let it all hang out like one used to. And a big part of said ‘space’ was to be able to sink into the freakdom without being judged. People either were moved to answer your prompt, or not.
I do remember nodding at her thread because I understood what she meant. Not necessarily due to writing of kink as much as your characters can’t really express themselves clumsily any more, no matter how well meaning (because to be fair, intent isn’t magic).
On one hand, it’s a good thing, because people will only do what is demanded of them. On the other hand, you do get some stirring bits of fic that would be shot down today.
However, it wasn’t not until I started podding this story where the point really hits home. Some of the phrases give me pause (there’s a line that won’t make me stop in my tracks because I’m British, but I know it’s insulting to Americans) that no writer would ever use now, even as an insult. But because when you’re podding a story, everything is STET (let it stand), short of say, minor grammatical errors, it will have to be said. I’ll just try and put this as a podder’s note at the beginning of the story.
That being said, it’s still an enjoyable story. It’s very strong, and has me laughing at times. It reminds me of when I podded Now That I’m In Madrid… I do remember going, “Oh, this story could never fly today.” I’ll finish this podfic, although it might never see the light of day (the last time the writer posted was three years ago so I hold out no hope of her responding), but it’s been nice to spend time with it again. I do hope to finish the reading tonight and edit at leisure.
The main reason why I’m doing this fanfic because there’s a bit of flashback scenes and music nods, so I’m trying to be a bit more experimental in my work. Although I think if the story is strong enough it doesn’t need embellishments, but I’m getting over myself and seeing if I have the ability to actually insert music and sound effects without it distracting from the fanfic.
But yeah, just podding this story this morning, and this is what hits. I’m half tempted to read my own fic from 2011 but… I don’t think I need to. The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.
