*sniff*

[lirazel]

Y'all should go read this right now and join me in sobbing with love. I LOVE FANDOM AND I LOVE FANFICTION AND I LOVE YOU.

I just have a lot of feelings, okay?

They're fans, but they're not silent, couchbound consumers of media. The culture talks to them, and they talk back to the culture in its own language.

Oh, hello people who understand us! You can stay!

Comments

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

I know! That article is wonderful. This part:

"For me, starting so young, fanfic became my English teacher, my sex-ed class, my favorite hobby and the source of some of my dearest friends. It also provided me with a crash course in social justice and how to respect and celebrate diversity, both of characters and fic writers."

actually choked me up a little. I was seriously just thinking about this last night--how I wish the ability that I think fic has to influence and teach people (especially girls) about social justice and sexual agency could seep into mainstream media.

And I love the part you quoted about the media speaks to them and they speak back. That sounds like what I wrote in my treatise on fic! I feel validated!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

how I wish the ability that I think fic has to influence and teach people (especially girls) about social justice and sexual agency could seep into mainstream media.


Exactly! The things I know about the world because of fandom! And, sure, there are some things I wish I didn't know (sometimes it helps to remind people that Your Kinks Are Not My Kinks, so warn please), but those things are far, far outweighed by all the things that are so valuable to me.

I know! That line reminded me of you! It pleased me greatly!

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

I know! I've learned so much and I haven't even been around that long. But, it's really amazing how well immersion works. Because, mostly isolating myself from mainstream media but still reading (and watching) fandom stuff for 1-2 years has broadened so many of my perspectives. And I'm an adult! I can only imagine the influence it has over people who grow up in fandom. Amazing.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

If my mama only knew she had fandom to thank for me turning out to be a raging liberal* she wouldn't have let me spend all that time on the internet growing up, you know?

*I am not really a raging liberal. I am actually pretty moderate. But those words are relative anyway, right?

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

This is a really random question (that you should feel free to ignore)--I don't know if you remember--a while back you did a meme (I think?) or maybe just a post about your kinks--and it was detailed (married couples who fall in love and post apocalyptic settings, etc.) I don't suppose you know where that post is, do you?

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Oh! Yeah! Let me find it. I think I'm gonna link to it on my "stuff I've made" page because it's useful.

here it is!

I basically just stole the idea (and several of the specific answers) from snickfic because she's awesome.

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I was thinking about doing something similar.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I hope you do! I really enjoy reading other's people's. And it's fun to really analyze yourself that way.

[romanaone-fan.livejournal.com]

Ok. That is the coolest thing ever.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Isn't it though? :D

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

What an amazing article. I want to print out copies and press it into the hands of everyone who has ever had that look on their face when I mention I write fanfic.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I would not be upset if it became required reading for everybody everywhere, I must say.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

I think the only possible critique I could have of that amazing article is that it ignores the academic side of fanfiction. It could have mentioned the Journal of Transformative Works or the many scholars who study fan fiction and fan behavior. It was fascinating and excellent in its own right (wonderful reading after watching all the hullabaloo over on Tumblr about the HP premiere), but I wish it went further and explored fan culture beyond just fic.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

That would have been excellent, wouldn't it? I looooove fandom meta, so I would have been all about that. But I'm going to forgive him because this was very 101 kind of stuff, and because it was pretty clear that he's an outsider, and I don't expect them to know all about that stuff, you know? Though it would have been EXCELLENT if he had.

[rahirah]

The author is aware of OTW, at least - they're the ones who arranged for him to interview a bunch of fans. (He also posted rather ruefully this morning to say that he submitted a 4500 word article and Time whacked it down to 3500 words, so some stuff definitely stayed on the cutting room floor.)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Well, I knew he talked to Naomi Novik, so I figured, but I think he was keeping the focus pretty purely on the fic itself, which isn't a bad thing.

He also posted rather ruefully this morning to say that he submitted a 4500 word article and Time whacked it down to 3500 words, so some stuff definitely stayed on the cutting room floor

Aw! Sad! I wonder if we'll get a director's cut version at some point.

[rahirah]

I'm so annoyed with myself that the interview/Q&A that OTW put together for that article happened during a week when I was busy or sick or something and I didn't take the opportunity to participate. :grumps:

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I had no idea about it, but it would have been such fun to participate in, wouldn't it?

[smells_corrupt.livejournal.com]

YES. This. So much this. I want to email this article to everyone ever.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I hope it gets a lot of circulation.

[worldwasasong.livejournal.com]

I almost can't believe this exists, it so perfectly describes fandom and parts of my life. I wish my family and non-internet friends would read and understand :).

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

And the fact that it's in such a mainstream periodical--and it's fair!

[worldwasasong.livejournal.com]

Yes! This.

[revdorothyl.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the link! I want to forward that to all my friends and acquaintances who approach the topic of fanfic as though it were an unexploded bomb.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! And I know exactly what you mean!

[snickfic]

That is a fabulous article! Like you say, these people can stay. (Actually, Lev Grossman is a fantasy author - maybe that helps account for savvy?)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

:D I thought you'd enjoy it!

(I've heard some not-very-good things about The Magicians, but this makes me want to give him a chance!)

[molly_may]

I have to say, while I liked parts of The Magicians, it did not work for me overall. But I did love this article! It's a rare treat to see fandom and fanfic treated so thoughtfully and respectfully in a major publication.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

That's mostly what I've heard, though I've also heard some VIOLENT reactions to it--some people hated it. I definitely haven't heard anything that makes me think it would be worth my time when there's so many other awesome books in the world to read.

I know! It's fantastic! And all the more fantastic for its unexpectedness!

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

What an amazing article! Not condescending, clear and concise. Thanks for sharing the link!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Not condescending, clear and concise.

Exactly! It's one-of-a-kind, really, coming from a source outside of fandom and published in somewhere so mainstream.

[elisi]

You know what I love about fandom? I follow a link from my flist (and THANK YOU), read the opening paragraph:

J.K. Rowling probably isn't going to write any more Harry Potter books. That doesn't mean there won't be any more. It just means they won't be written by J.K. Rowling. Instead they'll be written by people like Racheline Maltese.

And I go: "She's on my flist! She's awesome!" \o/

(She *is* awesome, truly. She's rm on LJ, and she's done some fascinating work on mourning fictional characters. ♥)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

Ha! I thought that was probably rm! Isn't it cool when your friends get recognized for being as awesome as they are?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_jems_/]

Oh man, someone who gets it. How rare is that?!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I feel like the joy with which we're all greeting it is proof of just how rare that actually is.

[pocochina.livejournal.com]

I love the positioning of it all as a creative conversation, because I think that's most accurate and also, such a fascinating, valuable phenomenon.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Exactly! It's the reason that many of the English teachers I had would give us essay questions somewhere along the lines of "write a sequel to ____" or "write a conversation between characters A, B, and C" or "write a scene from ____ from the perspective of a different character." It's because it works. It really does let you interact with the text in a way that nothing else does.

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful article. It's so nice to see a positive fanfiction article for once, and from Time no less. <3

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! It delighted me too much to keep it to myself!

[aerintine.livejournal.com]

WOW. This made my day! I haven't even finished it yet but I can tell it's outstanding. Must send to everyone I know. Thank you for sharing.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I know! Isn't it the loveliest? I just want to hug it forever!

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

♥

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

♥