{meta} Oh Femslash, how I love thee...
I've been writing femslash since 1995. Early June of 1995, if memory serves correctly. It may have been earlier than that, but I don't think so. I know that the vast majority of my first femslash story, Keep It Precious, was written after Memorial Day 1995, because that was when my first ex-gf decided to completely psychotic on me and break up with me over something that she erroneously blame me for. I fully and freely admit that, in large part, I wrote that story as a way of dealing with a lot of the issues with my relationship with that first gf. Looking back now, nearly 20 years later, I am both inordinately proud of that story and incredibly embarrassed by how immature and self-inserted it feels to me. And yet, I keep it up for public consumption because it's an important part of my writing history.
In some ways, I also see that story, and the progress I've made as a writer, as something that mirrors the way femslash is viewed in fandom in general. In the beginning, it's so tentative and fumbling, but with time, experience, and expanded comfort, it gets better and easier. I look at how femslash was when I started out in online fandom back in the nearly 90s, and even in the print zine world I fell into at least an decade earlier, and I remember just how little femslash I found. Now, it's all over the place, and in practically every fandom imaginable.
No, not all of that femslash is high quality. There's a lot that I've come across that's less than decent. I will also offer the caveat right here that I am incredibly picky with my standards. There are authors and stories touted as The BEST EVAR! because they are prolific or have an excess of gratuitous sex or angst [usually of the h/c variety]. My own fic isn't always everyone's cuppa, and I get that, just as I get that not every femslash story for any of my favorite pairings will be to my liking. If we all liked the same things, life would be very boring. But it's always nice to attempt to expand one's boundaries and safe zones on occasion.
I've been reading femslash since at least the late 80s, possibly earlier, and writing it since 1995. I've been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil and form letters and words. I'm a former English major. I"m a hideously picky grammar elitist. I'm a fandom_grammar grammarian. I'm known to be a hardass when I beta or give feedback. I've been asked to leave mailing lists and comms because of my hard stance on writing, betas, etc. In other words, I really am a picky bitch, but if you don't piss me off, we can have civil conversations about it.
But what is it that I love about femslash specifically? For one thing, it's hot as hell. It celebrates the female form and human emotions in a lovely, lovely package. It can be sweet and tender, or it can be raunchy and kinky as fuck. It's what I identify with the most as far as romance and love are concerned. In the end, it's what engages my brain and my emotions. And it's lovely to picture on the Imax screen in my brain.
I'm not sure that this really is where I'd initially intended to go for my first day of halfamoon & FemSlash February, but this is where I've gone. So what are your origins and likes/dislikes in femslash? Let's start a discussion here...
halfamoon & FemSlash February masterlist on DW & LJ
Original post @ Dreamwidth with
comments. Commenting is welcome on either post.
In some ways, I also see that story, and the progress I've made as a writer, as something that mirrors the way femslash is viewed in fandom in general. In the beginning, it's so tentative and fumbling, but with time, experience, and expanded comfort, it gets better and easier. I look at how femslash was when I started out in online fandom back in the nearly 90s, and even in the print zine world I fell into at least an decade earlier, and I remember just how little femslash I found. Now, it's all over the place, and in practically every fandom imaginable.
No, not all of that femslash is high quality. There's a lot that I've come across that's less than decent. I will also offer the caveat right here that I am incredibly picky with my standards. There are authors and stories touted as The BEST EVAR! because they are prolific or have an excess of gratuitous sex or angst [usually of the h/c variety]. My own fic isn't always everyone's cuppa, and I get that, just as I get that not every femslash story for any of my favorite pairings will be to my liking. If we all liked the same things, life would be very boring. But it's always nice to attempt to expand one's boundaries and safe zones on occasion.
I've been reading femslash since at least the late 80s, possibly earlier, and writing it since 1995. I've been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil and form letters and words. I'm a former English major. I"m a hideously picky grammar elitist. I'm a fandom_grammar grammarian. I'm known to be a hardass when I beta or give feedback. I've been asked to leave mailing lists and comms because of my hard stance on writing, betas, etc. In other words, I really am a picky bitch, but if you don't piss me off, we can have civil conversations about it.
But what is it that I love about femslash specifically? For one thing, it's hot as hell. It celebrates the female form and human emotions in a lovely, lovely package. It can be sweet and tender, or it can be raunchy and kinky as fuck. It's what I identify with the most as far as romance and love are concerned. In the end, it's what engages my brain and my emotions. And it's lovely to picture on the Imax screen in my brain.
I'm not sure that this really is where I'd initially intended to go for my first day of halfamoon & FemSlash February, but this is where I've gone. So what are your origins and likes/dislikes in femslash? Let's start a discussion here...
halfamoon & FemSlash February masterlist on DW & LJ
Original post @ Dreamwidth with
comments. Commenting is welcome on either post.