How to hold on to a fandom
I got my SPN DVD today! Woohoo! I didn't expect to get it this fast! Also, now that they've cleared up the whole silly regional differences which has plagued earlier releases, I could safely get it from Amazon.co.uk (now that the pound is cheap and getting cheaper - I'm going to London in few weeks, so that's good for shopping *g*). This means I can get SPN:ed before the new season!
I have some meta-ish thoughts too, this evening.
See, everytime I drift from or to a fandom, I reflect over what drives me in one or the other direction. See, I've always been a multi fandom kind of woman, there's always a number of fandoms that hold some interest for me, while usually one of them keeps in forefront of the bunch at a given point in time. See, if one of my favourite popslash writers would release something new featuring JC in some way, I'd read it in a heartbeat. I'd also read a good H:LotS story (in fact, I'd LOVE that) or Oz or Mulder/Kryckek. If it's by a writer I love, I'm all over it. I don't go out looking for it, though. So, that's all going on at the same time. But what makes one fandom stronger than the others?
Well, since I'm not a particularly creative fandom force, I'm dependent on outer events, i.e. either an active show/group etc or just an active fandom (the two are usually intimately related). I got in late in the game to popslash, but the fandom was brimming with activity on all levels and so there was an infinite amount of fuel to light the fandom fire; copious amounts of videos, pics, gossip and most of all slash. I'm not capable of creating a fandom myself, not only in my head. The idea is usually awakened by reading some awesome story and not by me. The good writers are the ones who truly create fandom for me. I need their interpretation of the characters/people, how their relationship may come about and the image of their whole universe. With that, Sam & Dean inhabit a world much grander and more intriguing than just the show can demonstrate. And thankfully, SPN is still going very, very strong. :)
I got into SGA after half the first season, because by then it was an established fandom already. I got into SPN at the end of season two, because I was having doubts before then, but also because writers I adore to no end were by then producing so much wonderful things that I just had to get on board too. Consequently, my strong interest in a fandom wanes, as the creativity in it wanes. Popslash got on the backburner when Nsync was over and people stopped producing stories (it's a gradual thing) that could fuel my interest, but also because SGA took over. My interest in SGA is still fairly strong, but more for the show, I only read selected stories in the fandom. Because at this point on the fandom evolution I also get terribly picky (even more so than usual) about what I want to read, and usually that's connected to the fact that the number of high quality stories also goes down.
Anyway, my point is that it's sometimes annoying, when you find yourself STILL wanting to read those fabulous stories about your favourite boys, but no one is writing them anymore. I wish I could keep it up myself. In popslash I could contribute with videos and pics and news and things, and in other fandoms I supply uploads and such, but when that's not possible it all just dies. It can be terribly sad. This is most obvious in smaller fandoms, where there's never possible to get satiated, because there's just not enough people. I wanted to read more Oz, for instance. That fandom died an instant death as the series ended. It was sad. There are other examples where someone just writes ONE story that I love, leaving me forever craving for more.
But maybe this is no different for you who write? Do you also feel completely dependent on the rest of fandom, the way I do? It's no fun if you can't share it with people, is it? But the thing is, I'm awfully envious of you who are capable of creating that universe all by yourself, living it. Me, I live vicariously through the creativity contingency of a fandom.
Hmm. So I'm not sure what my point is, really. Does anyone recognise what I mean?
Furthermore, I can't resist this.
I have some meta-ish thoughts too, this evening.
See, everytime I drift from or to a fandom, I reflect over what drives me in one or the other direction. See, I've always been a multi fandom kind of woman, there's always a number of fandoms that hold some interest for me, while usually one of them keeps in forefront of the bunch at a given point in time. See, if one of my favourite popslash writers would release something new featuring JC in some way, I'd read it in a heartbeat. I'd also read a good H:LotS story (in fact, I'd LOVE that) or Oz or Mulder/Kryckek. If it's by a writer I love, I'm all over it. I don't go out looking for it, though. So, that's all going on at the same time. But what makes one fandom stronger than the others?
Well, since I'm not a particularly creative fandom force, I'm dependent on outer events, i.e. either an active show/group etc or just an active fandom (the two are usually intimately related). I got in late in the game to popslash, but the fandom was brimming with activity on all levels and so there was an infinite amount of fuel to light the fandom fire; copious amounts of videos, pics, gossip and most of all slash. I'm not capable of creating a fandom myself, not only in my head. The idea is usually awakened by reading some awesome story and not by me. The good writers are the ones who truly create fandom for me. I need their interpretation of the characters/people, how their relationship may come about and the image of their whole universe. With that, Sam & Dean inhabit a world much grander and more intriguing than just the show can demonstrate. And thankfully, SPN is still going very, very strong. :)
I got into SGA after half the first season, because by then it was an established fandom already. I got into SPN at the end of season two, because I was having doubts before then, but also because writers I adore to no end were by then producing so much wonderful things that I just had to get on board too. Consequently, my strong interest in a fandom wanes, as the creativity in it wanes. Popslash got on the backburner when Nsync was over and people stopped producing stories (it's a gradual thing) that could fuel my interest, but also because SGA took over. My interest in SGA is still fairly strong, but more for the show, I only read selected stories in the fandom. Because at this point on the fandom evolution I also get terribly picky (even more so than usual) about what I want to read, and usually that's connected to the fact that the number of high quality stories also goes down.
Anyway, my point is that it's sometimes annoying, when you find yourself STILL wanting to read those fabulous stories about your favourite boys, but no one is writing them anymore. I wish I could keep it up myself. In popslash I could contribute with videos and pics and news and things, and in other fandoms I supply uploads and such, but when that's not possible it all just dies. It can be terribly sad. This is most obvious in smaller fandoms, where there's never possible to get satiated, because there's just not enough people. I wanted to read more Oz, for instance. That fandom died an instant death as the series ended. It was sad. There are other examples where someone just writes ONE story that I love, leaving me forever craving for more.
But maybe this is no different for you who write? Do you also feel completely dependent on the rest of fandom, the way I do? It's no fun if you can't share it with people, is it? But the thing is, I'm awfully envious of you who are capable of creating that universe all by yourself, living it. Me, I live vicariously through the creativity contingency of a fandom.
Hmm. So I'm not sure what my point is, really. Does anyone recognise what I mean?
Furthermore, I can't resist this.