Not Everything On the Internet is Made Up
I had my first Real Life Meeting with an Imaginary Internet Friend today. Except it wasn't one, it was SIX! All at once!!!!!!!!
Also, I hung out with a Real Life Author for the first time today. Except it wasn't just one, it was SIX! All at once!!!!!!!!
I dunno what they thought of me, especially as I said very little the entire time*, but I thought they were all super cool and funny and especially nice and am very sad that I had to say my goodbyes to half of them. I iz taking stillsostrange to the airport tomorrow and will possibly see coffeeem and willshetterly when Amanda and I meet up, but cristalia , matociquala , and truepenny are leaving early, early, early tomorrow.
The panel was fun too. :)
Emma did a poll at the beginning asking 1) how many ppl identified as deltas? (I think it was me, _eljefe_ , and then one more person whose name I can't remember**), 2) how many ppl had read SU? (I'd say at about half, but it was hard to tell as I was in the front), and 3) how many were totally new to SU? The first part of the discussion was explaining what SU is and how it came to be. I've read the origin story before but this was a lot more detailed and full of entertaining tangents.
Speaking of which, the moderator's attempts to moderate were kinda funny. I'm not sure that anyone is up to the task of keeping the PTB on task except themselves. He made some good attempts, though, and had good questions for them. As did the audience.***
And I totally should have been taking notes, as now I think I've forgotten half of what they said. What I do remember:
- [spoiler (I think, I need to check the boards to be sure)] - ask me in comments if you want it and I'll send it in a message.
- the PTB have a private livejournal community that they use to keep track of ideas; they also rely on the wiki to check stuff and use google docs to work on eps. All of which I found fascinating because I've been curious for a while about how one collaborates on something like SU without going crazy.
- there was some discussion as to why there hasn't been as much fanfic as they expected. It was speculated**** (by Bear?) that things - and by "things" we mostly mean the nature of the anomaly - being still uncertain makes people less willing to experiment. Also, that the characters having lives and relationships creates less of a desire to hook everyone up. As to the first, I dunno, as I think part of the point of a lot of fanfic is to resolve the issues that are as yet unresolved. (but then, I don't write fanfic, except bad, bad stuff in my head, so...) But I think the second is partly true. Not so much because of the characters having relationships - that didn't stop Hotchner/Reid fics before Hotchner's divorce - but because that fourth wall breaking all the time makes it a little weird to try to manipulate the characters - especially into someone they aren't, but you would like them to be. Also, my impression is that fanfic is often a very immersive way for fans to interact with the characters and fellow fans, but SU fans have all kinds of other ways to interact with the characters and fellow fans.
And oh dear god, it just occurred to me that if SU's series finale is in 2013....then, then....no more standuponit after 2013. :( How's that for a dilemma? Never knowing how it all ends, versus losing a Fictional Internet Friend. *weeps*
_____
It's late, and I've had a headache since about 5 today, so I am heading in for the night. If I remember more I'll try to post it in the next couple days.
_______________
*totally went into a combination of starstruck "omg! ppl whose names I see on stuff I buy!" mode and my usual default mode of "ack! new people! lots of them! all at once! and they are all super smart and funny all know each other super well! what do I say!?!?!?!?!!? and why the hell are they putting up with me!?!?!?!?!?!"
**and I'm feeling really bad that I can't remember his name seeing as how......um......among other things he taped the whole thing and said he was sending it to the PTB so they could post it.
***I had none; they answered mine (has interacting with fans ever prompted changes?) when they alluded to (I think)txanne pestering askingtrollcatz about cvillette 's failure to show up at her house in Texas.
****it was also speculated by an audience member that it's bc teenyboppers haven't found SU yet. the PTB were very tactful in the way they pointed out that, um, fanfic is not just something silly teens do.
Also, I hung out with a Real Life Author for the first time today. Except it wasn't just one, it was SIX! All at once!!!!!!!!
I dunno what they thought of me, especially as I said very little the entire time*, but I thought they were all super cool and funny and especially nice and am very sad that I had to say my goodbyes to half of them. I iz taking stillsostrange to the airport tomorrow and will possibly see coffeeem and willshetterly when Amanda and I meet up, but cristalia , matociquala , and truepenny are leaving early, early, early tomorrow.
The panel was fun too. :)
Emma did a poll at the beginning asking 1) how many ppl identified as deltas? (I think it was me, _eljefe_ , and then one more person whose name I can't remember**), 2) how many ppl had read SU? (I'd say at about half, but it was hard to tell as I was in the front), and 3) how many were totally new to SU? The first part of the discussion was explaining what SU is and how it came to be. I've read the origin story before but this was a lot more detailed and full of entertaining tangents.
Speaking of which, the moderator's attempts to moderate were kinda funny. I'm not sure that anyone is up to the task of keeping the PTB on task except themselves. He made some good attempts, though, and had good questions for them. As did the audience.***
And I totally should have been taking notes, as now I think I've forgotten half of what they said. What I do remember:
- [spoiler (I think, I need to check the boards to be sure)] - ask me in comments if you want it and I'll send it in a message.
- the PTB have a private livejournal community that they use to keep track of ideas; they also rely on the wiki to check stuff and use google docs to work on eps. All of which I found fascinating because I've been curious for a while about how one collaborates on something like SU without going crazy.
- there was some discussion as to why there hasn't been as much fanfic as they expected. It was speculated**** (by Bear?) that things - and by "things" we mostly mean the nature of the anomaly - being still uncertain makes people less willing to experiment. Also, that the characters having lives and relationships creates less of a desire to hook everyone up. As to the first, I dunno, as I think part of the point of a lot of fanfic is to resolve the issues that are as yet unresolved. (but then, I don't write fanfic, except bad, bad stuff in my head, so...) But I think the second is partly true. Not so much because of the characters having relationships - that didn't stop Hotchner/Reid fics before Hotchner's divorce - but because that fourth wall breaking all the time makes it a little weird to try to manipulate the characters - especially into someone they aren't, but you would like them to be. Also, my impression is that fanfic is often a very immersive way for fans to interact with the characters and fellow fans, but SU fans have all kinds of other ways to interact with the characters and fellow fans.
And oh dear god, it just occurred to me that if SU's series finale is in 2013....then, then....no more standuponit after 2013. :( How's that for a dilemma? Never knowing how it all ends, versus losing a Fictional Internet Friend. *weeps*
_____
It's late, and I've had a headache since about 5 today, so I am heading in for the night. If I remember more I'll try to post it in the next couple days.
_______________
*totally went into a combination of starstruck "omg! ppl whose names I see on stuff I buy!" mode and my usual default mode of "ack! new people! lots of them! all at once! and they are all super smart and funny all know each other super well! what do I say!?!?!?!?!!? and why the hell are they putting up with me!?!?!?!?!?!"
**and I'm feeling really bad that I can't remember his name seeing as how......um......among other things he taped the whole thing and said he was sending it to the PTB so they could post it.
***I had none; they answered mine (has interacting with fans ever prompted changes?) when they alluded to (I think)txanne pestering askingtrollcatz about cvillette 's failure to show up at her house in Texas.
****it was also speculated by an audience member that it's bc teenyboppers haven't found SU yet. the PTB were very tactful in the way they pointed out that, um, fanfic is not just something silly teens do.