Things I might not post because of possible fandom reactions
There was a thread or three on fandom_me's journal where there was some discussion of what, if anything, would people not post because of fandom's reactions to that story.
And I thought, "there's nothing I wouldn't post. If fandom doesn't like it, they don't have to read it. So what if I go against the OTP/prefer non-canon slash pairings to the canon one/like to write frequently slashed guys in het/like the girls in canon enough to pair them with the guys or with each other/write RPF/write minor character fic/etc, etc."
But then I realised. That's not completely true. It's mostly-to-entirely-true, yes. But there is actually one subject matter I might be hesitant about writing and therefore posting (er, that's aside from the stuff I'll never write cause it squicks or bores me or I just can't write it, of course).
And it annoys me somewhat that it's this subject because fandom is perfectly accepting of the opposite.
What would I have some hesitation in writing and posting?
Canonically and/or actually (in the case of RPF) gay characters in het fic. And it annoys me that this causes me hesitation. Because though we may all say that there's no such thing as canonically confirmed sexuality, when a guy's shown dating women, liking women, kissing women, in bed with women? It's not out of the realm of possibility that he's straight. That doesn't prevent me from slashing men I see as straight. I will (to go onto another tangent) presume bisexuality rather than homosexuality, but that doesn't negate that I write men (and women) I am sure are straight in my own mind in situations some would see as gay.
And it irritates me slightly that the opposite is frowned upon.
Yes, I would want to see a lot of work put into a story writing a gay character in a het relationship. I would want the author to show their work. To see the character examining himself as much as I would like to see the characters in slash examine themselves sometimes. To see him realising that his attraction to this woman is real and it's not wrong. It's just different. And maybe for authors to show what they see in canon that leads to this, or to write it so it works in an RPF medium. It's not impossible. It's something that could be very beautifully done. It's something I want to do.
And yet I hesitate doing more than thinking about it in my own mind.
Because I do. I have a few of these pairings in various (RPF and not) fandoms I can see, and I know it'd take a lot of work. But I'd do that work (doing that work may be what's prevented me from finishing anything, I'll admit that). I'd show how he got from guys only to guys and girls (or girl - yes I would do "I'm not straight for anyone but you" because I find that more likely). I'd write him as not abandoning guys for girls, but making the choice he wanted to make.
And what would be so very different to that than slash? I'm afraid I don't see a great deal of difference.
So that's my thinking on that one.
And I thought, "there's nothing I wouldn't post. If fandom doesn't like it, they don't have to read it. So what if I go against the OTP/prefer non-canon slash pairings to the canon one/like to write frequently slashed guys in het/like the girls in canon enough to pair them with the guys or with each other/write RPF/write minor character fic/etc, etc."
But then I realised. That's not completely true. It's mostly-to-entirely-true, yes. But there is actually one subject matter I might be hesitant about writing and therefore posting (er, that's aside from the stuff I'll never write cause it squicks or bores me or I just can't write it, of course).
And it annoys me somewhat that it's this subject because fandom is perfectly accepting of the opposite.
What would I have some hesitation in writing and posting?
Canonically and/or actually (in the case of RPF) gay characters in het fic. And it annoys me that this causes me hesitation. Because though we may all say that there's no such thing as canonically confirmed sexuality, when a guy's shown dating women, liking women, kissing women, in bed with women? It's not out of the realm of possibility that he's straight. That doesn't prevent me from slashing men I see as straight. I will (to go onto another tangent) presume bisexuality rather than homosexuality, but that doesn't negate that I write men (and women) I am sure are straight in my own mind in situations some would see as gay.
And it irritates me slightly that the opposite is frowned upon.
Yes, I would want to see a lot of work put into a story writing a gay character in a het relationship. I would want the author to show their work. To see the character examining himself as much as I would like to see the characters in slash examine themselves sometimes. To see him realising that his attraction to this woman is real and it's not wrong. It's just different. And maybe for authors to show what they see in canon that leads to this, or to write it so it works in an RPF medium. It's not impossible. It's something that could be very beautifully done. It's something I want to do.
And yet I hesitate doing more than thinking about it in my own mind.
Because I do. I have a few of these pairings in various (RPF and not) fandoms I can see, and I know it'd take a lot of work. But I'd do that work (doing that work may be what's prevented me from finishing anything, I'll admit that). I'd show how he got from guys only to guys and girls (or girl - yes I would do "I'm not straight for anyone but you" because I find that more likely). I'd write him as not abandoning guys for girls, but making the choice he wanted to make.
And what would be so very different to that than slash? I'm afraid I don't see a great deal of difference.
So that's my thinking on that one.