Swancon notes

[zebra363]

Swancon is the annual Western Australian science fiction (with a side order of slash) convention.  Way too much SF and too little slash for my taste, but it's the best thing on offer for a slasher here.  I attended for the one day with the most slash on the program.

Comments

[ardent_muses]

or as cathexys said to me recently: If you show me, do I not squee?

ROFLMAO!!!

You don't have to write, or even read, or participate in any way to be a slasher - it's an inner thing first and foremost, in my book.

Absolutely. No question.

[zebra363]

I keep seeing comments by people I like equating slashing and being involved with fandom with writing. Coming from my perspective, or the perspective of a total newcomer walking into a panel room, I have to argue that you can do them in other ways! (Not that I'm suggesting that writing isn't the absolute best expression of fannishness there is!)

[ardent_muses]

I think writers sometimes forget that everybody doesn't write. Which is not an excuse -- just a reason.

I do think one has to interact in some way to really be IN a fandom, and that would probably be by communicating with other people who watch the show. I don't think anything else is required. I suppose you could just write or vid and let the world marvel at your creation while you stayed silent and mysterious, but that doesn't sound like much fun.

[zebra363]

Yes, true. I was mixing two different things in my comment above.

The idea of writing is so alien to me that I find it incredible to think of anybody imagining everyone would do it! In my mind that's like imagining everyone to be a marathon runner. Everybody can run, right?

(After being nagged by a local friend and inspired by a Mag 7 story I wanted a sequel to, I actually "wrote", for private consumption only, 315 words of the scene I wanted to read. It wasn't quite as agonising as the time I tried it last year, when I think I told you that I was so embarrassed I had to look down at my hands as I typed out the words! Probably everyone *can* write, and I just like to let myself off the hook by thinking otherwise.)

Everybody can run, right?

[doctor_k_]

Huh. I see your logic. I've been proclaiming loudly about how I have no creativity or artistic talent; at the Con there were loads of discussions about the creative process, and how it's not necessarily innate, and yet I never once applied your story of deciding to run, and then doing it, to my attitudes to artistic endeavour.

There is a challenge to myself in all of this. One of change and development. I suspect I won't be giving up my day job (or night job as it is) and magically becoming a writer, or a painter etc, but perhaps I can surprise myself with some art.

I enjoy reading your writing. To me, writing in LJ is actual writing, as difficult for me as First Aid and basic medicine is to others. Yet here we are, putting thought into written form!

Re: Everybody can run, right?

[zebra363]

Yet here we are, putting thought into written form!

Indeed we are. And thanks!

Both you and I have been pretty creative in our lifestyles, which differ from the mainstream in some fairly significant ways. Maybe that's where our artistic talent has been going.

[ardent_muses]

Believe me, I understand. I'm trying to get my mind around vidding, and the vidders I eavesdrop on talk this foreign language. I guess they think everyone knows all about codecs and compression and whatnot.

I would love to read the scene if you're ever willing to share. I'd need to read the original story first, of course, but I promise to be a "safe" reader and point out all the genuine loveliness in great detail. But if you need to keep it to yourself, that's cool too.

I'd forgotten that you couldn't look at the screen while typing -- I did that same thing when I wrote my first online story. It was just too awful seeing the words on the screen.

I think everyone CAN write. I'm sure YOU can. I just don't know that everyone wants to write. Or wants to write right NOW. It is a mystery. :)

[zebra363]

It couldn't even be called a scene, yet, and I'm pretty sure it isn't something you'd want to read even if it was finished (see next post!). It's mostly just the dialogue. I may well take you up on the offer to read something else one day, though, so thank you!

It's easy for people to forget that not everyone is familiar with the basics in their area of expertise. I have to watch out for that in my work life, when people ask me questions that it seems the answers to should be obvious. Of course they weren't obvious to me either, once upon a time.

Looking forward to hearing more about your ConneXions weekend!