General Fandom Meta

nostalgia_lj - A Thought On Justifying Fic - I have the thought that a lot of handwaving in fic is caused by a mismatch between how we read it and how we write it. Cos, see, we're all aware of the theory that one should always justify the emotions and set up the scenario, but once you've written your twentieth fic with the pairing, you really can't be bothered anymore.

oxoniensis - Authorial intent versus actual text - the way a relationship appears in a story to a reader, as against the way the author thinks of that particular relationship – not always the same at all. And not because of poor writing – I'd better say that straight off - because I don't think that's particularly relevant here. But simply because, if the relationship isn't central to the story (and if it's a plot-driven story, then it may well not be) then there's often no necessity to spell it out.

nostalgia_lj - The Welsh - So, like, I felt I should stand up for the Welsh. Cos pretty much anything that's not set in London is a good step. Bearing in mind that the lead on the parent-show is forced to fake London in case anyone should hear his horrifying Scots tones. So I'll accept there's not Local Ethnic Issues in the UK when a BBC flagship show doesn't demand that a Scotsman pretend to be English while playing a fuckin' well alien.

annezo - Raters - What we need aren't ratings focused solely around sex & violence, which is what megamovieratingcorporation thinks is important because they're afraid of being politically incorrect or pissing off the moviemakingcorporations if they label something, "ASPO'C" or "a steaming pile o'crap." // We need story ratings. Things that tell us what kind of story we're getting into.

atlantis_fan - Web Accessibility and Fan Fiction - Now realistically, (and legally), personal sites (including those that host fan fiction) don't have any requirements for accessibility. On the other hand it does fall under terms of "it's the right thing to do". Now I'm not saying that people have to make sure their sites and stories are accessible but I do think they should consider their audience and take into consideration that there may be people with disabilities reading their stories.

alchemia - [untitled] - A few reasons why one might feel more fannish in other groups than in the online fandom you’re all familiar with were discussed, but one reason that occurred to me when running errands was that those I watched shows with and quoted with and sometimes played games with, were connected through that interest independent of any other interests/beliefs/demographics/etc.. Whereas how connected to fandom I feel depends not just on a common show or book and creating fic or art around it… but assumptions about gender and political stances and sexual orientation etc..

crucio_4_coffee - Discussion: In praise of fringe writers (and a fringe festival, yay!) - How do you define "fringe" writing? I look at fringe writers as being those who write on the edge of what is acceptable and (strive to) do it well. People who aren't afraid to take any given genre to a place that makes other readers and writers uncomfortable, or who are willing to challenge the given norm regardless of the reaction (or even lack of reaction) -- those are fringe writers to me.

fluterbev - Meta: Do LJ TS writers archive their stories at 852 Prospect? - One characteristic facet of the TS fandom is the perceived split that exists between members of ‘lists’ (comprising various Yahoo Groups and other mailing lists such as Senad), and those who use LiveJournal. The TS fandom was originally established on mailing lists but, because of a gradual adoption of LJ by TS fans, is currently spread between the two mediums. It would be fair to say that the ongoing migration to LJ by TS fans has not always met with a favourable response on the lists.

ausmac - Asking permission - I was archive-browsing a fandom I rarely visit, and came upon a series of stories that had a neat concept (a type of specialised bond). My instinctive writer reaction was, I’d love to write a story in this fandom featuring this specialised bond, and then I contemplated permission, and the need – or otherwise – to seek it.

calapine - Some Racial Statistics - The obvious: UK is different from the US. NO REALLY WE ARE. We have different problems and issues and shit, so please do not be applying American cultural values to other countries when you clearly are not knowing much about the other country.

ninamalfoy - Beta-ed ficcage vs. unbeta-ed. - Only fics that have been looked over, polished and corrected by my beta do get posted there, because for me there's something like respect and awareness involved. // Respect towards the members of the community, who should deserve only the best I can give. Not any rubbish like brainfarts at 3am, sent off to LJ with a single click and not caring much more than that, because that's the equivalent of putting together a shoddy birthday present, dripping with glue and sticky wrapping paper and scribbled, erased, and rescribbled birthday wishes on a random dog-eared card. At least to me.

thirdblindmouse - Where are the mothers? - There are many interesting father/daughter (or father-figure/daughter-figure) relationships on the TV -- Buffy and Giles, Faith and the mayor, Sydney and Jack Bristow, Veronica and Keith Mars, Starbuck and Adama -- so where are the noteworthy mother/son (or mother-figure/son-figure) relationships? Right now I can't think of a single one.

dawning_star - [untitled] - I've noticed a recent trend where people request stories that have 'guys acting like guys and girls acting like girls'. What exactly does this mean?

On Writing/Creating

marag in fanficpen - The Minor Lectures of Ms. Grammatica - Ms. Grammatica has noticed some confusion over the proper use of lie, lay, and laid. (Some of that confusion was her own, which prompted this research.) So, despite suffering from the cold that wouldn't die, she will endeavor to clear up the confusion.

redina in vidding - Supernatural sex vids - I wanted to just clear this thought from the clutter: non-canon sex clips in vids. // I think it's good to experiment with different effects and try out 'collages', but I think some Supernatural vidders may be trying a wee bit too hard in incorporating m/m sex scenes into a series limited by broadcast censors

Miscellany

killabeez - minor kvetching and a poll - Archives: Review feature, or not? [Poll]

nakeisha - Reading Slash In Fandom - Assuming that you have a OTP in any of your fandoms, would you/do you ever read (excluding beta-reading) slash fanfic that puts one half of your pairing with another character? [Poll]

foggynite in anthroslashyaoi - RPS qualitative survey-- 2 questions - The overall purpose of this study is to explore what makes slash and yaoi attractive for readers, and how this has impacted your conceptions of gender and sexuality. In the two-item questionnaire you are about to take, I am examining the reading and/or writing habits of members in the Real Person Slash (RPS) fan community.