rogueslayer452 | Fandom Snowflake Challenge: Day 4

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Fandom Snowflake Challenge: Day 4

In your own space, create a fannish wishlist. No limits on size or type of fanwork; just tell us what you’d like to see.

This is one of those things where I actually debated answering since I'm kind of like "I don't want to be a bother" because, while I do have many things I wish to see among fandom, I also don't want to seem too demanding or selfish or anything like that. But since this is a challenge, I figured that I should just list the few things I wish to see more of in fandom no matter how attainable or not it is.

My Fannish Wishlist

** More fandom friending memes. One of the best things about fandom is making friends with similar fannish interests, but sadly it seems that friending memes designed specifically for fandom have either dwindled or taken over by non-fandom people which makes it harder to find more individuals to get to know over squeeing about fannish things. I know that the fandom side of LJ has quieted down significantly over recent years, but there are still a lot of fandom people out there and we kind of need more fandom-specific friending memes to find each other.

** Fandom discussions. I love talking about a fandom that I have either recently discovered or revisited, and while individual fandom communities are few and far between that doesn't mean we can't stop having discussions in our own journals. Whether it's just for your flist or inviting other people for a mere discussion, I just want more conversation happening on the fandom end of things. I miss connecting with people that way, of having endless comment threads squeeing and sharing that excitement of talking about mutual fannish interests.

** More fandom icons with varying styles and techniques. I am not an iconmaker so this may seem a bit demanding on my end, but one of the things I've noticed in recent years is how fandom icons in general have basically become more or less one type of style. Back when fandom dominated the LJ space there were a bunch of iconmakers who had a lot of variety of styles in creating their icons, all which evolved overtime but still there was a variety to choose from. These days, I feel like there's a limited amount mostly due to how many fandom iconmakers are still active here. I know that beggars can't be choosers and I feel horrible for even asking this, but I personally would prefer more similar icons like the one I am currently using or most what you see in my userpics; cropping especially of close-up shots, focusing on negative space, lighting/coloring and sharpening of an image, etc. Again, I am not an iconmaker (though I wish, I really want to make icons for myself but idek how or where to start) and I deeply appreciate and applaud the amount of talent and hard work those who do make icons, I just wish there was more variety instead of what I've been seeing lately, that's all.

** More icon requests for iconmakers. Self-explanatory.

** And to coincide with that, icons of the following characters/fandoms: Percival Graves (Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them), Two and Five (Dark Matter), Wynonna Earp (Wynonna Earp), Daisy Johnson (Agents of SHIELD), Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Max Guevara (Dark Angel), Six, Athena, Boomer, and Kendra Shaw (Battlestar Galactica), Zoe Graystone, Lacey Rand, and Tamara Adama (Caprica), Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Julie Mao, Drummer and Bobbie Draper (The Expanse); Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Legend of the Seeker. These are just on the top of my head, since you know I have so many fandoms, past and present, and ever since Photobucket decided to do what it did, finding icons for them has become extremely difficult and near impossible these days. Also, I am awkward when it comes to approaching the existing iconmakers out there requesting for things.

** Percival Graves genfic. I love reading headcanons that fandom has come up with for his character, I have made some myself. But when it comes to fanfiction there are so few out that focus entirely on his character without any shipping elements. I would love more fanfic exploring his character, him dealing with the aftermath of everything, and just kind of going in the route of the headcanons I've seen but more in depth.

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In case you didn't see it, there's an HP friending meme here. A bit too specific for me, so I didn't fill it in, but I added someone, which is what matters. :-)

I did see that earlier, yeah, and I meant to go back to that and I feel guilty about not doing so. :S

I don't think anyone would mind if you commented a little late. :-) Especially with your moving away, it's totally justified.

** Fandom discussions. I love talking about a fandom that I have either recently discovered or revisited, and while individual fandom communities are few and far between that doesn't mean we can't stop having discussions in our own journals. Whether it's just for your flist or inviting other people for a mere discussion, I just want more conversation happening on the fandom end of things. I miss connecting with people that way, of having endless comment threads squeeing and sharing that excitement of talking about mutual fannish interests.

YES. Of course, I'm so guilty of starting discussions and then not following up with the comments. :/ But yeah, I really miss those. The thing is that everyone seems to, but I think we need to make it happen. (ETA: Universal we. I also think, however, people need to respond to the meta that's out there. That's one of the problems, it's a vicious cycle where people aren't participating because no one's starting the conversation, but when people do start the conversation, they hear crickets, so they stop.)

What makes me sad is that even fan communities don't always have them. They'll sometimes have reaction posts as a show is airing, but then the discussion stops. Where's the fun in that? (Especially as I almost never watch shows live, so if the community is 99% reaction posts, I don't get to do anything. Boo.) And there won't be discussion (on LJ or forums) during hiatus because "we have nothing to talk about right now." I've been in fandoms where books weren't released for years, and that was when the fandom discussion was the best. (I don't just mean Harry Potter.) And Buffy survived for seven seasons with people presumably talking about the show in between. Isn't coming up with theories and wondering what's going to happen next easier when you have weeks to months to years to work with?

Along that vein, I miss fanfic that explored the canon universe. When I first tried finding Buffy fic (and soon gave up), I was actually pretty disappointed not to find more of that. I'm sure there is, I think it's just harder to find nowadays, but... I really don't care about Buffy/Spike or Buffy/anyone. I want to read fic about the First Slayer. I want to read fic that incorporates Dawn into at least one of the pre-season five, considering Dawn wasn't originally there. I want what Cordelia did between deciding to leave Sunnydale to going to LA. I want that sort of thing. Don't take this the wrong way - I'm totally fine with people not writing those things. I'm not even totally adverse to romance. I like romance. I just want a balance between shippy stuff and fics that explore the characters and/or universe.

Edited 2018-02-16 16:06 (UTC)

That's one of the problems, it's a vicious cycle where people aren't participating because no one's starting the conversation, but when people do start the conversation, they hear crickets, so they stop.

That's something I've noticed, too. The intent is there, but the actual following through just doesn't happen. It's this weird place where people want to engage with fandom through various means, but just don't know how to keep that conversation going and keep that interest, especially if it seems that the presence of fandom, on here at least, is no longer there. I've mostly witnessed this with fandom friending memes of late, where even just a year ago there were quite a decent amount of them circulating around that got a lot of comments, whereas now not so much. I feel like it's a combination of people just not having the time and feeling discouraged since there have been an influx of non-fandom people going on those memes, so some probably feel like it's a pointless task due to that.

Even those who migrated onto Tumblr I've seen often reminiscence about how fandom used to be on LJ and wanting to have that kind of sense of community again, but just don't know how anymore. It's depressing, really.

Isn't coming up with theories and wondering what's going to happen next easier when you have weeks to months to years to work with?

Right? You'd think that it would spark at least an interesting conversation about speculations and theories, perhaps do a poll about the direction a particular show or series of something would be heading towards and see which one would be correct later on. I remember back when specific communities would be active with people asking questions, newbies coming in wanting to know more things, and it would be ripe with discussions and fannish talk. That's part of the fandom community I miss. Seeing all of that fizzle out is quite sad in itself, but that doesn't mean that people shouldn't try to engage that same amount of conversation on their own journals now.

I just want a balance between shippy stuff and fics that explore the characters and/or universe.

Same here. And this goes for not just the characters who I don't have particular ships for, but also for the characters that are half of my OTPs. I just want a good character study, an understanding of who they are as people, what they've been doing. A coda to something that happened in canon, anything like that. I love my AUs and my cute fluffy shippy fics, but having a nice gen one focusing on a particular character or the world is also something I love reading.

I feel like it's a combination of people just not having the time and feeling discouraged since there have been an influx of non-fandom people going on those memes, so some probably feel like it's a pointless task due to that.

Yeah, that's definitely a huge part of it.

Same here. And this goes for not just the characters who I don't have particular ships for, but also for the characters that are half of my OTPs. I just want a good character study, an understanding of who they are as people, what they've been doing. A coda to something that happened in canon, anything like that. I love my AUs and my cute fluffy shippy fics, but having a nice gen one focusing on a particular character or the world is also something I love reading.

Same! Of course, I'm not exactly writing it, which goes back to the point about vicious cycles. However, I somehow just haven't gotten the hang of writing Buffy fic. But maybe i'll give it a whirl.

Edited 2018-02-17 15:21 (UTC)

I'm sort of writing my own, particularly for Percival Graves, which has been an ongoing process (as in, I have an extensive outline and small blurbs but the connecting of the story together is still a work in progress), though that is mostly just for myself since I've done that for nearly all my fandoms. I've done headcanons for him, too, some which I have shared on here.

I really miss fandom friending memes too, I tried to host one late last year and hardly anyone participated, so I ended up deleting it after a couple of weeks. And you're right that any other friending memes that go on non fandom people have taken over so I don't even participate.

I feel like fandom has also devolved into constant sniping at each other over likes or dislikes instead of mutual appreciation for things. I see it so much where if you like this character or that ship you are a terrible person.

And you're right that any other friending memes that go on non fandom people have taken over so I don't even participate.

It makes me sad but also frustrated since I see people on those memes who share the same likes in shows and movies and such and I'm about to get excited when they suddenly go, "I don't do fandom" or any other variant of that statement. It's like, then why are you on a fandom-centric friending meme, a place where fandom people are trying to meet other fandom people? It makes no sense to me. I feel like multi-fandom friending memes should be circulated more among fannish circles, even if you aren't participating, just so more people can find other fandom people to befriend.

I feel like fandom has also devolved into constant sniping at each other over likes or dislikes instead of mutual appreciation for things. I see it so much where if you like this character or that ship you are a terrible person.

I know what you mean. Though I find that is more on places like Tumblr that are overly negative and spread that kind of harmful mentality. LJ, DW and some other fannish places thankfully appear to be more more rational these days.

Edited 2018-02-17 03:00 (UTC)

, then why are you on a fandom-centric friending meme, a place where fandom people are trying to meet other fandom people?

I think it's because they don't really get fandom. They don't realize that fandom types are looking for people who actively talk about a common interest. And I mean, I don't regret making these friends at all, I'm GLAD I did. Very glad. I just realize from our conversations that non-fandom people don't always get the pull of a fandom, so I can understand why they'd participate if they didn't really see the relevance.

Edited 2018-02-17 15:11 (UTC)

Yeah, I've noticed that too. Also, perhaps it's because I've been part of fandom for so long, but I don't view fandom as a singular thing as they probably do. There are particular fandoms for specific things, there's the general fandom, the fandom experience of participating in challenges and things like that, or just having your own space to talk about the things you like and finding other like-minded people who do the same. For me, fandom is a sense of belonging where it's about connecting with others who share the same excitement about similar fannish interests as you. It's not always about being an active participant in a very specific way, but just the overall sense of belonging to a community of like-minded people and celebrating that in various ways. So yeah, there's definitely a disconnect with non-fandom people not understanding the fannish community in that sense.

But even so, it still baffles me why they would even participate in fandom-specific memes if they're not at all invested or interested in fandom. That's like me going to a friending meme specifically made for sports fans and declaring that I'm not a sports person. I don't do that because I know it's not my place.

(Also, to clarify, I'm not saying that they can't find new friends on these memes, they absolutely can! It's just acknowledging the type of friending meme you're on and questioning whether or not this pertains to you specifically. Find new friends, just stay in your lane while doing so.)

You know what, I think I remember that. If I'm remembering correctly, it was a really good meme, too!

I feel like fandom has also devolved into constant sniping at each other over likes or dislikes instead of mutual appreciation for things. I see it so much where if you like this character or that ship you are a terrible person.

I think it was always there, but it seems to be worse in certain places. I was in the Harry Potter fandom when it was actually active, and my ship (Ron/Hermione) generally tended to be associated with elitist fans. Admittedly... there were Ron/Hermione shippers who seemingly proved their point. But it wasn't like we were the only wanky people in fandom. However, I think it's grown beyond that on tumblr, and maybe elsewhere?

Agreed on a lot of this. There's not a lot of fandom related anything lately, it seems. I've especially noticed how hard it is to find icons for particular fandom nowadays.

Fandom communities here have basically become nonexistent, and the few ones that are left barely have any discussions or activity. However, there are fannish people out there that are quite active in talking about and engaging in fandom, you just have to know where they are. Which is why there needs to be more fandom friending memes to make the rounds so we can find them.

I remember when for every new fandom there would be several icon communities dedicated to it with varying styles by talented people, whereas now it is a miracle where you find an independent iconmaker creating the rare two icons of a still ongoing fandom.

I miss friending memes in general also. I don't seem to see ANY anymore and I haven't added people in so long. It sucks.

Admittedly, I've become lazy as an icon maker. I used to post in communities but when they died, I just stopped. It's sad this place is so quiet now because LJ stopped listening to its users.

It's super depressing because I swear it wasn't that long ago that I saw a bunch of multi-fandom friending memes that got a reasonable amount of comments and people finding each other. And now it seems like there's nothing. And it's not like fandom people aren't here, I just think like many aren't inspired enough to make one, either out of simple disinterest/lack of energy or because non-fandom people keep invading them. We need a fandom resurgence in general, stat.

It's interesting because I know iconmakers still are active, it's just they only exist in their own journals/communities and only do the occasional challenge or something. And I only know about them because of

iconpraise, which thankfully gives me a chance to look at who is still active and where they're located.

I think we do too. As much as I love tumblr/twitter, the interaction on here is just so much more personal. There's more room for you talking about your feelings in detail, naturally, this opens up chances for others as well.

I'll have to check that out! I used to just update a public post with icons but I've been so lazy. Maybe I'll have to make the effort again!

It helps to follow

friend_memes, even though they don't all get advertised there (especially because there was another similar comm at some point, but I added that one because it was more active).

Also, I see you like f/f. Do you want to be friends? :-)

Oh I didn't know about this! I'm admittedly very behind when it comes to new comms and actively seeking them out. Thanks for this.

And yes I'd love to! :)

It's not very active, but sometimes it's practical to hear of a friending meme from the start and not once the activity has already dwindled.

I've added you back. :-)

So agreed on the icons - except kind of in the opposite way? I keep looking at the close crops and thinking, "These all look the same! All I want is some funny text or a bit of animation!"

Anyway, if you give me a character and some specifications I'd be happy to make a couple icons for you, since I like doing it but can't seem to make the ones that I want for myself. :)

I’ve noticed that icon making doesn’t seem to be popular at all any more sadly, you used to be spoilt for choice, there were so many different styles that people had, but you really have to seek them out these days. I haven’t come across any icons yet for the new season of The X-Files for example, or even anything much from the promo pics for the new season of Doctor Who, and DW used to have sooo many icon posts at one stage

The icons I see on tumblr seem to basically just be plain screencaps and er that’s it. I feel a bit snobby for dismissing them, but they are so plain and boring to me compared to the artistic styles that you used to come across all the time on LJ

And it's funny because there are quite a handful of iconmakers still active here, but they are very selective of what they personally choose to icon (whether as a personal choice or for a challenge) and when they actually post, plus you kind of have to follow their communities or journals otherwise you won't know when they're actually posting, since general fandom icon communities don't exist anymore. But it's truly depressing to see the decline of iconmaking over the years. I guess we kind of took for granted the years when iconmaking was one of the super active parts of fandom. And sadly, you can't find anything from past posts to save because links are broken or journals are deleted. :(

I feel a bit snobby for dismissing them, but they are so plain and boring to me compared to the artistic styles that you used to come across all the time on LJ

I feel exactly the same way. And that's only just because over there the icon you see on your dashboard is usually just very small so the artistic value doesn't quite matter because you won't see much of anything anyway. I kind of feel bad because making graphics of any kind isn't easy, but in comparison to fandom years ago when there would be numerous tutorials on making icons and using different techniques and textures and whatnot, it's rather sad.

Also, perhaps it's just me, but I feel like LJ icons nowadays are rather...too cluttered with being too artistic, y'know? Either icons are too dark/desaturated you can't see anything or there's too much going on. I feel bad for critiquing and being picky, since with the slim pickings we have beggars can't be choosers, but still.

Lol I must admit that I’m not really a fan either of the icons that are so cluttered and ~fancy~ that you can barely even tell what fandom or show they’re representing

Edited 2018-02-27 18:58 (UTC)

Just a little something for you, my dear:

xoxo

OMG, YOU ARE AMAZING! Seriously, you are so awesome, thank you so much! :D ❤ ❤ ❤

You're welcome! <3

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Fandom Snowflake Challenge: Day 4

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