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Dec. 3rd, 2009 09:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_rckA few months ago, someone gave me these questions for that five questions meme. I didn't write down who, so I've forgotten (If it was you, please drop me a comment so I can edit this).
1. What's your favorite 'genre' of fanfiction to write? I'm not sure I have a favorite genre. What I like doing is to pick at the canon to find loose threads and then to see what sort of story they start. Some canons make that ridiculously easy, to the point that I can do absolutely anything and not feel that I've ditched the canonical genre (Weiss Kreuz comes to mind), while others are tightly woven enough that I can't find anything without a starting prompt.
2. What draws you to a couple? I'm taking this as what draws me to a pairing in fic. I hope that's correct.
For me, the biggest draw is finding a story around them. I tend not to be drawn to specific couples and to be agnostic on the subject of specific ships. Sometimes, I'll see a suggestion for a pairing (or a fic about a pairing) that makes no sense given canon. Those fascinate me because I want to see how they could work anyway and to figure out what would need to change even to make them possible. Part of my fascination with fanfic is the variation in interpretation.
There are, however, pairings that I either can't see at all or avoid.
3. Does it feel weird being a 'mom' in fandom? Very much so. I get the impression that I'm part of a small minority. Children take so much time that it's hard to keep up with anything else. I suspect that some parents also drop out of fandom because they suspect that it's not a respectable thing for a parent-- someone who's supposed to be an adult-- to be doing.
I also wonder about how to explain the hobby to my daughter. She's not quite old enough to be wondering about details, but she will eventually, and she is old enough to read over my shoulder. (I'm considerably more careful about what I read while she's up and about than I was two years ago.) Fandom is a nebulous thing and therefore hard to explain to a child-- She can't see it or touch it or do anything much with it herself.
4. What are your other hobbies? I crochet a bit. I like table top role playing games, the kind that's now also called 'pen and paper,' with dice and several people all together to tell a story. I just haven't had a chance to play in a few years. Beyond that.... Does reading count as another hobby? Reading, writing, crocheting and role playing games are about it. I used to write live action role playing games, but I haven't had time in a few years, so I'm not sure I count it any longer.
5. Five desert island books. I'm not sure I could pick five books. I'd get sick of them all so fast. I'd be better off with memories and my imagination. Then again, books might be as close as I'd get to people for company. I'm trying to think of long books with strong voices that will stand up to rereading and that don't have too many bits that I have to skip, and I'm drawing a blank. I suspect that part of it is that I've not been reading books very much recently, let alone rereading them. Most of my rereads have been dips into the book to find short bits that I really, really like and that fit my mood in a positive way. Five books won't support that sort of reading.
I'm supposed to offer to ask questions of those who want it. I can't promise to be inspired or prompt, but I'm willing to try.
1. What's your favorite 'genre' of fanfiction to write? I'm not sure I have a favorite genre. What I like doing is to pick at the canon to find loose threads and then to see what sort of story they start. Some canons make that ridiculously easy, to the point that I can do absolutely anything and not feel that I've ditched the canonical genre (Weiss Kreuz comes to mind), while others are tightly woven enough that I can't find anything without a starting prompt.
2. What draws you to a couple? I'm taking this as what draws me to a pairing in fic. I hope that's correct.
For me, the biggest draw is finding a story around them. I tend not to be drawn to specific couples and to be agnostic on the subject of specific ships. Sometimes, I'll see a suggestion for a pairing (or a fic about a pairing) that makes no sense given canon. Those fascinate me because I want to see how they could work anyway and to figure out what would need to change even to make them possible. Part of my fascination with fanfic is the variation in interpretation.
There are, however, pairings that I either can't see at all or avoid.
3. Does it feel weird being a 'mom' in fandom? Very much so. I get the impression that I'm part of a small minority. Children take so much time that it's hard to keep up with anything else. I suspect that some parents also drop out of fandom because they suspect that it's not a respectable thing for a parent-- someone who's supposed to be an adult-- to be doing.
I also wonder about how to explain the hobby to my daughter. She's not quite old enough to be wondering about details, but she will eventually, and she is old enough to read over my shoulder. (I'm considerably more careful about what I read while she's up and about than I was two years ago.) Fandom is a nebulous thing and therefore hard to explain to a child-- She can't see it or touch it or do anything much with it herself.
4. What are your other hobbies? I crochet a bit. I like table top role playing games, the kind that's now also called 'pen and paper,' with dice and several people all together to tell a story. I just haven't had a chance to play in a few years. Beyond that.... Does reading count as another hobby? Reading, writing, crocheting and role playing games are about it. I used to write live action role playing games, but I haven't had time in a few years, so I'm not sure I count it any longer.
5. Five desert island books. I'm not sure I could pick five books. I'd get sick of them all so fast. I'd be better off with memories and my imagination. Then again, books might be as close as I'd get to people for company. I'm trying to think of long books with strong voices that will stand up to rereading and that don't have too many bits that I have to skip, and I'm drawing a blank. I suspect that part of it is that I've not been reading books very much recently, let alone rereading them. Most of my rereads have been dips into the book to find short bits that I really, really like and that fit my mood in a positive way. Five books won't support that sort of reading.
I'm supposed to offer to ask questions of those who want it. I can't promise to be inspired or prompt, but I'm willing to try.
