arabwel | Of fandom, fic, and the feel

Initial warning: I composed large chunks of this post when still half-asleep.

Yesterday, I started thinking about my reading preferences within a single fandom; or rather, how they tend to apply to all fandoms, to a degree. I have, over time, developed a pattern that I follow.

First, when I get interested in fic based on a certain source, I start searching and devouring fic. Nothing is beneath me, not googling or the Pit of Voles. (Admittedly that was truer prior to my discovery of LJ) I am indiscriminate; it does not take much to impress me.

In time, I will become more discriminate and select my readings more carefully; same goes for liking and being impressed. I believe that the reason for this is getting the feel for the fandom – that after a time, I will know how the characters should read to me for me to enjoy a story. After I acquire this feel, many of the fics I have enjoyed until then lose their charm, because thy no longer feel like they should.

It has become rare for me to read a fic I enjoyed years, or in some cases even months ago, and still find it very enjoyable; I think this has a lot to do with the fact that I have been reading fan fiction of all sorts since I was 14 – I have matured and changed, and so have my reading preferences.

I also think that one of the reasons for this pattern is that before LJ, I was a solitary reader – I had no way of getting the “word of mouth” for good fiction, I was not in contact with the writers, and in essence, I was as blind as someone walking to a huge library for the first time. But now? Now I communicate with the writers and other readers, and I am actually part of the fandom, not just someone hanging on the edges. I am actually writing, something I did not even dabble in for years. (Which is good, because my early fan fiction was abysmally bad)

I did have a point when I started this, didn’t I? Namely, that when I enjoy a fic, it has to feel like the fandom to me. But this feeling can change over time as I and my perception of the fandom change.

*looks at what she just wrote* Oh dear, did I actually just write meta? 0_o