Meta Recs Requested
Apr. 19th, 2010 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
browngirlSo, this is a request for recs of a certain kind of meta, but it's going to take me some text to explain what I want.
I've read a great many meta posts recently -- thoughtful, informative, interesting and educational posts, all of which taught me a lot -- about many of the problems with various aspects of this fanfic hobby I participate in. I've been thinking a lot about those posts, about assimilating their lessons into how I write and comment and participate in online fandom, but I find myself at a loss as to how. I am not sure how to go from where I currently am to writing again (I haven't posted a proper story in awhile, and I miss it, but I need to be confident that I'm not contributing to the problems I've read about, that when possible I'm contributing to their solutions, before I can get back to writing).
I said to some of the people I discussed this with that I've overdosed on meta, but I think that's not the right way for me to look at this. I think I could use meta about what it is people do and why they choose to. What it is that's going right. If you know of positive* posts about why people write het or slash or femslash or gen or polyfic or OCs or fanfic at all, about particular fandoms and characters and pairings (ship manifestoes that don't put down other 'ships), so on and so forth, I would very much appreciate links.
I have ideas for posts on most of these subjects, but I tend to write fic rather than meta (or I try to, since I think I can do best by people thusly) and right now I don't have much confidence in my words at all. I think I could do to read some of other people's thoughts on why they love some of the interests I share with them.
*: I asterisked 'positive' because... I want -- I need -- what's good about these things. I don't want an essay on, for example, how someone writes gen because they think society oversexualizes life and so shipfic encourages prurience, but one about how they write gen because they want to consider non-'ship-related ramifications of plot and character and universe beyond what canon provides.
PS Yes, I am vaguely ashamed of myself for consistently abbreviating romance to boat, but it made for fewer keystrokes.
PPS Thank you in advance.
ETA: Three pertinent posts (and many more amazing links and essays in comments):
What Makes Fanfiction Great, a Love Story
Lazar-grrl on why we write fanfic.
Ninhursag wrote happy meta!
I've read a great many meta posts recently -- thoughtful, informative, interesting and educational posts, all of which taught me a lot -- about many of the problems with various aspects of this fanfic hobby I participate in. I've been thinking a lot about those posts, about assimilating their lessons into how I write and comment and participate in online fandom, but I find myself at a loss as to how. I am not sure how to go from where I currently am to writing again (I haven't posted a proper story in awhile, and I miss it, but I need to be confident that I'm not contributing to the problems I've read about, that when possible I'm contributing to their solutions, before I can get back to writing).
I said to some of the people I discussed this with that I've overdosed on meta, but I think that's not the right way for me to look at this. I think I could use meta about what it is people do and why they choose to. What it is that's going right. If you know of positive* posts about why people write het or slash or femslash or gen or polyfic or OCs or fanfic at all, about particular fandoms and characters and pairings (ship manifestoes that don't put down other 'ships), so on and so forth, I would very much appreciate links.
I have ideas for posts on most of these subjects, but I tend to write fic rather than meta (or I try to, since I think I can do best by people thusly) and right now I don't have much confidence in my words at all. I think I could do to read some of other people's thoughts on why they love some of the interests I share with them.
*: I asterisked 'positive' because... I want -- I need -- what's good about these things. I don't want an essay on, for example, how someone writes gen because they think society oversexualizes life and so shipfic encourages prurience, but one about how they write gen because they want to consider non-'ship-related ramifications of plot and character and universe beyond what canon provides.
PS Yes, I am vaguely ashamed of myself for consistently abbreviating romance to boat, but it made for fewer keystrokes.
PPS Thank you in advance.
ETA: Three pertinent posts (and many more amazing links and essays in comments):
What Makes Fanfiction Great, a Love Story
Lazar-grrl on why we write fanfic.
Ninhursag wrote happy meta!
