Fandom!secrets of mine, a pro author has a hissyfit and other news

[misscam]

I kind of got the feeling I should have stayed home from work today too when colleagues started wondering if I preferred flowers or contributions to charity for my funeral. Har, har. But then I was told I'd been missed, which was cute.

I hate this stupid cold.

Top Ten Things Authors Should NOT Do at Amazon - a heartwarming tale of how badly professional authors too can deal with reviews not hailing their brilliance.

A meme I nicked from my flist - mah fandom secrets. Some kind of obvious, some kind of not and some quite a bit embarassing, yes.

1. When I saw this fandom secret on fandomsecrets, I instantly wondered if it was someone on my flist. Then I felt presemptious, because it probably isn't. But if it should happen to me, I'm very excited to share BSG fandom too :D I want to share it with more of you, yeees.

2. I've always liked having people of different tastes and ship on my flist, but it makes me a little sad sometimes when a friend of mine doesn't share a ship. Not because I think it's more OTP or anything like that, but because it's something we can't share the fun of.

3. It's getting increasingly hard for me to remember what I liked about Doctor/Rose to begin with, but often all the hate it gets makes me really want to remember and feel defensive about it. I think liking or disliking it are equally justifiable positions and a matter of taste, but all the loud pushing of either hate or love for it has made me lose my own perspective.

4. I sort of think Adama and Roslin are a bit superior to other pairings I've liked at the moment. But then, I have a tendency to do that when I find something new to adore. Still, Mom and Dad have this amazing development and mature relationship and just win, really.

5. I know OFUM is and will always be my most-read fic and the insane popularity it had still kind of boggle-flatters me, but it doesn't really feel like mine anymore and whenever I get feedback for it, I always wish it was for something more recent instead.

6. I'm not sure if fandom or the show killed Ten/Martha for me, but I kinda only ship it as a potential now and I can't write fic for it.

7. If I spot myself being recced somewhere, I save the link. But I usually don't comment to thank the reccer because I never know what to say and 'thanks' sound a bit lame.

8. I always kind of wanted Catherine and Warrick to happen on CSI more than I did Grissom and Sara, even if I liked writing the latter more. I suspect this was for entirely shallow reasons.

9. I've printed out and saved the e-mails Robert Shearman sent me and I keep them in a drawer in my desk. When I feel a bit blue, I read them. Because knowing an actual Doctor Who writer for the show and the audios liked my writing enough to give some of the most flattering feedback I've ever had? Never fails to make me very happy and a little ashamed at how much pride it gives me.

10. I like Nine and mostly find Christopher Eccleston a really good actor, but I haven't watched series one in a long, long time and feel no desire to. I sometimes wonder if Eccleston's not wanting to acknowledge Who has tarnished it a bit for me. Because though I am less fannish about the show now, David Tennant's fanboy glee at it all still is adorable like a cute thing.

11. I'm not sure I'm attracted to Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell on their own, but I'd say yes to a threesome within 0.5 seconds. I know they're both married, way older than me and HAI NOT GONNA HAPPPEN, but they seem to have so much fun together I so would. You can judge me now.

12. I don't read RPF except once in a while out of curiosity but many of my friends do and I try to be open-minded about it. Unfortunately, I quite often find myself reminded of the time when I was about 14 and some woman called our house and started talking about her fantasies to have my father and how my mother didn't love him. (My dad was a somewhat known politician at the time.) I found out later the woman had a history of mental problems and nothing ever happened of it, but I can't quite wash that story out of my head and I think it's unfairly made me a bit uncomfortable with RPF to this day.

13. Bad Norwegian is still what bothers me most about Rose's end on Doctor Who, take I and take II. I'll give take II slightly more slack for having hot snogging (at least the confidential version) in it, but 'Dårlig Ulv Stranden'? No, no, no. Everyone else writes long meta on characterisation and one heart and RTD's take on women and consolation prize-esque resolutions versus only possibly happy ending there could be. Me, I got my patriotism in a twist over language.

14. Regardless of how many others way Canon acknowledges a ship and how cute I find those - if I don't get some kissing, I feel cheated. HAI BSG I AM WATCHING YOU WHERE IS THE ADAMA/ROSLIN SNOGGING. I realise that this is shallow and influenced by romantic clichés and all that and I don't care.

15. I can't seem to slash :( Which makes me sad for the awesome potential of Sarah Jane/Laura Roslin I could otherwise work withsince I seem to miss out on half of fandom. The only thing I ever slashed was book!Gimli/book!Legolas and that was mostly friendship anyway. Visually, two guys or two girls just don't seem to do it for me and I feel so boringly vanilla for it.

In other news:
Cat adopts red panda cub.
The White House apologises for insulting Berlusconi.
Controversial surveillance law passed in the US Senate.
Gordon Brown is like Heathcliff?
Sewage plant to be named after Bush - maybe.

Comments

[redoren.livejournal.com]

I agree with so many things you just said there that I can't pick them out individually :) Although, saying that...

11. I'm not sure I'm attracted to Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell on their own, but I'd say yes to a threesome within 0.5 seconds. I know they're both married, way older than me and HAI NOT GONNA HAPPPEN, but they seem to have so much fun together I so would. You can judge me now.

Judge? As if! Agree? Hell yes :)

OMG! SARAH JANE/LAURA ROSLIN! FRAK ME! I've never really read slash fiction and I've certainly never written it but I would totally read THAT. I just watched The Sarah Jane adventures for the first time (I watched all the episodes in two days finishing this morning!) :)

I actually saw a picture of Sarah Jane and thought 'Hey...Mary McDonnell?' for a moment :) In some publicity photos, they do look a little alike.

I'm praying SJA's gets a second season. I'm also watching School Reunion today just for a bit of a Sarah Jane fix :)

Even though I said I couldn't pick out individual things from this post, I'm doing it anyway :)

I loved Legolas in the film. I have yet to read the book but I will do eventually.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Comforting to know I'm not alone :P I feel less pervy now. Slightly.

And the Sarah Jane and Laura Roslin thing falena84 put in my head yesterday and now I can't unput it. Doesn't have to be slashy in anyway - just as a team, those two would be awesome. And both could wear great boots.

I think SJA got a second season, at least as I understand it from my flist.

[mazarin221b.livejournal.com]

9. I've printed out and saved the e-mails Robert Shearman sent me and I keep them in a drawer in my desk. When I feel a bit blue, I read them. Because knowing an actual Doctor Who writer for the show and the audios liked my writing enough to give some of the most flattering feedback I've ever had? Never fails to make me very happy and a little ashamed at how much pride it gives me.

Really? I think I remember you saying that happened, but I don't remember if you told us any of what he said...I'm rather curious (we all love your writing, too, so hearing "flattering" feedback for your stuff from someone like that makes us all happy.)

And as for #6. - I think the show killed it for me, because the never-ending drama of it just got old. I love Martha, and I think she's pretty kick-ass, but the constant mooning annoyed me after a while.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I think I did write up some of what he said, but I felt extremely self-conscious about it and made the entry private. It was the sort of praise I'd be all flaily regardless of who it came from, and to know where it came from... Well yeah, I was floored. Anyway, if you really want to see, I made it friends only again and it's here.

I honestly don't know if it was the show or fandom. Probably it was somewhat of both, because I was quite into the potential of it in the beginning.

[robshearman.livejournal.com]

Seriously? I'm so flattered that it meant so much to you!

I thought - still think, actually - that you're a fantastic writer. And I really ought to read some more of it at some point soon!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I had never had a professional opinion of my fictional writing, so yes it very much did. Sure, I know I can write as a journalist because enough editors have told me, but that's a slightly different kind of beast. Plus, that I write in Norwegian and it's much easier to feel confident in your own language.

Plus, most published writers just pour scorn on fanfic so you get sort of used to treating it as something a bit shameful. And you write for the show, come on! One of my favourite episode and my favourite Big Finish audio and you're giving me compliments? That floored me and still does. It'll still make me smirk when I am ninety and a senile old woman bitching at how dentists today really have no idea how to make false teeth.

(I am finally reading your short story collection, by the way. Quite interesting surreal reads on the way to work. )

ETA: I can't believe I'm linking this too you - the entire shameful list of my fanfic.

[ice-feather.livejournal.com]

I tend to avoid meta and discussion about Rose and Rose/Doctor shippage as it usually just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm happy to just watch the show, read the fic, love on the icons, fanvids and fanmixes but without getting very involved at all in the fannish things myself. I think that's what has kept me liking the ship and liking Rose even when it felt like the rest of the world was wanking about it. It really is sad that people can be turned off a ship or character they like based on the behavior of other fans but I can understand it - during and after series two and series three, when I was still just a lurker, I went off Rose and Doctor/Rose myself for ages because some of the fannish behavior within the fanbases was so stupid and spiteful.

I like Ten/Martha but only as a Fanon ship. I think she's too good for him in Canon and would rather she finds love elsewhere with someone who hasn't treated her badly, which she seems to have done with Tom.

Series one will always be my favourite. Chris is "my" Doctor, and I could watch his thirtnee episodes on a loop (apart from Aliens of London/WWIII because they bore me to tears for some reason). Series one will always be the most magical for me, I think, if only because it's how I re-discovered my passion for Doctor Who.

RPF...I don't read it. Don't like it. Others can if they want but it will never, ever be for me. It's a major squick of mine, I'm afraid.

I'm sorry for the bad Norwegian. There really isn't any excuse for them not to get it right is there?

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, with Doctor/Rose it's rather both sides that have just made me want to not think about it at all. It gives me headaches.

Probably I was too involved in it all. There's a lesson to me.

Martha should indeed get someone awesome. Not sure we saw enough of Tom to make me for or pro him, but what Martha herself approves of must be great, so go that.

They probably used Bablefish and liked that 'dårlig' sounds a bit like Dalek and that was that. HMPF.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Just so you know--I love Ten/Rose, and I love your Ten/Rose especially, and I hope you get your joy back, because I agree with your #2 on your list. Maybe the hiatus (and possibly staying away from wank *g*) will help. I don't know, but I hope.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

There's always hope of course, but I have my doubts. I might write the odd fic now and then, but the interest in writing for it had already waned before I got into BSG and now that BSG has eaten my brain there's another reason I'm not writing as much Doctor/Rose as I once did.

Fun while it lasted and I might write now and then still, but... Sometimes, you just move on.

[bex245.livejournal.com]

This post made me love you even more so I just have to give a long-ass reply!

1. That's not me, but is sure as hell works for me. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that this whole fandom has been so nice and welcoming since I joined- and you're a huge part of that! *hugs*

3. I feel the same way. But then I go back and watch S2, when they were all happy and just laughed together and had angst that I could deal with and I just remember how I loved them SO much and it makes me really happy. I wish I could participate in the DW fandom more but the ship wars scare me away.

4. I agree. I'm a HUGE fan of Mulder/Scully from X Files and I've always said since I started watching XF that they were my all time OTP and the original ship and nothing would ever be better than them. But I've changed my mind. Adama/Roslin is just even better. I almost feel a bit smug about it when I look at other ships and think, guys, your ship doesn't even come close to the epic scale of this ship and everything so beautiful and subtle and awesome about it.

5. OFUM?

8. I'm not a GSR fan, but Catherine/Warrick FTW!! XD

9. Wow, dude, that is so unbelievably awesome. I'd frame them and put them on my wall. LOL.

11. Do you really think I'm gonna judge you for that?? LOL. I totally know what you mean. And I totally would too. XD

14. I agree. I love all the subtle moments, the glances, the touches, the words between my ships, but sometimes I just really wish they'd make out already!! :D

15. I feel like I should slash more. BSG in particular has some awesome slash opportunities. I don't know why I don't...

(Told you it'd be long. :P)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

1. Aaaw! I'm new myself to it really, but yeah, it's been awesome so far.

3. CSI fandom had wankier ship wars, but DW has them more spiteful. So I don't blame you one bit.

4. I was so into Mulder/Scully too, but that when I was a young teenager and didn't have Internet, so I was never in fandom. But yeah, A/R feels a bit more awesome right now. It's just be built so well and is acted so well and, yeah, you know.

5. OFUM. It's a fanfic I wrote that got very popular and started a bit of a subgenre.

10. Hehe, yeah. He's just an awesome guy - and writes very well, too. I'm enjoying his short story collection at the moment.

14. YES. it's not that I don't love subtle, it's just... Well, there's a time and place for everything and eventually it gets to be the time to snog it the hell out.

[bex245.livejournal.com]

The thing about the BSG fandom, or rather, the AR fandom, is that everyone is just really nice to each other!! lol

Luckily I was never involved in the CSI fandom wars as I wasn't really into online fandom when I started watching. I've managed not to get involved in DW wars either. I don't envy your job at T&C!!

Yeah, I know. I still have a huge amount of love for MSR but AR have taken that special place in my heart for now!!

Wow, that's kinda amazing. And a shitload of reviews at ff.net!!

HAHA. So frakking true. I will be happy once we get one really decent AR making out shot. XD

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Cling to niceness where you find it, truly. It's worth its weigth in fannish glee.

Yeah, it's like more reviews than I've had for all myy other fics put together. Well, minus the sequel which had just as many. Mad times, but a long time ago now.

If we get a decent making out shot, I think everyone will be really happy. Like madly, indignified happy. Hurrah!

[bex245.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know, trust me. I will cling to this fandom regardless to whether it wants me or not!! :P

Wow, that's really awesome. I can kind of understand your feelings about it now though. I haven't read it because I'm not a LOTR fan, so I can just say that your fic now is amazing!! XD

Oh, the flail that would ensue then....

[scullyseviltwin.livejournal.com]

I don't know.. Catherine and Warrick clearly would have been hot as hell. I mean smoking hot. I mean set-my-television-on-fire hot. You know?

And OMg red panda cubs, the roommate and I are currently obsessed with those things!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I know and I cry a little for it. Woe, for now we'll never have that particular hot, hot thing. :(

Red panda cubs and cats together is just a lethal combination of cute.

[falena]

Write a Sarah Jane/Roslin fic, you know it'd be epic. I doens't have to be slashy at all and you did the the DW/BSG crossover thing once already and it was brilliant.

DOOO EEET.

Your other fandom secrets are made of win too. I totally agree with #10 and #2.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I'd have to watch SJA before I even think about writing such a thing. And don't encourage me, I got enough plot bunnies you evil woman.

(Nice icon :P)

[falena]

It's a cute little show with an extremely hot lead. And a very short first series. It wouldn't be a burden to watch. :D

(It's not the icon, it's the subject that is really smoking hot).

Have a Roslin, since I really couldn't find any decent SJA icons out there. Such a pity. Way to miss the hotness to icon, fandom.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Heh, probably not, but I still have to make time and energy for it. Maybe with less to do at work for the summer.

Really? Now that is a serious fail. All icon artists too busy with DW and the Torch of Wood or something?

[silvery-lass.livejournal.com]

'Dårlig Ulv Stranden'

Maybe its correct Norwegian in the parallel universe? Although it sounds like the wolf is sick not bad. And its never fun to see or hear once native language being butchered.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

It must be a Norway on crack. And yeah, it does evoke the image of a wolf who got sick all over the beach. Poor wolf.

[colorstoobright.livejournal.com]

I always kind of wanted Catherine and Warrick to happen on CSI more than I did Grissom and Sara, even if I liked writing the latter more. I suspect this was for entirely shallow reasons.
This is potentiall a wank in the making, right here.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

CSI fandom has no energy left to wank with. It's wanked out.

[colorstoobright.livejournal.com]

Impossible.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Well, if Sara returns, we'll know if that's the case or not, won't we?

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

2. I've always liked having people of different tastes and ship on my flist, but it makes me a little sad sometimes when a friend of mine doesn't share a ship. Not because I think it's more OTP or anything like that, but because it's something we can't share the fun of.

I KNOW! *sniffles* Wish I could figure out how to love A/R so we could share ship. Rec me a couple of the best fics you know and I'll see if that helps, maybe?

[misscam.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I still wub you either way, you know that right?

I got some good stories on my adama/roslin del.ici.ous tag, you might find something to your liking there. I'm still working on filling that up, though.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

hmmm... I dunno if I have the stamina to read a bunch, though. Give me one or two that you reckon are the best of the best. If I get hooked I can devour the rest then.

Ooh, spinny head! I love the moment when vodka kicks in.

[jessickuh.livejournal.com]

But...I don't understand. There's already a plant named after Bush.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Captain, I'm detecting a large fleet of smartassery :P

[jessickuh.livejournal.com]

Don't ask, but I'm very honored that you of all people just called me a smartass.

I aim to please.

[longtimegone]

2. I've always liked having people of different tastes and ship on my flist, but it makes me a little sad sometimes when a friend of mine doesn't share a ship. Not because I think it's more OTP or anything like that, but because it's something we can't share the fun of.

Agreed. I have people of all different tastes on my flist, but there is nothing like someone who Gets It, in all the t00by OTP glory. Someone who can giggle and squee and understands when you need to proclaim, once again that OMG THEIR LOVE IS PURE. :))

3. It's getting increasingly hard for me to remember what I liked about Doctor/Rose to begin with...has made me lose my own perspective.

I think that new!fandom glee probably has a lot to do with this for you, because I know that, when I got into SGA, not only was I all YAY SHINY NEW! but also thinking that I didn't want to hear about Rose OR Martha ever again. I was so burned out on Rose vs. Martha, Round 57485973485, that I actually started to dislike them BOTH, so the new fandom was a good thing.

Watching S4 with its consistently good quality eps (imo, at least) and having a bit of distance REALLY helped, and by god, I refound my love! And I had Distance and Perspective! And it was Glorious! I was YAY Rose! and YAY Martha! And I could critique AND enjoy and didn't feel the pressure to totally fucking HATE everything! It's seriously been awesome <3

So, basically, you'll get your DW groove back. In a different form, possibly, but it will be better for it, I think.

6. I'm not sure if fandom or the show killed Ten/Martha for me, but I kinda only ship it as a potential now and I can't write fic for it.

It was the fandom for me. And I find it ironic that Martha, of all the New Series companions, has actually gotten the best end of the deal. Whatever else happened, she left on her on terms because she wanted to, and has made a strong woman of herself because of it all. I <3 her!

Also, your Five Times After Goodbye? Is seriously one of my favorite Ten/Martha-ish fics EVER. :))

10. I like Nine and mostly find Christopher Eccleston...David Tennant's fanboy glee at it all still is adorable like a cute thing.

I totally agree with this. Rose has brought back the spectre of Nine much more strongly in my head recently, but I don't have a great love on for Chris like I do for David, and I do think it's his attitude towards his time on the show. Because I DID love Nine and though CE did a wonderful job portraying him!

9. I've printed out and saved the e-mails Robert Shearman sent me

Don't blame you a bit there, hon. I would do the same thing! You should be very proud of them!

15. I can't seem to slash :(

You know, aside from my few months of Doctor/Master dabbling last year, I've never really FELT IT for a slash pairing until John/Rodney in SGA. I don't know what it is about them in particular, but they are totally my Gay Mulder/Scully. :))

Unpopular opinion of my own here too: People that I term in my head as "career slashers" (and I think most people know what I mean by that) drive me crazy, just as much as batshit OTP het shippers do, because they refuse to like anything unless they can "make it gay". And dear god I am just generalizing here, so I don't want anyone to freak out, but I am always annoyed by it. I think I just don't get the Tunnel Vision approach to such things, whatever the pairing or genre.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

It's the *sharing*, innit? A joy is that much more joyous when shared and you're not feeling all alone and a little weird for having it.

So you're saying BSG could revive Doctor Who for me? Hmm. It has certainly sparked me writing again in general, so could very well be. We shall see. Maybe the specials and the time between them will be a good thing.

I wish I had written more Martha, because she is awesome and fun to wrote. Maybe some gen or her with UNIT, hmmm...

And yeah, I did love Nine too and that's how I got hooked on the show.

(Shh, Rob's reading this!)

Hey, I got it for egolas and Gimli a bit, so I'm not blaming you one bit.

I think I get a bit annoyed at those who insist slash is better than het. No, they're *equal*. That's the damn point.

[belegcuthalion.livejournal.com]

...as a "political amateur" who is "hated by many".

Who, Berlusconi or Bush? No... my fault. Bush was the criminal botcher.

[wintergreen126.livejournal.com]

I always kind of wanted Catherine and Warrick to happen on CSI more than I did Grissom and Sara, even if I liked writing the latter more. I suspect this was for entirely shallow reasons.

ditto. nice to have a friend in the shallow pool.

I'm not sure I'm attracted to Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell on their own, but I'd say yes to a threesome within 0.5 seconds. I know they're both married, way older than me and HAI NOT GONNA HAPPPEN, but they seem to have so much fun together I so would.

i love it. i'm sure that they have some tricks up their sleeves that youngsters don't.

for the awesome potential of Sarah Jane/Laura Roslin I could otherwise work

remember: mature woman kick ass club. that is a fic that is begging for you write it.

is the weather being nice to you? or is summer just a fair weather friend?

have a good one :o)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Experience does count for something, you know?

ONE OF THESE DAYS I must write it, it seems.

No, today it is pouring down and I am home with the Cold from Hell. Woe, I'd rather be at work and well.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's anything shameful or to be embarrassed about knowing that a professional writer is very fond of your writing!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I just feel weird about because I'm Norwegian and we're weird about praise in general. And probably I shouldn't mention it in public posts he's reading, oops.

If EJO and MM manage to read my threesome confession, I'm gong to go impale myself on a moose.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

....

If I look, moose impaling is going to have its own genre on YouTube, isn't it?

[rivrea.livejournal.com]

I'm just giggling like mad over #11. It also makes me gleeful to hear this because so many folks in fandom equate shipping or finding characters/actors desirable with their lust objects having to be young and pretty. As though anyone over 50 went magically asexual and celibate over night.

Okay, EJO really isn't my type at all, but MMD? Well, let's just say that I spend quite some time during my BSG watching staring at Laura Roslin's legs... :)