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When writers talk about writing, whether they're novelists or journalists, they always mention the necessity of being surrounded by a supportive community. This is something I'm really big on in my professional life, since success begets success. What's often referred to as "professional networking" isn't actually so soulless or corporate; it's mainly about sparking and maintaining friendships that have nothing to do with work.
Still, I've always been shy about "networking" in fandom, mainly because I'm a relatively bit player. Leaving comments on AO3 is all well and good, because who reads comments on AO3 anyway (I read them), but Tumblr is hard. I feel like I can never tell when I'm coming off as friendly and when I'm coming off as obnoxious.
Over the past three or four months I've been trying to participate in community building in a small corner of the Zelda fandom. Mostly people ignore me, but for the people who don't I worry about stepping on invisible landmines and crossing invisible boundaries. Because I'm habitually careless about small details, I'm always afraid that people are going to lash out at me for doing something stupid. And in fact this happened a few days ago when I tried to create a short fic rec list and accidentally posted a working draft that had two authors switched around.
How does fandom work? How does friendship work?
I'm writing not to complain about this particular fandom - all things considered, it's fantastic - but rather to put it down on the record that the experience of fandom is not 100% sunshine and rainbows and sparkling unicorn dildos.
Just breathe, child. Breathe. High school is over, and you never have to go back.
Still, I've always been shy about "networking" in fandom, mainly because I'm a relatively bit player. Leaving comments on AO3 is all well and good, because who reads comments on AO3 anyway (I read them), but Tumblr is hard. I feel like I can never tell when I'm coming off as friendly and when I'm coming off as obnoxious.
Over the past three or four months I've been trying to participate in community building in a small corner of the Zelda fandom. Mostly people ignore me, but for the people who don't I worry about stepping on invisible landmines and crossing invisible boundaries. Because I'm habitually careless about small details, I'm always afraid that people are going to lash out at me for doing something stupid. And in fact this happened a few days ago when I tried to create a short fic rec list and accidentally posted a working draft that had two authors switched around.
How does fandom work? How does friendship work?
I'm writing not to complain about this particular fandom - all things considered, it's fantastic - but rather to put it down on the record that the experience of fandom is not 100% sunshine and rainbows and sparkling unicorn dildos.
Just breathe, child. Breathe. High school is over, and you never have to go back.
