Meme: The June Something: Day One

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

This is a fandom meme created by squidgiepdx.





Day 1: What's changed about your fandom life in the last 365 days?

I've started writing for The Old Guard fandom, and for that, I've been learning a lot more about Islam and North African culture to writing Joe more sensitively. For example, I read the 700+ page Oxford History of Islam, I've read every post about Muslims on the Writing With Color webpage, and I just bought (damn you, JSTOR!) an article "The Classical Arabic Detective." BUT The Old Guard fandom is suffering from Ye Olde Top/Bottom unpleasant discourse which I remember from my BBC Sherlock days, though in this fandom is tinged with racism, and it had definitely dampened my enthusiasm. BUT I am still going through with my Unconventional Courtship fic. I participated in Bottom Joe Week and some comments I've read have helped me examine how I write Joe and hopefully helped to write him better.

I abandoned a fic for the first time in 8 years in October. Maybe I will go back to finish it, hope springs eternal. I had a month under 5k words.

But I had very good months, too. I joined the Shedunnit book club, which has definitely introduced me to some authors from the Golden Age of Crime-Writing that I absolutely love (Michael Gilbert, ECR Lorac) but I wouldn't call it 'fandom' because I don't write fic for them. Also, I have been inspired to read all of Agatha Christie's ouvre in order of publication.

I also wrote for A. J. Demas' Sword Dance series for Be the First.

It's difficult to say how things have changed. There have been ups and downs.

Comments

[smallhobbit]

Delighted that you're participating!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thanks!

[kingstoken]

I'm so happy that TOG has brought you joy and learning this past year, but I'm sorry to hear that you have been effected by the top/bottom discourse, sigh, why must there always be something.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yeah, and it's bizarre that it's the same argument that was in the BBC Sherlock fandom, but there is was John and Sherlock, so two white guys, but with Joe being POC and Muslim, you know, there's another (perhaps more valid?) element to it.

What sort of floors me is that I will never have the kind of sex (anal penetrative sex) that is being debated. Imagine choosing that hill to die on (and to hate on).

That said, I did appreciate some of the comments re: Bottom Joe, for example, whose POV is the scene through (an interesting question and one which made me question my defaults). Who gets a full range of emotions, who gets to be vulnerable and weak. And I think I understand the idea of 'talking over POC voices' better and why there can't be Muslim vampires. (One of my current WIP faves is Joe as vampire but he isn't specified as Muslim in the fic) Or the issue of Muslims and magic and that unless it's a world where everyone practices magic (e.g., Harry Potter), then Muslims wouldn't be a part of it.

[debriswoman]

I get the impression that you embark on new ventures thoughtfully and in good faith...I hope the good outweighs the unneeded disputes

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I do, but I come with my own defaults and baggage and conditioning, and it's helpful to unlearn some of that. And when the good is overshadowed by the bad, well, there's always Sherlock Holmes :)