Perhaps this comes from the fact that I stumbled onto a very accomplished, maybe even perfectionist corner of the fandom - a culture that values good writing, as you said. People on my f-list clearly spend a lot of time and effort on their work; I would almost feel as if I were insulting their honest effort if I posted shoddy work. I suppose this is what some people call learning by example.
Yes, I know just what you mean. It's like any other culture, really. You learn from the fics you read just how the "conversation" works. You could compare it to something as mundane as dress codes, for instance. If you are friends with people who dress up when they have dinner parties, you get that this is part of going to a dinner party. Another group of people might not dress up. If you showed up at their house in a dress they might think you looked a little uncomfortable but not mind. They might even compliment how nice you look. (Or maybe they might eventually think you were intentionally trying to make them look sloppy and get angry--I guess that fits in the metaphor too.) But if you went to the fancy dinner party in jeans you'd probably run the risk of offending people for not showing the proper respect that they are. Both groups might laugh at you for your style of clothes.
The trouble is, a beginning sixteen year old writer is likely to be writing just for her circle of friends. It must come as quite a shock for that person to find out that a group of (mostly adult) writers are critisizing, even laughing at her work. But it should be a lesson, as well (if not a lesson in writing, then in the realisation that not everyone will always think you're wonderful).
Yes, and it also goes back to the question of the fan herself deciding how she's going to react. I mean, some young people would get angry at the adult interference and say, "Why are those loser adults making fun of me for hanging out with my friends and having fun? They suck." But another young writer might think, "Do I care if my fic doesn't meet these kinds of standards, or do I actually want these people to admire my fic because they seem to take these things seriously?" That's why, I think, you often come across teenagers disagreeing with each other as well. Some teens come into a fandom and look for people who are like them according to age, others look for the people who share their interest in writing.
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Date: 2005-01-20 08:10 am (UTC)Yes, I know just what you mean. It's like any other culture, really. You learn from the fics you read just how the "conversation" works. You could compare it to something as mundane as dress codes, for instance. If you are friends with people who dress up when they have dinner parties, you get that this is part of going to a dinner party. Another group of people might not dress up. If you showed up at their house in a dress they might think you looked a little uncomfortable but not mind. They might even compliment how nice you look. (Or maybe they might eventually think you were intentionally trying to make them look sloppy and get angry--I guess that fits in the metaphor too.) But if you went to the fancy dinner party in jeans you'd probably run the risk of offending people for not showing the proper respect that they are. Both groups might laugh at you for your style of clothes.
The trouble is, a beginning sixteen year old writer is likely to be writing just for her circle of friends. It must come as quite a shock for that person to find out that a group of (mostly adult) writers are critisizing, even laughing at her work. But it should be a lesson, as well (if not a lesson in writing, then in the realisation that not everyone will always think you're wonderful).
Yes, and it also goes back to the question of the fan herself deciding how she's going to react. I mean, some young people would get angry at the adult interference and say, "Why are those loser adults making fun of me for hanging out with my friends and having fun? They suck." But another young writer might think, "Do I care if my fic doesn't meet these kinds of standards, or do I actually want these people to admire my fic because they seem to take these things seriously?" That's why, I think, you often come across teenagers disagreeing with each other as well. Some teens come into a fandom and look for people who are like them according to age, others look for the people who share their interest in writing.