NOVEMBER REMINDER & online fandom exchanges

[colls]

POST PART 1
There are less than 10 days left in November - ACK! If you signed up and haven't posted yet, consider this a gentle reminder. :)
We have a couple open slots for December for any interested parties. Please see the host-a-post

Also, remember that random social posting is always cool here.

POST PART 2
Do you participate in any online fandom exchanges? If so, which are your favorite?

Comments

[lea_hazel]

I've had mixed experiences with fandom exchanges. Yuletide has always been too big and too intimidating for me, not to mention a very inconvenient time. About a year and a half ago I did an original fic exchange that went very well. :) Conversely my first anonymous fic exchange was pretty disappointing, mostly because I felt like my submission was subpar.

[colls]

I agree about yuletide being intimidating and BIG. Also, so many of the fandoms are things I've never heard of. An original fic exchange sounds fun! It also sounds hard. LOL


awe.... I'm sure that your recipient adored it.

[goodbyebird]

After catching the failboat and sailing off into the Well That Went To Shit-set, I've stopped signing up to exchanges. Having your brain refuse to give you anything to work with really sucks, since you're letting someone down. I'm looking forward to fandomstockings tho. No pressure there, just random gifties for awesome people :D

(oh god I just remembered chaila plans on doing a SCC vid exchange next ear, and I can't not sign up for that *starts chewing nails*)

[colls]

Yeah, I hate feeling the pressure of producing something subpar, but I still can't resist exchanges. I have 2 this year that are a bit of a struggle.


wait..... SCC = Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles? or something else?

[goodbyebird]

Sarah Connor Chronicles :)

[swordznsorcery]

I've mostly fallen out with fandom. It happened around the time that the whole internet just seemed to want to talk about shipping. I can't seem to convince the world that car chases and explosions are infinitely better than romance.

Woe is me.

[goodbyebird]

Wait wait, I thought fandom was built on top of porn *g* Pretty much lucky we get a side helping of other stuff from time to time.

You're not alone tho! Explosions and snark ftw \o/
(also, zombies. always zombies. and the downfall of society. and AIs that weird people out yes please.)

[swordznsorcery]

Porn has been there pretty much since the beginning, yes. There was a time when people were prepared to talk about other things as well, though!

Here, have a song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCVMuevcCvY

It may be relevant to your interests. ;)

[goodbyebird]

I can't stream yt at the moment,but I'm going to pretend it's 'too many dicks on the dancefloor' ;)

[swordznsorcery]

It's actually "Zombie Love Song". It's fun. Hopefully you can catch it some time. :)

[colls]

CARS!!!! Car chases and explosions are WIN! Especially car chases. I have a thing for cars. :)


But yes, a lot of fandom does seem to focus on shipping. I think it's a big part of what draws some into fandom in the first place, the lack of romance on screen and the fact that we want to see it? I'm thinking stuff like Mulder/Scully in X-files, etc.

[swordznsorcery]

I understand that if people are invested in the characters, they want to talk about them, and how they relate to each other. It's the shipping as the be-all-and-end-all of fandom that frustrates me. Especially when all fandom wants to discuss, and write fic about, are relationships that don't even exist. "White Collar" fandom is built almost solely around Peter/Neal shipping, but one of the grounding facets of Peter's character is his happy marriage. It leads me to wonder why people watch a show, when the thing that they seem to love about it the most is something that they've made up, and that they will never see on screen.

And besides, car chases are better than kissing. They just are. :p

[everythingshiny]

lol hostapost. so cute.

I LIKE GIFTGIVING.
i've done a lot of exchanges in the past, usually i do things like fandom_stocking, insmallpackages @ lj and then a few fandom-specific for the fandoms i'm in.

this year i'm doing ouat, avengers and a general exchange for my bros.

in the past i've done other single-fandom ones, but i like the low key ones best because i always feel bad when i can't think of what to do for someone

[colls]

I LIKE GIFTGIVING.
It's like saying GRAVITY EXISTS.
:D

I have SO MUCH and every year I say LET'S DO LESS and I fail.
But I love it, so whatever.

[everythingshiny]

lol it is like saying gravity exists.

:D same. but its always worth it in the end

[brisus]

RANDOM POSTING FTW!
Hehe. :)

I do not participate in any online fandom exchanges. I'm also not sure what this entails. lol

[colls]

Well, there are several varieties of exchanges.

Categories and explanations are entirely my own and not 'official'

TRADITIONAL
There's the large ones like Yuletide in which you sign up for fandoms/characters and the mods match you with another participant. You agree to write for them and in return someone writes something for you. Yuletide is large (did I mention that?) and has more rules than most exchanges - I think perhaps because it deals in rare fandoms and, well, it's large. I don't do Yuletide because I'm slightly intimidated. Ha! I do participate in Festivids festivids which was built on the same premise only it's fanvids instead of fanfic.

There are some fandom-specific exchanges that run in a similar way, sometimes they're multi-media, sometimes fanfic only, etc. It varies. I think Tash above mentioned Avengers Exchange and there's one on DW for The Loser's called ante_up_losers.

NON-TRADITIONAL
Then there are low-pressure ones where you're NOT matched, you simply sign up with a list of things you like and then random people make you gifts. Both fandom_stocking and insmallpackages are random like that - although they're each run slightly differently. I know both of these also include non-fandom things like holiday recipes, stock icons, music playlists, etc.

I'm doing 6 traditional exchanges and 2 non-traditional ones this year. I'm also hoping to make "treats" which are just what they sound like (additional gifts for people you're not matched up with)

IS THIS ALL MORE THAN YOU WANTED TO KNOW??? :)

[brisus]

You explained it very well, but I guess you could say I don't quite understand the concept. Mostly writing communities then? like role-playing sorta?

[colls]

well, I mostly vid, but yes - they're mostly writing communities. Not role-playing, just fanfic. I guess the exchanges I'm familiar with tend to be fannishly related.

[natsudive]

I've participated in a few JPop/KPop writing exchanges.

Last year, I was kind of burnt out on all the ones I signed up for, and I told myself I would do any this year, but then haha new fandom happened and I couldn't help myself TT^TT I think I'm a closet masochist or something. I've got a 1k check-in due on Friday and I've only written 344 words, ha.

[colls]

I've got a 1k check-in due on Friday and I've only written 344 words, ha.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
*shakes pom-poms*


Last year I had one that was hard and this year I have a couple that are a bit challenging, but I'm going to make it! I keep saying I'm going to back off and while I will cross one of the list, two more show up to take its place. THIS IS NOT HELPFUL.

[natsudive]

I keep saying I'm going to back off and while I will cross one of the list, two more show up to take its place.

YES, YES, EXACTLY. I think I have a problem u_____u

Thank you for the encouragement! ^.^

[realrose]

I've never done an exchange. I actually don't really enjoy making fandom graphics, or writing fic, so... just doesn't appeal to me.

[colls]

Maybe fandom_stocking would appeal to you since some of the gifts are random well-wishes, greetings, recipes and other warm-fuzzies like that. Also, you don't have to receive in order to give - or vice versa.

[realrose]

Maybe! That does sound like a better format for me... I'll check it out!