crumb dumpster

Snowflake Challenge, Day 15

In your own space, share a favorite memory about fandom: the first time you got into fandom, the last time a fanwork touched your heart, crazy times with fellow fans (whether on-line or off-line), a lovely comment you’ve received or have left for someone.

Let me tell you about themostepotente.

I think I started talking to Miss P in about 2005. We've grown quite close since then; I met her in person the first time when she came out to an anime convention in my neighborhood, and I talk to her on the phone at least once a week.

The best, most awesome experience was Azkatraz in 2008. I'm terrified of flying, so my plan was to drive from LA to San Francisco. Miss P didn't like the idea of me driving all that way alone, so she flew out to LA instead of straight to the con and we made the drive together. BEST ROAD TRIP. And I'm not just saying that because my trip home from Lumos 2005 was such a disaster. The entire con was fantastic, but I really, really enjoyed the trip there and back, because I got to chill with Miss P for seven hours each way, just chatting and talking fandom, and she never once fell asleep on me.

I really love Tumblr on the whole, but there are days when it makes me want to laugh hysterically and light myself on fire at exactly the same time. Turns out, today is one of those days. Right now there's this whole pocket of Tolkien purists who are determined to stop the movie fangirls from shipping things they don't like with condescending lectures on elf sexuality and incest taboos in Middle Earth, or whatever. Which, no thanks.

First of all, your in-depth knowledge of canon minutia doesn't really impress me, because I'm a pretty dedicated Tolkien nerd myself. I've read the books numerous times, including footnotes and appendices, as well as Unfinished Tales and all the 'notes' volumes Christopher Tolkien published. I've also got a Tolkien bestiary, a book of songs, about five Middle Earth encyclopedias, and a English to Khuzdul dictionary. I can read and write 'Hobbit' runes as easily as English. But I'm also aware that canon and fanon are two separate things, that book and movie 'verses don't always overlap just right, and that fandom is its own space where I'm allowed to ship what I want.

Onward:

Snowflake Challenge, Day 13

In your own space, ask for recs. Something as simple as "I like XYZ (where XYZ is a kink, a pairing, a trope, etc) - please rec me some."

I've been on a The Hobbit kick recently, so. Let's go with that. I'll probably read just about anything, whether it's book 'verse or movie 'verse, but I particularly like:

- Bilbo/Thorin
- Bilbo/Bofur
- Thorin/Thranduil
- Fíli/Kíli
- Fíli/Kíli/Thorin¹

I've discovered I like Thorin/Thranduil best when it's a little angsty and dub-connish, but beyond that I have no real preference in the kink department, mainly because I'm at a point where I'm just happy enough to find smut. A lot of the The Hobbit fics at AO3 cap off in PG13 territory, which I get -- Tolkien's narrative has a certain non-sexual/courtly love feel to it -- but a girl cannot survive on cuddling fics alone.



¹My only regret is there aren't more Durins for me to ship together.

Snowflake Challenge, Day 10

In your own space, talk about a creator. Show us why you think they are amazing. It can be a detailed, thoughtful analysis, or a squeeful, joyful post.

I've gathered you here today to talk about snegurochka_lee.

Not only is Lee a fantastic person in general, she's a fantastic author. Seriously, her entire body of work is solid gold. Enough that she's developed a pied-piper effect on me over the years -- I'll cheerfully follow her into pairings and kinks I'm not particularly into, because I trust her writing.

A few absolute favorites:

Black Chords (the Firework of Madness Remix) [Sirius/Snape, James/Sirius, James/Lily, Snape/Lily, adult]

This one here is sheer genius. The original ficlet is very good but also very short; Lee fleshed it out into a much longer story about anger and jealousy and desperation, and two enemies who get pushed together by emptiness and all the things they can't have.

Napoleon in Three Acts [James/Sirius, Regulus/Sirius]

I love this one for many reasons. The Regulus/Sirius dynamic is pretty much perfect. It also nails a lot of my personal James/Sirius headcanons -- that Sirius was basically James' Dude exception, that in James' mind, that any physicality was just an extension of their close friendship in a 'it's not gay if it's just us' kind of way, which was quietly poisonous, and not really fair to Sirius, because it left no space for Sirius' feelings.

A Soliloquy in Eight Words [James/Snape, adult]

This is a retelling of 'The Prince's Tale' chapter of HBP, where it's James instead of Lily. He befriends James as a child, falls in love with James as a teenager, loses James as the war pulls them in different directions, and begins spying for Dumbledore in a bid to protect James from Voldemort. It's heartbreaking and perfectly done.

20 Random Facts About Remus Lupin [Remus, adult]

This one is free of flaws. If you don't start sobbing at the end of it you have no soul.

An Inconvenient Wedding [Draco/Hermione, adult]

Here we have an example of Lee leading me into pairings I don't normally read. Draco/Hermione doesn't normally do it for me. Infidelity fic does, however, and since Lee wrote it, I gave it a shot. Totally worth it.

--

On top of all this, Lee also actively recs both fic and art. If you are ever looking for something to read, check out her tag page. All her Sunday Recs posts are tagged by art, fic, pairing, author/artist, and theme, so there's a good chance you'll find exactly what you wanted. Absolutely brilliant fandom resource.

What I Think About What I Wrote Last Year, a meme stolen from featherxquill

( cut for length and lolintrospection )

And now, onto this year:

Snowflake Challenge, Day 8

In your own space, talk about setting yourself a fannish goal. Big or small, it doesn't matter. Some examples: complete a bingo, sign up for a Big Bang, write that fic you've been thinking about for years, podfic that story that you love, make a fanmix for your fandom, post that bit of meta or reclist you keep putting off. Maybe resolve to be better at leaving feedback or answering comments.

- Write another Good Omens fic.

- Write another American Gods fic

- Finish my 3 half-written Teen Wolf fics

- Write more Game of Thrones fics that aren't just porn.

Snowflake Challenge, Day 6

In your own space, pimp three comms or challenges and explain why you love them.

1. rs_small_gifts

This is an awesome Remus/Sirius fest. It's prompt/claim based, which I kind of prefer to assignment exchanges at this point, and it's super low-key, because it's just for small gifts. Fics are meant to be 1,000-3,000 words. I've done it three years now -- 2007, 2011, and 2012 -- and each year I've written something I really liked, and I received something absolutely fabulous. Also, the mods never strung me up by my toes for my chronic tardiness, so. A++++.

2. dysfuncentine


This is a Harry Potter Valentines Day fest for shitty relationships. BEST IDEA EVER. I did it last year, and wrote a fic I really liked for a pairing I hadn't given much thought in years. It's also prompt/claimed based. In fact, claiming in currently open.

3. go_exchange


This is a holiday Good Omens exchange. I've done it twice, in I believe 2007 and 2008. It generates a large amount of pretty fantastic stuff every year, which is awesome, because Good Omens is kind of a low-volume fandom. I'm sad I missed it this year; the problem with Good Omens is that it's one of those fandoms where I'm super inspired to write, or I have no clue how to even get something started.

4. hp_beholder.

This fest is for Harry Potter characters who are ugly, ignored, unpopular, or just don't get any love. Lots of fun, lots of awesome fic, and lots of rarepairs.

fandom_stocking went live last night! I got several awesome things, including icons and a ficlet IOU.

On the fandom activities front, blue_eyed_1987 is hosting a Multifandom Pretend Dating/Relationship Fest. I'm already eyeballing one of the prompts; fake boyfriends is one of my favorite tropes.

--

Snowflake Challenge, Day 4

In your own space, create a list of at least three fannish things you'd love to receive, something you've wanted but were afraid to ask for - a fannish wish-list of sorts.

1. Transformative works of my stuff -- podfic, fanart, photosets, fanmixes. Anything like that.

2. Rumor has it that Gage Golightly isn't returning for season three of Teen Wolf. Someone should really write the filthy Stiles/Erica porn I've been wanting, before fandom ends up fridging her character completely.

3. More American Gods fic, period. I don't care which characters, or what plot/scenarios/tropes. Just more American Gods fic.

Snowflake Challenge, Day 2

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create.

The Woman in the Picture by vehemently. [Chandlerverse; Philip Marlowe, gen]

I Forgot All The Rules Today entanglednow [Teen Wolf; Derek/Stiles, adult]

Love, Like a Sentence of Death by devildoll [Teen Wolf; Derek/Stiles, adult]

For Spite by pherede [The Hobbit; Thorin/Thranduil, adult]

A Dream of Winter by linndechir [Game of Thrones; Jon/Stannis, adult]

Day 14

Ask for help.

I just asked themostepotente to beta my dysfuncentine fic, and I asked gryffindorj to beta my sirius_black fic.

Day 12

Rec at least three fanworks that you think would make a good intro into your fandom

.

Harry Potter is, I think, a very hard fandom to pin down. It's been around for years and years and years, and it's incredibly, just incredibly large. I don't think you can narrow it's entire point and purpose into a handful of fics. You can't just say "hey, read these three or fics right here, they'll explain everything, tell you everything you need to know."

Instead, I'm going to take this opportunity to rec some of my favorite gen fics. All of these are older fics -- before DH, even before HBP -- but that doesn't really matter. A really, really good gen fic is timeless, because it takes you back to how you felt and thought before the new canon arrived.


the whole of the moon by minervacat [Harry, Remus, gen]

I'm pretty sure I've recced this before. Whatever, it's phenomenal. I so badly wanted for Harry and Remus to develop a strong friendship in HBP. I was disappointed when that didn't really happen, and I'm pretty sure this fic is the main reason why.

Wordless by penknife [Arthur, PG]

I'm pretty sure I've recced this one before, too. The very first time I read this, the first thing I did afterward was call my dad. I haven't read it since he died, because quite honestly, I can't.

A Cloak, Many Colours, and the Boy Who Didn't Live by snegurochka_lee [James, gen]

Oh, James. If DH hadn't come along and told me otherwise, I would have believe this is the way things happened. Every single word of it.

A Certain Night by mindabbles [Neville, Longbottoms, gen]

This is one of those fics that attacked me from behind. I mean, I never knew I wanted a gen fic about Neville and his family until I read this. After I read this, I didn't understand why I hadn't thought about wanting a gen fic about Neville and his family in the first place.

Aphelion by carmine_ink [Peter, Remus/Sirius, gen]

This is a Remus/Sirius fic in some ways, but it a lot of ways, it's really about Peter. And it's about a Peter you don't see very often in fic, if you see Peter at all. This Peter is clever, capable, patient, and shrewd -- as opposed to the bumbling idiot who is constantly sent to the kitchens so James, Remus, and Sirius can have some privacy to shag.

Fire on Babylon by musesfool [Draco/Various, adult]

I know I said this list was going to be about gen fic, and here I am linking to something with an adult rating. That's the thing with a really, really good fic -- it can't always be neatly pigeonholed into a particularly category. Yeah, this fic has sex in it. In fact, it has both het and slash. But really, this fic is about Draco. It is very perfectly about Draco.

Day 10

Talk about a creator

A few weeks ago, I recced Sleeping in the Devil's Bed, a flawless and hot-as-hell Sirius/Narcissa fic from smutty_claus. I've been super anxious for reveals, because I really wanted to know who wrote it.

gryffindorj wrote it.

I haven't really had a chance to read any of her other stuff, what with being in and out of hiatus for the last two years. I went rummaging around in her masterlist this afternoon, and I found some absolute gems:

Wedding Bells Blue Balls Remix [James/Remus, NC17]

I really do love James/Remus, and this one is both clever and filthy-hot. Remus' mouth should be washed out with soap.

Curious [James/Regulus, Remus/Sirius, NC17]

JAMES/REGULUS IS THE RAREPAIR OF MY SOUL.

Make way for shower sex, and a perfectly pushy Regulus, and did I mention the shower sex? It also has James creeping on Remus and Sirius while they make out -- which is one of my favorite things ever -- and Remus' mouth should be washed out with soap here, too.

Death on Two Legs Harry/Sirius, NC17

This is a brilliant EWE AU where Harry is an Auror and Sirius has been reincarnated as Death.

What it says on the tin, kids. I can't explain it any better than that without giving all the fabulous bits away.

Glitch [Sirius/Teddy, NC17]

I didn't know I wanted this pairing until I read it, and this -- this is perfectly angsty and wrong.

Day 8

Talk about a talent (or talents) you have

Once upon a time, I was a musician.

( details, details )

Day 6

Rec at least three fanworks you thought you wouldn't like but did.

Exorcism by cluegirl [Harry Potter; Harry/Ron, adult]

I wasn't into Harry/Ron for a long time, mainly because the little bit I'd read was overly fluffy, and extreme fluff doesn't agree with my digestion.

Anyway, this fic. I started reading it accidentally. No, really. It was a thousand years ago, so I don't know exactly how it happened -- either it was mistagged on a newsletter/recs post, or I just can't read. However it went down, I didn't realize it was Harry/Ron until I was already five or six paragraphs in, and by that point, I was already sold.

I'm so glad I kept reading it, because it's flawless.

Nightblooming Heartsease by julad [Harry Potter; Neville/Snape, adult]

So, yeah. Snape/Neville is one of those pairings that just doesn't do it for me. Most of the time, anyway. With that in mind, I had no intention of reading this, even though I'd heard really wonderful things about it.

I eventually caved, though, because it's a prequel to Transfigurations, and my love for that fic cannot be textually rendered. I'm really glad I did cave, because it's brilliant.

A God Amongst Men by floweringjudas [Harry Potter; James/Remus, adult]

I saw this recced in a few places when it was first posted, and I was pretty excited about it, because James/Remus is always in short supply. However, a couple people told me flat out that I wouldn't like it, given my usual fic preferences and my unholy love for James Potter. The Marauders are not a happy family here -- a premise I actually like from time to time, provided it's done well -- and the characterization of James is fairly brutal. In short, he's a complete ass.

Eventually, I just couldn't help myself. Like I said, I do occasionally like fics where the Marauders are not really BFFs. This is really, really well done. Particularly the way it includes Lily and Sirius, and the events of the first war.

Truck Driving with the Dead by kennahijja [Harry Potter; Ron, gen]

Second-person POV is usually a deal-breaker for me. I just can't handle it. I'm not sure what the problem is, exactly -- I just don't enjoy it. Maybe my brain doesn't work that way. If I do sit down and read a fic written in second-person, usually what happens is about three paragraphs in I start trying to transpose it into third-person in my head just so I can understand what's going on, and I end up with a headache.

Several people told me I should read it anyway. Turns out, they were totally right. It is beautifully done.

The Way We Live Now by kabeyk [Harry Potter; Draco/Remus/Snape, adult]

My initial issue here was the pairing.

I mean, the idea of Remus/Draco interests me strangely¹, but I'm not all that big on Remus/Snape or Draco/Snape, and I didn't think the mixed bag approach would work out any better for me. However, I've always liked kabeyk's writing, and this fic has werewolf!Draco². Believe me, werewolf!Draco was enough to tip the scales.

And I totally loved it. It's clever and hot and Snape is fantastic.




¹ Don't lie. Now that I've mentioned it, it interests you strangely, too.
² So does this.

Day 4

Introduce yourself to someone you admire and friend/follow them on whatever platform you use.

I finally followed docfunk @ Tumblr, because his NBA photo/captions own my soul.