One of my favorite thing about fandom is the fan fiction rabbit hole I always fall in. Like at first, upon finishing the canon material, I’m all “ok I want cannon verse fic, tell me what happens after the story, or before, but I’m super critical of characterization and relation to canon events” and now, my ass out here like “Alright how about a *spins wheel* Victorian Era *spin* bakery AU with *throws dart* a slow burn love triangle”
Do you ever, like, realize that people in real life don’t actually speak in, for lack of a better term, tumblr-lingo when talking about television shows? Words like fandom, ships, OTP, or even season 2a, season 2b, don’t exist in their realm.
They literally just watch a TV show, and that’s it??? Maybe they’ll catch it again next week??? What even is that??
OMG, this is @ariestess and myself talking to Roommate! Makes us INSANE.
me: I can’t watch this show with you right now, it’s making me too sad.
my mom: you know it’s just a TV show, right? you don’t have to let it affect your life like this.
And then people ask when’s the last time you read a book, and I’m like “… … a few months ago” even though I just read 100k over the last two days, and then I can feel them judging me for not reading.
This tiny poll’s not multiple choice like the last ones… the question before us is
What does “being in a fandom” mean to you?
Are you in a fandom when you like the object of fandom? When you talk with other people about it? When you write fanworks? When you go to cons? None of the above, all of the above? Reblog this, tell us what you think, and let’s talk about it!
In the past I’ve considered myself to be in a fandom when that was what I was reading fic about/thinking about. Now that I’ve fallen harder into a new fandom than I have for at least five years, I’m amending that definition! Talking to people, consuming lots of other content on tumblr related to that fandom, writing fic that I actually plan to post–this is what “being in fandom” looks like to me at the moment at least. (No cons yet, but one day!)
Someone: Hey do you know what’s happening on [insert gay/lesbian show]?
Me, who has never watched the show but whose tumblr dash does the Great Gay Migration™ anyway: Yes.
Question of Smoke 