snowflake challenge #4

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Challenge #4:

In your own space, make a list of things that you wish existed in fandom or elsewhere, and/or that you'd like someone to create or do for you. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

A machine that will write my fics for me! :D Oh, wait, this is not the impossible wish list? Okay, for real then:

Book recs: I really want to get back into reading but I don't know where to start. I really like mysteries (not thrillers though) and the Jane Austen-type books (I also loved North & South).

Comic book recs! I would like to start getting into DC Comics this year but I'm a little confused on where to start or if there are online resources on where to access them. Clark, Lois, and Clark/Lois are my favorites.

More fics, fic recs, fanart/icons, fanvids, and/or fanvid recs for my favorite ships, especially the rarepairs (listed below):
Smallville: Clark/Oliver, Clark/Lois/Oliver, Lois/Tess, Lois/Lana, Lana/Tess
Gilmore Girls: Lane/Dave
Ted Lasso: Sam/Jamie (though I would love Ted Lasso icons in general! Where do people get those?)
MCU: Sam/T'Challa, Sam/Erik Killmonger, Nebula/Rhodey

Better ways to interact with fandom people, especially to squee about ships and fic ideas together. Yes, I'm nostalgic for the peak LJ days. I do miss having a regular beta too. I like Tumblr, but it doesn't work that way, and I am not quite sure where the majority of people hang out on DW. Also, I have no idea how to use Discord. My fellow co-mods over at Rare Femslash Exchange probably know that by now.

Better tagging system on AO3. I wish people would learn that you don't have to tag every ship/character, especially the "past" relationships or ones that you're bashing. I wish we could get a primary and secondary ship filter. That would be cool but I'm not a coder so I have no idea how that would work.

More of a live and let live attitude. The block feature (something else I wished existed on AO3) exists. I wish people didn't feel the need to justify their ships. I hope people are writing what they like, even if it isn't the most popular thing. It is sad to see burn out over lack of interest.

In note to the above, more feedback! I know no one is "owed" comments, but if you like something, leave a quick note. The author will be grateful. And I do kinda wish comments were mandatory in exchanges, but that is a path I don't want to go down right now.

Comments

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I'm glad to have helped! I figure if you follow any accounts that are about comic book characters (or are characters who originate from comics), maybe searching "comic" might get you some recs. 🤔 I can't remember how I stumbled across that list (it would've been a year or so ago) but I have found that the blogs that seem to be dedicated to a specific character (or fans who are super into a character) tend to have a comics list.

Who knew commenting would be such a point of controversy?
Maybe I come from a jaded part of fandom, but I think a lot of it comes from a lot of entitlement. I kind of have this perspective that people think they are owed comments, thus they deserve them, and if they don't get comments, then why should they comment on someone else's work? (I've seen a creator complain about not getting comments despite getting a healthy dose of 5-8 per chapter, yet they don't comment on the fics they read.)

I suspect it's also controversial because a lot of people complain about not getting comments, then that makes readers (and viewers? I don't know what we call it for fan artists) feel self-conscious because creators complain they don't get comments yet they get a few comments from the type of reader who says "This was great!" but their complaints disregard those loyal readers who do comment—just not to the creator's standards. (I guess it's entitlement and a lack of gratitude.)

I think it's a whole kettle of fish. It's interesting to look at from the outside, but frustrating as fork to be in the very centre of it.

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Good point. There are people who have probably made rec lists over the years and I'm sure the library will have comic books too- it is just that I have never thought to check. I'll do some googling later. :D

I get what you mean by the entitlement. Some people really do come off as Dudley, with his last year he had 37 presents, don't they? And it is a shame that people seem to believe that if they don't get comments, they shouldn't comment on anyone else's works or don't bother commenting even if they do. Lot of hypocrisy in fandom (and outside fandom too, to be fair).

That's the problem with saying anything too- you don't want to seem ungrateful for those who do comment but some people genuinely don't get much interaction and unless you write for yourself (I do but that comes with having started writing solely because barely anyone was writing Clark/Ollie and my brain went 'why not me'), you will end up feeling disheartened. With the insistence only a certain type of comment be good enough for some people though, it certainly isn't encouraging for newbies to take that next step to leave one.

Well said.