I was just browsing MUNCLE

[leethet]

And it's mindboggling to observe that there're nearly two hundred members. The MFU fandom has moved online (by that I mean LJ, of course) in a pretty big way here - I'm guessing most of these people came along within the last couple of years. It's all good, of course, but it's very startling.

Comments

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

And you should take more part in it!

[leethet.livejournal.com]

I know it! Every time I scan it I get these twinges to finish all the stories languishing on my hard drive. And I will (I think!)...

I'm glad MFU has a bigger LJ presence now - LJ is easier than mailing lists (far easier, to my mind) and a great way to display fic. I should try to catch up on the newest batch of writers, though.

[vysila.livejournal.com]

Echoes Francis' sentiments that you should take more part in MFU. ;)

It's great to see muncle keep growing. LJ seems (to me, at least) to have a more open and fluid style, making it easier to discover and participate in new fandoms. It doesn't hurt, of course, to have wonderful source material and attractive, smart and funny heroes, either.

Hope to see you around - there's good fic to catch up on!

[leethet.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about LJ - it's helped people who're too young for mailing lists (*wink*) to have a comfortable entree into the fandom. It's good that we can adapt to the times in terms of format/access. I know a lot of old-school fandom people are die-hard about zines and mailing lists, but I way prefer the LJ system, for fic and discussion equally.

[vysila.livejournal.com]

Communities like LJ are definitely the next step on the fannish evolutionary scale. I love LJ, the way I can skip around and follow all kinds of interesting discussions, but it isn't linear and it isn't always respectful, and that's a hard adjustment for a lot of older fans. Maybe younger ones, too? But online is how you attract new fans and keep your fandom alive these days, and that's something we all want. I agree about the fic - tags and memories make it easy to find exactly what you want, when you want it.

But I still love my zines, too. Reading paper is easier on my eyes than reading from a screen. I'd like to think there's room for all of it in fandom.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, as I've said in the past, nothing against zines, nothing even against mailing lists. But I loves me my LJ access. :-) It's easiest of all for me.

[slashpine.livejournal.com]

Hey! Not surprising. We cousins are just sneaky....

[slashpine.livejournal.com]

Hmm. How many stories? After all that languishing, they should be pretty well "matured" by now. Yum.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Well, quite a few. I just sort of had to take a hiatus after changing over my computer resulted in my losing what would have been a really good story. It still makes me sick to think that one's gone forever and I haven't the heart to try to re-start it. But I do have others.

Sympathy :-(

[slashpine.livejournal.com]

OW. Computers are more evil to writers now than cold winters of the Bohemian age, forcing young artists to burn their drafts for warmth!

Of course, the Ideas from such lost stories are never gone, nor the benefit of having practiced one's writing on them -- because the Artist is still there. So I would think its 'genius' or spirit could/would come back, no?

Re: Sympathy :-(

[leethet.livejournal.com]

I wish. The frustration (I tried for days - and I mean that literally - not at odd hours for days, but for whole days - to find a program that would get it back) was just immense, probably so much so that it blocked off any ability to recapture the story. God. It would have been so good, too. I retrieved my notes, but the actual story was gone forever, and I just don't have the heart to even look at it any more. This was like three years ago (geez, possibly 4 now).

Re: Sympathy :-(

[slashpine.livejournal.com]

Bummer. Your pain and frustration, the time lost, the need to just. stop. thinking about it... are very clear. You hear from time to time about this kind of destruction to someone's writing, or painting, or other art in progress, and you're right I think, this is the response that usually has to be.

I wonder how common it really is? I mean - they love writing and making movies (usually bad) about artists who suffer insanity or illnesses, struggle with poverty or are caught in war. Can't think offhand if I've seen anything ever on frequency of this type of loss/disaster, and the impact.

(Reminds self to ask artist sister who seems to know Everything about Art.)

(Reminds self to go get that DigiQuest backup drive, even on the expensive credit card, lest own laptop data be suddenly lost. Too dreadful to contemplate.)

Re: Sympathy :-(

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Oh man. Definitely back stuff up. It was months later before I realized I'd also lost another MFU story - a lighter fun one that I was bummed to lose, but it was nothing in comparison.

*Goes to back things up right now, just in case...*

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Well, you aren't. Well, at least, you aren't in HP. ;-)

If I'd been paying more than occasional attention over here I'd've noticed the growth, instead of being startled by it. But it is a good thing - there's always a sort of shift in tone when a batch of new writers comes in, so it'll be interesting to examine it, now that I'm "old school" (not compared to first cousins, of course, but compared to the newer folks).

[slashpine.livejournal.com]

Well, you aren't. Well, at least, you aren't in HP. ;-)

Snerk. But Potterverse people don't lurk. And I am but the merest house-elf occasionally popping in to cheer, or roll eyes at, the active players and *cough* major names in fanfic *cough*

If I'd been paying more than occasional attention over here I'd've noticed the growth, instead of being startled by it. But it is a good thing - there's always a sort of shift in tone when a batch of new writers comes in, so it'll be interesting to examine it, now that I'm "old school" (not compared to first cousins, of course, but compared to the newer folks).

This should really take off when the DVDs come out, eh? :: wriggles in excited anticipation ::

And I think you're right - each new cohort, even when they come in separately, change the conversational topics and mood of the party. Very neat to see, and I think it will just keep unfolding even faster after the DVDs come out (knock on the wood of Alexander Waverly's briar pipe, since the furniture and building are all metal).

What will distinguish the MUNCLE comm from all others, I believe, is the presence of an active, respected and knowledgeable contingent of first cousins in this LJ comm. Excited newcomers and newly reinterested former fans will come into this community and find well-established fanon, archives, and wise older members to applaud and advise them.

This should help the getting-settled-in processes go quickly and more smoothly... decrease potential wank or rough netiquette ... in short, function as a textbook "Community of Practice" case (I think. That just occurs to me; I was studying CoP's last year and it dawns on me that this might be worth study! Oooh. My nerdly self twitches to life.)

At any rate, I think it will all be Good. Especially if when older cousins, like you, are inspired to bring out new stories to join in the festivity. That has its own awesome synergy.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

This should really take off when the DVDs come out, eh?

Oh yeah. I think there'll be lots of new folks and even new energy from old folks. :-)

And I think you're right - each new cohort, even when they come in separately, change the conversational topics and mood of the party.

This is true but I was actually thinking of the fact (well, I think it's a fact) that each new generation (and I don't mean "generation" in an age sense, although that can be part of it) brings in a perceptible shift in writing tone/style - now, sometimes that's good (harder edged stuff with less girlifying of the characters seems to be one benefit of more recent fics in this fandom [generalizing here!]) sometimes it's not so good (the tendency of fandom butterflies to dabble for a while, producing a bunch of Any Two Guys stories, then move on) - but just as I was shifting my energies into HP we got a batch of multifandom people coming into MFU. There was a shift toward LJ, which I heartily approve, and for the most part good fiction (although, yes, there was some ATG stuff in there too, IMO).