[ SECRET POST #3189 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3189 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 045 secrets from Secret Submission Post #455.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[elaminator]

but I don't see why discussing media I love is somehow abnormal and weird.

I don't understand that either, though I don't think that's what OP is saying. (I wonder if the fic in question was smut fic, or if the writing group had any rules about what they could submit for critique. I can understand not being a fan, but unless the person in question 'broke the rules' then...*shrugs*.)

As far as 'talking about media in public', unless you are bringing fandom up constantly, into topics that are not even remotely related then I don't see the problem. People generally enjoy talking about what they like...if that piece of media is something you're passionate about it only makes sense to me you might want to discuss it.

I wouldn't ask anyone (outside of fandom, obviously) fandom specific questions unless I knew they were interested in the fandom itself (and maybe not even then; it would depend on the person and our relationship), but people should do what makes them happy.

[(Anonymous)]

"I wonder if the fic in question was smut fic"

That's one of the only reasons why I would understand this kneejerk rule of not bringing up a fanfiction with a writing group.

If it's a writing group to just work on writing I don't see why a fanfic is automatically bad. I mean if there was no one who knew the fandom, that might be embarrassing, but that doesn't mean it's bad to ask.

Honestly if someone brought up a (non smut) fic with a writing group that would tell me that they want their fic to be the best it can be, which IMO is admirable.

[(Anonymous)]

Come on, don't act like people that aren't involved in fandoms at all aren't massively judgmental and weirded out by outward expressions of fandom. I'm part of a writing club myself, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that if someone came in with a story about Sherlock and John, Specifically from the Modern-Day BBC Program, Kissing Each Other, the poor sap would get a reception of hard stares and stifled laughter.

It's simply a reality that fandom and ficwriting is seen by the majority as immature. Of course that's not true, but you're not going to have much luck convincing people. And that's why it pings so hard on the secondhand embarrassment, 'cause you know the love they're coming into it with and it's immediately denigrated and turned into a joke. Likely, a lot of us have been burned by that before, so of course it's embarrassing to see it happen to someone else.

AYRT

[(Anonymous)]

"Come on, don't act like people that aren't involved in fandoms at all aren't massively judgmental and weirded out by outward expressions of fandom."

Oh they are. I just think it's stupid to be judgmental at least.

It's one thing to be sympathetic to their situations. But it's another when people are going "Ugh, they shouldn't do that, Fandom should be kept to fandom". That's honestly what I see a lot.

Re: AYRT

[(Anonymous)]

That's not what secondhand embarrassment is, though. The secondhand embarrassment comes from putting yourself in the other person's shoes and imagining the feelings they're going through when they're stared/laughed at, and inwardly being like "yep, not something I'd do myself, 'cause geeeeez."

They can do whatever they like, and more power to them if it doesn't bother them (though, in my experience, it almost always does-- or they're so socially unaware that they don't notice in the first place), but it makes me cringe real hard.

[(Anonymous)]

This. This exactly.

And I'm not even someone who keeps my fannish stuff a secret; my friends all know it's a thing I'm into. But I tend not to bring it up all that much, and when I do I play it casual, because I know that the more earnest and passionate I am about it the more I'll be making everyone uncomfortable.

I would pretty much never ask anyone outside of fandom to read my fanfic, let alone spring it on people in a writing circle. *shudders*

[elaminator]

Yea, I could see how it might be bad if they brought slash and there were homophobic people in their group, but say gen fic for a tv show... I don't see what's so terrible or embarrassing about that. What if it was casefic? (Apparently it wasn't, but I don't see what the problem with that would be.)

I know there are people who automatically cringe at anything involving fandom IRL, and there's not much you can do about that, but it sounds like they honestly wanted critique on their work. Good for them for having the courage to bring it.

[kitelovesyou]

And the badness would be the other people's homophobia, not the fan.

[elaminator]

Yea, the fan wouldn't have anything to be ashamed of, but if the people in their group were total asshats about it then they should find a new group.

Which would be an inconvenience, but would be better in the long run. Why hang out with unpleasant people if you aren't being forced to?

[(Anonymous)]

Bringing fic to a writing group is inappropriate because that's not what most writing groups are for. They're meant for workshopping original writing, generally with an eye towards publication - the purpose is more craft than hobby. Most members of most writing groups would be annoyed if you brought in your fanfic for workshopping, because you'd be wasting their time. (And yours - critique that works for an original short story often won't work for fanfic, because fanfic has its own conventions and culture and relies on a lot of shortcuts that won't fly in original works.)

There are fandom-centric and fandom-friendly writing groups out there, but they advertise themselves as such. If you want to polish your fic, find one, or find a beta - don't go into a standard writing group and expect them to be happy to beta for you, any more than you'd go into a con panel on horror movies and start discussing Sailor Moon.