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The progression of becoming a fan
Aug. 2nd, 2010 11:17 pmHow you know you've become hopelessly obsessed or ahem "fannish" with a fictional story or characters?
Well it starts out slowly, innocently...you start watching or reading out of curiousity - maybe a friend rec'd it to you or you hit on it by accident. You barely even realize that it is capturing your attention at first, your just watching or reading along...then wham! somewhere along the way, you're not sure exactly at what point it happens - you fall hopelessly and irretrievably in love with a character or plot thread or set of characters or lust as the case may be... enraptured so completely by the tale, it hits your kinks and buttons hard! Resonates on all cylinders. To the extent you want to hug the writers/creators and thank them profusely for providing it. And you think, man, I've gone completely nuts over this thing. You just can't put the book down, or can't wait to watch the next episode or for the next movie to come out, or if it's just one movie - you've watched it five times now, rewinding, rewatching. You can't get enough of it. And you wish, really wish it would NEVER EVER end. That the story would continue forever. Enthralled you start making up stories in your head about it or writing reviews or meta in a livejournal or blog. Or you start blathering about it to friends - trying to get them to watch, while they look at you as if you've lost your mind.
When it ends? And it will, that is inevitable. Either canceled or worse it jumps the shark and disappoints you. You feel as if...a lover has flown off on a jet plane never to return and you keep trying to recapture the feeling, grieving for its loss. So you open up said book or tv series again and try to re-watch, if only to relive the memories. You feel like a kid who had a great dessert, a perfect chocolat bar, or pie, or cake, or pastry and you want another so badly, but alas - that's the last one ever made. They have discontinued that particular brand. Dang it.
So you either start to write fanfic in your head, online or in a book about it. Online you wander hunting for people who are similarily engrossed or *cough*obsessed*cough*
and with any luck have written fanfic that continues the story - hopefully in a manner that is really close to the original or to how it plays inside your head or fits your fantasies. Or meta about it. Something. Anything. Drawings also would be nice.
And, whoa, wait, you actually found some?? Is this a good thing? Well depends. It is like crack to an addict. It keeps you going. Keeps you engrossed. And part of you, just a small part...sort of wishes you hadn't ever found it. The other part, smiles, and is careful not to mention this particular addiction to another living soul. You tell yourself it is harmless.
That you aren't addicted. You can stop at any time. It's just a hobby.
Over time, it may pass - but when it does - it is usually only when another obsession takes its place. Another story captures your imagination and soul, and takes flight inside your imagination - to the point that you just can't let go - loving where it leads.
Well it starts out slowly, innocently...you start watching or reading out of curiousity - maybe a friend rec'd it to you or you hit on it by accident. You barely even realize that it is capturing your attention at first, your just watching or reading along...then wham! somewhere along the way, you're not sure exactly at what point it happens - you fall hopelessly and irretrievably in love with a character or plot thread or set of characters or lust as the case may be... enraptured so completely by the tale, it hits your kinks and buttons hard! Resonates on all cylinders. To the extent you want to hug the writers/creators and thank them profusely for providing it. And you think, man, I've gone completely nuts over this thing. You just can't put the book down, or can't wait to watch the next episode or for the next movie to come out, or if it's just one movie - you've watched it five times now, rewinding, rewatching. You can't get enough of it. And you wish, really wish it would NEVER EVER end. That the story would continue forever. Enthralled you start making up stories in your head about it or writing reviews or meta in a livejournal or blog. Or you start blathering about it to friends - trying to get them to watch, while they look at you as if you've lost your mind.
When it ends? And it will, that is inevitable. Either canceled or worse it jumps the shark and disappoints you. You feel as if...a lover has flown off on a jet plane never to return and you keep trying to recapture the feeling, grieving for its loss. So you open up said book or tv series again and try to re-watch, if only to relive the memories. You feel like a kid who had a great dessert, a perfect chocolat bar, or pie, or cake, or pastry and you want another so badly, but alas - that's the last one ever made. They have discontinued that particular brand. Dang it.
So you either start to write fanfic in your head, online or in a book about it. Online you wander hunting for people who are similarily engrossed or *cough*obsessed*cough*
and with any luck have written fanfic that continues the story - hopefully in a manner that is really close to the original or to how it plays inside your head or fits your fantasies. Or meta about it. Something. Anything. Drawings also would be nice.
And, whoa, wait, you actually found some?? Is this a good thing? Well depends. It is like crack to an addict. It keeps you going. Keeps you engrossed. And part of you, just a small part...sort of wishes you hadn't ever found it. The other part, smiles, and is careful not to mention this particular addiction to another living soul. You tell yourself it is harmless.
That you aren't addicted. You can stop at any time. It's just a hobby.
Over time, it may pass - but when it does - it is usually only when another obsession takes its place. Another story captures your imagination and soul, and takes flight inside your imagination - to the point that you just can't let go - loving where it leads.