December is for meta?

[owlmoose]

wallwalker proposes making December a month for meta and puts up some essay ideas. I think this is a great idea; talking about fandom meta, writing my own posts and getting into long complicated discussions about details of canon and how different people "do" fandom and feminist analysis of texts and such are some of my favorite things. Meta is how ideas are shared, and one of the best ways for people to form community. My feminist defense of FFX-2 and my Paine/Nooj 'ship manifesto were both pieces I loved writing, both the process of putting the posts together and the discussions they sparked, especially the former, and I would put them up against any fiction I've ever written in terms of their quality. So I love this plan, not just because I look forward to what wallwalker and anyone else who participates comes up with, but because it could give me an excellent excuse to get into it myself.

Back when I started this journal, I had expect it to be a place for essays and other non-fiction writing -- fanfic wasn't even a glimmer in my eye at that point. And I do that some, but I'd like to do that more. So maybe that goes along with what I said yesterday about putting more focus on long form writing in this space, at least some of which would definitely be fandom meta. Something to think about, anyway.

Comments

[sarasa_cat]

An excellent idea! I'm exited about it. Meta is necessary food for the plot bunnies and I love reading it. (Although I fear I will bore people to death if I started writing treatises on Ivalice >_<)

The ship manifesto community looks interesting. Funny that I hadn't previously stumbled across it.

[owlmoose]

Well, I will always read treatises on Ivalice... :)

Yeah, ship_manifesto is a cool place, though not nearly as active as it once was. Most of the general fandom meta comms I know have falled largely into disuse -- metafandom, fanthropology, etc. -- and it's very sad.

[sarasa_cat]

If I combed through ancient LJ comments of mine, I'd have ample material for drafting a few treatises on Ivalice meta.

I hadn't realized metafandom has gone silent for the past few months. I used to follow that comm pretty regularly. :(

[auronlu]

Meta December sounds lovely.

I have a mostly-written Aulu manifesto lying around somewhere which ought to be finished.

Also, I am surprising myself by falling hard for V and not for VI. Coming to these two games so much later than everyone, I might have meta to offer.

More importantly, I want to read thoughtful meta. I've been doing not-academic writing for so long that I feel like my brain cells have atrophied.

[owlmoose]

I think I remember you talking about the Auron/Lulu manifesto, which I would love to read.

[sarasa_cat]

I would also love to read an Auron/Lulu manifesto!

[zen_monk]

The idea of starting meta topics appeals to me. Mostly because those are stuff I'd like to talk about to other people, and when I know there are cool fans out there with great ideas I want to discuss it with them but....

It's not like you can PM them out of nowhere and ask, "So what do you feel about the world culture where it seems technology is almost waaaaay too advanced for the general populations to grasp, and if as a result it may lead into wider education and economic gaps between people. Take Final Fantasy VII, for example..."

and so on and so forth.

[owlmoose]

Yeah, for sure. As I mentioned to vieralynn, I really miss the active meta communities. If there are any on DW, I've never managed to find them.