Thanks A Million: Fanfiction Community

Welcome to Thanks A Million! Today we're gonna talk about what I'm grateful for this week, and that comes in the form of the fan fiction community. 

Yes, that is the dance I do.

You'll find this lovely bunch embedded within any given fandom. Let's break it down into little chunks for those who may not be as insane as myself. A fandom (think "fans" and "kingdom") is a fan base focused on a particular interest. This group is interested on a very detailed level and will invest tons of time into it. So take that and apply it to fan fiction  which is literally fiction written by fans of a book, TV Show, movie, game, etc that want to write a story that deviates from the source material. So, why am I grateful for the fan fiction community?

• Let's take a property like Harry Potter. There are no more books or movies, and yet I still have a need for more creative and wonderfully whimsical stories from that realm. With fan fiction I can get cool side stories, interesting new romances, and alternate reality scenarios. What's not to love?
• Let's take a property like Sherlock (BBC). You know secretly John is gay, and I need stories written about the steamy romance he should be having with Sherlock.
• Let's take a property like Thor or The Avengers. Do you have a favorite character you want to have a million stories to read about them? You can find as many Loki fan fiction stories as you could ever read, even gender swapped.
• The fan fiction community likes to write, share, and is pretty open minded. Have a super crazy couple you ship to the moon and back. They are on board.  Want to cross two unlikely properties together? They've done it at least once.
• Have an idea for a fan fiction. Write it and ask them what they think. They won't be as harsh on you as your college English professor was, I'm sure.
• They are just oodles of fun to geek out with. They like what you like for Kirk/Spock sake! ...Personally I want more Khan/Spock stories...

Oh yes you are, fan fiction community.

Are there good and bad people in the fan fiction community? Yes. Are there good and bad stories in the fan fiction community? You betcha. Is it worth getting into? Yes. Are you a fan fiction reader or writer? If not, why is that? Do you believe fan fiction helps or hurts the fandom? Comments are always welcome!

When Did I Start Loving Slytherin?

When the Harry Potter "hype" first started, I was not riding the wave. I was very disinterested in fiction, so it was never a book I considered at my schools Scholastic Book Fair. Needless to say that changed when the movie came out and my parents took me to see it when I was in the 4th grade. My little 7 year old mind was blown. Not by the hero, his side kicks, or the adventure. I was blown away by Snape and Slytherin. "But Adela, little girls hate evil. They love the good guys and rainbows with butterflies." I did like that stuff, but this was the first time I felt more connected to the "dark side" than the "light side".

Since then I've noticed all the evil/misunderstood/anti-hero characters I've fallen in love with, many you've seen me mention here in the blog. But why do I identify with Slytherin? Why not any of the other houses? Does that make me evil? Certainly not (though I have my moments). Here's why personally I feel Slytherin is my house:

1. Slytherin is for those who are smart enough to know how to get the job done and at any cost. What's the point of having the know how, and not having the spine to do it?
2. We are interested in advancing our interests, and the interests of people close to us. This doesn't mean our interests have to be evil.
3. A Slytherin will tell it like they see it. No coy sugar coated BS on our end.
4. We demand respect, and some of us even deserve it.
5. We totally have a cool common room and mascot. Can't that be enough?
6. Pottermore totally agrees with me and I was sorted into Slytherin the 1st time.

My wand on Pottermore.

The house you choose to associate yourself with is a very personal thing. Sometimes it's about who you are on the outside; who you want people to believe you are. Other times it's about who you wish you could be. For me, Slytherin is who I really think I am. How about you? Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff?

When Did I Become A Fangirl?

If you haven't figured out yet that I'm an incurable Sherlock (BBC), Hannibal (NBC), Harry Potter, Star Trek, or Avengers fangirl, don't worry, there is still time. I've been busy with my sister visiting from Mexico, but wanted to post a video with some thoughts.



This is a smart and funny video that illustrates an event that happens in fandom circles I don't understand and that peeves me.

I am a married almost 21 year old woman. I plan on having kids (not that soon). I don't get home some fans use those things as an excuse to leave the fandom. You can leave the fandom because your priorities changed: Your family is number one and you have no time for other things. For someone who is truly immersed in the fandom, being married and having children isn't a hindrance, but a chance to express your fangirl nature in other ways, for example:

1. Tardis PJ's for your toddler.
2. Harry Potter themed marriage.
3. Attending conventions as the Loki Family.
4. Having a movie/tv marathon with your kids (if it's appropriate for them).
5. Making meals based on your favorite source material.
6. Fanfiction can be written by anyone of any age, marital status, or amount of kids.

If you REALLY consider yourself a fangirl, it is a way of life. That will never change. If you abandon it after getting married and having children, then you were never really a fangirl to begin with.

CUMBERBITCH FOR LIFE!!!

When Did I Lose All My Energy?

Yesterday I took the day off in exchange for working Monday. Honestly I spent the whole day sleeping. You'd think at 20 I'd be bursting with energy and calling all my friends to go out to a party or whatever it is young people do now, but no, I slept. And I loved it.

My life's new motto.

So moving to Florida is slowly approaching, and as you can imagine, I'm stoked. Even more so when you consider I'm a Harry Potter freak, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is there. I got some really cool news via my Florida friends. 

1. The park will be adding Diagon Alley, which is located in London. I'm presuming this will be a modern London built in Universal Studios. A restaurant is planned.
2. There will be a connection between Islands of Adventure and Universal via the Hogwarts Express. We'll see how they handle pricing since they are 2 parks.
3. There will be a Gringotts Bank attraction. No word what kind, likely a coaster.

Looks like I'll be packing my Slytherin Robes, Scarf, and wand (real wooden carved wand made to match my Pottermore wand) which was gifted to me by my BFFI (Best Friend For Infinity) Drew. 

DO YOU EVEN LEVIOSA?!

No word yet if I can rent an apartment within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but believe you me, I'll be first in line!

When Did I Make Harry Potter Conspiracy Theories?

I think I've made a deadly connection...we have a post here at the company I work at that is ALWAYS getting a new person. The position is Marketing Director. I woke up this morning and realized that it's just like the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts. Either the person quits, or is let go, or.....disappears. Well, maybe not disappears, but you get the point.

So now I'm trying to figure out who in the company would be Snape. Someone in an executive assistant position, leasing, or maybe even accounting...no one is safe from my gaze!

Or maybe my life isn't a parallel to the world of Harry Potter, but thinking about that possibility is just so boring. However, I wouldn't be in Gryffindor, I'd be Slytherin all the way. So it's like a parallel flipped universe. So all the guys are girls, and all the girls are guys...