small_gifts | Countdown to small gifts 4/7:

Hi, folks! If you're just joining us, we're on DAY FOUR of seven days of discussion before Small Gifts begins posting. Start off by introducing yourself (and meeting fellow participants and watchers) over here!

Day 4: Wish lists for R/S (a.k.a. MOAR ON DAY FOUR!)

What would you like to see more of in R/S fandom? Types of fic or art? Themes or tropes? Minor characters? Fannish activities? Also, fandoms change over time--if you've been around a while, what do you miss about earlier moments in fandom?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

magnetic_pole

Okay, a very quick reply from me, because Monday's hitting me with the full force of its Monday glory right now.

* I miss comment threads! You folks are making my week with all the great discussion on previous posts.

* I love seeing trans and genderqueer Remus and Sirius, and I'd love to see more of those versions of the characters in the fandom.

* I adore post-Azkaban stories, particularly post-Azkaban getting together stories, which seem to come and go over the years (sometime MWPP-at-Hogwarts stories dominate, sometimes first-flat stories do, sometimes older versions of these characters do).

From:

sostrata.livejournal.com

That used to be on my cravings list (post-Azkaban fics, that is) but in my last wave of fic reading this past year I've been seeing more. Good ones, too! Do you read AO3 at all? There are two WIPs going on at the moment that are quite good and both have Sirius and Remus getting together around the time Sirius moves into 12 Grimmauld Place. In one they were together before but are getting back together now, and in the other they were never together, though Remus had always had a crush on Sirius. The first, with Trans Sirius, and lots of Harry, is After the Tournament by CambreyPayne. It's updated frequently. The other hasn't been updated in a couple months, but I love it- Counting Stars by YumeNouveau.

From:

magnetic_pole

I do read at A03, but not nearly so much as I did a few years ago. I'll take a look at these--thanks! M.

From:

rj31

Thanks for these recs, I’ll take a look at them too!

Edited Date: 2017-11-28 10:41 am (UTC)

From:

rj31

I’m also really interested in Post-Azkaban stories, and how their relationship is during that time. There are probably fics that I have missed that deal with this, but I’d like to see what R&S got up to during books 4 and 5, and it’s definitely something that I want to explore more! Both reading and writing.

From:

museinabsentia

I'm so with you on the comment threads. This fest and RS Games were really the only places I ever found fandom chat (I don't use tumblr, which might be the real problem, but... I'll blame it on other things so I don't have to consider a tumblr). I love a good meta discussion. Or really, any sort of fandom discussion.

From:

shaggydogstail

Comment threads! I really miss them, and have yet to find a platform that facilitates discussion the way LJ & clones do. They really allow more in-depth discussion and they're more time-zone friendly than chat rooms.

From:

sostrata.livejournal.com

The one area I've always wanted more of- book era (with the understanding that there will be no nasty death in the near future) or later of Harry bonding with Remus and Sirius. There's strangely not a lot of those, at least not compared to other types of R/S fics. There *are* a number of gen ones, and ones where R/S is a side pairing in a Harry/Draco fic. I'd love more where R/S is the main pairing and Harry spends a lot of time with them. Fics like The Visit by miraminx.

From:

rj31

Perhaps you lovely people will know the answer to this!

Is there a place that you can go to see all of the current HP fests that are going on and links to them etc? Because if not that’s something that I’d like to see!

I participated in my first fest this year (R/S Games) and it was a fantastic experience, so would love to be able to keep up with what else is out there. Or if it doesn’t already exist I’d be happy to create a resource! I’ll need something to do with my time once Small Gifts is over... :)

From:

luminousgloom

I don't know of such a place (but would love to find it!) – BUT there's R/S Big Bang coming up – look for it here on DW? – and I think the very fun R/S Collab is happening again, too? I'd link them here but am unable to just now, sorry, but I'm sure the internet will help you!

Also, our R/S Games Team Sirius chitchat is still going strong on Discord, I'm sure everyone there would be delighted for any Small Gifts people to join us (and we always wanted Team Remus on there, anyway)!

From:

museinabsentia

Big Bang... so tempting.

Yeah, the Team Remus chat is still going, too. :) Eventually we really ought to just combine the two. Or maybe just start a R/S meta chat open to all R/S fandom people.

From:

luminousgloom

YES combine chats! Where is yours at, Discord as well?
How about we get the Games Mods to post a general link to a new InterTeam chat, and then post that link here as well?

From:

museinabsentia

It is at Discord! And I am ALL for a new combined chat! That will leave the old ones in place just in case, and we can all still be in one place. That sounds like an amazing thing! The more people who want to talk R/S the better!!!

From:

luminousgloom

ok let's do it then! :D Do you want to set it up or shall I? (Tbh I'm a bit of a novice at discord, but I'm sure I could work it out!) My Discord tag is #7605 btw, we can sort it there?

Edited Date: 2017-11-28 04:01 pm (UTC)

From:

museinabsentia

I'm even more of a novice... I can't make that discord tag do anything for me. But I'm museinabsentia there as well if you want to give it a try. :)

From:

luminousgloom

ok you know how there's a little 4 digit number next to your name on discord? Without that I won't be able to find you.... OR you could click on "add friend" and enter my tag (or if that doesn't work, maybe luminousgloom#7605 ?) and I should come up! (I think...)

From:

museinabsentia

I got it to send! Yeah... I was just an idiot.

From:

museinabsentia

Chat in existence!

From:

aurelie_saintjuste

Can someone walk me through what Discord is? I echo the sentiments of loving these chat/reply threads and I would love to be more involved, too! <3

From:

museinabsentia

In it's simplest form it's just a chat room. Click on the above link and the should take you to the group chat. You might have to sign up with an email address (or download the app) and you're in. :)

From:

rj31

Sounds good to me!

From:

rj31

Thank you, I’ve found the collab fest, it looks like great fun!

From:

museinabsentia

It is! I did it two years ago and it was a blast! It definitely needs more promotion.

From:

wild_flame

I found one not that long ago but there weren't any RS ones on it! Maybe we should start one up!!

From:

rj31

We should totally start one up! I’ll start researching tonight...

From:

aurelie_saintjuste

If anyone's on tumblr, I've seen updates on fests at the Daily Snitch! I'm on mobile right now so I can't link but that's how I found out about a few ongoing events and recs!

From:

museinabsentia

I've never seen a list of them either, but I would be greatly interested in that, too. A really good way to find when fests are, how they overlap, if one has time for them at that point... places to play! (I may love me a good fest :P )

From:

rj31

Yep, that’s the idea. A one stop shop for all your festing needs :)

From:

abyss_valkyrie

Yo!!hellooo there, Isn't Potterfests on Livejournal the kind of link you're talking about?At least I think so! https://potterfests.livejournal.com/

And uh, I know that the mini-fest is also accepting participants, or at least it was. There were various prompts, even Sirius/Remus ones, so just saying!

From:

rj31

Just what I was looking for, thank you!

From:

sostrata.livejournal.com

Yes! Potterfests on livejournal, a list of all of the ongoing fests updated once a week (usually Sunday), plus individual updates during the week. It's not limited to lj fests, though obviously you have to go on the community to alert the mods as to when the off-lj fest is. It's a pretty comprehensive list. I try to keep them updated on the R/S fests going on.

From:

abyss_valkyrie

Definitely more fanarts!Haha! And comics.I used to read some of the RS little comics on DA by Sirilu and damn they were cute! Leaving a link right here!
https://sirilu.deviantart.com/art/Lunchbreak-Lessons-174383966

Themes and tropes wise-I just love the bet scenario. I'd read a fic with Sirius betting with James and getting close to Remus in a fic long long ago but sadly, it was discontinued so I never got to see the end.
And either fem! or trans! Sirius and Remus, it's a new thing I'm starting to like actually, after reading about them. :)

One thing I do miss about the earlier moments is definitely the feedback,I know it's hard to find time but it really encourages me as a writer/artist to know what people liked about my work, y'know?Even if I create stuff for the fun of it and not the attention, I think it's obvious what I mean!

From:

magnetic_pole

Definitely more fanarts!Haha! And comics

Ah! Here''s an area where Tumblr's been so good for fandom. (I'm such a grumpy old fan, always complaining about Tumblr.) I'm just blown away from the quality of the art is fandom, generally. Will check that comic out! M.

From:

shaggydogstail

The thing I'd most like more of is fic that really engages with canon, both the magical world and the political themes. There seems to be a lot of mundane AUs these days, and although they can be good frothy and fluffy fun, there seems to be a tendency to rely on popular fanon rather than drawing much on canon. There are still fics doing it - quite a few of the stories from these year's RS Games had interesting things to say on everything from magic to the rise of fascism - but I always want more.

There's been some real improvements in the politics of fandom (I can't think of a better way of describing it!) Less misogyny, fewer weirdly homophobic tropes - there are people in fandom today who don't even know what WNGWJLEO* means and that makes me so happy! Characters no longer assumed to be white unless proven otherwise, although unfortunately I'm still seeing some pretty unpleasant pushback against that, especially towards fanartists.

From:

coffeeincosmos

there are people in fandom today who don't even know what WNGWJLEO* means and that makes me so happy!
Oh my god, I hadn't even realized this before but you're right, it's been ages since I've read a fic that used this trope, let alone when it was pretty common. This used to be one of my least favourite things in fanfic of all time (of course it didn't help that it seemed to follow me across fandoms) and now I hardly have to worry about it anymore. Some things really have improved a lot. :)

From:

smallgiftsmods

There's been some real improvements in the politics of fandom (I can't think of a better way of describing it!)

Yes, and hurrah! Particularly that Characters no longer assumed to be white unless proven otherwise, which I've really noticed in the past year or so. I'm not sure whether it's cause of effect or just a parallel event, but the casting of Noma Dumezweni was a gift to fandom.

I still have so much reading to do over at RS Games. Super excited to hear there are some politically themed fics over there. M.