Countdown to Small Gifts 1/3: Introductions

[smallgiftsmods]

Welcome, folks! Every year at small gifts, we start off the holiday season with a series of discussion posts. It's a chance to get to know other participants (or say hi to old friends), meet our readers (hi, readers! we love you!), and while away the hours before the fest begins. We'll have three topics this week, posted Monday, November 25; Wednesday, November 27; and Friday, November 29. Posting begins Sunday, December 1.

Discussion is not limited to participants! Please introduce yourself if you're a reader, too.

Today: introductions.

1) Leave a comment letting us know who you are as a fan. (Leave your Tumblr name/AO3 name as well as your DW name, if they're different.) How long have been in HP fandom? How long have you shipped R/S? Are you a reader? Writer? Artist? Crafter? Do you participate in any other parts of HP fandom? Are you active in any other fandoms right now?

2) Say hi to someone else! We're friendly around here like that.

Comments

[luminousgloom]

Hello, I'm gloom - luminousgloom on ao3, theluminousgloom on tumblr. I think I've been writing fic for about 6 years, though only sporadically, and have a bit of a soft spot for this particular fest, it's always been a lot of fun! I think it's the gift exchange angle - getting quite specific prompts, and the fact there's usually an early winter vibe to them... Sadly the timing couldn't be any worse for me this year, but couldn't not do it!

[magnetic_pole]

Welcome back, Gloom! I remember your Christmas feast story from a few years back.

Gah, it's never a good time of year right about now, isn't it? And then in January and February, we're all desperate for a fest or a party or some excitement.

Glad to see you again! M.

[luminousgloom]

oh wow, well remembered! I'd forgotten all about that particular fic! :D
and you're so right re this time of year (ugh), although there are a few fests going on in jan/feb that might potentially interest you? Remus Lupin Fest has just started claiming, and museinabsentia & I run RS Fireside Tales which is all about spooky/uncanny/ghost stories you'd like to be told around a fire.... submissions in Jan, posting in early Feb! Let me know if you're at all interested in that one, people are still welcome to join Fireside Tales!

[magnetic_pole]

I just followed both over on Tumblr--thanks! Let us know if we can announce Fireside Tales here at some point.

HP is such a good fandom for ghost stories. :) M.

[starfishstar]

Ooh, thank you for mentioning those other fests! (How do I *always* manage to stumble across the Remus Lupin Fest too late? I'm going to bookmark that for myself yet again...) I don't think I have any strengths in the spooky stories direction, but I'll check out Fireside Tales too. :-)

[paulamcg]

Hello, gloom! Your name looks so familiar that I think we’ve met before, about nine years ago. Did you perhaps read HP fic (and at least one of my stories) before starting to post your own? I’m almost sure about a memory of encouraging someone called luminousgloom to write.

I, too, find this exchange more pleasant than some others. I like the challenge of writing a story according to a particular prompt and the prompt-givers preferences, after I’ve got to choose among prompts. In fests where there’s the chance to make my own prompt or pick any in long lists (from several years), I feel too free. I’ve realised that the reason I still write fanfic instead of something totally new is that it’s wonderfully challenging not to contradict (the parts of) canon (I’ve decided to follow) or my previous stories in my single R/S universe.

I’m glad you decided to do this despite the bad timing – also because I got your prompts, which were the ones I placed as my number one choice among the five prompters I’d considered.

[luminousgloom]

Hey PaulaMcG! Sorry for my long silence, IRL has been super hectic and I've only now been able to really look at anything again. Including your fic(!), which I'm about to read, very excited to see what it is! (And apologies again for not opening my present sooner!)
As for the other, I'm afraid you must've mixed me up with someone else, I never actually had any fandom interaction with anyone until later, when I'd already written a few things - and what initially encouraged me was the fashion at the time for whiny/tearful doormat Remus which made no sense to me and I was so sick and tired of that I decided to write the kind of thing I like, just for my own pleasure.
And yes, I think the reason I like this fest so much is that it maintains a bit of a community feel, and it's not too demanding (compared to, say, Big Bangs), plus it's at a time of year when people are happy to write about small pleasures. Not a fan of the holidays per se myself, but do love twinkling fairy lights, a mince pie and some mulled wine! :D

[mindabbles]

Hi Gloom! Welcome back! I’m glad you have a soft spot for this fest and joined us again. I agree — getting the prompts is nice, but also having a few to choose from helps. I also love the gifts exchange idea. For a while there, people were doing other kinds of gifts, like crafts and even baking. That was wild. Thanks for pushing through the tough timing any way.