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

[magnetic_pole]

Hi, folks! I'll get us started.

My name is Maggie, and I'm magnetic_pole here and on AO3 and notquitepetworth on tumblr. I stumbled across HP fandom and discovered fanfic at the end of 2005, and R/S was one of my first ships. Fellow R/S fan busaikko and I created Small Gifts back in 2006 because it seemed like every other popular pairing had its own year-end fest, and the comm has run every year since. mindabbles had been my faithful co-mod--and the real genius behind this event--for more than a decade.

I used to much more active as a writer in both HP (R/S, any combination of characters of the Marauder generation or older, any femslash) and, to a lesser extent, in Sherlock Holmes fandom, but life has been too busy and I've slowed down. I always look forward to Small Gifts, which gives me a gentle nudge to create something every year.

Looking forward to meeting the new folks and catching with some of you who've been to this party before! M.

[paulamcg]

Maggie, I remember getting to know you and your fascinating stories in 2006. I’m happy you’ve remained active in this particular part of the fandom, and grateful to you for creating and continuing to run the fest, since some of my best memories of sharing are from Small Gifts in 2007 – 2010.

[magnetic_pole]

I remember meeting you, too! So few folks are around from those days--which already seemed "late," like fandom had passed its peak.

I'm so glad you remember the early fests fondly.

I'd be interested in hearing more of your story, if you wanted to introduce yourself. :) M.

[chromat1cs]

Hiya, Maggie, thank you so much for creating and continuing this beautiful fest! <3

[pteropoda]

Thanks for creating the fest, and to both you and mindabbles for running it! Exchanges can be so much work so running one for this long is amazing.

[luminousgloom]

hello Maggie, this remains one of my favourite fests, thank you so much for keeping it going for so long!

[starfishstar]

Just wanted to say, I recognize your name from Sherlock Holmes fandom, too... it's always so nice to see familiar names across different fandoms!

And as I was thinking about this a memory pinged; I went back to check and: yes, indeed, your fic "The Mystery of the Human Heart (The Encounter at St Pancras Station)" was one of my absolute, absolute favorites from a Holmestice round a couple of years ago. I still feel warm and fond and moved just thinking about it.

[magnetic_pole]

Just wanted to say, I recognize your name from Sherlock Holmes fandom, too

Aha! I knew I knew your name! Welcome! And thanks for the kind words. And I'll return the favor: I loved your remix of ancientreader's story. M.

[starfishstar]

Oh gosh, thank you so much! That makes me extremely happy. Remixing ancientreader's story was a delight and an honor.

[mindabbles]

It’s really amazing that people still want to join us! I was thinking about your writing that drew me in early on. What it was about your stories for me was the subtlety. I remember one moment in a story where Remus and Sirius acknowledged their feelings for each other with a touch of fingers and a look. I remember thinking that it was the most understated, romantic thing I had ever read. I can remember what story it was, but I remember that moment.

[aryastark_valarmorghulis]

Hello Maggie, and thank you so much for running this awesome fest. It's always interesting to hear stories from the older fandom days.