Snowflake Challenges 9, 10, 12, 13, 15

[firecat]

Catching up on Snowflake Challenge!



9. https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/53756.html
Brag about yourself.

Something I like about myself right now? I really enjoy writing fanfic. I like my own writing. I enjoy doing it the way I want, and I also like participating in fandom challenges. I like taking personal risks and challenges with my writing. I love that I get a little thrill \0/ whenever I write something I particularly like, and especially when I finish something.

Why is this important to me? Because for most of my life I hardly ever felt that little thrill about anything. I would achieve goals and accomplish things, and I'd feel like:


But now at least where writing fanfic is concerned, I feel like:


I've also managed to do this while living through one of the worst periods of my life, during one of humanity's less good historical moments, in the context of the climate's increasing hostility to humanity (all of which are still happening).

So along with bragging about my newly enhanced ability to feel joy, I guess I'm also bragging about my superpower-level dissociative skills. /0\

I'm invited to rec my own work. I feel that this little piece hasn't gotten the attention it deserves, probably because it's tagged Gen and Multi-fandom, and who the hell searches on that? But maybe you'll like it.

Sex Pollen: An Origin Story (533 words) by firecat
Fandom: Multi-Fandom
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Additional Tags: Sex Pollen, Obsession, Genetic Engineering, Allergies, Star Trek References, Jurassic Park References, Intelligent Life in the Universe, Probable incorrect usage of scientific jargon

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10. https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/53981.html
Write a love letter to Fandom in general, to a particular fandom, to a trope, a relationship, a character, creator, episode, or it could be your fandom friends. Share your love and squee as loud as you want to.

Dear Fandom:

I love you. You've been there for me almost my whole life, since I first developed the ability to squee. You've saved my life several times. You waited for me during times I pretended I didn't care about you, and you opened your arms to me each time I came back and admitted I was wrong. You've introduced me to so many wonderful people, and some wonderful communities too. I can't imagine my life without you.

It's four o'clock in the morning, and my eloquence is not fully online right now, so I'm going to let one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs speak for how I feel about you.

Watch on YouTube

"Attics of My Life"
In the attics of my life
Full of cloudy dreams unreal
Full of tastes no tongue can know
And lights no eye can see
When there was no ear to hear
You sang to me

I have spent my life
Seeking all that's still unsung
Bent my ear to hear the tune
And closed my eyes to see
When there were no strings to play
You played to me

In the book of love's own dream
Where all the print is blood
Where all the pages are my days
And all my lights grow old
When I had no wings to fly
You flew to me

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12. https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/54402.html
Resurrect an old meme.

If the above image of Grumpy Cat created via ICanHasCheezburger.com isn't enough for you, take a moment to enjoy what Wikipedia claims is the eighth most viewed YouTube video. This is one of the few memes that I was aware of while it was actually happening. One of my favorite memories is doing the dance with a little girl in Trader Joe's.

Watch on YouTube

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13. https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/54540.html
Tell us about 3 fandom resources you use or enjoy.

• I assume AO3 is the free space.
• fail_fandomanon — This is where I first found out about exchanges and challenges, and I frequently hang out in the often-wanky "Bangs, Fests & Exchanges" comment thread. As an old Usenetter, I find searching through lots of flames and blather for the useful and funny comments kind of comforting. And I think meme, as it's called, has a fascinating culture. I'm sure my attitude will change the first time I end up getting wanked about, but so far I'm too new to have been noticed.
• what_ho_library is a relatively new DW community that has lots of stuff for people interested in and/or writing about English and American culture in the early 20th Century, but the slang timelines and dictionaries linked there go a lot further back (and forward). Lots of queer and smut resources.
• Seventh Sanctum has a collection of generator tools — names, species, magic spells, etc...

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15. https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/55290.html
Talk about Your Snowflake Experience

I've seen people on my DW friends list do this event for years. This year I was glad that I felt like I had something to contribute. I didn't spend as much time on it as I wanted to. I enjoyed making some new connections with people and strengthening connections with a few other people. When I made time to look at what other people were contributing, I loved the enthusiasm and variety. I hope to be in a place where I can do it again next year.

Comments

[goddess47]

Yay for AO3!

I'll be checking those others out, especially the Seventh Sanctum because naming things is hard... ;-)

(And I enjoy my own writing, too! So I write for me and it's a bonus that others like it!)

Glad you joined us and I do hope you can join in next year!

[firecat]

Hooray, I'm glad you like your own writing! Thanks for your comment.

[enemytosleep]

I remember when Gangnam Style was HUGE. Just. Everywhere! Psy is kind of a fun character, though, and every time he pops up in my news circles he seems to make me smile.

I'm glad you were able to take part in Snowflake this year! It's meant to be low key, and I find much enjoyment in the variety of the responses. I always seem to find new things and new people to spend time with. There is a similar style challenge in the summer called sunshine_challenge if you think you might like to try again later this year! Thank you for taking part. ♥

[firecat]

I'm looking forward to sunshine_challenge! Thanks for your comment.

[sjh2009]

I love the cats, the expressions on their faces says it all, lol.

That video does make me laugh, and brings back lots of memories of Stargate conventions here in the UK when it was always one of the songs played in the evenings to get everyone up on the dance floor.

Your love letter is wonderful and, as for Sex Pollen, it's just brilliant. Ragwort, lol. The stuff gets everywhere, great for Cinnabar Moths, not so great for horses.

Thanks for sharing.

I'm off to save the Honeybees :)

[firecat]

Thanks for your comment. I love the image of people dancing to Gangnam Style at Stargate conventions!

Good luck saving the honeybees! Maybe we humans can avoid the Sex Pollen phase of our development after all...

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Lovely to read more about you. I am glad that fanfic has been a boon for you this year.

[firecat]

Thanks for your comment!

Sex pollen is wonderful

[jesse_the_k]

Or maybe more like Science Running Around Trying to Kill a Mosquito with a Flamethrower, Just Because It Happens to Be Handy!

Thank you for reccing this!

That Dead song is a perfect evocation of fannish minds harmonizing.

Hurrah for maintaining in this terribly bad time.

Re: Sex pollen is wonderful

[firecat]

Thanks for your comment! I'm glad you liked the ficlet.

[novembermond]

feels like Gangnam Style came out yesterday... and not almost ten years ago O_O

I think it's great you got to participate.

[firecat]

Yeah, time's fun when you're having flies. Thanks for your comment!

[silveradept]

I'm glad the mojo is back for you! For however long it lasts, it'll be a good thing.

I remember that story, and I see that I gave it good and proper kudos at the time, because it was hilarious.

Gangnam style! It was around a little while ago because the Johnson Space Center folks did a take on it. I still think it's a good thing and that more people would do better by being willing to do it with a smalling in Trader Joe's.

I've always been a little leery of FFA, mostly because I don't necessarily see the joy in that kind of culture, but maybe I'm giving it a bad rap.

[firecat]

Yes, I was so glad to receive your comment on the sex pollen fic when I posted it!

FFA is probably everything you've heard about it and also not particularly like what you've heard about it. I don't really read it for the wank. I read it for the more positive passion I see there, for everything fannish. Writing and sharing and tropes and takes.