My takeaway from secret santa selections
So Iâve been talking to a lot of people who are participating in the cssecretsanta this year and here are somethings Iâve learned.
1) It doesnât matter how popular you may become in the fandom, youâre still going to find yourself fan-girling over someone else. No matter how good you think your work is, youâre always going to feel like someone is better. Thatâs ok, but donât let it discourage you. By the same token, no one is ever too big in the fandom to approach. If you enjoy their work, reach out to them. Theyâll be just as excited to hear from you as you are to hear from them. 2) Everyone is intimidated. Thereâs something about knowing that youâre producing something for someone specific, and thereâs a chance that they may not like it. But remember, thereâs an even greater chance that theyâll love it.
3) The fandom is still alive. Iâve seen a lot of people complaining over the course of season 7 that the fandom is dead. Are the numbers as large as they once were? No. But fans are still out there. Theyâre still producing fan fictions and artwork. Theyâre still talking about the show, gushing over things that happened years ago. Thatâs not going to change anytime soon.
4) This may be the most important one so listen up. Fan fiction can be a fickle thing, and sometime itâs just as much about pure dumb luck as it is about talent. There are some amazing fics that Iâve read that didnât get nearly as much traction as they deserved and itâs not fair. If you like a story or a piece of art, tell the creator that. Let them know theyâre appreciated. They arenât mind readers. If youâve written a story that didnât get as many hits as you were hoping for, donât give up. Keep writing, keep pushing yourself, and keep having fun with it. Eventually youâll get there.
