watervole | Missing Slash Conventions

It struck me recently that although I no longer read slash, I miss slash conventions.

I like the people I used to meet there.

I'm also trying to figure why I almost never read slash any more.

1. Too many sex scenes all seem alike. I think it was when I was in the early stages of 'Life on Mars' fandom that I got totally fed up of short stories that were nothing but a sex scene. I wanted PLOT. It was a series about the police, and I wanted my fiction to actually include a crime and some effort to solve it, as well as the sex scene.

2. RSI and neck trouble. It's painful to read large amounts on screen, and I'm no longer willing to fork out money for zines unless I know who the writers are and if I like their work - and in a new fandom that's not the case, always assuming that there actually are zines in the first place.

3. In many cases, I know that I can write something better than what I'm reading.

4. Like <lj user=selenak> and other readers, I get fed up of the idea that if you like pairing A/B, then it's okay to knock character C simply because s/he also gets paired with either A or B. I generally watch a show because I like all the characters.

5. I don't always see a slash pairing in shows I like. eg. I'm watching a lot of Sharpe at present, but don' t see Sharpe/Harper as a slash pair - hence I've no idea to look for the fanfic.

6. Not enough time. I'd rather research the history of morris and mumming! (and read the Sharpe novels at the same time as watching the TV version)

But, I still miss slash cons. So I'm considering Closet Con - http://www.villagepresszines.co.uk/cc.10.htm - anyone else going?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm going! Hope to see you there!

I'm going. At least that's the plan. Most people I know who are going are Trek folks but several are multi-fandominational (or whatever the term is/should be).

I'm slowly inching round to the idea of going. It'll probably depend on when we book our summer holiday.

Wow, I had no idea that there was anything like this in the U.K. I'm seriously tempted. I used to write Stargate fanfiction: http://www.area52hkh.net/author.php?name=Singular (warning, the two earliest stories are pretty bad).

I got myself a text-to-speech reader because I have to edit such a lot of my own stuff. Ghostreader (Mac) and TextAloud (P.C) are what I've got, both with very good (NeoSpeech) voices. Nowadays, I download my stories and others to my iPod and then listen to them just before I go to sleep. It's like having a bedtime story read to me every night!

There's several UK slash cons, and they all have a good atmosphere. Closet con is held in lovely grounds in a botanical garden and all meals are included, so you not only eat well, but you eat at the same time and enjoy the company.

For some reason, I don't like reading fanfic written in the present tense. It's probably just me being old. It's a change since I started being a fan. Everything used to be written in the past tense, now the present tense is used by lots of writers.

It jars me out of a story, without that being any reflection on the ability of the writer. (I like that fact that you use lots of characters including Selmak, whom I'm rather fond of)

If you fancy a long one in the past tense, try http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/Stargate/Library/P2P/index.html

I forgot to say, writing fanfiction was incredibly useful for me. I got over the massive fear of having others read my work through this medium. It prepared me in a big way for getting published, so I owe Area52 a huge debt.

I don't read as much slash as I used to. Partially because its so hard to find good stuff unless you spend literal hours combing through archives for it. It is out there, it's just drowned under heaps of complete tat. Sigh.

A couple of times, in a fit of frustration at my inability to find anything good for a particular pairing, I ended up writing it myself.

Despite being a slash writer, I've never actually been to a proper slash con. I'm not sure if I should, since most of my slash fandoms are for newer stuff (anime and video games, etc.) so I'm not sure if I'd fit in all that well.

Well, the best panel I ever went to at a slash con was one on the art of writing in general. It taught me masses (back in the days when I was still crap at POV and other similar stuff).

But I'd expect the conversation to be mainly TV fandom.

However, if I go, it will be mainly for the company.

I've used up most of my 'doing things without the family' points already this year, plus am not sure to that expenditure level that I'd enjoy a slash con enough despite it being a goodly proportion of my reading material these days. I don't write, which always makes me twitchy about something like that.

I find recs lists the best way to identify the cream of the available fic. It's not a foolproof approach by any means, but it does help.

Hmm. Given my less than complimentary comments on the slash 101 panel at Eastercon last year I suppose I should put this on the radar - but it's a bit pricey (and we are supposed to be spending money on the house at the moment).

Not all slash has to be PWP - in fact, apart from a couple of recent challenges I don't think I've ever committed PWP without at least some character motivation/exploration. Though granted it's difficult to find the in-character plotty good stuff.

And you remind me that I'm supposed to be writing a (possibly slashy) sequel to Sharpe's Mission (I think I may have muttered something about having Colonel Brand climb dripping out of that well and whip Sharpe's arse...).

Just as soon as I've finished all these Potter and Holmes bunnies.

It's pricey because it includes food and accommodation. When you allow for that, it's pretty good.

I remember some excellent non PWP slash, I'm just too old to spend time looking for it now. I only ever read stuff that's recc'd to me now.

I'd love to read a Sharpe story by you...

Still need to check how feasible it is, but in principle yes. I'm assuming they're still doing the single room thing?

Have you read this (http://gaysherlockholmes.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-dearest-holmes.html)? I'm not fannish but I do rather like the Holmes books and this slash novella just hit the spot for me.

I haven't read it,but it sounds potentially interesting.

Missing Slash Conventions

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