I think a loss of fannishness comes with age and maturation and education, especially in the humanities. I'm also finding I'm getting more snobbish with my literary tastes. I've read every book in Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series except the last one, and I enjoyed them even when I knew they weren't very good. But I can't even bring myself to buy the newest one. I know it's bad, but I know I'd still enjoy it. But like you, I'm worried about my taste and I'd rather be seen reading something serious and respected, even if I wouldn't enjoy it half as much as some brainless fantasy.
But on the other hand, there is intelligent work out there that is still fun, and if you find something that balances it, you can easily get fannish about it again. There are things that your critical mind will fail to deconstruct, or at least not enough to make you dislike it, because it's well written and avoids these serious issues that we're being trained to see. Take Firefly, for example. I'm more passionate about that universe than I have been about anything since high school, because it's fun and smart and funny and well written, and it has a wonderfully rich story that you can deconstruct and look at closely and it still holds up. And there are other series like that, if you look hard enough.
I also like fannish communities, but I still have a hard time finding one I'm comfortable in, just because I'm sick of all the jerkfaces on the internet. No matter how many intelligent, interesting people I find in a community, the idiots are always there and they always ruin it. I know it's like that with life in general, but I like these things because they let me escape from the real world. But that's just me. There are good communities out there.
As for your writing, I think you shouldn't worry about the favourite themes. Because really, there's nothing that hasn't been done before. What matters is your take on the theme. Even if it's one you've already done, how many authors have you studied that have repeated themes over and over? If it's well thought out, and well written, and has a personal take and something to say, it doesn't matter if it's been done. Express yourself and your ideas and it'll be original enough.
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Date: 2006-01-10 03:19 am (UTC)But on the other hand, there is intelligent work out there that is still fun, and if you find something that balances it, you can easily get fannish about it again. There are things that your critical mind will fail to deconstruct, or at least not enough to make you dislike it, because it's well written and avoids these serious issues that we're being trained to see. Take Firefly, for example. I'm more passionate about that universe than I have been about anything since high school, because it's fun and smart and funny and well written, and it has a wonderfully rich story that you can deconstruct and look at closely and it still holds up. And there are other series like that, if you look hard enough.
I also like fannish communities, but I still have a hard time finding one I'm comfortable in, just because I'm sick of all the jerkfaces on the internet. No matter how many intelligent, interesting people I find in a community, the idiots are always there and they always ruin it. I know it's like that with life in general, but I like these things because they let me escape from the real world. But that's just me. There are good communities out there.
As for your writing, I think you shouldn't worry about the favourite themes. Because really, there's nothing that hasn't been done before. What matters is your take on the theme. Even if it's one you've already done, how many authors have you studied that have repeated themes over and over? If it's well thought out, and well written, and has a personal take and something to say, it doesn't matter if it's been done. Express yourself and your ideas and it'll be original enough.