Stitches

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3cSDVgv

by Nerve_Itch

Will is suffering – and that is absolutely at Hannibal’s behest. The monster and the man both delight in anguish in its many forms. But, Will is also alive. In one version of events, this is an equation of simple sadism; Will is alive, because to dispose of him too quickly would be a waste. In another version of events, he is alive because he still has value. In which case, what remains is to prove it.

Set near the events of S1, in which Will finds out.

Words: 947, Chapters: 1/9, Language: English

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3cSDVgv

I've done another thing

i’m not gonna continue talking on that post so i don’t dogpile on the op who seems to realize they have no sources on what they’re saying but one thing that stands out about what antis often say “fiction affects reality!! if you don’t believe that you’re wrong!!“

well, that’s not exactly what i’m saying, is it. i’m just saying it doesn’t happen in some simplistic way where reading about something = immediately wanting to do it.

the problem here is actually some pretty intense lack of understanding and knowing the history of fanfiction. of how pretty radical the existence of fanfiction is and why people fight so intensively to keep the freedom of it.

because you know what can definitely affect reality? mainstream media. thousands upon thousands of repetition of the same pattern. media being monopolized and or/used by political powers. creating a canon (yes that’s how the word is used in the literary context) of classic works that are put on pedestal as the reflection of human experience while being in fact only straight white male experience. and so on and on. these things are examined by sociology, psychology, literary sciences, anthropology and of course women’s and queer studies.

the value of fanfiction lies in people taking the limited worldviews they are given and transforming them into something else. fandom is the space where mainstream can’t reach, can’t make everything about profit and about keeping the status quo. to suddenly start censoring it is destructive.

so i don’t care what in fandom “skeeves” you out. what’s “gross“ to you. trying to censor fanfiction, to fit it back into some box of what is right and proper is turning your back on the entire concept of transformative fandom and it’s running right back into the arms of the people who want to control how you think and what you do - for their profit, of course.

Who needs 6,000+ words of “what happened those 3 times Will Graham was bathed and dressed without his apparent consent”?

HERE YOU GO. 

This is an excellent response to a question that comes across as infinitely creepier than intended (sorry about that - the 'theoretical' part of the ask is meant with sincerity).

I love [bits of] fandom. I love meta. I love people taking things they love and creating new fictions out of them. Sometimes that starts to encroach on the comfort and consent of the people who make up a part of that, and then it becomes a different beast altogether. Journalists attempt to generate shame by confronting actors with stories that they want to poke fun at. 'Celebrity' becomes the excuse used for photos taken without permission. People like me come out with horrendously creepy comments before considering that intention is often wholly separate from the result. People can own their own fictions, but not the right to use them against other people.

  The context (beyond genuine curiosity and a recoil reflex to most RPS prompts on kinkmemes) is that I'm gathering a whole bunch of thoughts about fandom, fic and slash for an event in Brighton later this year, and I'm increasingly aware of the fact that my own moral compass around these things tends to jiggle before it hits a clearer level of understanding. And then it starts jiggling in other directions. There's a lot of jiggling. I digress. 

What I mean is, thank you for answering. 

More than a decade after the Harry Potter craze kicked fanfic culture straight into the mainstream, we’re still seeing regular appearances from that most embarrassing of journalistic genres: the poorly researched thinkpiece expressing shock, horror, bemusement, and condescension for fandom and the (mostly female) fans who write fanfiction.

So for anyone out there who has just been hired to explain the intricacies of fanfic culture to a confused and ill-informed audience, here are a few misconceptions we can get out of the way before you even start:

Myth: Reporters should ask celebrities what they think about the awkward fanfic fans write about them

No. First of all, asking a celebrity to simply “react” to fanfiction being written about the fictional character they portray (and occasionally the actor themselves) is actually shorthand for “I’m a lazy reporter who would rather exploit fans than do the work of rounding up real questions for this interview.”

Secondly, this celebrity who is having lots of slash written about them has already been asked about their thoughts on slash by the other 145 million unoriginal reporters who came along before you and went, “What can I do to be edgy? Oh, I know, I’ll show them the fanfiction about them on the Internet!” They are sick of being asked this question.

Thirdly, depending on any number of personal/social/contextual factors that have nothing to do with the show, the fandom, or the content of the fanfic, being asked about fanfic could make them feel uncomfortable, which means you were just rude and invasive for stupid reasons.

[READ MORE]

(In which Gav and Aja attempt to debunk every terrible article ever written on fanfic, which we hopefully will never have to read again.)

GUYS THIS PIECE IS 5,000 WORDS LONG AND TOOK TWO MONTHS OF US GOING “OH CRAP WE FORGOT TO INCLUDE X!!”  And in the end our editor just threw up her hands and didn’t cut a word.

So congrats, fandom, THIS IS THE SINGLE LONGEST ARTICLE IN DAILY DOT HISTORY.

HEROIC JOURNALISM.

In all seriousness tho, I hope this article comes in useful. It’s a simple link for when people ask about fandom, and hopefully also a good resource for journalists writing What Is Fanfic articles in the future.

Helloooo excellent resource for all the fandom and fanfic panels I’ll be on at nine-worlds-geekfest and loncon3 :D *archives for later perusal*

Amazing! I will pillage these references for a planned slash night in Brighton later this summer too...