why halo thar

[kaigou]

Over the past two or three weeks, there've been an awful lot of people subscribing suddenly. *shifty eyes* I'm not entirely certain who to blame who to thank. Instead, if you don't mind, please use this thread to introduce yourself.

poll results for readers' choices:
story/narrative analysis 93.1%
snark and rants 82.8%
fandom meta: 86.2%
fiction critiques 79.3%

Comments

[ct]

I wandered in via, um... someone's Follow Friday post. Can't remember who at the moment. I thought I said hello, but now I'm worried I didn't, so... hi!

[kaigou]

Doh. I completely forgot to add Follow Friday to the list. Grrr to not being able to edit polls! (or can we do that now?)

[manifesta]

Not sure what I'd want more of yet, seeing as I'm still pilfering through your backlist. It's all nummy to me.

I'll keep you posted.

[kaigou]

There's a reason I have the tag analysis is my chocolate cake.

[manifesta]

*snort* Of course.

[wishfulclicking]

I think I got here from comm linkage but I had read some of your stuff before but then forgot to save the link. I do not have a topic prompt, all I can say that you approach things from a perspective that's unique to most fannish discourse I've come across and I like reading your thoughts on things.

Oh yeah, I found you by searching 'meta' tags on delicious and then read your post about fanfiction and original fiction with all the graphs and drawings. There was a lot of talk about shapes.

[kaigou]

fanfiction and original fiction with all the graphs and drawings

this is because I LIKE TO PLAY IN ILLUSTRATOR. Makes me feel like a real graphics kinda person, it does.

[pseudo_tsuga]

I came here via explaining fiction using pretty graphs. I am very shallow when it comes down to it.

[kaigou]

It's okay. I'm very shallow in that I like to make pretty graphs. Sometimes I even add numbers, because it makes me feel extra-smart. Come to think of it, I've not done anything with visual aids in awhile, unless we count the Durarara posts. Hmm.

[effex]

[waves]

I think I followed a link from maldoror_gw to your 'dear [not just urban fantasy] author' essay(s) way back when, bookmarked it, referred back to it often, and subscribed to you when I saw you were on Dreamwidth. Probably. I stick around because we share a couple interests and I enjoy reading the thought you have to share, so. Pleasure to (formally) meet you!

[kaigou]

*salutes*

Just here to entertain. Really!

[sothcweden]

I can't remember which post drew me in, since I immediately started poking around in your older posts. I very much enjoy reading about fandom: its tropes, practices, and absurdities. I'm currently reading the links you posted about YA fiction and Rape Culture, even though the post is frozen, because I used to work in the YA field (in a library).

[kaigou]

Fandom is an endless source of amusement, because a little deconstruction and you realize it's all absurdities. And I mean that in the nicest existential way possible.

We didn't sell any YA in my bookstore, mostly because we sold very little fiction, and YA is really a subset of its own within that. I had enough work just keeping up with the nonfiction we sold... so in some ways, I feel sometimes like I've come very late to the table on YA.

[sothcweden]

The thing I think is awesome about the development of- and discussion about YA books, is that there are writers who are trying to provide a place for teens to vicariously experience aspects of life that they might fear in reality or might choose to avoid after reading the book. And some of them are simply telling great stories, but aimed at the 11-17 reader, rather than children or adults.

My enthusiasm comes from the fact that when I was 12-13 I used to walk down to the local bookstore and browse the shelves. The teen section was usually filled with Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club, Cheerleaders, Satin Slippers, and other such series - which is why I ended up reading a lot of books written for adults before I was probably mature enough to understand them (Anne Rice, Frank Herbert). So, when I started working with teens, first in a bookstore then in a public library, I was thrilled to find good writers specifically targeting teens with their writing. I really enjoyed reading them, too, since I often claim that I've never fully returned from Neverland.

Which is probably more than you wanted to know about me and YA fiction, but it's a subject I feel strongly about, and one I miss, now that I'm working in an academic library. Thanks for the link you recently posted on the subject; I'll be checking it out.

[trickster_tree]

I first stumbled on your journal when you wrote your "Dear (Not Just Urban Fantasy) Author" series, but only recently got a public journal myself. Sticking around because I enjoy reading thoughtful analysis on pretty much any topic (I've been following your posts on Avatar, frex, although it's been so long since I saw the show that I don't have much to contribute). I'm also a speculative fiction/fantasy writer, so your posts that treat aspects of genre fiction are of particular interest to me.

[kaigou]

Someday I'm gonna take those way-too-long posts and, y'know, actually edit them for clarity. I ended up back on one of them awhile back and was like, man, I do the loopy circular stuff so much, what's the point in even numbering anything?

posts that treat aspects of genre fiction

They're lots of fun, even if every time I open my mouth I think, here is another reason I'll never be published. Honestly. How many more people can I piss off, this month?

[trickster_tree]

It will never cease to amaze me how up-in-arms people get about critique of genre fiction. I mean, I love fantasy with the long-suffering love, but often for what it could do rather than what it does – which is all the more obvious when someone steps outside the tropes long enough to use them rather than be used by them.

(I sort of squawk with laughter at the prospect of being published. I have too many queer characters running around, for one.)

[windsorblue]

I was told there would be punch and pie.

[kaigou]

I got yer punch RIGHT HERE, baby.

No pie. Cake? Is cake okay? Chocolate?

and I am so so so overdue for a jog out to visit you and everyone else in your neck of the woods...sob

[windsorblue]

C'mon by - I'mma make you watch Fanboys over nachos and margaritas.

[sharibet]

I read some of your older archived stories on Kracken's site, then found you on Livejournal, and subsequently stalked, er, followed you here.

[kaigou]

Ah, so that was YOU driving past my house today... THREE TIMES. Considering I live on a dead-end street, I was starting to think it might not just be a case of the lost. Then I recalled I live in a city where 99% of the residents are Oblivions, and thought twice -- yes, the person probably was lost. But if it was you, then at least not much of the oblivions. The city is down to 98% oblivious! Yay!

[sharibet]

Six times, actually.

Nice to know that my Covert Ops rating is 50% successful. :-)

[stone_ocean]

I saw your posts on Durarara in a digest.

[kaigou]

Damn it! I knew those would get me in trouble!

with tongue very firmly in cheek

[stone_ocean]

They were just too tempting! I couldn't help it!

Hee!

[axelrod]

Someone linked to yr post about Zuko - I forget who. And sometimes I subscribe to ppl who write good/interesting posts about this or that -ism, esp if it's one I don't know as much about (I'm white - I need to learn how to spot racist shit, and understand wha it's doing).

Also, you like Avatar and FMA : )

I didn't tick off "daily life/personal" bc I'm not sure if a) you'll be a friend and I'll care about the minutiae of your life and/or b) you'll write about your life in a way which helps me learn how to live mine. But by all means, opinionate at me! : )

[kaigou]

(How can one not like FMA?)

I suppose I should clarify that "daily life/personal" really amounts to, "my god, my life is a freaking sitcom and if I didn't laugh at myself, I'd be in the corner having a psychotic episode or something." With a slight to large dose of snark. Actually, come to think of it, the only time I really post any in-depth contemplations of personal life, it's on a filter narrowed down to only those folks I know in person, because they're more likely to get my tone, since we're RL interacting friends. Otherwise... it's mostly for seeing the humor in this crazy thing we call life.

Besides, I don't need to opinionate about personal life, not when the fandom sandbox offers so many better and shinier opportunities for snark!

[dancing_serpent]

A few weeks ago I started running animanga_news and someone linked me to your Durarara entries.

[maire]

I don't know if I really introduced myself. I probably should. Sorry if I forgot.

I'm a 35-year-old New Zealander. I read your journal because you say lots of interesting things. My own journal tends to be brief updates on my life, I'm afraid. I don't write fiction, and don't publish my poetry or art on my journal much right now, although I may start posting images one day.

[tanaqui]

I stumbled across one of the posts on original and fanfiction with the pretty graphs - can't remember now if it was via my network or someone pointed it out to me - found it fascinating, read back through some of the previous posts, and subscribed because I was hoping there would be more posts like that. :-D

Also, your analysis is my chocolate cake tag made me laugh.

[jena13.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure I found your journal when Maldoror linked to one of your posts. I don't have much of a knowledge base as far as philosophy goes, but it's been interesting reading. I've been especially enjoying your recent posts about YA fiction.

(I also liked the pretty graphs!)

[majoline]

I'm here because we had a wonderfully funny exchange on dharma_slut's DW and I just went looking for you finally! :)

It's okay if I stay?

[kaigou]

Certainly, the more the merrier!