Pros Fic Stuff

[londonronnie]

I reached a bit of a milestone a few months ago. After more than twelve years, and a total of 896 stories, I finally exhausted my 'wants' list with the Pros Circuit Library. Not that there weren't more stories available if I'd wanted them, there were probably another 1500 or so on the list that I hadn't read, but I'd reached the end of the stories that appealed to me. It felt like the end of an era when I sent back my last batch of stories, which I suppose wasn't surprising considering that the Circuit Library was one of my first introductions to slash and the Pros fandom in general. I felt a bit bereft, if I'm being honest!

Luckily I was able to move straight on to the Pros Big Bang - I'm currently reading the last of the BB stories, and what a treasure trove it's been! And when they're done I've got the new O Yardley zine to read!

All of which makes me realise what a huge amount of talent we have in this fandom. From participants in the Big Bang who have only been writing Pros fic for a relatively short time, to someone like O Yardley who has been entertaining us since the earliest days of the fandom. I am so pleased to be a part of it all - yay for Pros fic!!

Comments

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

All of which makes me realise what a huge amount of talent we have in this fandom.

Agreed! I always feel so proud that Pros has attracted such fine writers over the years and *still* manages to attract them - people with new, original ideas for stories.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

We are incredibly lucky, aren't we! We've got a wealth of wonderful fic going back over thirty years, and brilliant new writers emerging all the time.

We're extremely spoilt in Pros, aren't we! *g*

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's very cool. I had made my way through most of the US circuit library before it closed down, but I know I missed things. Yay for a fandom that is still producing!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

It's a shame that the US library closed down - thankfully the UK library is still going strong, and it's a fantastic resource!

What a great fandom we're in!

[caffyolay.livejournal.com]

The sheer volume of Pros fic has never ceased to amaze me.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

And growing all the time, that's the wonderful thing!

There are some fantastic new writers emerging in Pros, we're very lucky!

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Pros is an amazing fandom, both the fic and the fen. :)

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Couldn't agree more!

*g*

[dollidaydream.livejournal.com]

That's a real achievement! Fandom is awesome, isn't it? I'm sorry that you felt bereft. But I can really understand what you are saying there. But, as you say, there are new things to read, and I bet there always will be! :)

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

I do miss getting my new batch of stories in the post every month or so, but there's so many other Pros stories just waiting to be read.

Not to mention a couple of hundred zines that are due for a re-reading!

(Love that icon, btw!)

[dollidaydream.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you. I confess that it was a bit of a happy accident! :)

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

there are some fantastic stories out there and i am one of those who if i like a story can read it over and over and over again ...long may it continue x

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

i am one of those who if i like a story can read it over and over and over again ...

Oh yes, me too! There are some favourite stories that I must have read more than half-a-dozen times, and one in particular (The Larton Chronicles) that I've read at least ten times. *g*

We are very lucky to have such talented writers in our fandom!

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming a lot of these weren't (still aren't??) on line .... is that right? Oooh .... so many fics!!! ::sigh::

But yes, we have a very high goodstuff-to-dross ratio in this fandom, possibly exceptionally high. And how absolutely wonderful it is that we have both amazing authors of long standing and new talent coming it too! It's fantastic! ::raises coffee-mug in a toast to our mutual love:: *bg*

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Yes, a great many of the stories pre-date the internet. A lot of them only ever appeared on the circuit, and many of them are zine stories that have never been online.

It's wonderful that the fandom is still going strong, isn't it! I happen to have a glass of red wine to hand, so I'll join you in that toast! *g*

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

What a great thing to say! I was feeling a bit /o\ because LJ is so horribly quiet these days, but you've reminded me nicely the fandom is so much wider and wonderfully long-lived, not to mention fecund. *g* And roll on this year's Big Bang, which'll throw still more stories and artwork onto the pile. Yay!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

We do seem to be going through a quiet patch on LJ, don't we (and I'll admit to being a prime offender where that's concerned. I do intend to post more, honest!)

We're very lucky in this fandom as not only do we have a glorious history of wonderful fic and artwork but we've also got some fantastic writers and artists who are still very active. The Big Bang continues to provide us with so many marvellous goodies every year, it really is a high point of the year as far as I'm concerned!

[natsuko1978.livejournal.com]

All of which makes me realise what a huge amount of talent we have in this fandom. From participants in the Big Bang who have only been writing Pros fic for a relatively short time, to someone like O Yardley who has been entertaining us since the earliest days of the fandom. I am so pleased to be a part of it all - yay for Pros fic!!

As someone who really, really wants to write Pros fan-fic (and draw Pros fan-art) - and, indeed has both computer and two-ring file folders full to bursting with WiPs and attempts and random scenes, the talent and good-to-dreck ratio of this fandom - plus the longevity of the fandom - are, I have to admit, daunting. Like, why am I even bothering when XYZ exists, levels of daunting.

And that's just with what exists online - I'm not signed up to the library or even the CD-ROM. As a fan, it's great; as a writer, I despair.

[dollidaydream.livejournal.com]

I hope londonronnie doesn't mind me replying in her journal (please say if this is not proper lj etiquette) but I just wanted to reply and say that I hope that you won't be put off because you measure yourself against other writers and artists. There are so many reasons not to be. For myself, I think of a particular artist whose talent and skill I can only aspire to, but I still produce art for a whole host of reasons. There will always be people more skilled than you and less skilled than you, but please don't let that stop you. There is so much more I want to say to you but I don't want to use londonronnie's page to do it. PM me if you want to chat! :)

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Absolutely no problem, dollidaydream! Please feel free!

And a big 'thumbs-up' to all you've said in your comment!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Oh, please don't despair! I don't suppose there's a single writer or artist reading this who hasn't felt the same! It's a perfectly natural reaction when you've just read a brilliant story, or discovered a gorgeous piece of artwork - you just think "Well, I'll never match up to that, so why bother?" The thing is, you really don't have to match up to anything! There's room in fandom for all levels, all genres, all tastes... and don't forget, that story that you've decided is the best thing you've ever read might be not be somebody else's cup of tea at all. Who's to say that your story won't be the best thing that they've ever read?

Don't give up!

[natsuko1978.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Serendipitously (is that a word?) today over in ushobwri they were talking of the Two Cake theory of creative pursuits. Wherein the maker thinks, "Oh no! My cake is not as good as THAT cake!" but the audience think, "Yay! More cake!"

I don't need my stories - or indeed art - to be the best thing *anyone* has ever seen. I just need them to be the biscuit they pick up with their cup of tea. Or their cup of tea. Or more cake. :)

I think part of the problem is, when you are new to a fandom, no one is going to read your fic (or your LJ) just because it's *yours*. So you - well, I anyway - try to second guess what people might actually want to look at because it has to stand entirely on it's own merits and not be, "Oh! New Sally Fell fic! I really liked her "The Secrets Beneath". I'll check it out." (BTW, if I haven't told you before, I have favourite archaeologists both RL and fictional. And I'm a history geek. So, yes, I *did* love "The Secrets Beneath" - I think it was the first non-CI5 AU I read in this fandom, as well.)

But if I let fear block me, I won't finish *anything* and then I'll never know if someone might actually like Natsuko fic. :) Or cake.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

I don't need my stories - or indeed art - to be the best thing *anyone* has ever seen.

No, I don't think any of us have that in mind when we sit down to start writing or creating a new piece of art. The most important thing IMHO is to do the best job that you possibly can, and hope that someone somewhere gets some enjoyment out of it.

I think part of the problem is, when you are new to a fandom, no one is going to read your fic (or your LJ) just because it's *yours*

I do understand what you're saying, but every writer or artist has been in that situation at one time. I think you just have to 'go with the flow' and allow the story or artwork that's taking shape in your brain to emerge, and not worry about whether anybody is going to like it or not. You may get loads of great feedback, or you may get none at all, but the main thing is that you have written the story, or created the artwork, that you wanted to. Any positive reaction that you get to it is a bonus! *g*

Thanks so much for your kind words re 'The Secrets Beneath'! It's a bit of a cliche to say that it wrote itself, but it really did! Seems a long time ago now, but I did have a lot of fun writing it. So pleased that you enjoyed it!

[sw33n3y.livejournal.com]

Here! Here! It's a wonderful thing to have such a rich fandom landscape to travel through! I've only scratched the surface of Pros fic and it's lovely to know there's so much waiting for me.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed!

I've been reading Pros fic voraciously for almost thirteen years now and I've only scratched the surface as well! And it's fantastic! *g*