fardell24

Challenge #14

In your own space, create your own fandom challenge. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


This can be big or small; a challenge you saw someone do in another fandom, or that used to run and you miss; something you have thought up just now, or something you yourself are already doing. Earnest, whimsical, fun, all three! For snowflake's penultimate challenge, try challenging us all to give it a go.



Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

Challenge: The Unmentioned Setting
Write a lengthy or greater than 5000 words [Insert fandom here] fanfiction without mentioning [Insert setting name (rural area, village, town, city) or (ship or other vehicle)] by name.
Additional challenge. It has to be set in the rural area, village, town, city, ship or other vehicle, in question, so you can't cheat by setting it elsewhere.

(I originally set the challenge in the Daria fandom, where it is Lawndale that shouldn't be mentioned)

Challenge #12 Create a Rec Countdown. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

**A very non-exhaustive list of categories that you could include in your Rec List if you need suggestions:

Books Everyone Should Read
Songs Everyone Should Hear
Movies/TV shows Everyone Should Watch
Games/Video Games Everyone Should Play
Fanworks Everyone Should Read/Look at/Listen to/Consume (and of course there are lots of subcategories of this as well!)
Creators Everyone Should Check Out
Communities Everyone Should Join
And also, Don’t forget to REC YOURSELF!!

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on. And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.


5 Things I watched in 2024 that I recommend.
1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Not just for Frieren being an immortal elf who slowly grows to understand how different she is to humans and dwarves in her perception of time. It is also about those around her. Both those in her former hero party and her current quest party. Also her complicated relationships with Fern and her former master's master. Not to mention how magic is portrayed.

2. Dungeon Meshi | Delicious in Dungeon
Especially for the neurodivergence representation as exemplified by the Touden siblings.

3. Inside Out 2
Especially how Anxiety is portrayed. (And how she takes over Riley's imagination, and how the panic attack is portrayed.) But also how Riley grows through the film.

4. Poldark (2015)
Following the life of a young nobleman who returns from fighting in the American Revolution to Cornwall and struggles with his finances and to make a difference.

5. The Secret Garden (1993)
I hadn't seen it since it came out. It's a very good adaptation of the novel. Mary Lennox's growth as she tends to the garden, befriends Dickon and helps Colin is very well portrayed.

Challenge #10

In your own space, talk about one of your fandom firsts. This could be your first fandom, your first fandom friend, the first fanwork you created, the first fanwork you interacted with... The options are endless! Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Sometimes firsts are forgotten, but sometimes they stand out in your mind even years later. (Or days later, there's no time limit on firsts!) Hopefully this challenge can bring back some good memories from your fandom life.


Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.


A first: The first fan art uploaded to DeviantArt - a deck plan of a small Starfleet scoutship from the early 25th Century. It took about a month, but that time was well spent.

https://www.deviantart.com/brenorenz/art/Isis-Class-Starship-378580236

(Also Brenorenz on SpaceBattles and Sufficient Velocity. I somehow figured that going by my gamer tag on those sites was a good idea. If you look at my gallery, you'll also see that some of my Daria WIPs are there.)

Challenge #8

In your own space, write a promo, manifesto or primer for a beloved character, relationship or fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


These can be as short or as long as you like! If you're looking for examples to inspire, check out [community profile] crack_van's Fandom Overview tag, [community profile] meta_manifesto's AO3 Collection, or the "Fandom Promo" tag of your favourite fest.




Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.


Wherein I ramble about Daria. As someone who was a misfit teen I could relate. But it's not just the older Miss Morgendorffer, but those around her too. The series is an excellent example of a slice of life dramedy, with storytelling that improves as it goes on. Even if Tom Sloane is a rather flat character that is hardly seen outside of his successive relationships with Jane and Daria. But there is another character that is an excellent example of character growth.
Quinn goes from someone who disowns her sister on a regular basis and is obsessed about her own popularity and fashion, to someone who acknowledges Daria as her sister and looks out for others when she sees that they have problems.

Challenge #6

Share your favourite piece of original canon. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


Who knows, maybe you'll find someone with similar favourites, or encourage someone to check out yours, and you may find canons you want to check out too.


Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.


There are too many moments in many of the canons to choose, so I'll be sharing particular stand out moments.

I could start with Dickens, or even Austen or Shakespeare, but I'll start with Tolkien and Lewis.

The Hobbit
Bilbo's problem solving as he tries to rescue the dwarves from the Elvenking's Halls.

The Chronicles of Narnia
From The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. While the Dawn Treader is trapped in the mist around the Island of Dreams, Lucy calls out to Aslan and He appears as an albatross to guide them out.

The Lord of the Rings
Faramir's hospitality to Frodo and Sam and by extension his wariness in dealing with Gollum. And of course his resolution in wanting to have nothing to do with the Ring.

Doctor Who (Classic)
Castrovalva (Nyssa and Tegan supporting the Doctor through his post regeneration issues, and helping him figure out what's going on with Castrovalva and to rescue Adric from the Master.)

Star Trek (The Original Series)
Obsession (Kirk's trauma from the Farragut's encounter with the cloud creature influencing how the Enterprise initially deals with it and McCoy and Spock helping him deal with his complicated emotions in order that his obsession with the creature won't end in disaster for the Enterprise crew as well. Add to that, having his former commanding officer's son as a member of his own crew adds some complication as well.)

Star Trek (The Animated Series)
Yesteryear (Spock rescuing his younger self)

Star Wars
When Anakin turns from the Dark Side to rescue Luke from Palpatine.

Star Trek (Original movies)
Specifically Spock sacrificing himself to save the Enterprise in The Wrath of Khan.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
I Borg (When Picard accepts that Hugh had become an individual)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
The Sacrifice of Angels
Recapturing Deep Space Nine from the Dominion

Babylon 5
Sheridan telling the Vorlons and Shadows to leave the Galaxy for the younger races.

Star Trek (TNG movies)
Specifically First Contact When Lily talks Picard out of wanting revenge on the Borg and he decides that sacrificing the Enterprise would be right thing to do.

Star Trek: Voyager
Dark Frontier (Seven of Nine looking into her parent's research on the Borg and Janeway doing whatever it takes to get her back from the Queen)

Daria
The moment when Quinn acknowledges that Daria is in fact her sister. (And Stacy and Tiffany defending her to Sandi saying that they already knew that but were being polite about it.)

Doctor Who (Revival)
The Name of the Doctor (The Eleventh Doctor going into his own timestream to rescue Clara Oswald, the Impossible Girl)

Star Trek (Kelvin Timeline movies)
Beyond when Kirk escapes from the Enterprise saucer (on the planet) using problem solving.

How to Train Your Dragon
In the second movie, when Hiccup bonds with Valka at the sanctuary.

Star Trek: Picard
The reveal of what is in Hangar 12 (Says a lot about that series)

Star Trek: Lower Decks
Grounded Mariner and her three friends sneaking onto the Cerritos to find evidence to clear Captain Freeman.

Challenge #4

Since this is the start of a new year, this challenge will be e to set your own goals! Of course we can all make large or ambitious goals, remember that small and/or short goals are also good! Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


Fandom
1. Continue writing more Spider Quinn and Mysteries of Aurora. (Given that I completed 10 chapters of Spider Quinn in 2024, I could complete 10 more, depending on the length of said chapters
2. Get more of the backlog of fic beta read and posted to FF, AO3 and Wattpad.
3. Participate in more challenges
4. Create more art.

Personal
1. Actually do more gardening.

Challenge #2

In your own space, talk about your fannish origin story. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Whether you've been in fandom for a while or just discovered fandom, we'd love to know how you came to fandom! Was it that one book or a TV show or movie or anime/manga or a band/song that gave you that first spark? Or a character or characters that you wanted more of but the canon material just didn't have enough of them? Or were you introduced to fandom by someone?

You can be as brief or detailed as you like: timeline, narrative, bullet points, etc. :D


I have been writing fan fiction since I was a teenager. It may have been Star Trek: Voyager that provided the spark. (But I point out that I had been writing original fiction since I was a pre-teen.) Classic Doctor Who was also something I wrote for early. I joined Fanfiction.net shortly after starting university in 2000. (I didn't start writing for Daria until the DVDs came out in 2010.)

Challenge #4

IceBreaker Challenge! Tell us about yourself. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

fardell24, an Australian fannish guy on the Autism Spectrum. Current fandoms include (deep breath), Star Trek (Voyager, Lower Decks, Deep Space Nine, Strange New Worlds, Enterprise), Doctor Who (Classic and New, Davison is 'my Doctor', but I seem to write more with Eleven and Clara), Daria, Spider-Man, Pokemon, The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings, Kim Possible, Phineas and Ferb, Back to the Future, How to Train Your Dragon and Star Wars. I'm mostly a fan writer, although I do dabble in art. (Like character redesigns and deck plans of Starfleet ships,)
I also prefer writing long stories over shorter forms.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Slice of Life

Challenge #2

In your own space, set yourself some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Fandom
1. Complete at least a page of Spider Quinn daily. (Or at least 366 pages. At 11pt Calabri.) With the 8th chapter starting on Page 106, that may be another 30 chapters. (Of course some chapters may be longer than others.)
2. Get some of the backlog of fic beta read and posted to FF, AO3 and Wattpad.
3. Participate in more challenges
4. Create more art.

Personal
1. Actually do more gardening.

Challenge #15

In your own space, opine on the future of fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

This can be positive, negative, ambivalent; about fandom as a whole, your own fandom(s), or your own plans. Alternately, what do you hope fandom will do? Imagine a best-cast scenario, and tell us what that would look like.

Optimistic. People will continue to be able to share their fan fiction, fan art, fan metas, etc in a way that that others will find an appreciate them.

More specifically for the Daria fandom; the PPMB may be slowly dying, but the Lawndale High board continues to be active.

Similarly for Star Trek; the TrebBBS has a similar level of activity to 'back to in the day', that being while Enterprise was still new on the air. (And elements of fandom being against something 'violating canon/continuity' sound the same whether they're talking about Enterprise, the Kelvin Timeline Movies, or Discovery.)

Twitter may fail or change into something unusable, but another space may be found. (Haven't joined Mastdon yet. Would anyone recommend it?)

The same applies to Tumblr. (But the way I use it hasn't changed much.)