coaltide | Coal All The Way

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2019

Coal All The Way

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I was surprised and tickled to get a really lovely comment the other day from someone who didn't know the fandom but had searched by tag/trope and found it that way.

Do you search by tags for tropes you like and read fandoms where you're completely unfamiliar with the characters?

Yes, but usually only for specific kinks or via recs.

Not in Yuletide. It's something I do in Nonconathon and SmutSwap for kinky PWPs that will, um, serve their purpose even if I don't know the canon at all, but for fics that tell an actual story, I personally need to know who the characters are and be invested in their dynamic. Possibly because all my favorite narrative tropes (trapped in a small space together, identity porn, Groundhog Day, Stockholm Syndrome, etc.) rely on the emotional connection between the characters. So without knowing about that, I get nothing out of the fic. I could imagine that this is different for someone who is into, say, mystery plots or worldbuilding.

Yes, for my favorite tropes, I sure do. That's why I always encourage people to tag thoroughly, so I can find them!

I don't, no. I've gotten a few comments on my work from people who missed the point or didn't get what was happening because they didn't know canon at all -- I'd rather not be the one leaving those sorts of comments on other people's work.

See, if I read a story for a fandom I didn't know because of the trope, I then wouldn't leave a comment like that, because I'd assume it was my unfamiliarity and not the fault of the writer.

Eh, if I've enjoyed the story, I might as well leave a comment. If I missed the point by a mile or the writer doesn't like my comment, they can always delete it.

I'm usually under the impression that comments telling the writer what I liked about their story are welcome, even if I didn't get as much out of it as I might have with canon knowledge. I especially love it when a writer takes the opportunity to enthusiastically tell me more about their canon and sell it to me.

But honestly, I don't keep track of the comments I leave, so I probably won't notice either way, especially in Yuletide when most writers wait with their replies until after reveals.

Yes, after I'm done with the fandoms I know. I sort by kudos/bookmarks first, then I go again through interesting or porny tags. However, this has been a hellacious holiday season for me, so I'm slow. I'll get there, obscure fandom writers!

Yes, if it has tags I'm interested in or gets linked in a 3T1L thread I end up commenting on. I'm much more likely to read it if I've at least osmosed something about the characters, though. Like, I've never seen/read Eagle of the Ninth, but I at least know when it's set and the dynamic of the main ship. Whereas I don't pay attention to anime to begin with, so if a fic is for an anime, I probably haven't managed to osmose anything about it.

I do when someone makes a really compelling rec for a fic. Usually at the end of reveals, I'll also surf through the fics with no comments to see if I can find something that looks interesting and try to make an author slightly happier.

Aw, you're a good egg, coalie.

I'll read fandoms where I haven't necessarily read/seen the source but have picked up enough that I have a rough idea of who the main characters are or at least the general premise. I'd be reluctant to comment where I don't have the canon knowledge to judge characterization or know what elements are canon vs the fic author's, but I might give kudos.

I'm very unlikely to read fic for a fandom I know genuinely nothing about, though. I suppose I might if I came across an awesome rec that made it sound really up my street or I liked the author's work in other fandoms enough to take a chance on an intriguing summary, but I don't search for fic from unfamiliar fandoms by tag/trope.

Only in nonconathon. Any other exchange, no.

And honestly I'm usually disappointed by reading outside my fandoms in nonconathon too, because part of the appeal is knowing how the characters would react in a situation. Without knowing the characters, it's pointless.

Yes I do, and I've found some wonderful stories that way.

There are a few canons I don't have access to but that I've got somewhat into via exchanges fics and when I see fics for those in another exchange, I'm likely to read them. Picked up some low-key ships that way.

I also enjoy randomly browsing collections. If a story turns out to make no sense at all without canon knowledge, I can always either backbutton or fill in the gaps with google. A good story might convince me to seek out canon as well.

Yuletide works especially well for me in that regard because there are a lot of fandoms I'd never encounter otherwise and because I tend to seek out gen or PG-level shippy stories.

I actively avoid this for anything in the realm of porn or kink because with that I've run into some hard squicks too often that could easily have been avoided with some canon knowledge. I have to be pretty desperate and out of material to scratch a certain itch to use google to get some basic parameters about an unfamiliar canon so I can venture into it for porn and kink. Rarely ever happens these days.

Yes, but there's not many fics for tropes/kinks I like this year. I have also picked up new canons this way before, after the fic inspired me to check it out.

No. I don't see the point if I don't know the characters.

A big nope from me. I'm at least familiar if not a big fan. Seems weird non-fans might read my own stuff, though of course anyone's welcome to.

Yup, all the time for Yuletide. It's how I get into a lot of historical or niche or fairytale canons; it's also how I discover new canons to read.

+1 historical canons are always my go to, even if I'm not familiar with them to begin with.

Never. I only request and offer my faves, but there is plenty of stuff that I know but don’t need more of or only sort of know, which I’ll browse through in the collection. If I’m especially intrigued by someone’s prompts or tags on a work, I’m more likely to pick up the canon than just read fic as I come across it.

Pretty much never. Maybe sometimes if it's porn.

As long as the writing and characterisation are good/engaging enough I’ll read anything!

No. If I don't know the characters, I don't care.

Not except for advertisements and Lion in Winter. I've never seen the movie but I read some amazing(ly smutty) fics one year and have returned ever since.

I do read for stuff I'm not fannish about but I know.

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Coal All The Way

Do you read fandoms you don't know?

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