Anyway. it's this: a post called RABID WRITER CAPSLOCK RANT GO.
It's about how BORING English class is when they make you analyze intent, theme, etc. in books. And I have to agree. I hate being told there's one way to think about what the author wrote.
remember how they talked about ‘theme’? and there was a list of themes like ‘man versus nature’ and ‘man versus himself’? and how you had to ‘figure out’ what the theme of a piece was? remember how there was one right answer?
you know how they’d ask “why did [author] write it this way?” and for some reason, “because it’s awesome” was never an acceptable answer. there was always a hidden reason. a boring, preachy reason.
Which is terrible and wrong.
WRITE ABOUT WHATEVER YOU WANT! THINK ABOUT STORIES HOWEVER YOU WANT! Because that's what makes it fun. We don't read books, and we haven't been reading books so we can be told there's only one way to interpret things.
remember the last time you talked about your favorite fandom* with someone else who loves it as much as you do. remember how excitedly you analyzed characters and untangled plot, speculated on future directions, wondered whether the author was fucking with you or whether that crazy thing you noticed is canon for real.Fandom:
remember how fun that was?
the difference between the fun experience and the soul-sucking one is that you were analyzing the story, and your high school english teacher was analyzing analysis. there’s no reason you couldn’t have the same crazy awesome discussions about shakespeare or the iliad that you do about homestuck or sherlock.
is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the object(s) of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices (a fandom); this is what differentiates "fannish" (fandom-affiliated) fans from those with only a casual interest.
A fandom can grow up centered around any area of human interest or activity. The subject of fan interest can be narrowly defined, focused on something like an individualcelebrity, or more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions. While it is now used to apply to groups of people fascinated with any subject, the term has its roots in those with an enthusiastic appreciation for sports. Merriam-Webster's dictionary traces the usage of the term back as far as 1903.[1]
Fandom as a term can also be used in a broad sense to refer to an interconnected social network of individual fandoms, many of which overlap.
So, you might be a fannish fan of Glee or Boardwalk Empire or animes or what have you. Do you ever talk about new episodes with your friends? Do you ever freak out when the story progresses in a new way, or when there's a cliffhanger? I know I do!
Sometimes I get depressed in English because I want to just geek out about whatever I'm reading, and everyone else is like "lol i just read sparknotes calm down." It's sad, but they have a right to do that. Analyzing analysis is only fun for a few people.
Books, however, are fun for everyone. I love stories. So, so much. And you do too!!! Storytelling is becoming a lost art but I know how important it is to everyone. When you read a story you can nearly live vicariously through, it's a very thrilling feeling. Great movies tend to do this for people, too. I know I feel like I'm spinning through a hallway or sprinting through Mombasa when I watch Inception.
And don't even get me started on games, games are the king of storytelling as far as I'm concerned, since they effortlessly splice written story, character interactions, and visuals all while maintaining a feeling of choice or power over the situation at hand.
Maybe I'll post about games later.
So how about you, do you ever feel really bored having to do some really boring analysis of a book? I feel bad having to see others feeling bored because it's definitely not for everyone.
*
Fandom:
is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the object(s) of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices (a fandom); this is what differentiates "fannish" (fandom-affiliated) fans from those with only a casual interest.
A fandom can grow up centered around any area of human interest or activity. The subject of fan interest can be narrowly defined, focused on something like an individualcelebrity, or more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions. While it is now used to apply to groups of people fascinated with any subject, the term has its roots in those with an enthusiastic appreciation for sports. Merriam-Webster's dictionary traces the usage of the term back as far as 1903.[1]
Fandom as a term can also be used in a broad sense to refer to an interconnected social network of individual fandoms, many of which overlap.
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