OTW Guest Post: Laura Beveridge & K-K Bracken
| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | OTW Guest Post: Laura Beveridge (CompletelyDifferent) & K-K Bracken |
| Interviewer: | Jess Hindes |
| Interviewee: | Laura Beveridge & K-K Bracken |
| Date(s): | February 25, 2018 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | |
| External Links: | "OTW Guest Post: Laura Beveridge & K-K Bracken". Archived from the original on 2019-08-19. |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
OTW Guest Post: Laura Beveridge & K-K Bracken is a 2018 interview done as part of a series. See OTW Guest Post.
Some Topics Discussed
Some Excerpts
How did you each first get into fandom and fanworks?
LAURA: For me, fandom started with Harry Potter. It was my parents’ bid to try getting me interested in reading and overcome my dyslexia. It paid off, big time. I’m not sure if he actually remembers, but my first interaction with fanfic came from my Dad. He wrote a daughter-insert fic where Ginny Weasley sought my help in saving the kidnapped Harry. Eight-year-old me was over the moon.
I feel like I personally started exploring online collections of fanworks at around age twelve or thirteen.
K-K: HP for me as well! I wrote essays for Mugglenet and organized fake Hogwarts classes for my friends. I was always an avid reader but the interaction and expansion that come with fandom was delightful to get into. I remember being on a mailing list of over 1000 and swapping fic and theories with fans from all over the world.
One of the pieces you wrote together is a character exploration of Garnet from Steven Universe. This is the sort of in-depth meta seen in fandom communities, but it exists on a site that also runs more general news. Do you think that the format of The Geekiary has more to do with how media sites are changing or with the way fandom is changing?
K-K: I think it’s the gatekeepers who have changed, not fandom itself. No longer do marginalized fans have to swap Luke/Han zines in private, fearing fanboy retribution — now we proudly and publicly say “canon isn’t perfect, and here’s how it could be better” (or at least, “here’s a fun way to play with it”). The Geekiary’s mix of news and meta is a neat culmination of this. We are feminist-focused without being a feminist magazine. We are lovers of fandom and we write what we would want to read.
LAURA: I think fandom has always had a place for in-depth plot and character studies, before it was even called ‘fandom’. Possibly how accessible and prominent those studies are is changing. Maybe it does have something to do with how fans access news. When people are more likely to discover key updates from a Twitter or tumblr feed, I think that entertainment websites may have had to shift focus to more feature-style stories to keep an audience. But overall, I think this is something that’s always been there.
What fandom things have inspired you the most?
K-K: I have been lucky enough to be a part of organizing and creating two fandom-specific conventions, Ice & Fire Con (an ASOIAF/Game of Thrones con) and Beach City Con (the first Steven Universe-exclusive fan con). The anonymity of the internet is a blessing and a curse – I would never trade the fandom experiences I have had online (like meeting Laura!), but I recognize that there is something magical about interactions in the meatspace with like-minded fans. Being able to create a space specifically for my fellow weirdos and nerds, the too-louds and too-muches, inspires me every day.
LAURA: Wow. That is a big, big question, and one I’m genuinely struggling to answer, if only because I have seen and read so many amazing stories, comics, and art that have all genuinely touched and inspired me.
If I’m going to limit myself to only one thing, though, I have to say without a doubt, the Steven Universe fandom, especially the fanfic community. It’s the reason I’ve become friends with so many amazing, creative people around the globe. It’s the reason I’ve become friends with K-K. It’s the reason we’re writing a novel together. It’s the reason I was able to realize that communication was where my true passion lies, and why I’m studying for a Master’s right now.