To a Mundane, or What to Say to Your Mother When She Finds Out You Write/Illustrate/Edit/Publish a Fanzine
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| Title: | To a Mundane, or What to Say to Your Mother When She Finds Out You Write/Illustrate/Edit/Publish a Fanzine |
| Creator: | Sharon Monroe |
| Date(s): | 1985 |
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| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS, Battlestar Galactica, Science Fiction |
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| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
To a Mundane, or What to Say to Your Mother When She Finds Out You Write/Illustrate/Edit/Publish a Fanzine is an essay by Sharon Monroe.
It was printed in the Battlestar Galactica zine Purple & Orange? #18.
Topics Discussed
The Essay
"Isn't that a waste of time?"Anybody associated in any way with a fanzine has probably heard that line at least once in his or her lifetime. But what can we say to it? It doesn't serve the public welfare; It doesn't save any souls; and it certainly doesn't pay! So how do we justify spending our time on fannish publications?
We could start out by talking about the other "time-wasting" hobbies we could be involved with, but that's just likely to start an argument and antagonize somebody. Mother may not want to be told that we're worldly enough to know about drugs, sex, and sky-dlvlng, anyway. So instead of getting negative, we have to concentrate on the positive aspects of being involved with a good fanzine.
Good, of course, is a relative term where zines are concerned, varying according to the intentions and abilities of the persons involved. Fandom has gotten a reputation for putting out a lot of trash over the years, and being miffed if private fantasies meet public censure instead of acclaim. We've created "Mary Sues," and tormented and done in our heroes and heroines in more ways than the original characters could count without flinching. Our serials are one broken-bone cliff-hanger after another. We've told bedtime stories about Han, Indy, the good Captain (Kirk, Apollo, Buck Rogers — fill In the blank!) that we blush about afterwards, if we've got morals — or slobber over if we don't.
Let's assume we're involved with a good zine, this being defined as something with a hard-working editor, interesting writers, conscientious artists, and other nice people working on it. It puts out a reasonably high-quality product two or three or four times a year; it's fun for all involved; it obeys the laws of amateur publishing; it's not somebody's ego-boo creation; nobody's trying to make bucks on the sly off somebody else's creation; it has a purpose beyond sexual and/or sadistic fantasies. We don't want to concentrate on the fun aspect of it. Mother can guess it's fun; she knows the way our little minds work. So we'll point out something Mother can understand and appreciate. A good fanzine can teach you a lot. Education. Mothers always want education for their children. In the first place, naturally, there's the English language — American or British version. We're learning things like simple writing skills, improved vocabulary, proper grammar and spelling, all of which carry over into our "normal" lives. We can learn the mysteries of descriptive phrases, depth of character, and plot devices, and can help teach other people — our readers (we assume there are some) — about them, too. This can be especially helpful if we'd some day like to become professional writers. Practice, practice, practice. Many pros today got their start with little amateur publications yesterday. While some now may uncomfortably look down their noses at the past, others recall those days with fond memories — and some even lend a helping hand, staying involved and boosting others along!
Ditto for artists, editors, and publishers. Practice, practice, practice!
Beyond these technical aspects of learning and perfecting the craft, there are social angles as well. By attending conventions, meeting people, carrying on correspondences all over the country (and sometimes the world!), and collaborating closely with new friends who share our common interest (the fanzine), we're learning to deal with other people. We're starting on a common ground and reaching out, growing together. And who among us can't do with new friends? Fanzines have business angles which can be invaluable in our economic future. Understanding legal questions, planning workable schedules, meeting deadlines, handling publication money, marketing the product, predicting what the customers will want next time — who says it's a waste of time learning to be a good business manager and salesperson? We're not allowed to make a profit on our zines -- they are, after all, someone else's creation, in most cases ~ but no law demands that we go into debt for them! That's a list of reasons most mothers will find acceptable. We're creating a good product — maybe she'd like to read it herself? We're meeting and dealing with new people — didn't she like that polite young couple who visited last month? Our skills are improving, and we're interested in learning new things — hasn't she noticed? We're more self-assured, and we've got a healthy respect for earning and spending money — after all, the allowance can only go so far. We've become more responsible; we've become aware.
And that teaches us a lot about living in the mundane world, too.