I think you raised here very important and valid points and I'm very happy that you posted this 'ramble'. Seeing all the comments only makes this an awesome discussion; thank you for that. This is one of the things I love most about fandom and about this group of amazingly smart authors I am lucky to follow.
I totally agree with you on the 'must-have-sex' issue; I remember looking at the profile of fests and communities that any of you guys recced and promoted, thinking again and again: this is not for me; they want sex and I can't write that. This is one of the reasons I love Hoggywarty so much - thank you for creating this fest with gen writers in mind; knowing that gen option is not only there but also encouraged, makes writing so much easier and encourages the insecure (i.e. me)!!! And of course, the new addition to the calendar, HP friendship, also helps a lot.
Re canon complicity: I think most of us here are with you on this, and we differ only on what we define non canon moments/situations. [I know you said it yourself and so did others, but let me give my own way of reading the canon]
For me, for example, MM/SS (or SS/anyone) is non canon compliant not because (only yesterday I managed to put my finger on it) the age gap or the rival houses and different backgrounds, but because for me, if I read the canon literaly, he stayed loyal to Lily until he died, and my head canon can't see him looking/touching onother (male or female). But as I was trying to crystalise those thoughts so I can voice them here, I discussed them with Duel, who made just as valid point that Snape's loyalty, to her, is posession more than anything else, and therefore can not contradict any relationship - love or otherwise (sorry, Duel, if I misquote you here). I still stick to my own interpretation, because of Dumby's speech about love and all, but discussing this with Duel made me see how different people, who both place canon above all, and who read the same canon, see canon itself differently. Since my reading of the canon puts Snape's love until death to Lily and his murder by the snake as focal points and essential plot devices for the whole series, I personally can't see how he survives in so many fics, and happily shags (and even become domesticated) in others. What isn't spelled out in canon, like Poppy's private life for example, is fair game. But this, spelled out by JKR as the highlight of the seventh book? Can't pass on that one.
As a side note, let me repeat something that I think was said, not necessarily in those words, somewhere above me here. No matter how my personal canon reading is, as long as the characters behave in a believable way and the situation can fit into the universe with reasonong and creative thought, I think I'll enjoy any fic. Because canon is very important to me, but excellent writing - like all of the people who commented here do an a festly basis - is the key to enjoying a fic.
no subject
I think you raised here very important and valid points and I'm very happy that you posted this 'ramble'. Seeing all the comments only makes this an awesome discussion; thank you for that. This is one of the things I love most about fandom and about this group of amazingly smart authors I am lucky to follow.
I totally agree with you on the 'must-have-sex' issue; I remember looking at the profile of fests and communities that any of you guys recced and promoted, thinking again and again: this is not for me; they want sex and I can't write that. This is one of the reasons I love Hoggywarty so much - thank you for creating this fest with gen writers in mind; knowing that gen option is not only there but also encouraged, makes writing so much easier and encourages the insecure (i.e. me)!!! And of course, the new addition to the calendar, HP friendship, also helps a lot.
Re canon complicity: I think most of us here are with you on this, and we differ only on what we define non canon moments/situations. [I know you said it yourself and so did others, but let me give my own way of reading the canon]
For me, for example, MM/SS (or SS/anyone) is non canon compliant not because (only yesterday I managed to put my finger on it) the age gap or the rival houses and different backgrounds, but because for me, if I read the canon literaly, he stayed loyal to Lily until he died, and my head canon can't see him looking/touching onother (male or female). But as I was trying to crystalise those thoughts so I can voice them here, I discussed them with Duel, who made just as valid point that Snape's loyalty, to her, is posession more than anything else, and therefore can not contradict any relationship - love or otherwise (sorry, Duel, if I misquote you here). I still stick to my own interpretation, because of Dumby's speech about love and all, but discussing this with Duel made me see how different people, who both place canon above all, and who read the same canon, see canon itself differently. Since my reading of the canon puts Snape's love until death to Lily and his murder by the snake as focal points and essential plot devices for the whole series, I personally can't see how he survives in so many fics, and happily shags (and even become domesticated) in others. What isn't spelled out in canon, like Poppy's private life for example, is fair game. But this, spelled out by JKR as the highlight of the seventh book? Can't pass on that one.
As a side note, let me repeat something that I think was said, not necessarily in those words, somewhere above me here. No matter how my personal canon reading is, as long as the characters behave in a believable way and the situation can fit into the universe with reasonong and creative thought, I think I'll enjoy any fic. Because canon is very important to me, but excellent writing - like all of the people who commented here do an a festly basis - is the key to enjoying a fic.
Thanks again for this interesting discussion.