You've found something you love and want to share with others, whether it's a movie, tv show, sports team, book, musical artist or even a band ! Being a fan of girls means having fun and engaging enthusiastically with resource materials!
Step
Method 1 of 2: Engage with Fandom
Step 1. Choose a fandom
This part is easy. Fandom is a group of people who are enthusiastic about a specific thing, literally a group of fans. While fandoms can be anything, they tend to focus on tv shows, movies, books, actors, sports teams, and musicians. So find out what your enthusiasm is and start hunting for others like you.
- Some of the popular fandoms are the Whovians (fans of "Doctor Who"), Sherlockians (fans of the BBC's "Sherlock;" Holmesians seem to be more popular with fans of author Arthur Conan Doyle), Potterheads (fans of "Harry Potter"), Directioners (fans of band, One Direction), Demigods (Percy Jackson Fadom), THG Fandom (The Hunger Games Fandom), Trekkies (fans of "Star Trek") and the Bronies (fans of "My Little Pony"). Not all fandoms have nicknames, or there are various nicknames. Some fandoms even combine (for example, Wholock [Doctor Who and Sherlock], SuperWhoLock (Supernatural, Doctor Who and Sherlock)), you don't have to stick to just one.
- Don't be afraid to join the fandom when you start. It may seem like there's a lot to cover at first, but don't worry, the more you get involved the more accustomed you will become.
- You just have to choose something that excites you, as this will make you want to share that enthusiasm with others!
Step 2. Meet people who share your interests
You'll want to find people who share your enthusiasm. The Internet in particular has made this easy, but also overwhelming. There are a variety of places to start.
- A lot of fandom continues by the internet. They can be found on places like Twitter], Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Archive of Our Own (AO3), Wattpad, or even Livejournal (that old dinosaur).
- Look for the so-called "fandom leaders," the people whose posts, works, and fanfiction are the most popular. Paying attention to them can be a great way to get a feel for how things work within your fandom. It's also a great way to find other fans, people who connect or follow the most popular participants.
- Fandom predates the internet, of course, with the Star Trek fan magazine, people writing letters to the real Watson as if she were real, and bearing the cultural phenomenon of Star Wars.
Step 3. Learn fandom terms
If you learn the language before digging too deep this will help you when you start to get more involved. Fandom, like anything, has involved its own language that outsiders can't seem to understand.
- "Canon" is one of the most important words to learn. Canon is a fan fiction writer's term to describe something related to the original storyline. For example, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are canons.
- "Fanfiction" is a place where fans write stories about things that excite them. There is fanfiction about celebrities (called RPF or Real Person Fic), other versions of books or movies. There are many fans who contribute to the fandom by writing fanfiction and posting it on the Archive of Our Own, Wattpad, or their personal blogs.
- "Feels" are feelings that are out of control according to fans. These extreme feelings (usually sadness, heartbreak, or overwhelming joy) tend to come especially during intense/annoying/amazing scenes or performances in books, movies, or television shows. Now many fans are screwed at the moment.
- In fandom the term "meta" (possibly short for meta-analysis), means analyzing source material in terms of psychology of character, motivation, author's intent. Meta can even be used to check the fandom itself in these terms.
Step 4. Learn what shipping is
In many fandoms, you'll see everything talking about ships. No, they may not be admirers of ships. Ships (also seen as "shipping" are real-life character pairs or people that fans love to see them become romantically or platonicly involved. There are a variety of terms related to shipping.
- Slash shipping is undeniably one of the most popular and spoken pieces in certain fandoms. This means a romantic partner of two same-sex characters, usually male (femslash is a term for women). The term slash supposedly comes from the Star Trek: Original Series fandom with Spock and Kirk because/in Spock/Kirk. One theory for the popularity of slash fiction is the lack of homosexual narratives in popular culture.
- The term OTP means One True Pairing and means that this is a person's ship rank, usually set for one fandom. Fans of different works can have multiple OTPs. These pairs are not always canon.
Step 5. Investigate your specific fandom
Most fandoms have plenty of resources with information on what excites you and older members who might not like having to explain the same thing over and over again.
- There are a variety of fan sites to use: Tumblr, character and plot wiki pages, Livejournal, Wattpad, AO3 has a variety of fanfiction, extensive fandom forums.
- For example, if you're interested in LOST, there's an entire database that includes everything remotely related to its events. For celebrities, fan-generated blogs and networking sites are hotspots for the latest photos and information.
- Spending a minute on the background of the fandom of your choice can help you get to know the details of the situation (so to speak) before jumping into it. So wait while you study.
Method 2 of 2: Become a Part of the Fandom
Step 1. Contribute to the fandom
Once you get used to how things work especially in fandom, start contributing. This is a great way to participate and get to know other people.
- Participate in discussions regarding fandom circulating on the internet. Through a wide variety of social media you can talk to like-minded fans and discuss and chat about your fandom. You don't have to be famous on Tumblr to talk to other people or get them to listen to you.
- Become a girl fan. Phrases like YATUHAN SIHAFOHSAUFOASH are fine.
- Write fanfiction or meta and post it on AO3 (there is an application process for this website that you should study before trying to create an account there). There are things like spoiler labels, trigger warnings, and age ratings on fanfiction. Pay attention to these and make sure to label yours so people know what they're opening.
- Join the roleplaying forum for your favorite fandom. Roleplaying is when you act out the role of your source material. If you can't find one in your fandom, why not start one!
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- Create youtube videos about your ship, your favorite sports team, your favorite moments in character development, or parts from interviews with your favorite celebrities.
Step 2. Be critical of your fandom and its sources
Just because you love something doesn't mean you have to ignore its flaws or get offended when someone points to them. Being a fan means understanding what's good about what you're passionate about and what needs to be done.
- Direct problematic behavior. Fandom is not free from the problems that plague society, so when you see a problematic behavior (such as sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia) explain to the perpetrator why the behavior is problematic. Be aware that they will not always listen and may react negatively. For example: the creator of the podcast, Welcome to Nightvale, has explicitly stated that the scientist character Carlos is non-white and but part of a certain fandom continues to portray him in art as white, or legitimately white.
- If canon itself is the problem, writing a meta about it or fixing it via fanfiction is a great way to deal with the problem at hand. Again, remember that not everyone will agree with you that the problem you see is a problem and will argue with you.
- Try to have a civic discussion about issues within the fandom and in source material. Shipping wars are some of the worst offenders in this regard. The small and usually chivalrous Due South fandom is almost torn apart by the Ray Wars (which one is the better Ray, Ray Kowalski or Ray Vecchio, and the one to adore the main character, Constable Benton Fraser).
Step 3. Respect
Honestly this is a good rule of thumb based on experience, but it will also serve you well in fandom. This means respecting the opinions you disagree with among the fans who share your fandom and respecting the privacy of the person who created the source material.
- Respect the people who participate in the fandom with you, even if they don't share your opinion, your ship, or your ideas about canon. People are allowed to have a different view than you. Just remember, no one has the right to be mean to you (calling your name, spreading gossip about you, making comments about your appearance/life).
- Respect for the person/individual who sourced your material is also very important. Many fandoms have one fan who takes their enthusiasm too far and makes the whole fandom look bad. This means giving their celebrity privacy, not asking invasive questions, asking permission for celebrity photos instead of taking them right away. Criticism is okay, being rude is not. Criticism is telling someone how they can improve, being rude is telling someone everything that's wrong with them. There is a difference.
- Never insult a fandom! This can make you look bad, and very offensive to some of the people attached to this fandom.
Tips
- Remember that no one can tell you what a true fan is and what isn't. If you decide you are a fan of something, that makes you a fan. If someone asks you to prove you're a fan just know that you don't deserve this person's time.
- Experimenting with other fandoms is always welcome, so find more than one fandom to be a part of.
- See what else the people you share your fandom with are interested in. You can find your next fandom from them.
- Don't try to join a fandom you're not interested in.
Warning
- Some fandoms may or may not be like the fandoms you belong to. Careful. Some fans are very painful.
- A good balance is always healthy. Balance your real-life worries with your fandom worries and you'll be fine.
