this is a super snazzy title, be impressed

[quillpunk]

candyheartsex is currently open for nominations, and I'm thinking of signing up to the ex.

The only exchange I've ever done is justmarriedexchange and honestly, I didn't muck like it. I think a lot of that was on me; I had expectations (not that I know what they all were...) and when they weren't met my mood soured fast on it. I didn't like the fic I wrote, I didn't have fun writing it, it was stressful and full of pressure and I think my recipient still hasn't read my fic, which honestly? Yeah, it kind of bums me out.

However. However one attempt is a pretty small sample size, and I'm thinking a quick ex like this, with a month long writing period, is a pretty good ex to dip my toes in again, adjust my expectations, absolutely not offer or request for the fandom I wrote in the Just Married ex (because that ways lies only bad associations), and go in with a 'devil may care' attitude.

I do wanna try again, because theoretically I still think exchanges might be fun and while the dates smash a little against smallfandomfest, this still seems like it'd work.

Like, when thinking of the Just Married ex I still feel sour about it all, but if the Candy Hearts one goes even mildly better that might even those feelings out a little? And I defaulted on that pinch hit I picked up for fffx and still haven't regretted it, so 1) that was probably the right call and 2) I think I'm at least a little more comfortable defaulting now, which is probably a good skill to have for exchanges.

If I sign up and don't have fun writing for it, I'm gonna try to convince myself to default instead of soldiering on, because fanfiction is my fun time and I want it to be fun and not super serious and like. Fun vibes, you know. I'm in the middle of trying to to adjust my whole attitude to fandom like that, hence making a new AO3 account not that long ago (I wanna write a post about that at some point).

So yeah. I might give this one a go.

---

Also I took a break writing this post and I'm returning with a random new fandom event idea: Dead Fandoms Fest or Dead Fandoms Casket ala (is 'ala' an actual word? I think it is but the spell checker disagrees with me which has made realize if it is a word I don't actually know what it means, I just assumed it's used like this from context learning, LOL) smallfandomfest fandomgiftbasket and the like, for fandoms with like... less than 10-50 new/updated fics [posted on AO3] in the last year (10 sounds very little and 50 like a lot, so maybe 25???).

Anyway, just thought that seemed like a fun concept XD

Comments

[bluedreaming]

Good luck with the exchange!

I think Dead Fandoms Fest sounds like a fun idea (I’m kind of fond of DFF because it’s like BFF but dead - which is also the name of a forthcoming Thai horror drama 😂) and would also probably be pretty low key to run if that’s important to you.

For ala I’m guessing the reason it didn’t come up for spell check is that it’s “à la” short for à la mode de/à la manière de (in the manner/style of), a loan word (phrase?) from French. (Unrelated, but “ala” is also Spanish for wing which is fun.)

[out_there]

It can be really hard to be in the right headspace to enjoy an exchange and it still needs to be the right exchange. I did Yuletide this year but I still find it unreasonably stressful at a stressful time.

I think my favourite exchange is Unconventional Courtship, but that's more of a challenge than an exchange. As in, you sign up to write a fic based on a Mills'n'Boon/Harlequin summary and then elect a day to post it to the challenge. You're not specifically writing for someone so there's a lot less pressure (you can just write the story you want to read).

[southernmedicine]

Man, nothing sours a writing experience more than a recipient not reading what you wrote for them, especially if you struggled to find joy in writing it. That's happened to me, and I'm with you; kinda makes you just not wanna.

That said, I have done candy hearts once before and I think I'm going to do it again. Whether you decide to or not, I hope you connect with your writing and continue having fun!

[quillpunk]

Thank you!

I do think Dead Fandoms Fest sounds really fun, and yep, DFF is also a really good name, LOL. And like you say, it'd probably be pretty low maintenance to run; I could probably do it pretty easily myself.

Thank you for the information about à la! :D

[quillpunk]

Yeah, it's really a bummer :( just a lot of effort for no joy at all :(

Thank you! At the moment, it's looking like I will sign up; I'm keeping an eye on the nominations :)

[quillpunk]

Yeah, I think I really wasn't in the right headspace, and that I disliked the fic I wrote and disliked the *writing* it part was a really bad combination, sigh.

Unconventional Courtship sounds like a really fun, cracky concept. I might give it a try sometime :)

[out_there]

It's very low pressure and it is a lot of fun!

[vriddy]

Urgh, sorry you had a bad exchange experience! I think maybe it's really hard at the beginning because the pressure to write something a stranger will like feels so overwhelming. I stressed out so much until I checked the other gifts for my recipients and noted they didn't really comment on much of anything 😅 In a way, that freed me a bit. They didn't comment on my gift either, BUT because the exchange was chocolateboxcomm (candyheartsex's sibling) with a chill low word count, I had written a couple of treats that did get comments, and received lovely gifts, so it was overall a positive experience even if not 100%! I think your plan is sound, sign up and see how it goes, default if it doesn't work out. Chocolate Box/Candy Hearts just feels very different from many exchanges to me because of the low minimum, treating culture, and size. I hope you have a good time though :D

fanfiction is my fun time and I want it to be fun and not super serious

Yes!! 🙌 I was really wary of joining events and adding deadlines to my fandom experience, which is definitely in my Not Fun category. Took me a few months but I think I've found a balance that works decently well for me!

Your exchange concept sounds fun :D

[quillpunk]

thank you! i've tossed some nominations candyheartsex's way, so it's looking like i'm going for it, lol.

i don't think it's deadlines, precisely, although yes they definitely belong in a Not Fun category, but rather the sense of 'i'm getting a gift so if i default i've somehow betrayed the event, my recipient *and* the person who wrote my fic' feel??? which? i don't understand why i have that, since i've only done the one event but yeah, defaulting is probably a skill, lol.

i'm glad you've found a balance that works! i'm not sure i'm there yet but practice makes perfect :D

it does sound fun XD some might even say too much fun *looking at you, brain* (i'm not sure what to actually do with it now, though, lol.)