Less than two days left to keep Wincon alive! Please help!

I've mention Wincon before. How awesome it is. How much I love it. How much it's changed my life. Now, it's crunch time. The time to act is now. As of the moment I send this, we have 34 hours left before the deadline, and we are less than 3k away from making goal - if we make it, Wincon 2015 is a go, and we'll be on our way to many more awesome years. If we don't make goal, then all donations are refunded and Wincon is cancelled forever. Wincon as a convention has reached a crossroads. It's been around for nine years and has become known as both an eclectic group from various backgrounds and fandoms, as well as a safe space for fans to express themselves and their fannish passions. But it's expensive to run a small con, and in order to remain financially stable for next year (nobody wants to be the repeat of Dashcon), we're making sure we have enough attendees and money to run the convention in advance. Please, if you can, purchase a registration or one of the many awesome perks that we have for sale. If you can't donate, please spread the word, and reblog Wincon on Tumblr/Facebook/Twitter/wherever else you can. We're so close to goal. Please help us keep Wincon alive. Thank you so much for your time. Donate on our Indiegogo page: http://igg.me/at/wincon Website: http://omgwincon.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wincon Tumblr: http://wincon.tumblr.com/ Fanlore: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wincon

Reblog: Wincon memories

river-b:

I’ve just spent the best part of an hour (all definitions of ‘best part’) reading back over my Wincon posts, from the first nervous-packing ones before Baltimore in 2008. Now, my cheeks hurt from grinning and I’ve got tears in my eyes, which pretty well sums up Wincon and fandom for me.
Wincon, though it started out as an SPN con, is now a multi-fannish, fan-run con, that is hosted in different cities every year. This means that even if one is across the country, the next one could well be in your backyard. It’s a place to get together with old friends, make new ones, and squee about all your fannish obsessions.
Before that first con, I was pretty sure that everyone I met would find they didn’t like me nearly so much in person as they professed to online. By the second one, I was eagerly anticipating hugs from all my friends, and new people as well. It’s become one of the biggest highlights of my year.
from my first Wincon report:

there was more talk of boys, buttsex, slash, writing, fangirls, tin hats, show, and everything related, and this made me happy. Sam and Lucy seemed to survive my using their friendship to prove that Jared and Jensen are head over heels in love, my fangirling of their writing, and my pottymouth. clexmonkey survived my intense curiosity about the newsletter and the coding thereof, and waterofthemoon only smirked a little at me and Lucy intently discussing commas. Everyone else possibly scarred by my fangirlish glee kept it to themselves. I cannot tell you how much I cherish the time spent talking fic with fangirls. There is nothing more awesome.

I still think about that comma conversation often, and the part of the conversation where Lucy had very strong feelings about the use of ellipsis in dialogue and out.
one of the highlights of my second year, in Denver:

After that it was PROM. OMG, so amazing. SO. SO. AMAZING. We got back to the hotel just as it was supposed to be starting, and Sam, Lucy and I rushed up to our room to get prettified. They both looked gorgeous in their dresses, which was a theme of the evening. I was wearing my slinky black trousers and a black lacy corset with my pink Docs. I felt a little like early 90s Madonna, only without the PR talent. (or the dancing etc, whatever *g*) cathybites was an amazing DJ and also treated us to a couple hotass dance routines :D there was dancing, singing, drinking, flirting, awesome decorations, incredible costumes, yummy food, raffle prizes, boobs everywhere, and some absolutely stunning dresses. Best time I’ve had at a dance ever.

After we were required to vacate the ballroom, we went and changed, and went down to the bar where we had more fangirl time, because there can never be enough of that. I finally gave up the ghost at 2 am and went to bed.

from my third year in Chicago, after which missyjack and I road-tripped from Chicago to LA in five days:

Saturday I managed to lurk in one of the common areas trying to type up some fic and chatting with people and tackle-glomping deirdre_c when she arrived. Then I went to the tin hat pageant and Fic Idol, where I spent most of the time looking at Adam and Tommy gifs on my netbook and cuddling up with becka in order to block out the scarring fic :D That night I went with nine others to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, and after quite a long wait and some staff-wrangling by deirdre_c we finally got tables. There may or may not have been straw-wrapper fights with the other table. There was definitely delicious food shared with realmenwearpuppypants.

Then it was PROM. omg Prom at Wincon is THE BEST EVER. All those women dancing and drinking and laughing and dressed up and being totally gorgeous.

fourth year was in New Orleans:

So yeah. Wincon. Was amazeballs. In every way. I haven’t laughed so much in such a short time in FOREVER. At one point I was laughing so much that I legit thought I was going to vomit, which wasn’t exactly great? except for how laughing that hard is healing. (a room full of fangirls burst into Tomorrow from Annie and sang THE. WHOLE. THING.) I wanted to get this stuff down while I was dwelling on it. And waiting for my plane.

fifth year in Dallas:

There were some great panels, lots of great conversations in the lounge, good meals, lots of bacon, and then prom. I FUCKING LOVE WINPROM. Every year is better than the year before. cathybites is a phenomenal DJ, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her with an iPad rather than a pair of headphones pressed to her ear. We live in the future.

The lights were up for lots of the night which meant we could see everyone’s outfits, and also could see the hot women making out with each other. I approved of this wholeheartedly. Also, making out is FUN, and I like it a lot. Because the hotel has a nightclub in the building, we were allowed to prom until 1am instead of the usual midnight, which was also awesome. I drank rather more than I needed to, so if I offended anyone with my open appreciation of your breasts, I would like to apologise.

sixth year in Vegas was cut short by a horrifying stomach bug for me, but was still great:

In the hotel, on my part there was a lot of screaming about the boys from One Direction and the girls from Little Mix, sharing of stickers and decorating of cups, playing of Spanking Yoda, and screaming about One Direction some more. A group of us also played a Breakfast Show drinking game along with Nick Grimshaw’s breakfast show (which on Pacific time airs live at 10:30 at night). I gave up and went to bed just after midnight, though others stayed the 3.5 hour distance. I didn’t make it to as many panels as I’d hoped, due to the whole sick thing, but the kink panel was excellent, and the incest panel was enthusiastic as always :D

This year, I didn’t get to go. I had to be an adult and go to work and earn money and all sorts of nonsense things like that, and I thought I was okay with it, but it was really hard. I missed my girls and my prom and all the powerful positivity that it gives me in that run-up to winter. But missing it made me realize that I have come a long, long way from the terrified woman who bought her tickets and packed her bags for a long weekend back in 2008.

Winprom is the most positive, life-affirming, wonderful few hours of my year. The one plus side is that this year I need it far less than any other year since 2008. I feel hot/sexy/pretty/saucy/gorgeous at least a few times a month now, just strutting around in a dress, or sashaying in my jeans. But nothing on earth feels like that night with those women, jumping up and down, singing Carry On My Wayward Son.

My years in fandom have been wonderful, and life-changing, and the best of my life, and they’ve been, for the most part, punctuated by a weekend in October where I get to hug and squee and put on my gladrags and dance the night away.
In keeping up with the times and the economy and the changes in fandom, Wincon is expanding this year. Details are here at the indegogo campaign page, where you can get tickets and great fannish swag.
It’s neither hyperbole nor exaggeration to say that Wincon changed my life. I hope to continue to celebrate it for years to come. Come along and see if Wincon might be for you!

Reblog: There is a reason most fanfiction authors start with a Mary Sue.

“There is a reason that most fanfiction authors, specifically girls, start with a Mary Sue. It’s because girls are taught that they are never enough. You can’t be too loud, too quiet, too smart, too stupid. You can’t ask too many questions or know too many answers. No one is flocking to you for advice. Then something wonderful happens. The girl who was told she’s stupid finds out that she can be a better wizard than Albus Dumbledore. And that is something very important. Terrible at sports? You’re a warrior who does backflips and Legolas thinks you’re THE BEST. No friends? You get a standing ovation from Han Solo and the entire Rebel Alliance when you crash-land safely on Hoth after blowing up the Super Double Death Star. It’s all about you. Everyone in your favorite universe is TOTALLY ALL ABOUT YOU.

I started writing fanfiction the way most girls did, by re-inventing themselves.

Mary Sues exist because children who are told they’re nothing want to be everything.”

—	{UnWinona}: The Importance of Mary Sue  (via ultralaser)

Reblog: On "Fake Geek Girls", and the divide between "male fandom" and "female fandom"

Source: gingerjuju

scifigrl47:

gingerjuju:

I just don’t understand where this concept of ‘fake geek girls’ came from. Like, AT ALL.
Cus when I look for fandom related stuff like 90% of the fan art and the fanfiction and the meta, zines, comics, etc. Like 90% of the shit that I’ve seen is created by women & girls.
And all that stuff take’s a lot of work and research and critical analysis and staring at reference photos for hours.
We are literally the most well versed and invested group in the fandom. So, like, What the fuck boys? You mad you can’t keep up?

I saw an argument, and I can’t find it now, but it totally made sense, that there’s a gender split in fandom. Male fandom tends to be a curator fandom; male fandom collects, organizes, and memorizes facts and figures. Male fandom tends to be KEEPERS of the canon; the fandom places great weight on those who have the biggest collection, the deepest knowledge of obscure subjects, the first appearances, creators, character interactions.
Female fandom is creative. Females create fanart, cosplay, fanwritings. Female fandom ALTERS canon, for the simple reason that canon does not serve female fandom. In order for it to fit the ‘outsider’ (female, queer, POC), the canon must be attacked and rebuilt, and that takes creation.
"Male" fandom devalues this contribution to fandom, because it is not the ‘right’ kind of fandom. "Girls only cosplay for attention, they’re not REAL fans!" "Fanfiction is full of stupid Mary Sues, girls only do it so they can make out with the main character!" "I, a male artist, have done this pin-up work and can put it in my portfolio! You, a female artist, have drawn stupid fanart, and it’s not appropriate to use as a professional reference!"
In the mind of people who decry the ‘fake geek girl,’ this fandom is not as worthy. It damages, or in their mind, destroys the canon. What is the point of memorizing every possible romantic entanglement of heterosexual white Danny Rand if someone turns around and creates a fanwork depicting him as a bisexual female of Asian descent (thus subverting Rand’s creepy ‘white savior’ origins)? When Danny Rand becomes Dani Rand, their power is lessened. What is important to them ceases to be the focus of the discussion. Creation and curatorship can work in tandom, but typically, in fandom, they are on opposite poles.
This is not to say that there aren’t brilliant male cosplayers or smashing female trivia experts, this is to say that the need of the individual fan is met with opposing concepts: In order for me to find myself in comics, I need to make that space for myself, and that is a creative force. Het white cis males are more likely to do anything possible to defend and preserve the canon because the canon is built to cater to them.