On shipping, my way.

[jlh]

I've heard there are ship wars and people taking pledges and other smears on the good name of those who might want to write nice little romantic fanfics.

Needless to say, I'm quite put out.

My own ship, my OTP, my "let's pimp this out", the ship whose comm I'm a most proud member, is of course Seamus/Dean. I can't even begin to imagine that it would ever happen in canon. Therefore, I'm not taking the shipper pledge or whatever the hell, because if I pitch a fit because there's no Seamus/Dean snogs in canon, I've got bigger problems.

I like writing Harry/Hermione. I like reading Harry/Hermione. I really could give a shit if it happens in canon and frankly, I don't expect it. For that matter, I don't expect most of the ships I write (Draco/Ginny, Ron/Padma, among others) to turn up in canon. I just like to write and to read them.

I don't judge a fic by how well it predicts canon and I'm not sure that as a whole the fandom does, either. I mean, the ones who really got it right with OotP were all those love/hate James/Lily shippers, and it's not like that ship really exploded, or they got to run around yammering about how right they turned out to be.

I also don't think that "it won't happen in canon" is a valid slam on a fic, or a reason to not write a ship. I don't think those who choose to write a non-canon ship are being disrespectful to JKR. Subversive, maybe, but not disrespectful. I resent, very much, the implication that anything that one might want to write that isn't 100% plausible in canon is just so much rubbish.

This isn't the most coherent shipping essay I could have written—it's late, I've been at work too long, and mostly I just don't care. But I'm really, really tired of feeling defensive because really stupid people are saying really stupid things, and I don't give a shit. I'm writing what I want, reading what I want, and using my icons. And fuck you, frankly, if you don't like it; I will not continue to be disrespected.

Comments

[cadey.livejournal.com]

Ah, Clio, you put it much better than I did. I just wound up railing against the entire episode of HPB. *bows down to you*

[zorb]

I think I must have the wrong (or is it the right?) people on my flist, because I haven't seen much, if any, actual wars/pledges/etc. I just have people ranting about said wars/pledges/etc. It's like meta-spoiler wank.

Oh well. I continue to not care what other people tell me about the ships I ship and will go right on merrily sailing them.

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Same here. Ain't no way H/D will ever happen in canon and I'm just fine with that.

[hermorrine.livejournal.com]

Ditto - those people must not be on my flist, either, for which I am glad.

And I agree with you completely, Clio. I was going to say something more on this, but I tried typing it out twice and was not coherent, so I'll simply agree. *points to icon of ship that will never happen, but I love it just the same*

[adjudicated.livejournal.com]

I think the shipper pledge is meant to be humorous! Well, except the one that is a pledge to rub one's ship in others' faces, no matter what polite protocol would call for.

I agree with what you've written. 100%. We discussed the value of pure romance fics fairly recently, and you really gave me the opportunity to look at that in a different light, as I do tend to prefer fic in general that is basically canon-compliant (in that I'm not big on AUs or OCs . . . or Harry dating an American cheerleader, etc). So, for that, I thank you.

[sisterpandora.livejournal.com]

You rule.

Concise and pure, couldn't be done better. I don't say it often but, amen. ;)

[ziggy1278.livejournal.com]

ex-fucking-actly.

canon is canon, fanon is... its own thing. its own GOOD thing.
i don't give a fuck what anyone says, remus/sirius isn't canon (i will go to the MAT with anyone if I have to hear about a joint christmas gift ONE more time). in fact, i would say 90 percent of the big fandom ships are nowhere to be found in canon, but it doesn't make them any less interesting to read or any less intriguing, and people who think otherwise need to fuck the fuck off.

sic 'em clio.

[ceilidh]

Ahaha yes, I agree with you.

And one particular ship becoming canon doesn't mean I am going to start writing it or hunting out fic to read in it. I'll just have to be a little more creative, is all.

[ziggy1278.livejournal.com]

Write me a colin fic. There needs to be ONE good colin fic out there.... just ONE... erm.... I digress.

[mahoni.livejournal.com]

You know one thing I love about my friends list? If ship wars come up at all, the posts are always a variation of "ship wars are dumb. Moving on." >:D<

I really could give a shit if it happens in canon and frankly, I don't expect it. .... I just like to write and to read them.

Yeah. And I do not understand why people freak out about whether or not their ships will happen in canon, get mad if someone ships one of the characters with someone else, or even pick a fight with people who don't agree with them. WTF? I realize that different people are attracted to fandoms, ships, fanfic, canon, etc. for different reasons, but I still can't comprehend how any of that vitriol could possibly contribute to what is good about fandoms, ships, fanfic, etc.

Eh.

An aside: My 6 year old rediscovered the HP movies this week and we've been watching them together. I don't generally think about ships when I'm watching the films or reading the books, but there were a few moments when I saw Seamus and Dean close to each other and I thought, "awww, Dean/Seamus!" I think you're a bad influence on me.

[alegriagraciela.livejournal.com]

I resent, very much, the implication that anything that one might want to write that isn't 100% plausible in canon is just so much rubbish.

Exactly. I also resent feeling as if just my liking of certain ships is rubbish.

[melieltathariel.livejournal.com]

Well said. Besides, if everything you wrote in a fic turned out to be perfectly canon, there'd be no reason to read it!

And, well, it would certainly be *nice* if Remus/Sirius were canon someday, but I don't expect it and I'll do fine without it. Not the point of the books.