#so i was ready to dispute if i failed on the vids but i think i was still like 10 points over the pass threshold so all is good lol

[shamblz]

passed my driving theory test at the grand Old age of 24 uwu

[strideofpride]

hiiii so I've been thinking about your post on the gg production pushing the relationships between cast members and I think I'm ready to offer you my unorganized thoughts: It really is only a thing in performance media, that the culture around ti is so invested in the personal lives of the storytellers - I guess it’s because when when see a performance, the performer becomes that character in our head? (1/5)

And especially with TV and film (which is relatively new in the grand scheme of the history of theatre and live performance) it is so intimate and immersive, the camera is close-up, we are right in the characters’ faces, as if they were standing right next to us, it’s so close, that I think sometimes people fail to realize that performance is just a job. Not saying that there’s not magic or meaning to be found in it, because, hey, look at my entire existence, but it’s just a job. (2/5)

At the end of the day, every creator ever is just some guy. doing a job. And you know, artists do have relationships with other artists, I’m not disputing that, I know for myself, and for other people I know, it’s nice to have a partner that is in your world, so to speak, who gets the ins and outs of the work you’re doing. But, not everybody one has chemistry with on stage or camera is necessarily a compatible partner. (3/5)

Speaking from experience, there have been people I’ve had chemistry with that I didn’t have feelings for, just as there were people I had chemistry with that I did have feelings for - but those feelings didn’t determine my skill at the job, nor did I let them determine how I treated my colleagues (though having a crush does turn me into a flustered idiot, but I’m getting off topic). (4/5)

It’s like...there’s this determinism that celeb culture, and the seemingly invisible fourth wall have planted: that if an on-screen couple is good, interesting to watch, has good chemistry, then that means they must be the same off-screen, when they’re not in character, which is just...patently wrong. I don’t know if there’s a solution, but mine has been to accept fiction for what it is: fiction, and performers for who they are: humans who are just doing a job. (5/5 but wait I have more to say)

Yeah I agree! Acting is just as much a job as anything else. Sure it's a pretty decent job with nice perks but the Gossip Girl set was a workplace. The cast were co-workers, some of whom spent time together outside of work, some who didn't, just like any other workplace.

Also in regards to real life shipping (I know I said I didn't want to go there, and I'm not, not really)...are there people in my real life who I've thought to myself "oh, they'd be really cute together?" Yes, of course. It's human nature, imo. But I'm not going around making fan vids/fan edits/fan fics of those people in my life and it should be the same thing with famous actors. You might not know an actor, but they are just as much a real person as the people actually in your life, and they should be treated as such.

[rnmnwafweekend]

What Is Fluff?

Baby, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no no

What Is Fluff?

There’s a common perception that if something has been labelled as “fluff”, it must therefore be cutesy, tooth-achingly sweet, and Teen rated at most (more typically General Audiences). In other words, it’s a jar of Marshmallow Fluff* in fanworks form.

There is absolutely a place for that. But it isn’t a complete picture of what the genre can be. Think outside the jar on this one ;)

For the Nebulous Well-adjusted Weekend, it’s about the feels, not the cute factor. When you’ve read the fic or watched the vid or enjoyed the gifset / moodboard / etc., you should feel like this:

Let’s talk about translating that feeling into fanworks. 

Every story - in every format - needs a central conflict. That’s what makes it a story. Conflict is one of those words that tend to make people twitch, though, because it isn’t always understood or expressed very well, and popular media usage gives it a certain slant that can make it feel sensationalist or angst-ridden.

However. It doesn’t need to be World War Three to be conflict! In fact, one of the defining characteristics of a fluffier fanwork is that the conflict providing some of the framework for the story could be classified as a minor threat. No DEFCON 5 here.

Let’s take a (really bad) prompt and map out some possibilities, to see what could fall into the fluff category, shall we?

Scenario: person A and person B are a couple. They live together with their dog. It’s morning; they’ve both just woken up; it’s raining. Person A says, “I’m exhausted. I’m gonna go back to sleep. You take the dog out.”

Very banal, lol. But hopefully the conflict here is crystal clear precisely because it’s so very ordinary! Now, we’ll explore five potential storylines stemming from this scenario.

WORLD WAR: six months later, this married couple is in a lawyer’s office disputing custody of the dog. Think War of the Roses (film with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner). It’s ugly and deeply unhappy. 

Status: not fluff. Not appropriate for NWaF Weekend fanworks.

CIVIL WAR: argument ensues, escalates to shouting match, things get said that cannot be taken back, and the relationship is irreparably harmed. Couple continues to try to make it work but ends up failing miserably. Cue Michelle Branch.

Status: not fluff. Not appropriate for NWaF Weekend fanworks.

ARMED CONFLICT: persons A and B were both out late fighting the zombie apocalypse. Person A was injured not too long ago and still tires more easily than usual. Whoever takes the dog for a run, it’ll actually be a *run*, and however slim - they are in a well-protected area - there is also still always the possibility the dog walker might not come back. The couple have a quiet moment together, whispered words, soft kisses, maybe declarations of love. A goes back to sleep. B gets ready to take the dog outside.

Status: avant-garde fluff. Appropriate for NWaF Weekend fanworks.

MINOR SKIRMISH: persons A and B snipe at each other like their story title is, Bitchy and Grumpy Have a Dog. Eventually agree B will take the dog out this morning if A does it the next two. A goes back to sleep. B gets ready to take the dog outside.

Status: domestic fluff. Appropriate for NWaF Weekend fanworks.

WEAPONS SHEATHED: in lieu of arguing, person A goes on to say they’ll make it worth person B’s while when B comes back inside. A goes to sleep. B takes the dog for a walk, B comes back in, gets back in bed. A and B have sex.

Status: smut fluff. Appropriate for NWaF Weekend fanworks.

What kind of fluff???

Smut fluff and domestic fluff are pretty clear, and often overlap. Both are types frequently included in the fluff umbrella term.

Avant-garde fluff is a term that’s been mostly used for a laugh, but it’s a useful distinction, loosely defined as “the tender, longing looks and unspoken words in between acts of angst.” (If anyone knows where this description originated, I’ll edit to credit. I’ve just seen it floating around.)

A concrete example y’all should be familiar with is the scene in S01E13: Recovering the Satellites, where Liz and Max have their running through the desert moment and then proceed to Max’s house, where they begin undressing and Liz says, ”Nothing hurts. Please don’t stop,” and they don’t. But there’s all that stuff with Noah prior to this scene, and all that stuff with Rosa after. It is bookended by tragedy but the moment itself is pure gold. (And, it’s smut fluff AND avant-garde fluff! Even better!)

So if it’s bookended by tragedy, why is it fluff? Because that slice of non-tragedy in the middle brings me joy and makes me do the Ninth Doctor dance of Everybody Lives, that’s why! HOWEVER. Fanworks which fall on the edge like that will be tagged as “avant-garde fluff” when reblogged on the event Tumblr, so those who wish to avoid it can easily do so.

We’ll be putting out FAQs and other informational posts as time goes on, but hopefully the above provides some clarity on what sort of fanworks we’re hoping for! The ask box is open, too, as are DMs if you’d like to chat in private.

* for the non-Americans, a jar of Marshmallow Fluff. As I understand it, it’s basically the gooey insides of marshmallows in a jar.