The FanFair is a place for you to find and connect with people who love the things you love. It's a place to immerse yourself in all of your favorite fandoms, discover lesser-known fanfiction writers, and geek out with your fellow Wattpadders. We'll...
Bear with me here for a second. I'm about to tell you a story.
When I was in high school, fandom was everything to me. I found Wattpad, I got into the SuperWhoLock fandom, I made a Tumblr, and bonded with my friends over our shared love of all of these new shows. I'd never felt so connected to people and worlds before, and fandom gave that to me.
But when I went to college, something changed. I don't know if it was because I had so much work to do, or if I was surrounded by less-fandomy people, but I started to lose touch with fandom. Not that I didn't still love everything about Doctor Who, or Harry Potter, or anything - I still loved them! - but I wasn't nearly as active as I once was in these communities. And you know? That made me really sad. But it kept happening.
Every so often, I'd be on Tumblr and I'd see someone post about the new Supernatural episode, and I'd think to myself, I've really got to get back on that. I'm so behind. But as I got further involved in work and even further behind on episodes, my resolve slipped.
So here's the question I pose do you all: what are you supposed to do as a fan girl or boy when you've lost touch with the community you love so much?
I don't have a hard and fast answer for you. Some may be lucky enough to never lose their love and dedication, but I think most of us go through times in our lives where we are forced to make something else a priority. It's a natural part of life, but I know that finding my way back into fandom has made my life brighter, and I hope I can help any of you to find the love again!
Here's what helped me:
Accept that things have changed.
The hardest thing, for me, was not having all of my friends nearby to talk about fandom with. I had to realize that things were different, but that was okay! I could interact with fandom in different ways - through Wattpad, for instance, and by getting my college friends hooked on my favorite shows. There are so many different ways to show your fandom love, and you should embrace the one that works for you! Whether that means just binge-watching the latest season on holidays, or cutting out time to watch them weekly, or even just rocking your Doctor Who socks, it doesn't matter. What works for you is what's best.
Remember why you fell in love in the first place.
Go back to those first few episodes. That first chapter. The first scene of the movie. Do you feel that? Do you feel that little tingly feeling in the back of your head? There it is. That's nostalgia. Going back to where you started falling in love with something will make you remember just how you felt in those first few moments. You'll feel like you did back then, falling in love with Sherlock or the 11th Doctor or Merlin. It might seem counterintuitive to rewatch when you have so much new material to catch up on, but it's not! Sometimes it's good to be reminded of where you've come from, who you were back then, and remember why you want to find that love again.
Find a new fandom to rekindle that passion.
Personally, a huge motivator was when I got into a new show (for me it was The 100) that reminded me just how much I LOVE being part of a community, analyzing characters, and waiting on bated breath for new episodes. I got all of my friends involved, like the old days, and binge-watched episodes with my roommate. Suddenly, I was all a flutter with following The 100 blogs, reading fanfic, and writing my own - I was back! And that, inevitably, brought me back into the general fandom fold. I started reading, writing, and catching up on those fandoms I'd let slip out of my focus for so long.
Don't lose hope.
Are the new episodes not what you wanted? Do you feel like you'll never be able to get back into the fandom again? Don't stress, dear reader. It might be that you'll move on to different fandoms and find your love that way. It might be that you just need to give it time, and wait until you feel that rush of sentiment about that show you love so much. But don't ever abandon fandom, because what we love is how we showcase our personality, our creativity, and our dedications. You may not be in a place to dedicate hours to binge-watching right now, but go at your own pace.
I suppose what I want to say is that even when you think you're as far from fandom as you could possibly be, there is always a way back. The characters and community you love will never go away. They'll be waiting for you, with open arms, for when you find your way back. And I promise you -- you'll get there.
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Have you ever lost touch with your Fandoms? Did you ever go back to them again?
