[Please see updates below which reflect input to this suggestion]
I’ve asked myself many times why I entered Richard Armitage Fandom, Armitage World, or RA Universe as I think of it. And the answer is always the same. I saw a man convey thoughts and feelings in a manner that captured my attention so well that it resonated with me for almost a year before I actually began to put my foot in the waters of fandom.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot for the last year, and I was thinking about FanstRAvaganza yesterday and the essence of it — a celebration of Richard Armitage, and I’m going to propose something.
a) That we spontaneously hold a FanstRAvaganza Flash Fan Event starting Monday. This gives us a chance to pull thoughts together but not so long that it won’t stay organic and fresh.
b) That we use this as a way to show our solidarity as a group. Does that mean we all have to be in lock step? No, that would be dull. But to have some basis for unity, I’m suggesting we rally around this theme: I Saw Something Fine.
c) In keeping with the subject, that we answer at least two questions: 1) What did I see? 2) How did it move me? Of course people can go on as long as they like. Some of us have even devoted an entire blog to answering those questions. But I think we can boil it down to a post or two. Also, if anyone wants to start a blog (doesn’t have to be devoted to Richard Armitage) to participate, I’ll help you, or I can find someone to help you. If you don’t want to start a blog and want to just post your thoughts in the blogosphere, I’m willing to run guest posts, and I’m sure other bloggers will be as well.
d) That we aggregate the posts on the Fanstra site. And let me say this about the process, CDoart has done a wonderful job with that in the past. We all owe her a great thank you for keeping track of everything. Thank you! Thank you! CDoart! But to keep her from pulling her hair out on such short notice, I’m suggesting we do it on the Fanstra site. Several of us are very conversant in the fine points of the technical aspects of WordPress, and I believe we can hit the ground running. This could be a campaign to promote participation in FanstRAvaganza in March.
So if you’re interested, let me know! Comment, catch me on Twitter or Facebook, or email: rafrenzyATgmailDOTcom.
edit:
Based on comments, messages and email, I understand there is a healthy interest in doing FanstRAvaganza in March, and a significant number believe doing something now will kill that. I hear that, so we’re making this something different. A Flash Fan Event seems to be the favorite, and I think a post that strictly covers the topic, I Saw Something Fine with the two questions being answered, would be enough to refocus us on why we’re here and encourage us as well. Since my initial thought was to encourage, I think that’s all this should be. Given that this is a refocus, I think it’s entirely appropriate to highlight previously published posts as well.
With regard to the badges, people have contacted me about making them, so they’re coming, and they will include the words I Saw Something Fine. I’ll post them as soon as I get them. As for how I’m using them on my blog, I’ll be placing at least one at a time with an embed to the post or posts which I’ve written or hosted that are especially good at reminding me what I saw that is so enthralling. This is what some others were thinking in making this something more than a week, but the initial posts should be during one week in order to make it a flash event. If anyone needs some help with manipulating the sidebars of their blog (whether on WordPress or Blogger), I’ll be glad to help you.
So bottom line: strike the word FanstRAvaganza from this and make it a Flash Fan Event which refocuses on the topic and using badges to direct people to posts if they do not read it at the time it’s first published.
Share this:
18 Comments
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
RAFrenzy 
If I understand, to start, you are proposing that “we” write or otherwise express thoughts using the inspiration/theme ” I saw something fine,” that posts start on Monday, that you use Fanstra ( sorry don;t know that) as a place to see all the posts, but people also post on their own blogs and perhaps welcome guest posters.
I have lots of questions, but I’m in agreement. If others think they want a more detailed event such as in years past, this can be a “prequel.”
Reblogged this on Armitage Agonistes and commented:
As a new blogger, I know next to nothing about the working of Fanstravaganza or whether folks will be interested in this speedy abbreviated version. But it does seem like a good time for the community to come together for something like this. It starts, at Frenz’s suggestion, with a simple theme and some writing or image work. Surely we can pull this off and, if people want, still have a big blow up in February or March. Comments at RAFrenzy.
I will be home in a couple of hours and I will write a follow on post addressing questions that I’m already getting including yours. I would do it now but I’m with my son, and it’s his last day before he goes back to school. :)
And thank you for the re-blog! :D
A fabulous idea, Frenz – and strange, I have just composed my blog post for tomorrow morning in which I was going to ask about FanstRA 2014 and whether we were going to have on. You are right – why not do an impromptu one, to bring us all together. Fantastic thinking. I’m on.
It’s a go from Arkenstone.
[…] I Saw Something Fine […]
I can see an impromptu something for a day or two on your theme; that sounds cool. But if you envision something running for a week, I’m concerned that that this may kill the regular Fanstravaganza that would taken place only two months from now when bloggers might be better prepared. How to keep this fresh all the way around?
I think if we keep the topic to what inspired us initially to be in the fandom, and talking about was fine, I think it will be okay. The point is to let it be spontaneous answer and not to overthink it. Then the actual Fanstravaganza can proceed later. Mainly, the point of this is to be an encouragement.
Sent from my iPhone
>
I can see calling it Fanstravaganza is going to make some people trip. so let’s just fix that and call it something else.
Here was my thinking initially. We need some encouragement for ourselves and whoever is watching so I was thinking that we could answer the question of why we are fans — I saw something fine what was it and how did it affect me. I imagine these answers as a chorus of encouragement. So that was my thinking and now with respect to Fanstravaganza perhaps it could be used as a commercial to promote it instead of in anyway eclipsing it.
Pardon any typos I’m drafting this from SIRI
I think that will work, Frenz. I also think we should just slightly expand the topic. All we are asking for here is some writing as a taste or a trailer for the bigger event.
OH and I am seeing Richard in NYC this week at the 92nd St Y. He is doing a reading of Pinter’s Proust. I can write about that. I’m sure it will be fine.
If we stick with the topic “I saw something fine” and use it in connection with Richard Armitage I think that’s a pretty broad. I think your write-up of his Pinter reading could fit perfectly.
I also think people can run posts that they blogged previously. And perhaps the badges that people put on their sites can go to a particular post or posts that they want to highlight with respect to the topic.
Again, the point is for it to be encouragement and not be a formal event but something more organic. I do think it could be used to build excitement for the actual Fanstravaganza
that sounds like a plan. I’m in. Whatever I can do. Maybe my guest blogger Katharine would also do a post.
Sounds good.
I’m going to add an edit to this piece, so people can read what’s been fine tuned by input.
[…] takes it back to fandom basics! She suggests we start with I Saw Something […]
[…] I Saw Something Fine […]
[…] few days ago, RAFrenzy had this idea about a flash fan event, on the subject of how we came to be in the Richard Armitage fandom. There are as many reasons to […]