You know, I can't ever recall having a conversation of any depth about fanfic with work colleagues. I retired just as the internet came in, so all of my experience is pre the net.
I don't remember that anyone I knew actually showed an interest in learning what it was I was doing.
I started writing poetry and short stories when I was eight - animal themes to start with - and gradually over the years I graduated to SF and SFantasy as my area of interest.
So my family didn't really see the difference when I switched to fanfic. It was all just that strange hobby that kept me tapping on the typewriter till the late hours and had done since I was kneehigh to a grasshopper.
In the days that I was working, I'd spend my evenings writing the next bit of my fanfic, then I'd print out the newest version, put it into a ring binder and spend my lunch-hour editing the previous night's work. The most I can recall ever discussing what I was doing went something along the lines of:
"What you doing?"
"Writing a story."
"What about?"
"Blake's Seven. It's a TV show."
"Oh."
End of conversation.
I never felt embarrassed to talk about it, or tried to hide it, but I never met anyone at work who shared my interests, so it never became a topic to chat about. In fact, I think my work colleagues probably felt much the same way as my family did - that strange hobby she has, but, hey, if it keeps her happy... <g>
I first discovered the concept of fanfic while browsing through a local bookstore for Star Trek books. ST:TOS (re-runs!!) was the very first SF show which caught my attention. The one which set me on the path of loving so many SF shows over the years. And I'd been buying up every Trek book I could find. This book was New Voyages - a collection of stories by fans. I suddenly realised that I'd been writing fanfic for the past few years and never known that's what it was called. Blinding light of a revelation that one was!
From there, like Pam said, the first place I made a beeline for at a Trek convention was the sales room and every fanzine I could snap up. I had piles of the things in my attic until just recently.
LabRat
