A conversation with another writer I had the day before the Kerths got me thinking about writing fic, and I have to wonder something: How open are you with the fact that you write and/or read Lois & Clark fic? Do you tell your family and friends, or are you totally closeted about it? Why?

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For me, personally, no one knows about it except my husband. Some of my friends know I write something online (and I mentioned the Kerths on my blog, so I guess if they really wanted to know what I write, they could google "Kerth Awards" and find out) but I have never said what it is, and most of my friends and family know that I love L&C (as a show) and that I became a journalist because I wanted to be like Lois. But if I'm being truthful -- and realistic -- they tend to view this with amusement and, in some cases, eye-rolling.

And it's not that I am embarrassed about what I do, because I am proud to be part of this fandom and of the work that I have done, but I just feel it's best to not tell some people (namely, my family), what I do in my spare time -- especially since I write nfic, and G&L stories, at that.

My mother was always very judgmental about my total infatuation with L&C when it was on the air. She would say that I was "obsessed" with the show (ironically, I probably am more now) and it always had a very negative connotation for me. I think she resented the fact that Lois was my hero (read: not her), and that I wanted to be just like her, and to this day, she still comments on it.

Too bad for her that I did end up just like Lois, Kerths and all.

Well, I'm not a writer but am an avid reader so I'll comment.

Pretty much everyone who knows me knows that I'm an LnC freak. They all tease me about going to LAFF but I don't care! Maybe because I've grown up a 'Star Wars Nerd', I'm used to being made fun of or something. But it really doesn't bother me at all. I sometimes think I thrive on their criticism. Heh.

Criticism probably isn't the right word because no one I know really 'criticizes' me. They just call me a nerd, weird, dork, etc. but I never feel ashamed or anything like that. Now I don't necessarily advertise that I like to read.. ahem..coughsmutcough.. but I feel I'm pretty open about my LnC obsession in every other aspect.

When I buy my Ork shirt before LAFF, I know everyone will be wanting to know what that is but I haven't decided what to say yet. Lara said she fessed up in the same situation and everything went okay but I don't know... maybe I could say LnC inside joke or it was supposed to say Dork but they forgot the 'd'

I'm interested to see other people's responses...

I'm not writer but I did some L&c stuffs like videos, wallpapers and hum...some pics (some of you know what I'm talking about!). I've never told it to any of my friends and/or family. In fact, the only person who knows I'm on a L&C board is my sister. But she doesn't know about the "fanart" that I sometimes do. My best friend knows I'm a big fan of L&C but she doesn't know I'm a part of the fandom. Why didn't I tell her? I don't know. I really don't know because I wouldn't be ashamed. My parents know that I like "this superman tv show" but don't know how much I like it. They don't even know that my laptop is full of L&C files (episodes, fanfics, pics...).
I think they don't need to know. I'm not doing anything bad and I think it's great not to share everything. I have met great people online and I know they are really nice people who feel the same way than about being a part of a fandom.

Maybe I didn't say I'm in the fandom because I fear that people think I'm totally crazy (which I'm not :p ).

I had told a couple of my friends that I've read fanfic, back when I first discovered it but no one knows that I write it. I get enough stick for being totally infatuated with certain shows without adding more fuel to the fire! That's mainly why I use a false name here. There is no one who knows the link between the real me and Alisha! (At least, not yet. Things change and I'm rubbish at keeping my own secrets. )

DH knows - I think - but that's about it. I mentioned it once to my sister years ago [like 7 years], but we don't always get along and I don't talk about stuff like that. I've always loved to write and I need a creative outlet.

I have a friend who loves the show [in a 'oh, I remember that show - Dean Cain has a great smile and they had such great chemistry' kind of way] and I've thought about mentioning it to her, but... haven't worked up the guts yet. She knows I did Nano but that's it - I wouldn't tell her what it was about just that it wasn't anything bad just embarrassing and I probably would have told her but then one of her daycare kids had an 'accident' and that was the end of that.

Otherwise... Oh - yeah - a friend I met in another fandom 7-8 years ago. We've both moved on from there, but we still email from time to time and send Christmas cards and she's actually in the AN in one of my early fics and has made 'cameos'. She's said she'll check it out sometime because she enjoyed the show too - but she's really the only non-LC person I've talked about it to.

Carol

For me it's a guilty pleasure which I don't advertise and if asked keep it on a generic description.

Hey, it's one thing to talk about SciFi (and being sort of a nerd) with guys, but to me LnC is B-plot with A-plot to carry it (read: being a romantic nerd), and I guess there is a reason why the percentage of male LnC fans on the boards is smaller (it is, isn't it?)

Michael

In the closet! But I've always been like that about any of my obsessions. My sister knew about my Angel obsession because I had to borrow her computer to feed it on the WB message boards, but generally I am quite secretive. I used to collect pics of my favorite actors when I was a teenager, but never had posters or anything on my walls - they were stashed in my bedside cabinet. And when my brother-in-law asked me the other day what I look at on the internet, I said oh you know, just stuff... In fact, if anyone ever asked to borrow my computer, I'd be doing some superspeedy history deleting before I'd let them use it. And no photobucket access, 'cause that's just embarrassing!

I suppose it has something to do with not wanting people to judge you. Not that I care what they read/write, but for whatever reason it seems to work the other way round. Like we all hum and haw for hours about what to wear to a party, but don't actually notice what anybody else has on when we get there.

I mentioned something about watching LnC to my mom recently and she couldn't even remember the show, so obviously I hid my unnatural affection for it quite well. I am getting better though - possibly to do with not caring as much what others think of you when you get older.

But I still call myself gr8soE and not J.....

My experience with writing/reading fanfic started over a decade ago with the X-Files. One day, while looking for spoilers for the show, I found a website with stories and devoured them all. Back then, I only had 'net access at work, so I would print out stories to take home and read. And that, naturally, led to my husband asking what the heck I was reading. I tried to get him to read some of them, but he wasn't all that interested. Instead, he asked me why I didn't write something instead. After a lot of "oh, I could never write something anyone would want to read", he finally convinced me that I really ought to at least try it.

It was fun and amazing, once I got started. I was blown away to be getting emails from people who had read a story of mine. For about six months, the only person who knew I was writing was Mark. And then, at the family Christmas party, right after I had won a Spooky (the XF equivalent of a Kerth), Mark opened up his mouth and blabbed (he said it was boasting, but in my mind it was blabbing) to everyone present that I was writing stories about Mulder and Scully.

I wanted to die! It seemed so stupid to be writing stories about a television show and - even worse - winning an award for it. My family's reactions ranged from confusion to amusement to, in the case of my brothers and one uncle, glee that they now had years of material to tease me about incessantly. My mom, being a supportive parent, asked to read my stories (and so did one of my sisters).

A couple of years later I stopped writing abruptly (after real life overwhelmed me). It was years later when I saw the second season of LnC and remembered how much I had once adored the show. I figured there had to have been fan fiction for it, so I went looking and found the boards. After chanting some self-affirmations and a lot of deep breathing, I wrote one story. I didn't tell anyone that I was writing again.

Shortly after I posted that first story, my mom mentioned how much she had once enjoyed my stories and why didn't I write anymore? I confessed to her that I was, sorta, writing again. Eventually I told my younger sister too, but no one else knows. And I don't want them to know.

I worry that others think it's nerdy and obsessive to be writing about a show that went off the air so long ago. I have a life and other interests. There's no easy way to explain to an outsider the inexpressible joy to be found in telling a story - and in having others read that story who are generous enough to share with me what they thought.

I'm here because it's rewarding to meet and talk to people from all over the world, people who share a kind of secret language with me, who I can be an obsessive nerd around and they don't judge me for it.

Firmly closeted. My husband knows of course, but I like my anonymity a great deal. The idea of people I work with stumbling anything fannish I read/write utterly and totally squicks me.

And my family and friends would never understand.

alcyone

I'm all open about basically anything going on in my life in general - and as this community and being a member of it means a lot to me, I don't keep it a secret either.

So, in those days when I was a really engaged reader, friends asked me what I was reading all day and so I explained it to them. I suppose nobody understood why I was so rapt by stories about a TV show that had been cancelled years ago (and wasn't really popular in Germany to begin with) but they were fine with it. They knew that I'm a bit weird and that usually nobody of them even tries to make sense of what I do
Some days ago I even explained the Kerths to them

Some of my closest friends know that I've become an avid vidder and I even showed them some of my vids. Not that they know much about the background stories but it's certainly nice to share those things.

Heck, these guys even know about me reading and loving slash - so, well, you see, you can call me pretty open

Jana

My friends aren't really fans of the show. I really loved it in fact I always (and in some ways still do) wanted to be a writer, but I ended up doing engineering. My friends do know that I love the show.

As for the fandom I don't really tell them much they know I read fanfic, but not the particular fandom I like to read.

I guess you could say that I am a bit of a closet reader...simply because there aren't too many people I could tell who would be interested. Some friends and family know that I am a dedicated Dean and Clark Kent fan so would probably regard my interest in Lois and Clark fanfics as a spinoff of that. Anything I write on the Lois and Clark boards usually stays with you fellow board writers and the boards themselves. I just prefer it that way.

For myself, I would like to be a writer and initially started reading the fanfics to see how the characters and situations are handled in the stories. I discovered that I love reading L and C fanfics and my own writing has not really taken off to a great extent. I have written some short stories [nothing to do with Lois and Clark] just ideas/inspirations that have come to me. I have begun a children's story...my niece has two little girls and they were the inspiration for that. She is still waiting for me to finish that particular story!

Fauve

I'm pretty much closeted. I finally explained it to my fiance a year or two ago. I told him it was my own guilty pleasure. It was something completely for me and that no one knew about it so he should feel privledged. He does enjoy the random tidbits I get from the Off Topic folder, though. Like the grain of rice website or random stories and pictures. When I don't come right out and admit where I found something he usually guesses that it's from here.

My family and friends know that I like the show, but I doubt they even know what a fandom is or that I frequent one. My mom may have figured out that I read them, though. She would catch me reading pages upon pages of text on the computer and I'd just tell her I was reading stories.

My roommates probably thought I was doing something illegal or risque because I'd be reading a story and one of them would come up behind me and I'd be contstantly minimizing pages. It's a good thing I have my own room now.

~Kristen

No one knows about my writing. Mostly because I'm really insecure about it and I don't want anyone reading it. It's different posting here where no one knows me in the "outside" world. So I can just write stories and if they're awful I don't have to feel that embarrassed. And I don't feel like anyone's lying to me for the sake of friendship. If they don't like the story, they can just tell me or not say anything about it rather than feel like they have to give me a positive answer.

Lol! I've totally done that too if someone comes into my room! But then people can always look at the title for the window that's on the task bar.

Answering this before reading all other comments...

I don't broadcast it from the rooftops, but it's not exactly a secret, either. Daniel obviously knows since he practically lives in my head. Both of my parents know; my dad has actually read one of my stories. One or two of my close RL friends know I am a Superman fan, but I can't remember if they know about the fanfiction or not. But I don't think anyone beyond that knows. The primary reasons are (1) I don't talk about my life a lot anyway and (2) while I'm not ashamed of it (anymore - once upon a time I was!), I do know there are people who would think it's strange and I just don't feel like having that conversation with them.

ETA: Reason (3) that I don't tell: As Sue said, it's like a secret language that FoLCs share. What's the point of trying to explain it to someone who is never going to understand anyway?

All my friends know. Many of my friends are artists, mostly musicians but that varies. If they don't understand then I don't really mind. Sometimes I don't understand why they wear open-toed shoes in January.

Even if I didn't tell them, James would blab. He finds keeping a secret to be about as comfortable as wearing pants a few sizes too small.


Elisabeth

Anyone who knows me is perfectly aware that I write fanfic.

My friends tease me about it, though I don't think any have ever really read anything I've written.

My mom has read several of my stories - she's even aware that I've written things you wouldn't let a minor read, though I won't let her read any of it. Several of her friends have read stories I've written, too. But then, my mom and her friends all write all well, even though fanfic isn't exactly their style.

A lot of my coworkers have read my stories too - I used to be in a "creator's club" at work and we'd share our work, mine was fairy tales initially, but then L&C happened and... But they just think it's really cool to write about superheroes anyway. Mind you, I work in a place full of very creative people - some direct short films, some are very talented photographers, there's even a couple of published authors there. And, heck, we even have a band!

Oh, and I have my NaNoWriMo "winner certificates" on my office door, for everyone to see. I'm proud as heck of those, I don't see a reason to hide them.

IMHO, if anyone I know has a problem with me having a hobby that makes me happy, then this isn't someone I want to be friends with. So I like superheroes, how is that a big deal, really?

[eta: Besides, everyone knows I'm a geek. And I'm proud of being one, too.]

Firmly locked in the closet. No one knows.

Why? Hm...hah. Actually I think it had something to do with the fact that I was barely in high school when I got into Folcdom online. I remember AIM was just getting big with the people I knew, and good 'ole Mom was kind of freaked out about the internet in general and stalkers and such. (Can you imagine that conversation LOL? "Hey Mom, guess who I met online!") I suppose flash-forward a decade, and it doesn't seem like such a big deal to say, yeah I like to read stories about Superman, but I've been in the closet so long that I've pretty much set up my tent to stay.

And okay, most of my friends would find this the strangest thing in the world, and I really don't blame them. This is so unlike anything any of us would do for an interest, but strangely it peaks mine...
JD

I don't know how many people know about my obsession. I don't hide it, but I also don't tell everyone. It just has to come out in conversation, but it just doesn't.

My sister knows for sure. Oddly, I always used to make fun of her fanfiction obsession. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to write stories about tv shows. She writes fanfics for various Anime and manga, all posted on fanfiction.net .

I think mom might know, Dayle has mentioned it in front of her, but I always change the topic or move it along. Mom thinks we both spend too much time online.

My Best friend knows... I think... She used to be a huge fan as well when we were in high school. But I don't think she realizes I've tried writing.

I have posted one of my poems to my spaces live account . (hmm... looks like I haven't added much to there in months. Funny how life gets in the way.)

I also have a Lois and Clark quote as one of my favorite quotes on my facebook page. "being with you is stronger than being alone."

If someone questioned me about it, I wouldn't deny, but I also don't offer it up. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who's friends don't all know. Phew!

Totally open. My daughter acts as my sounding board when I'm working on a plot, and she used to watch the show with me when she was a teenager. Not only do all my family and friends know I'm a FoLC, that I write fanfic, and that I've won awards for the same, but I make references to my fanfic writing in class (since I'm a writing teacher), and I've occasionally used examples from L&C to explain something we're discussing in class. Besides, in my office I have two Dean Cain movie posters, two pics of me with Dean, and several Superman pics. Several of my non-FoLC friends have read my fanfic. I don't think I've ever mentioned it at church, but everyone else knows I'm an L&C/Superman/Dean Cain fan.

I am a reader only (so far)..., a closeted one. Why? Because no one I know really shares my enthu (ok, obsession) for L&C fanfiction.

Most of the people who know me know I love the show. But my fairly regular visits to these boards.. nah.

I told my parents and some of my friends when I first discovered this in 2002/3 but that's it.

And I probably like it this way - my version of guilty pleasure So when someone comes and I'm on.. the window is minimized.

Oh and since the browsers now have tabs, no-one can know even if they look at the taskbar.

I write more than I read LnC fic. I'm so very proud to say that I'm one of the original and old school FoLCs from 1993. I wear my badge proudly! I'll mention it to anyone who asks me about my love of supheroes. At work, I've decorated my cubicle with Superman decorations. Whenever we get group emails that list our individual stats, we have code names for privacy reasons. My code name is Lois Lane.

In college, I used to get teased because I'd make a mad dash from class and lock myself in the tv lounge to watch the LnC reruns that aired on TNT. At least I knew I'd always have the lounge to myself. It was quite funny to see people open the door, take a look at what I watching, roll their eyes and close the door. I was thinking, "YAY me! I get to watch this in peace and quiet.

For the most part, I am closeted. I don't really tell people what I do, but I don't really hide it, either.

I DID hide it in the Army, though. One of the guys I worked with had a misconception about fanfic. He assumed that EVERYone who wrote fanfiction inserted themselves into the story just to have... em... relations with the main character. So I never told him, or really anyone else.

My roommates know, though. And then my roommate outed me to my boyfriend on the second day I knew him. She told him that I was busy with the Kerth awards, hee!

Now, for music videos, I'm less closeted about it. I told my boyfriend within five minutes of knowing him, muaha!

But do I tell my family? Not really. I grew up with a dad who thought I was overly obsessed with shows. I think he found out that I was attempting to write fanfic, but I've never shown him any of it. My mommy probably knows, but then she's my mommy...

Hi,

I started writing fic back in 1997, and at the time, my husband, my family and my close friends knew this was a hobby of mine ... or maybe I should say obsession.

Since then, I've made many close friends in the folc community and have been lucky enough to visit them, so my family has always been aware of my involvement in folcdom, both as a writer and a reader.

Finding such close friends from all over the world has been the biggest bonus I could ever have wished for in my involvement with the show Lois and Clark, and I'll always be grateful that I found this online community.

So, I'm not a closet folc, though I don't go around advertising my interest these days.

Yours Jenni

Nope- my guilty secret. There's more of "me" in my stories than I want anyone I know to know, LOL. But I think if I were getting serious about someone, I would want him to read my stories, at least Smallville Style and Love Survives. But since that doesn't seem likely, it's my little secret.

It's no secret for me. Just about everyone knows of my obsession. And of course, they tease me about it to. But I don't really care.

I'm not out drinking or doing drugs in my spare time--IF I ever have spare time anymore! No, what I like to do is read and write about Lois and Clark. Oh, and make videos. Can't forget about that. So to me, there really is no reason to be ashamed.

Besides, when you've been a fan of Superman since you were 8 years old, it's kind of hard to shake.

It's no secret that I read it, but no-one outside my family understands why. My friends just are either not that interested in reading or the show, and when they see me laughing at a story, they've learned not to ask unless they really want to know. Most of the really funny stuff in fanfics is injokes- if you do not know the show you will not understand. Even if they do know the show, stuff like Tank's haircuts...well they just do not get it. I have tried explaining but I do get some weird looks and the topic is dropped. I still keep bring it up though- because I know some of them would love it if they just gave it a chance. (And some are pretty good writers )

I'm mostly in the closet as well. My husband knows and has known since I got involved with my first fandom in 2005, although I know that he doesn't understand the infatuation with the TV shows or with writing stories about the characters. It's his inability to understand my interest that keeps me from sharing my stories with him.

My son also knows that I write stories, but he's only 7 and loves when I make up and tell him stories, so it's not a strange concept for him that I write some of them down. I've also shared my interest in fandom with a non-judgemental friend (kind-of mother figure for me), but I still don't want to share the stories themselves.

At the time I first started writing fanfiction, I didn't have another creative outlet and it was for my own sanity, but no one in my real-life reads my stuff. My stories are for me and fellow fans that 'get it.'

BJ

Very few people know. My closest friends do although I don't send them links about it and rarely talk about it to them. My bestfriend used to get to read some of my stories when I first started writing but nothing I have done recently.

I have a lot of crazy hobbies and I rarely share them with people. I think it is the fear that they will mock me and make me feel bad about my hobbies. This is my hobby and something I love dearly and to see someone look down on it is heart breaking to me.

closet most certainly, noone knows about my obsession with lnc, not even my closest friends, my mum knows about my harry potter fanfic obsession due to catching me reading it but noone knows about this, ive always hid it and i dont know why, i just have.

EDIT:
I SWEAR I didn't read my wife's comments (or any other's) before writing mine. She just told me what a bunch of closet writer's y'all are!


I keep no secrets, just ask my wife...

If they know me long enough they will find out that I and Elisabeth are part of a writers group and that it is about LnC fic.

I don't tell them that I read it though, I assume that is a given.

James, G, PG and PG-13 writer

James, you're in a writer's group that's about L&C? That's great! I'm so jealous! I wish there were one like that close to me.

I don't hide my involvement (my screen name is my real name) but neither do I tell everyone I meet about it. People often look at writers and musicians and computer programmers oddly anyway, and I don't see any reason to make them think I'm even weirder than they already think I am.

And I'm not weird. Really. I'm just - gifted.

I find it interesting that so many people are in the closet - just about everyone knows that I read and dabble in fanfic. I do have to admit, though, that my family and friends are probably more indulgent than most.

I've even got my kid brother reading - which is great, since every time I get sucked into a new fandom, all I have to do is get him to watch it with me and wait for him to send through the recs.

I'm proud of it though - I've learnt so much from being part of my fandoms. I can safely say I've learnt more grammar through reading and writing fanfic than I did in six years of high school - and if anyone makes a fuss about my online pursuits, I tell them exactly that. (Well, I tell them that, and that it's much better than looking up porn. )

Dave

In all the years I've been writing fanfic, I've never hidden the fact from anyone. But I can certainly understand those who do. I've never met anyone yet - especially work colleagues - who didn't treat it as some kind of affliction that they fondly tolerated.

Spare a thought for those of us who were out of the closet in the days before SF became respectable and those who enjoyed reading and watching it were all very strange freaks to the rest of the world.

At least nowadays you won't get much reaction if you admit to watching Battlestar Galactica or SG1, even from those who don't share your viewing habits. It's become just one more genre to watch - and it being big business these days doesn't hurt, of course. Maybe one day, writing about SF on a non-profit basis will catch up and be 'normal' too.

LabRat