Friday, October 16, 2015

Random Friday: Fangirling

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I’m pretty sure we all know: I’m a fangirl. I have been since before I knew what a fangirl is. (For anyone who doesn’t know, a definition:

It’s almost scary how accurate this is.)

This week’s Random Fridays theme, as you probably guessed, is fangirling. And I totally could list all the things I fangirl over, or talk about the latest objects of my obsession . . . but the former might be kind of long and as for the latter, there’s only so much I can say about Beastly Bones without giving away spoilers. (The train station scene, though!) So, instead, I decided to list some of the things I do because I’m a fangirl.
  1. Obsessively rereading books. More accurately, certain sections of books. This is why I keep my already-read library books in stacks by my bed: if I have a few minutes before bed, I can reach down, grab one of them, and reread my favorite chapters, or whatever random chapter the book opens to. Occasionally, depending where the chapter is located and how much time I have, I end up reading a little bit more than that favorite section . . . like, to the end of the book.
  2. Checking the library website every day once new books come out to see if said new books are available to request. Depending how long I’ve been waiting for said new book, discovery that it’s available may or may not be accompanied by triumphant squealing, fistpumping, or jumping up and down. (Actually getting the new book will definitely be accompanied by one of those things- quietly. Though the one librarian who’s actually seen me do it seemed happy I was so excited.)
  3. Telling the entire internet when I get a new book. Or I’m reading an especially awesome part of a book. Or when I finish a book. Ok, “entire internet” is a stretch- it’s really just Goodreads, the TPS forum, and Whitehall Castle forums, but still. The world must know I am excited.

  4. Soundtrack stories. I’ve mentioned this a few times at least, but when I listen to music, I almost always try to fit it in with a story I’ve read or I’m writing. Sometimes my soundtracks are a bit of a stretch . . . but others I’m super happy with. (For example: Flyleaf’s “Tiny Heart” is basically Heartless from Prince Aethelbald’s point of view, and anyone who tries to convince me that “Antigravity” by Starset is not basically Kaladin’s soundtrack- especially in the last part of Words of Radiance- is facing a hopeless task.)
  5. Use quotes, phrases, and references from my fandoms in conversation. This mostly means I say things like “dragon’s teeth” and “blitherated beetles” and “oh, stars!” and “storming” a fair bit. Occasionally I manage to work in a longer quote . . . for example, “I think you exploded!” if someone (mostly my sister) sneezes especially hard. Or using examples from books to prove a point.

  6. Look for excuses to dress like characters. Which is why I always wear my Lorien cape on September 22nd, as long as it’s not impractical, and why I dressed up when I went to see The Hobbt: An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug, even though it was after the premiers for either. But occasionally I’ll do it other days too- for example, wearing all black and one of my Misting vials when I want to feel Vin-ish.
  7. Fanfiction. Ok, I don’t actually write a whole lot of it, except in preparation for the Tales of Goldstone Wood fanfiction contest and similar. But I daydream it a lot, in as much vivid detail as I do my actual novels, and occasionally said daydreams turn into something else- for example, Between Two Worlds started out as a Wingfeather Saga-Tales of Goldstone Wood crossover daydream. (Between Two Worlds is, in all honesty, a very fangirly book in some ways- Kately and her sister, like my own sister and me, spend a fair bit of their conversations referencing favorite books and movies and such, causing much bewilderment to certain other characters.)
How do you show you’re a fangirl? Please tell me in the comments, or make a Random Fridays post of your own. Just remember to add your blog post to the link-up on Awkwordly Emma and link back to that blog.
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)