This was written by Merlin Missy in 2007. Some references may now be dated but the general advice is very good. It is used with permission. — Cygnet
We’ve all heard the stereotypes and the tired cliches. If you’re a fan and other people know about it, someone had told you to “Get a life,” per William Shatner. The person probably even thought it was funny, because as my dad would say, there’s always someone who’d laugh at a rubber crutch, too. The truth is, we do have lives. We have jobs and classes and families and pets as well as our fandom-related hobbies. What’s more, because fandom acts as a large, loosely-knit community, we can spread information and gather help with just a quick post or email, and when that particular power is turned towards helping others, we bring out something else the get-a-lifers don’t see: fandom’s unlimited capacity for giving. Continue reading “Giving Back, Fandom Style”