Fandom Snowflake, Day 4 + possible rebranding

[martasfic]

Today for the Snowflake challenge we're supposed to somehow make contact with people we haven't communicated with in the past: review a story, leave a comment on a blog post, etc. I was going to ask people for suggestions to folks I should reach out to that I don't already know (and if anyone has suggestions for people in the Sherlock, Swordspoint, Doctor Who, etc. fandom or even people who are new to the Tolkienverse that I should be familiar with, I'm more than eager to meet new people), but it turned out to be a non-issue. I stumbled across a Sherlock piece on AO3 by a new author, I think a tolkien_weekly drabble by someone I haven't talked with before (at least not regularly), and a Sherlock fan stopped by my blog and left a lovely comment there as well. SO mischief managed on that count.

On another note I've been seriously thinking about a blog rebranding. Fidesquaerens was the first half of a Latin slogan from Augustine and Anselm, so it made some kind of emotional sense when I was in grad school. It's not really who I want to be any more, and I think it only ever confused people who weren't into philosophy. In my heart I'm just Marta and kind of want to be known by that name. The thing holding me back, aside from the commitment I have to online handles in fandom being steady (I think it leads to more respectful behavior all around, even if we don't use our offline names) is I've just dipped my toes into the Sherlock fandom and don't want to confuse people by throwing a new name at them. So... I don't know. I'm not crazy about the old name, particularly with how well the initials FQ describe my current thoughts toward academia when you say the letters out loud (just a little too unintentionally telling), but I'm also not sure if changing names would just throw a monkey-wrench at people.

Comments

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

I never did learn how to spell fidesquarens (or whatever it is). Are any of your old LJ names still available? Or you could go with just_marta_again *hee* I'm pretty sure people wouldn't mix us up.

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

I actually did think about just_marta but didn't want to copy you're clever style. You wouldn't mind? I've also played with marta_bee, my childhood pet name. (Middle name = Elizabeth, so Beth.) I'm still turning it over in my head, trying to decide what I want to do.

I don't blame you for not getting the spelling right or even working out what it means. Not only was that name geeky in the extreme, it was geeky in a way that the people interacting with the names weren't that familiar with either. I'm weird like that.

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind at all! marta_bee is cute, too, or even fannish_marta. I changed my name years ago and it really is pretty seamless.

[aliana1.livejournal.com]

I can understand wanting a new handle that fits you better...on the other hand, like you said, it also makes it easier to follow someone between fandoms and through the years if they have a single, distinctive name. I'm not super attached to "Aliana" (it's a combination of my Hebrew name and...something else I can't even remember at the moment, hehe) but I've been writing under it for nigh on ten years now, so I'm not about to change it up even if it doesn't mean anything in particular.

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

I think the difference for me (and why I went ahead with the change) was that Fidesquaerens wasn't the name I answer to most often in fandom. I'm Marta at various archives - AO3 and HASA for instance. It's just such a common name, it's not really available at large sites like LJ. Combine that with the fact that at one point I was much more cautious about using my "real" name, and it made much more sense at one time to have the current name. Not so much now. I'm quite liking the new LJ handle for that reason. I get why not everyone would have made the same choice, though.

[elliska.livejournal.com]

particularly with how well the initials FQ describe my current thoughts toward academia when you say the letters out loud (just a little too unintentionally telling), but I'm also not sure if changing names would just throw a monkey-wrench at people.

LOL! Sorry, but that is funny. Change it if a name you like is available. People will figure it out. And honestly, the current one is impossible to spell. :-)

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but that is funny

That's why I typed it. It made me laugh (and groan, but mostly laugh) when the thought occurred to me. I agree with you on the spelling, btw. Not that the Tolkien fandom doesn't have its own share of doozies, but there's no need to add to that problem.

[shirebound]

I always think of you as Marta anyway! I think you should pick a name you feel comfortable with.

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

Well, that's how my fic is posted and it's certainly more memorable. I like having it as my LJ name as well.

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

Hi Marta Bee! I like it.

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

So do I! It feels like a well-worn coat, taken out of storage for the season. You know, it smells like me, if that makes any sense.

[dreamflower]

I love marta_bee. I think its cute!

Have you met kerravonsen? She's very interesting and is into a lot of fandoms, including Doctor Who, HP, Sherlock and a number of others. She writes some good gen, but mostly she has some great recs across multiple fandoms.

rhymer23 is kind of new to Tolkien fandom. She's taken part in the last couple of GFIC challenges, and she wrote a lovely friendship fic about Aragorn and Bilbo in Rivendell over at MPTT!

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

I don't know either of those people, I don't think. I'm actually enjoying being more of a reader at the moment. I mean, I've written one Sherlock vignette and am working on a longer alternate-POV looking at John's PTSD, but I spend much more time reading and reviewing and reccing than I do writing these days, which is fine. Would love some recs to read, so I will check them both out.

[dreamflower]

Here's that link to Rhymer's story I mentioned:

Voices at the Door: http://www.lotrgfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=2708

I need to do this one; I missed yesterday.

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Hi! What good timing :)