[NONFIC] Goodbye... and Thanks for All the Stories

"So Long and Thanks for All the Fish"
- the late great Douglas Adams, from
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series

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It occurred to me when I began revamping this site several months ago that this study was still sitting there on my hard drive — unfinished. I hate unfinished stuff, especially unfinished stuff that others had contributed to, and for which they had an interest in seeing the final results. The original "problem" with why this was set aside was two-fold: one, the series didn't end (and now doesn't seem to want to end ever, but that's a whole other study), and two, I didn't think that I had enough responses to make the final article worthwhile.

So what's changed in the past year and a half since that reality? Not a whole lot, except that I now number among those who will soon be hanging up her hat and taking leave of this passion, this hobby, this whatever. As I clean up around here before I go, I got to thinking that — even though this may end up being a bit sparse — there's something of consequence to share on this topic. And even though the series itself is seemingly committed to plodding along for all eternity, I think it came to a significant enough end for some of us to make the original premise of this study relevant.

In short, as some of us imagine or anticipate the conclusion of this adventure, here's how the potential sign-off of this series is going to affect the amount of time that fanfic readers and writers devote to their habit.

The End

How will the fanfic world react to "the end"? Will the lack of new episodes drive down the levels of devotion and interest that this series has generated over the greater part of a decade? Personally, I don't see how interest can not deteriorate, especially given how involved some people have been over the show's run. Fandom is not immune to burn-out and I'm sure we've all seen instances of how it's been running out of steam over the past year and some. Archives have been closing and many sites are no longer being updated. Some of us have simply been here for a long time. So to those individuals and others, I asked these questions:

1. If you're a fanfic reader, do you think that your interest in reading will continue once the series is over? If you think you'll continue reading, will it be with the same voracity (and I know some of you read a lot!) or do you anticipate that your fanfic consumption will change?
2. If you're a fanfic writer, do you think that you'll continue to write once the series is over? What factors might come into play regarding whether or not you'll continue? How will the lack of new episodes impact your creative processes (if you think it might)?
3. Whether you are a reader or a writer, how might you say "goodbye" to this community, given that it might change somewhat once the series is over? How would you give your thanks to the folks who have hung out here over the past several years?

This article is a compilation of my findings.

The Math

Here are the "numbers" for those who are interested in stats. By the way, I maintain the same disclaimer from my previous efforts that this was not a scientific study in no way, no manner. I asked for input, and these are the results from the input that I got.

Surprise or not? Every single one of my respondents said that they would continue reading TXF fanfic. While 38% said that they would probably end up reading less than they do now, 23% say that their fanfic consumption would likely increase. Many (62%) qualified their answers with the word "quality", however, hinting that their reading will continue provided quality fics can still be found.

To those to whom the "will you still continue to write" question applied, only one (the inimitable Lee Burwasser, who recently passed away) replied in the negative. The remainder all thought that they would continue writing. Keep in mind also that these results were from April of 2000; some opinions may have changed over the past year.

Reading Patterns

For the most part, at the time that this survey was conducted — which I think is a factor in the responses — people were still quite attached to the show. (Personally speaking, I certainly felt more "warm fuzzies" about missing the show back in April of 2000 than I do now in the late summer of 2001.) They simply weren't ready to break themselves of their fanfic habit.

The following respondents spoke about potential quality concerns, but still felt that reading fanfic would continue to be a part of their lives.

I imagine there will be a decline in the sheer volume of Xfic, but I'm willing to bet that it will be of a generally higher quality. I'll probably read the same amount (which isn't much... I usually finish 3 stories a week — though I start about 30), but it will be a larger proportion of the whole... I really despise post-eps, so I'm actually looking forward to not seeing new ones.

[As for] the voracity of my reading, that will depend on the quality of the stories being posted. I worry that once the show is over, fanfic (my own included) will begin to deteriorate. That without that weekly dose of actual show to spur us on, we'll start seeing the same storylines over and over again, fewer and fewer, until my interest begins to wane. This is not a prediction, just a concern. It also depends, I think, on how the series ends. An open ending will give us a lot of options; something more final will be limiting. We'll just have to wait and see.

People still write and read Star Trek classic fanfic. It would be extremely surprising if XF fanfic did not continue. This, however, says nothing about the quality of the fanfic. If Daws or Vickie Moseley continue writing, I'm certainly going to read them. But I can go to their web pages for that; if you are asking whether I expect to continue browsing the fanfic newsgroup, that depends on the ratio of dreck to readable stuff. There will always be dreck in a fanfic newsgroup of any sort; that's the nature of the beast. Whether I go or stay depends on whether there is enough stuff worth finishing to motivate me to wade through the dreck.

Yes, I'm sure I'll continue reading, as long as the quality stays up. If the really good writers continue (and we all know who they are) I will always follow their work.

Some readers are cautiously optimistic about what the end will bring:

I'll keep reading...but the interest will wane after season 7. There a few very talented people on this newsgroup and their meshing of words intrigues me and sparks my interest.

Yes. Absolutely. I think the only possible limiting factor will be if there is a reduction in fic production. As long as there is still fic of the quality currently out there I doubt my consumption of it will wane.

Will I read with the same voracity? Probably not. Post-ep stories tend to fuel my reading. But syndication continues and in Canada we get X-Files, in order, every weeknight and I feel the pull of the stories after each night. I've seen these episodes now 10 and 11 times each, but I keep watching. Therefore, I'll keep reading.

I think I will continue to read, at least for a while. I will probably read less — I am already reading significantly less X-Files fanfic than I did in the first 6-9 months I discovered it, I would say my peak period was fall 1998-summer 1999. I like the fanfic genre in general, so if I get interested in another fanfic universe my initial enthusiasm will probably take over my reading time — at the time I discovered the X-Files I had been a regular reader of Star Trek fanfic, but my overwhelming interest in X-Files fanfic made me completely drop out of reading ST stories. But I'm not that big a TV watcher or into another fandom currently, so if I want to keep reading fanfic it will probably be X-Files as long as there's enough quality writing out there. How much is enough? Will I keep checking the newsgroup if I only find a few stories a month that really interest me? Probably not.

And then again, other readers remain highly optimistic that things will remain "as ever" in the world of TXF fanfic:

Good fanfic will always be good fanfic. And lots of it is better than books that somehow got published. I don't think my fanfic reading habits will change much. I still read fic from other shows that have been cancelled for some time.

Still others are just determined to hang onto their steady diet of Mulder and Scully...

I will definitely continue reading, probably even more so since this will become my only source for X-Files.

Writing Patterns

Will the writers continue to write? This was an extremely small sampling (and the circumstances have changed somewhat since we are not specifically dealing with the end of the series just yet), but I was surprised by the number of people who said that they would remain committed to writing fanfic.

The last sentence of the following response hits the nail on the head in terms of my personal feelings about writing any more fanfic:

I think I will continue to write. I'm not a prolific writer now, so I don't think it'll affect the frequency of my stories, at least not at first. But I do worry about the lack of episodes for inspiration. Though I don't usually write post-eps (in fact, just posted my first the other day), I'm still inspired by what I see on the show each week. I have a feeling, though, that without that stimulation, sooner or later I'll come to feel that I've written every X-Files story I have to tell.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, would it surprise you to know that some writers anticipate having more stories to tell??

I expect that I will actually write more when the series finishes. I have several ideas for stories that I feel quite comfortable waiting on the series end for. Partly because CC can't turn up next week with a story line or plot development or character death that will play havoc with my ideas. There is little that is worse than having a 200k story idea turned into pulp because CC decides to bump off the major character in your story to pep up the season finale. :) I think that the series end will allow a lot of writers to sit back and examine more critically the work that they want to produce, what gaps they feel need to be filled in the series as a whole and take the time to produce quality work without working to an artificial deadline. I think there should be a lot of room for writers to work on post-series stories. Conspiracy arc and myth arc stories particularly are most subject to problems as a result of canonical changes. I also feel that not having that feeling of having to rush, getting post-eps out in a timely way, should help to improve the quality of vignettes and short stories.

Longevity is something that most respondents have predicted for TXF fandom in general. Maybe it's that sentiment of "if you write it, they'll come to read":

I'll probably write as I'm interested, or if something hits me or is brought up here on the newsgroup. Keep in mind, there are still people writing fanfic for The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, a series that ran for barely four years in the early 80's. And then there're those still writing for ST:Original.

Yes. First, I've got to break out of this depression (over the impending end of the series). And, yes, I know I need to get a life. Obviously, I won't be doing too many post-ep stories, besides the ones I've already started. But I write a lot of stories unrelated to episodes.

The following was an interesting observation by an (at the time, anyway) unposted writer. Perhaps the finality of the end would prove to be a bit of a stabilizer for many aspiring authors. (In this sense, however, we're technically not there yet, since the series is continuing to run.)

I'm not a posted writer (yet) and actually, the end of the series may be of a help to me. I will no longer scrap stories because the latest episodes have shot down my idea. Also, I'm hoping that the relationship dynamic will be ending on a stable note, so that I won't be thinking of their latest attitudes toward one another, etc.

[Can I steal a moment to make a blatant "editorializing" comment about the last statement above? "Bwa haa haa haa....!"]

Bidding Adieu

People responded in unique ways to my third query, which was more open to interpretation than the first two. I was originally thinking more along the lines of how readers might give their thanks to all the writers who have been feeding their addiction, given — what I thought anyway — the high probability that the amount of fiction out there will decrease with the show's demise. The flipside of writers showing their appreciation for the support that they have received from readers also applies, of course (and this was the more consistent interpretation of my respondents), but as one person said, it could be seen as "incredibly pretentious" to make any sort of formal announcement about one's own retirement from the community.

Still, here are some sample thoughts about potential final farewells:

I want to write a farewell fanfic. And a note in general to the community and a salute on my web site.

Should the day come that I've decided to no longer take part in the fanfic community, I doubt I would say anything publicly, other than a short message on my web site saying it will no longer be updated (since I consider that good netiquette). There are a few writers I'd stay in touch with regardless. Other than that, there are one or two authors I would possibly send a note to, thanking them for their wonderful stories over the years. Then, basically, exit stage left, without fanfare.

I have contemplated posting a long article of parting advice. I have no illusions as to how most of the newsgroup will react to it — badly. In the event, it will no doubt depend on my temper at the moment.

The majority of the respondents indicated that they did not feel any sort of farewell was necessary, that the community will live on even if it does end up contracting somewhat:

I realise that the number of people involved in xff may reduce, a number of people have indicated that they will move on, either back to the 'real world' or into other fanfic realms, but I feel strongly that there is a core at the heart of this community that will remain. It may become a little more insular, but I think the dedication of the survivors will balance that. Lots of people mention the fact that fanfic is still being written for the original series of Star Trek, if that is the case I find it hard to believe that anyone could seriously write-off the xff community. I expect there to be changes not just in how many people are writing and reading, in what kind of fiction is written and how good it is. I don't think it would be a bad thing in fact if the community contracts because if only serious and committed xf fans are writing fic the quality is likely to improve considerably.

I don't think I will say goodbye. Most of the writers I adore already know how I feel about their work, and that I will avidly devour anything else they put forth. If anything, the end will give all of us a chance to take the characters even more in our own direction, without fear that CC will destroy our little fantasy. I've always been on the fringes of the community anyway, just a reader that sends occasional feedback, so I won't be at a loss due to quieter posting boards or other related things.

And then, as is perfectly understandable, some are just not ready to consider the end at all:

I don't know. I don't even want to think about it. I don't know.

Myself, I don't have any particular individual or individuals that I want to single out to thank specifically. It's my belief that anyone who "wanders" into this community comes from a different place and follows a slightly different path from anyone who came before or anyone who comes after. We start reading from wherever we happen to "land". If I had started reading fanfic at a different time and a different place, I might have been exposed to a different set of writers. In any case, I want to salute anyone who has ever written any sort of TXF fanfic and posted it. Good or bad, it all served to push the next writer into contributing something of his or her own. (It's how I came to start writing again, when writing for pleasure was something that I had lost over the years.) That's the sort of "thanks" that I want to extend to any individuals out there who ultimately retire along with the show.

Regardless of how (or whether or not we do) say goodbye, the last sentence in the following probably sums it up for many:

I'm not a dramatic soul, so it would probably be a quiet, gradual thing. However, I've met some really special people through atxf and axtfc, that I think I'll always have ties to the XF community.

Moving Along

Of course, this brings us back to the fact that we wouldn't even be discussing potential goodbyes, moving on, and all that if it weren't for the way the series has concluded for some of us.

Marita Covarrubias — in her kind attempt to give Mulder some hope — said in Herrenvolk that "not everything dies." Good quote, but no, Mr. Alien Bounty Hunter got it right the first time. Everything dies. And that's not a bad thing. It's usually what makes life precious. If it comes at the right time and all concerned are ready and accepting of it, it can be a peaceful, thankful occurrence that lets everyone go on with other things in life. At some point during season seven, I became ready for the show to end, and correspondingly, ready to put some of this extensive involvement behind me. Not that the moment didn't come with the expected pull of conflicting emotions, but the realization that there was an end in sight was actually quite freeing. (The eventual reality of an inferior season eight wreaked havoc with my personal "peace", however, but like I said somewhere above, that's a topic for another day.)

Thank You!

Grateful appreciation once again goes out to everyone who responded to this survey. (When I made the original call for input on this effort, it appeared that I had gained the interest of some "regulars" who could be counted on to express their opinions on pretty much anything that I ask, which was very gratifying.) Simply put — as with my previous projects — this would not have been able to come to full fruition without your tremendous assistance and cooperation.

Some of my respondents requested anonymity and to them I've passed on my personal thanks; once again, you know who you are. To all the rest, I'd like to thank the following (in no particular order): Megan, Toniann, Beth, J. Nelson, Carolyn Dougherty, tuatha, Lee Burwasser, JudyTXS, Binah, Lauri Price, Polly, and Leslie Sholly.