Small Web September Kick-Off/Check-In 1: Goals!

[enchantedsleeper]

Somehow it's September already and the kick-off point for Small Web September has arrived! \o/

As a reminder, this is the first of five ‘check-in’/comment points that will be published during the event – you can check out the schedule and dates of these posts over on the event intro. There’s no cut-off point for commenting on these, so you can add something at any time – you also don’t need to comment on them all or do them in order! The themes are a loose guide, but all discussion is welcome.

This first post will be for introducing yourself and your project(s) and talking about what you’re planning to do during the month. Of course, there’s no obligation to stick to what you’ve set down and no-one will be checking up xD But it can be a nice thought exercise! You’re free to make the goal(s) as broad or as specific as you like – it’s totally up to you.

There’s no set format for this check-in, but here’s one you can use if you’d like (just copy-paste and replace the placeholders with your own answers in the comments):

<strong>Name:</strong> (Username, nickname, whatever you like to go by)
<strong>Project(s):</strong> (Share a link to your project(s) if you’d like to, and/or describe what you’re making or would like to make!)
<strong>What are you hoping to work on for SWS?</strong> (This can be as general as “add to my site”, or as specific as “archive X fanworks” or “implement a responsive layout”. You could even include ‘bonus goals’ – more ambitious things you’d like to get to if you have time!)

Also, if anyone would like to answer it, here’s a discussion starter: What interests you about the small/indie web, and how did you learn about or get into it?

Comments

[rionaleonhart]

I'm doing the same by going right back to my first published fics and archiving everything; for a long time, I felt like they were too embarrassing to surface from the depths of my FF.net account

Highly relatable! A few years ago, I concluded that it wasn't my place to judge which of my fics were worth sharing, so I dug up all my old and embarrassing work (well, everything that was finished and at least a thousand words long) and posted it on a backup AO3 account. I suppose, if even one person reads and enjoys them, it's worth a little embarrassment. Good luck with your archiving!

Your unfinished WIP section is reassuring; thank you for linking to it! I was thinking 'would it be silly or pointless to archive these little scraps, many of which are just silly things I wrote as a kid?', but seeing your site helped me realise that, if anyone else did the same thing, I'd just think it was a cool little thing to include.

[enchantedsleeper]

A few years ago, I concluded that it wasn't my place to judge which of my fics were worth sharing, so I dug up all my old and embarrassing work (well, everything that was finished and at least a thousand words long) and posted it on a backup AO3 account. I suppose, if even one person reads and enjoys them, it's worth a little embarrassment.

Right! I think this is good to remember - and I like having them as a record of my participation in fandom, even if it is early and awkward participation. (My author's notes were particularly weird, often a combination of aggressive and self-deprecating that was probably mimicking the tone of other users whose works I read at the time. That sort of "well it sucks but I published it anyway! here!!!" xD I didn't have to preserve those, but they're part of the whole, and the disclaimers are particularly of their time).

Your unfinished WIP section is reassuring; thank you for linking to it! I was thinking 'would it be silly or pointless to archive these little scraps, many of which are just silly things I wrote as a kid?', but seeing your site helped me realise that, if anyone else did the same thing, I'd just think it was a cool little thing to include.

Well, thank you very much! It's a useful tactic, actually, to think 'If I saw that someone else was doing this, would I judge it as harshly as I am doing for myself?'

I've been part of a lot of fandoms where I only got around to publishing one thing, or didn't finish anything, but I put some time and energy into ideas that didn't make it to a site like Fanfiction.net or AO3. I've often thought I would pick them back up, but most of them are at a point where I don't remember where I was going with them, so, that's when the idea of archiving them occurred to me. It doesn't come with the mental pressure of feeling like I've submitted them for Public Consumption(TM), but at the same time, if someone does want to read them and enjoys what little is there, so much the better! So, in other words, I encourage you to do it if you like the idea :D