I love fan guides
Today’s email is shorter and a bit more fragmented. Over the past two weeks, I’ve encountered a fun concept. Think about something you love. Name something or someone you’re a fan of.
Now pretend I wanted to become a fan of that thing, too. Consider it! You’d have a friend to text, discuss, and gush over everything within the fandom. It’s what can make a friendship feel extra special.
But first I need a guide, a curriculum, or a schedule. What will get me quickly and with velocity? There may be nothing worse than recommending something you’re a huge fan of and the other person is like, “It’s fine!”
That’s the concept I’ve seen unfold in real life:
I’m reading a fantasy book series right now and didn’t realize I read some of them out of order (the chronological order is different from the publishing order) and that there are guides online telling you how to read two books in tandem!
A met up with a friend (and former intern) who said she’s trying to love olives. So her friend came up with a guide and schedule. “Eat these once a day for a week. If you still don’t like it, start again. Then progress to…”
Another friend is a BTS fan. I have never listened to BTS! So she’s been sending me slow drip lists on how to start listening. Interestingly enough, I’m starting with the BTS members individually. I’ve gotten a specific album order, accompanying YouTube videos, and amazing context.
Fan guides are a special type of person.
If you had to create a fan guide for a friend, what would you do? And what would it look like? Feel free to send me one and I’ll follow it or share. I am really interested in creating fan guides from actual fans and publishing them here! How fun would it be if you really wanted to get into a book series or an artist’s work or a cinematic universe and someone gave you a head start?
