Twilight Paper- I'm interviewing the fans! SPILL!!

So, some of you may have noticed that I've been less active than normal over the past week or so.
There's a reason. The paper and truck load of material I've had to study this week is part of it, but I've also had to deal with people coming to look at our house as perspective buyers. Don't even get me started on the reasons why I think this sucks. We'll just say I never wanted to move and the fact that we are means I have to clear out of the house EVERY time someone wants to take a look. Thus, I've barely been at home. My room is my cave, I do everything in there so I've been out of my element. Basically, not comfortable enough to post anything of substance but I'm sort of forced to as this problem isn't going away <<

Moving on,
I've got questions for everyone and anyone who wants to answer and comtribute to my paper. It's supposed to be an outsiders look at what the twilight community is like. I can't put any of my own opinions in there so when you answer try to be detailed and explain your answers as if you're talking to someone who's never herd of twilight.
That will help me greatly. Also, remember to sigh the bottom of your post with whatever name I'm allowed to use in the paper. If you want to remain anonymous, just give me your usersname or something to that affect.

I might add more questions as they come to me so answer what you feel comfortable with and check back to see if theres anything you want to change or add.

To make this worth everyone's time, I'll add in a bonus of making a graphic for those who participate. Whatever you want within my abilities. I can provide samples if you want to see my work. *cough*sig*cough*
To get this offer you DO need to give me something substancial and pm me when you're done with your request.
I'll get it to you as soon as possible within reason.


QUESTIONS:

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight?

Did you start with the book or movie?

What do you enjoy about the community?

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities?

How do you interact with other fans?

What do you think of other fan groups/communities?

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community?

Where does your group gather?

Are there any important people in your community?

What qualities are respected in other community members?

What is the age range/common age range?

common gender?

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community?

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community?

What are the extreems in the community?

How do you contribute the group?

Any other notes you want to add, everything is valuable.

Thanks guys! ^3^

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight?: I became interested in Twilight after finding the Trailer on youtube while trying to find a song that I heard while watching a trailer for Mansfield Park. I saw the trailer and was like that is the guy who played Cedric Diggory...holy crap. and then I wanted to know more.

Did you start with the book or movie?: I saw the trailer but did really know what it was about due to the fact that it was a teaser so I went out and bought the book was was hooked.

What do you enjoy about the community?: I enjoy the fact that it brings people from all over the world, all ages together. Its like we bond, we make lasting friendships through this.

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities?: Because we like I said in the previous question, we bond. And it starts out over Twilight and then once we get to know each other and find out other common interests it goes from there.

How do you interact with other fans?: I am apart of the awesome forum for Twilighters Anonymous Podcast. There we have a forum for questions and a chat box were we can all just chat and what not. I talk to some on the phone and over skype.

What do you think of other fan groups/communities?: They aren't as close nit as us twilighters are. We band together like a family. That's what we are...a family. You hurt one of us. you hurt us all.

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community?: TRUE STORY, LEGEND...wait for it DARY Legendary. Dazzled....DONE AND DONE, copyright! and the best one FANGIRL

Where does your group gather?: www.tapodcast.com

Are there any important people in your community?: There are way too many to list for me at least in my opinion

What qualities are respected in other community members?: loyalty, kindness, awesomeness.

What is the age range/common age range?: It ranges from 11-39

common gender?

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community?: positive: we are very friendly, kind, open minded, Negative: we can sometimes get very crazy and territoryal...(sp?) especially over certain twilight men....

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community?: well from Comic con to what Rob and K-Stew have said, we are very crazy and very out there...so sometimes people think we are just a bunch of teeny boppers with nothing better to do with our time, which is NOT the case.

What are the extreems in the community?: We are very protective and sometimes we have set ideas in our heads how things should be.that and we tend to FANgirl a lot!

How do you contribute the group?: I make everyone feel welcome and try to help all of us bond and unite!!!!

My response may take a little while because I wrote almost THE ENTIRE THING OUT and I lost all of it.

I'm very angry and am tempted to throw my computer out the window. When I can mentally handle re-typing my response, I will.

I'll probably do it this afternoon. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight?
I became interested about 2 1/2 years ago. I would always go into English with a different book each time and my teacher recommended the series (it was only Twilight and New Moon at the time) and told me I would love it and I do!

Did you start with the book or movie?
I started with the book. The only movie stuff I knew of when I began was that random script MTV came up with that had jetskiis in it

What do you enjoy about the community?
that I don't get strange looks and teased because I love the series. I can be with people who are just as crazy as me

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities?
it's more of a place to meet new people. Like with Harry Potter/mugglenet, that's just a place to talk about the series where with Twilight, you meet and interact with people more and it doesn't matter if the series ended, it just keeps going.

How do you interact with other fans?
I interact with others on the forums, ustream chats, skype, facebook, twitter...the list goes on and on

What do you think of other fan groups/communities?
it depends on the other groups/communities but most aren't as tight as the Twilight fandom

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community?
dazzle, pixie, Jacksper, LEGEN... wait for it... Dary, Twi-hard, Twilighters, RPatz, Spunk Ransom, Kstew...
Behaviors: mobs, staying up all hours of the night to watch filming

Where does your group gather?
TAPodcast forums, TAPodcast ustream

Are there any important people in your community?
Rachel, Sammi, Nicole, Anna

What qualities are respected in other community members?
loyalty, EPICNESS, kindness, amazingness

What is the age range/common age range?
really young to vampire old

common gender?
mostly female, but I know plenty of male fans

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community?
positive behaviors: loyalty, kindness
Negative: possessive, mob-like (when it comes to meeting actors), don't like to change minds

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community?
haha, I should use this question for my english class since we're talking about media influence, but to my answer... I've decided other people can answer this. It makes me think of my evil English teacher!

What are the extremes in the community?
Rob in Cali for the Hot Topic event that got shut down... um, "Team" whoever, don't like to change our minds

How do you contribute the group?
I fangirl what else?

Any other notes you want to add, everything is valuable.
um... Blue October and 100Monkeys are EPIC! hehe you asked for any other notes and those are other notes

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight?
My friends got me started and I just became hooked.
Did you start with the book or movie?
I started with the book. Then went to see the movie. then read twilight again and screamed all the flaws in the movie
What do you enjoy about the community?
the twilight fandom is really amazing i love it!
How do you feel it's different than other fan communities?
i think we understand each other better because we kind of don't just stick to twilight. we drift of to harry potter sometimes and other things that have absolutely nothing to do with twilight. basically, we have more fun with our addiction
How do you interact with other fans?
i talk to them like they were my best friends because in a way we are. we all have our own twilight related inside jokes
What do you think of other fan groups/communities?
i think they're great but TAp is better lol
Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community?
of course, we all love the characters and the actors that play them. and i've discovered a few people that live near me
Where does your group gather?
via i-pod and the internet. lol
Are there any important people in your community?
of course, the four chicas that got together and got kellan's lovely voice on tape
What qualities are respected in other community members?
that there are bella-bashers and bella-lovers
What is the age range/common age range?
we're all over the place XD
common gender?
predominately female
positive & negative behaviors associated with this community?
bella
How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community?
othere sites have mentioned us so we are rising up in the fandom
What are the extreems in the community?
none really...we don't do much in ohio
How do you contribute the group?
fangirling...duh
Any other notes you want to add, everything is valuable.
KELLAN LUTZ IS AMAZAZING

I Love you guys sooooo much! Remember, you all have a free ticket to get a graphic of your choice.
I won't be able to make them for a little bit but feel free to send me your requests when you've decided what you want.

kudos to everyone ^3^
You ROCK!

ps. my professor was astonished at the information I gave him thus far about the fandom.
He asked for a general idea of why twilight would be an interesting topic and I told him about the San Fransisco incident. His jaw fell open. ><
If only he knew...

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight?

I became interested in Twilight when I noticed that everyone around me was reading/disscusing the book, and i've always loved reading so I figured a book so popular might be worth checking out.

Did you start with the book or movie?

I started out with the book.
I think is't better to read the book before seeing the movie because it let's me imagine what the characters and places look like for myself and makes the story more personal to me.

What do you enjoy about the community?

What I enjoy most about the the community is how having this one thing (twilight) in common can bring us together to get to know eachother beyond what we initialy met because of.
Also, being a fandom of four books makes endless possabilaties for disscusions, graphics and fanfiction, which keep the excitment going even after you've finished the books.

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities?

I feel It's different than other fan communities in that how big of a fan you are isn't based on how well you've memorised all the facts that pertain to Twilight, It's more about how you've contributed to and developed the fandom itself.

How do you interact with other fans?

I interact with other fans, mostly over the internet by just talking or sharing somthing i've discovered or written about Twilight.

What do you think of other fan groups/communities?

I think that in most other fan-groups/communities that aren't as close and personal as the Twilight fandom, people don't know eachother as well and are more likely to be openly rude, and bash other fans.

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community?

There are some common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, such as:

The FANDOM is a collective noun refering to evey current book, movie and individual fan of Twilight

A FANGIRL is someone (girl or boy) who gets excited (sometimes almost obsesivly so) when ever they see or hear anything pertaining to the fandom.
FANGIRLING is the act of such behavior.

At an event related to Twilight it is not uncommon to see fans wearing the fandom colors of red, white and black.

Where does your group gather?

Most fans gather over the internet at places know as FANSITES
(A web page, or somtimes even a whole site, dedicated to the fandom and usualy containing some sort of forum/message board)
M favorite, and most frequented is tapodcast.com

Are there any important people in your community?

Besides the author, and other obviously important people, i've noticed two types of fans in the fandom.
People who host fansites, podcasts and blogs could be thoght of as the distributers of the fandom
People who enjoy the fansites, podcasts and blogs, and then elaborate on them in their own personal way, could be thought of as the contributers of the fandom. Both are equaly vital to the fandom.

What qualities are respected in other community members?

Qualities respected in other community members are openmindedness, friendliness and enthusiasum.

What is the age range/common age range?

I've known people as young as ten and as old as 70 being fans but the common age is probably late teens/early twentys.

Common gender?

Prodominatntly female, though there are a few known male fans.

Positive & negative behaviors associated with this community?

Some postive behaviors are: teamwork, extreme creativity and thoghtfulness towards other fans.

Negitives include: Fangirls somtimes going overboard with their fangirling and somtimes hurting themselves and other fangirls.

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community?

I believe the media has geatly misled other people to think that the fandom consists of only brain-less girls, who go around stalking people who look like characters from the book to the point of serius injury, and that they should shun and insult as if we have no feelings.

What are the extreems in the community?

Extremes in the community are that sometime we get a little obsessive and somtime even possesive of the characters from the book.

How do you contribute the group?

I contribute to the community by writing fanfiction, also by interacting with and supporting other fans.

-Sarah
(and if you need it)
I'm from dallas tx
And i've been a Twilight fan for one year.

*phew* that has to be my longest post ever. It was fun though! I hope it helps

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight?

All of my friends were reading or had finished Twilight and really wanted me to read it. People were calling it the "next Harry Potter" and understandably, I wanted to know about it. I had heard that it was a romance, so it took me quite a few months for me to actually motivate myself to read it. When I read the first book last May, I fell in love. I was adddicted, and there was no going back.

Did you start with the book or movie?

I started with the book. Though, whenever I want to see I movie based off of a book, I'll try and read it first.

What do you enjoy about the community?

The Twilight community is really closeknit. We are primarily made up of females, and we can connect to each other. Not only that, the Twilight community, I think, is really understanding. If you like Twilight, then you're my new sibling. We share the bond of Twilight and a love of the characters and the feelings we felt when we read it.

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities?

I think it's pretty different from other communities because the Twilight community is often disregarded as a "fad". People don't expect it to last long. I know that years from now, I will still love Twilight. I won't just love Twilight, but I'll love the people and the feelings. Twilight has been a truly incredible experience for me. Many people believe that Twilight is just a book that isn't well-written and has hordes of teenager girls lusting after it, but it really isn't. Stephen King infamously was quoted saying that Stephenie Meyer couldn't "write a damn". While I think that it's completely underestimating her, people think that we are just crazy fans who don't care about well-written works of literature. Stephenie Meyer is very talented, not in writing itself but in telling a story. She doesn't have a huge vocabulary nor does she have any beautiful descriptions, but she made me fall in love with her characters. That is a very powerful tool. However, many people think that the Twilight community doesn't have any validity. We're just picking up the pieces of Harry Potter. There are Lord of the Rings communities and Star Trek communities and even Trekkies get more respect than Twilighters do. Twilighters have to fight other people's opinions, so our community is so close and proud to be Twilight fans.

How do you interact with other fans?

Most of my friends are Twilight fans, but besides that, I don't interact with many fans face to face. However, online there is a fantastic forum and website at tapodcast.com. This is by no means the biggest Twilight website, but it is, by far, my favorite because everyone knows everyone else. It's a tightknit community of people who absolutely adore Twilight.

What do you think of other fan groups/communities?

I am a part of the Harry Potter communities and Star Wars communities. I think that Twilight is a strong community that has common ties to bind them together. Not only have we fallen in love with Twilight, we are living it right now. Harry Potter has only a few more movies to come out, but unfortuantely, I think that it is on a downward spiral. Star Wars is long past its height. Twilight is in its glory right now. I can't say that it will last as long as Star Wars, but it will last for true fans. Just like my obsession with Harry Potter and Star Wars, Twilight will always remain in a very special place in my heart.

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community?

I think a common trait in our community is fangirling. Fangirling is when females gush about something, usually very loudly. It can involve screaming, jumping up and down, or intense shaking. Fangirling is certainly not limited to the Twilight fandom, however, because Twilght is primarily a female community, there is a lot more of it. Not only that, is that fangirling grows off of other people's fangirling. If you hear someone screaming in excitement, you're a lot more likely to scream too. It has to do with how much we can express ourselves. Fangirling is just expressing your entusiasm loudly and noticeably.


Where does your group gather?

There are some Twilight conventions, but my favorite place to gather is tapodcast.com.

Are there any important people in your community?

A very important person in my community is Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series. She gave us the books that we so love. She started this crazy fandom, and she is so incredible about it. She is humble, even though it is her dream and her books that started such a sensaton. Another important person is actually a fictional vampire. Edward Cullen, the heartthrob of Twilight and the receiver of the narrator's, Bella Swan's, affections. He is truly the perfect boyfriend. He is the guy that everyone wants but doesn't exist. He, in a way, holds the community together. Even people like me, who prefer other characters in the series to Edward Cullen, can't help but aknowledge the perfection and the way that millions of girls have fallen in love with him.
What qualities are respected in other community members?

What is the age range/common age range?

The majority of readers are teenagers, however, no one can doubt how universal the books are. There's a group called Twilight Moms who are parents and love Twilight. Even though teenagers are the accepted target audience, there can be no mistaking that people of all ages can enjoy the series.

common gender?

The common gender is obviously female. The books are targeted at females, it is a romance story, and it is told from a female point of view. There are quite a few males who have read and enjoyed the series. Twilight, for all of its romance, has action and adventure. I personally don't like romance novels. I can't stand them at all, but I love Twilight. Twilight isn't just a romantic book; it's a book of mystery and lust and fantasy. That's why males can enjoy the book just as much as females.

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community?

Positive behaviors in the community include how well people relate with other people. We're very accepting of all people, no matter if you're purple with green polka dots, if you love Twilight, then we'll love you. We know how it is to be shunned for reading Twilight, especially if your friends are English nerds, so we know that if you love Twilight, them you should be a part of our community. Negative behaviors have long since been associated with this community. The crazy behaviors of fans at releases or midnight parties have been all of the media. Yes, there are some fans who don't care about others and will push and shove people, just to see a Twilight star's face, but fans like that aren't in the majority. Actually, they're in the small minority, but they get so much press, people assume that Twilighers are rude, obnoxious, and annoying.

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community?

I think that many people assume that Twilighters are people who don't care if they read a terrible book, as long as there are attractive men in it. That's not the point of Twilight at all. Twilight is about a romance between a predator and prey. It's a story of lust and love, passion and jealousy. We, Twilighters, love a fantastic story, nothing more and nothing less.

What are the extremes in the community?

Extremes in our community are actually less extreme because most people do extreme things, so if everyone does extreme things, no one does. (Does that make sense?) When people wait in line for days or when people practically attack other fans, that is considered extreme. In this fandom, though, going to midnight releases, dvd release parties, and buying the Twilight three disked dvd, it isn't that extreme. It's just dedication.

How do you contribute the group?

I'd like to think that I contribute a little bit to the Twilight fandom. I participate on the tapodcast.com forums, and I read and review a lot of Twilight fanfiction. My role, I think, is more of a following role. I go to Twilight parties, but I don't plan them. I love Twilight, but I listen to Twilight podcasts, not doing one. I'm happy with my small role. I love Twilight and if I can help the Twilight fandom at all, then I'm happy.

Any other notes you want to add, everything is valuable.

I think Twilight has made me less shy. I'm a very secluded person, but in the community, I'm not. I would usually think that I shouldn't do some of the things I have done, but I do them. Usually, I wouldn't go to a movie theatre with my cousin and spend the entire time holding hands, squeezing the others' hands if the tension or excitement got too high. I wouldn't start shaking and letting out brief screams of delight when something I like happens. The difference is that no one really noticed because many people were screaming and cheering while they were watching. I'm so thankful to be living in this time, when Twilight is at its peak. It's indescribable to actually be a part of something so large.


Okay, I can't believe I just typed out all of my answers again. Holy Twilight! (and the first time the answers were just as long!)

Wow, I have to go massage my fingers now!

You get a folksy, Missy.

That would be my version of an eddie <3

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight? My sister was interested in them to begin with. She'd heard of them, and heard there was going to be a movie, so she tried to check it out from the library. When she found out she was the 14th person on the waiting list for it... she decided to just buy it instead. She bought the first three books for a steal on eBay and put them on the shelf to read when she finished the book she was already halfway through. I got bored one night and picked up the first book to check it out. That was about 1am on June 28th (I believe). I finished the book around 8:30 that morning, went to work from 9-4, came home, chilled with the family for a while, ate dinner, and started New Moon around 10ish. I finished New Moon around 7:30am. (just as my uncle was leaving for work, laughing at me on his way past, lol). I passed out til around 11am or so, then woke up, had lunch, and read Eclipse. I finished it around 8pm or so that night. Then promptly started rereading Twilight. By that time everyone in my house though I'd lost my mind, and my sister was reading her book as fast as humanly possibly so she could start reading the Twilight saga. :-)

Did you start with the book or movie? Started with the book, because of the movie. Probably would have gotten to it at some point, but the movie is was sparked the interest at that particular moment in time.

What do you enjoy about the community? The community becomes family. We start with a common interest, but end up sharing our lives. It's amazing.

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities? I actually don't think it's that different. The Harry Potter fandom, the Star Wars fandom, the Star Trek fandom, the Tolkien fandom... we all have the same kinds of connections. We all have the common interest of the book/movie/tv show... but in all these other large fandoms, the people you meet and get to know become parts of your life. We all have forums, and meetings, and conventions, and wild & crazy fans that embarass us, and writers and actors that encourage & inspire us. We all have friends we've met through the fandom that will be with us forever.

How do you interact with other fans? In any way that's appropriate :-). In bookstores, and libraries, and post offices, and grocery stores, and wherever else you see someone with a Twilight book, or t-shirt... all you have to do is mention the series, and a conversation starts. I've never had a bad response when I've started talking to a stranger about Twilight. And when a group of us are all together... it's incredible. No matter what your "Team" preference is.. the love of the story is stronger than any of our "plot choice issues". We can debate situations, we can drool over favorite characters, we can speculate about what the future will be for the storyline. I have a Twilight Book Club, we have meetings every other week and it's sooo much fun. I had one of the most fun weekends EVER a couple of weekends ago at Accio Con (Twilight/Harry Potter convention). This forum is a constant in a lot of our lives, lol. There are innumerable ways to interact.

What do you think of other fan groups/communities? I think they're great! Any way to show appreciation for something you love, in a way that doesn't hurt anyone, is spectacular!

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community? Common traits? An acceptance of new or different things and people. Maybe we're all a little obsessive, but that's what makes us a fandom as a whole, and not just a bunch of people who just kinda liked the books. Behaviors? Well... I guess fangirling is a behavior. I think we all do it to different extents. Some of us are louder than others, lol. Fashion? One thing I've noticed is that there are as many self-made t-shirts at Twilight events as there are mass produced ones. I love that. But, yeah, there are tons of merchandised products out there. Covered in actors faces and the created "Cullen Crest". Words? Ummm... well, it seems everyone is "Team" someone or they're "Switzerland". A lot of the actors have nicknames they didn't have before... RPattz, Spunk Ransom, KStew, KLutz. Robert gets an extra nickname since he was in Harry Potter and Twilight, his characters combine to make Cedward. Some of the relationships in the story have nicknames... Jalice, Emmalie, Blackwater. The fans themselves have a few titles... Twilighters for the most part, but some are still TwiHards or Twerds.

Where does your group gather? EVERYWHERE!!! My book club is hosted by our local Books-A-Million, so we meet there. But there are groups that meet in libraries, and there are handfulls of Twilight themed conventions around the world that people travel to. (Accio Con = Orlando, FL, TwiCon = Dallas, TX, Eternal Twilight Convention = UK, TwiTour: Salute To Twilight = Atlanta, Ga, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Parsippany, NJ, Pheonix, AZ, Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, Summer School In Forks "A Twilight Symposium" = Forks, WA, Twilight Australia = Australia, among others.) Plus there are numerous forums and chats around the internet focused on Twilight.

Are there any important people in your community? The writer of the series, Stephenie Meyer, her brother Seth who runs her website, Larry Carroll who digs up and posts Twilight info for MTV, the actors who play the roles in the movie, The Twilight Moms (who, for better or worse always seem to have an inside scoop), various websites that have people dedicated to finding out news at an alarmingly fast pace, and have been endorsed by Stephenie (two being The Twilight Lexicon and His Golden Eyes), various Webshows and Podcasts that share the news and the funness of the fandom to those who don't have the time or inclination to search all over the internet for it all (TAPodcast, No More Marbles, Kaleb Nation to name a few).

What qualities are respected in other community members? Eagerness to welcome new members, openness to discuss the books and the movies regardless of differences of opinion, ability to see both the life lessons and the cheese factor in the story.

What is the age range/common age range? I'm guessing between about 11/12 to 40's is about average... although there are extremes on both ends of the spectrum.

common gender? Majority goes to female, overwhelmingly, but I have seen more and more males in the last few months since the movie came out.

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community? Over the top fangirling (screaming incessantly, shrieking AT actors, rushing lines and barricades) is a definite negative attribute to the Twilight fandom. But then people acting innapopriately are a negative in any fandom. On the positive side, we've proven ourselves to be vehimently loyal to the books, spreading the series amongst friends and co-workers and sharing our interests with complete strangers. We've also been outspoken and articulate when necessary to make a point about something. (ex: Taylor Lautner)

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community? The media loves to show a circus, so any time all "heck" breaks loose, there's someone there with a camera to show it. However, they've also shown the growth of the fanbase, and have done countless interviews with the stars and the author that have increased knowledge and interest in the series. In addition to fans' interest in the series growing with media exposure, there have been handfulls of actors, directors, and musicians interested in being a part of the movie versions of the books.

What are the extremes in the community? Some people (with time and money to do so) spend days / weeks at the sets for the movies, taking pictures and video to share and trying to meet the stars. There are people with Twilight tattoos, people with rooms of their house dedicated to the books or the actors, people who (with time available) spend every day surfing the internet to post every piece of information that surfaces about the books, actors, movies, or author.

How do you contribute the group? I have a Twilight themed book club that meets every two weeks. I have encouraged (strongly, lol) many local friends, family members, co-workers, and online friends to read the series (who, in turn, have encouraged their friends and family to read it... it's an ongoing chain). I am very active in forum and chat discussions about the books and the movie. I contribute (when asked) graphic design for the Twilighters Anonymous Podast website and other interests. I planned and hosted the Midnight Release party for the Twilight DVD at my work (Blockbuster), and attended the midnight release for Breaking Dawn. I have also, recently, started to write Twilight fanfiction, which is an original storyline using the characters of the Twilight universe.

Any other notes you want to add, everything is valuable.


(**I tried to make my answers Twilight fandom as a whole, not just TAPodcast related, hopefully that's what you were looking for. If you need anything more specific, just let me know **)

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight?

In September last year because my friend told me about it

Did you start with the book or movie?

The book

What do you enjoy about the community?


How everone's so nice and there's just a little competittion witht the different teams

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities?

I feel people are more open minded to other's opinions and respecting of them

How do you interact with other fans?

HEY I LOVE TWILIGHT TOO!!! lol jk umm I usually just go up and say hi or just kinda get a convo going bout twilight

What do you think of other fan groups/communities?

It seems most of ther attitudes are "it's my way or the highway!"

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community?

Mostly everyone is nice and it seems that people think that all Twilight fans have that "Hot Topic Goth" style but i've seen a wide variety of styles for twilight fans

Where does your group gather?

School, my neighborhood, the mall

Are there any important people in your community?

Like? sorry I don't get the question

What qualities are respected in other community members?

openmindedness, niceness

What is the age range/common age range?

I honestly think any age

common gender?

Female

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community?

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community?

It makes people think we're all silly screaming 13 year olds with no true opinion and we love the Jonas Brothers

What are the extreems in the community?

The girl who made a model of Bella's womb..... ew.

How do you contribute the group?

Thanks you guys! You've all done a fantastic job. That goes for the people who sent me PMs as well. Can't forget them.
;D

<3

Just letting everyone know that they can continue to post if they want to answer questions or add to what they said before. I just realized my last post looked similar to a closing.
I still have about a week before the paper is over.

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight? Either late June/Early July 2008

Did you start with the book or movie? Book

What do you enjoy about the community? That everyone is so welcoming and just wants to Fangirl over everything.

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities? It is smaller and newer, right now it is just taking off. Many fan communities have been around for decades.

How do you interact with other fans? Listening to Twilighters Anonymous Podcast and going on this forum.

What do you think of other fan groups/communities? I am a Harry Potter fan, so I love those, but Twilight seems more personal to me for some reason that has been left to be revealed.

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community? Twilight fans usually a) have one of the books on their person b) often wear movie/quote t-shirts c) have jewelry from the movie/book on at all times. We also say OME (Oh my Edward) ostentatious, irrevocably, unconditionally, eternity, vampire, werewolf and soul-mate a bit too often.

Where does your group gather? Online or at conventions (I personally talk to people at school all the time as well)

Are there any important people in your community? Stephenie Meyer (DUH!) Founders of websites (Twilight Lexicon in particular), PodCasters (Sammi, Anna, Nicole, Rachel just to name a few) and the Fan-Bands (Mitch Hansen Band, Bella Cullen Project, ect)

What qualities are respected in other community members? Listen and respect fan theories no matter how crazy, do not think that you are insane for reading each book more times than you can count with both of your hands and for paying a crazy amount of money to see the movie multiple times, purchase the DVD, go set-stalking, I mean watching, conventions and merchandise.

What is the age range/common age range? 13 - 75(I have not heard of anyone older, though I have heard of some 10 year olds...)

common gender? Female

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community? NEGATIVE: A bit crazy with the Twilight Actors, too much leaking of either manuscripts or movie scripts and not being courteous to other fans POSITIVE: Show our support for actors and Stephenie and the directors, always recruiting new fans and loving old ones as well.

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community? People who have not read the book think we are insane. The media has published a lot about the actors, footage from the films, news and rumors about everything Twilight-related.

What are the extreems in the community? We are all pretty crazy in our own way, but there are those who have read the book and enjoyed it and those who have embraced Twilight and made it a part of their lives. I am the latter. I have also had a mini Twilight movie party with two friends, and a Midnight DVD release one with four. Now I am planning to go to a convention with some other fans.

How do you contribute the group? Personally, I recomend the book to absolutely everyone (total strangers in the bookstore to kids whom I sit next to in class) and am a dedicated listener to TA Podcast and the Mitch Hansen Band and the Bella Cullen Project.


Twilight has made me many new friends and encouraged me to talk to other people. I get into really long detailed conversations with people who usually make fun of me at school after they realized I was a Twilighter. People at my school come up to me and tell me what they like about it, what they are reading now, who their favorite character is and if they have seen the movie. I am like this super obsessed fan to them, and so it has made me a bit popular in my own way because I "was a fan before it was popular" as someone once told me.

Twilight has changed my look on life, and I love it. Without it, I cannot even remember who I was. If I do not have at least one Twilight thing in my head all day (whether listening to this podcast, a fan band, reading the book, going on a website, randomly thinking about it, talking about it or even having Twilight dreams) it is a weird off-day for me. Twilight has become a part of my life, and there is no going back now.

Could you possibly show us the final result? I'd love to see how it turned out!

I have this really weird urge to yell, "Twilight fandom, unite!" like a bad superhero movie! (My mind is an odd place. Don't feel weird if this doesn't make much sense to you!)

Missy Skywalker wrote:

Could you possibly show us the final result? I'd love to see how it turned out!

I have this really weird urge to yell, "Twilight fandom, unite!" like a bad superhero movie! (My mind is an odd place. Don't feel weird if this doesn't make much sense to you!)

That would be awesome! Could you please possibly show us the final product?

When/Why did you become interested in Twilight? I became interested in Twilight 1 and 1/2 years ago because all of my friends were reading it. I decided to read it and haven't looked back since.

Did you start with the book or movie? Book

What do you enjoy about the community? I enjoy that there are other people who share your obsession out there! I also enjoy the face that pretty much everyone is friendly and easy to get along with.

How do you feel it's different than other fan communities? I find that we don't bash other communities which is good, Unlike the majority of the HP fandom who seem to dilike Twilight and therefore we have this massive fight.

How do you interact with other fans? Most of my friends are fans and I also go to many fansites and chat to people.

What do you think of other fan groups/communities? I think they are great! they are entitled to their own opinion and thats fine.

Are there any common traits/behaviors/fashion/words, within the community? Well whenever a word has something to do with twilight we all seem to be like OMG thats in the book!

Where does your group gather? umm at school, conventions and on the internet

Are there any important people in your community? There are many important people...

What qualities are respected in other community members? That we are all nice, kind, awesome and share a common interest.

What is the age range/common age range? probably from about 10 - 40

common gender? Female

positive & negative behaviors associated with this community? Positives: We are all friendly dand love discussing our favourite characters and anything about twilight really and we are open. Negatives: We sometimes go a bit overboard... (:

How has the media influenced other people's perception of the community? The media shows Twilight in a bad way in my opinion, whether its fans meeting the actors and breaking faces or just showing the actors drunk or something. But then again there are the positives that the media can show

What are the extremes in the community? We all can go overboard and i bet some of us could recite the whole book if we wanted to...
and we can get territorial thinking that one of the characters/actors are ACTAULLY going to marry us

How do you contribute the group? I come on forums and look at fansites & Talk about twilight 24/7

I hope that helped you Brie! oh and you can call me Morgan in your paper (: