Thursday, August 29, 2013

UndieGirl’s Teen Wolf Hiatus Survival Guide



It was fun while it lasted but now that another block of Teen Wolf eps has ended we have to find someway to pass the time. This isn’t a definitive guide. It’s just a little something to get you started. Please be aware that I am very hungover tired so this is possible long-winded and not very informative but I tried okay - the whole Teen Wolf thing was very stressful. 



Re-watch:

The simplest and easiest way to keep yourself busy throughout the hiatus is to relive the magic. Sometimes you miss things in your first viewing, and watching the whole season all a once is a different experience to watching the episodes weekly. Plus it’s fun to go back and look at the first two seasons with new eyes (especially in light of new information provided in 3a).

Since you’re re-watching anyway then you may as well use this time to get all your friends and family hooked as well. Now you have the time to make them sit down and watch. You are now a Teen Wolf missionaries and it’s your job to spread the good word. It’s one suffer all suffer as far as I’m concerned.


If you have already converted your friends then that means it’s time for a party. A Teen Wolf party! And nothing says Teen Wolf party like playing the Teen Wolf drinking game. Invite all your fellow Teen Wolf fans around (or if you’re not within travelling distance then you can do it via Skype or host a Google hangout).

There are lots of different versions of the Teen Wolf drinking game floating around the Internet – and personally I think the best way to do it is to make up your own. If you’re looking for a little inspiration then I suggest checking out the Daily Dot’s rules (it was written for the mid-season finale but it works with any ep – trust me I’ve done extensive testing on this).

The list includes gems like:
  • Take a sip if someone uses totally pointless martial arts moves like leaping against a wall, or back flipping over something they could’ve just walked around.
  • Down your entire drink if Stiles takes off his shirt or any kind of major plot arc is actually resolved. 

Or if you’re looking for something a little less episode specific then this one by clawsfight on Tumblr will probably work… to get you very very drunk.

I’m not saying that alcohol is the only way to get through the hiatus… I’m just saying it doesn’t hurt.


Podcasts:

During the last hiatus a couple of really cool Teen Wolf specific podcasts popped up. If you haven’t listened then catching up could be a great way to past the time and get your Teen Wolf fix.

(Source)
Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast is hosted by Hypable and features two lovely ladies by the name of Natalie and Karen (with the occasional very special guest). While Teen Wolf was airing they posted an episode weekly but as we move into hiatus their podcast will be more sporadic. They will be posting a few special eps during the break though and while you’re waiting you have the 34 episode back catalogue to keep you busy.

The Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast girls are unapologetic in their love for this show, and the podcast episodes are fun, entertaining and seriously hilarious at times. Natalie and Karen are not Tumblr users so their take on the show tends to be a little bit different, which is refreshing. It’s also chock full of Harry Potter and Buffy references, which doesn’t hurt.

It’s not just a podcast though – because Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast also has a Tumblr, which is run by lovely girls called Courtney, Brooke and Donya. The Tumblr is a great way to keep up with what’s happening in the fandom, awesome fan theories and it’s filled with pretty pictures of our incredibly beautiful cast.


(Source)
The Bite Podcast is a little less professional but a lot more analytical. These girls – Chloe and Zani – still clearly love Teen Wolf but they tend to take a more critical approach. They have some great analysis, especially of the female characters – and you know how I love female characters.


They only started the podcast at the start of this season so there are only 12 eps so far but they’re coming into their own. It’s well worth a listen. And like the NATWP team they also have a Tumblr. There isn’t as much news, but they do have some interesting criticisms (you guys know I love to love Teen Wolf but it’s also not perfect and sometimes it’s nice to talk about where it went wrong).



Fan Fiction:


Hiatus is the best time for fan fiction because when the show is airing everyone is just trying to deal with the trauma, so the flow of fan fiction tends to stagnate. But when the hiatus starts, well that’s when the real fun begins.

Were you disappointed by Erica’s death? Do you really want Derek to be an alpha again? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Deaton owned a coffee shop? Are you positive that Scott, Allison and Isaac are in a polyamorous relationship? Well then fan fiction is the place for you.

Fan fiction caters to your craziest fantasies and deepest desires. If you’ve thought of it there is fan fiction for it and if there’s not then all you have to do is throw the idea out there and eventually someone will write it for you (or you could write it yourself – everyone’s a fan fic writer they just don’t know it yet).

Now fan fiction can be a scary place, but there’s no need to fear as long as you follow these simple guidelines:
  1. Always read the warnings. Seriously I cannot stress this enough. Fandom is pretty good at self-policing the use of warnings so if you read them you’re probably not going to be blindsided by anything too horrific. If you’re still worried it can be a good idea to check the comments for any complaints.
  2. Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics (or Omega!verse) is not what you think. This can be confusing for Teen Wolf fans because those terms are used in canon but it’s actually an established fan fiction trope often involving power dynamics, bestiality and mpreg (male pregnancy). Don’t get me wrong, there are some great fics that use this trope. Just read up on the definition before you choose to engage with it okay? 
  3. If it says it is Explicit, it is explicit (and by explicit I mean graphic descriptions of sex acts). In fact it’s probably best to assume that Mature fics also involve pornography of some kind. If this bothers you then please stick to the lower ratings. Also as a general rule the first pairing that is listed is the pairing that will be having sex.
  4. Never fall in love with a WIP (work in progress). Reading a WIP that is updated regularly can be great, it’s like mini episodes to keep you going through the cold hiatus months. But when you choose to read a WIP there is a chance that it will never be completed so bare that in mind before getting attached.

If you don’t understand any of the terms then check fanlore because they have a basic description of most fan fiction tropes and terminology (wouldn’t want to get a lemon when you were looking for lime am I right oldies?).  

There’s not much else I can tell you – it’s kind of best to feel your way around, you’ll figure out what you like (and don’t like) pretty quickly. So just head to the Teen Wolf tag on Ao3 pick something that interests you and start reading. If you’re still nervous then the girls at the Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast Tumblr are there for you. They are planning on recommending a new Teen Wolf fan fiction every Friday throughout the hiatus. 


Stay in the Know:

Just because I’m not going to be posting the news weekly doesn’t mean that you can’t keep up to date without me. You might think it takes a lot of work but let me pull the wig out from under you because it’s really not hard.

The first thing to do is follow all the Teen Wolf social networking accounts – not only will you get all sorts of cool info but it will also just make your life better.


Outside of the official channels the best place to keep up with all these Teen Wolf is the NATWP team again. The Tumblr posts most teasers and hints as it happens and they usually post the important stuff to Hypable. So that’s a pretty good place to start if you want to find anything Teen Wolf.

Another great place for news and fun is via the cast on Twitter.


Tyler Posey (Scott) | Dylan O’Brien (Stiles) | Crystal Reed (Allison) | Holland Roden (Lydia) | Tyler Hoechlin (Derek) | Jill Wagner (Kate Argent) | Max Carver (Aiden) | Charlie Carver (Ethan) | Melissa Ponzio (Melissa) | Linden Ashby (Sheriff Stilinski) | Bianca Lawson (Ms Morrell) | Gideon Emery (Deucalion) | Ian Bohen (Peter Hale) | JR Bourne (Chris Argent) | Orny Adams (Coach) | Seth Gilliam (Alan Deaton) | Haley Webb (Jennifer) | Felisha Terrell (Kali) | Adelaide Kane (Cora) | Shantal Rhodes (Danielle) | Keahu Kahuanui (Danny) | Eaddy Mays (Victoria Argent) | Colton Haynes (Jackson) | Sinqua Walls (Boyd) | Gage Golightly (Erica) |  Alicia Coppola (Talia Hale) | Ian Nelson (Young Derek) | Stephen Lunsford (Matt) |  Matthew Del Negro (Agent McCall) | Arden Cho (Kira) | Doug Jones (Unknown)

Go forth and follow but be nice (seriously guys, don’t be an asshole).


Try Something New:


So you like Teen Wolf? Well then there are plenty of other shows around that might help fill the void while Teen Wolf isn’t around.
  • If you haven’t already seen it: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • If you like teenage soap opera: Skins
  • If you like teenage soap opera and ladies: Pretty Little Liars
  • If you like teenage soap opera and vampires: The Vampire Diaries
  • If you like smart but sassy girls: Veronica Mars
  • If you like werewolves: Being Human
  • If you like beautiful men with manpain: Supernatural
  • If you like ridiculously camp storylines: True Blood

That should keep you going for a little while – but seriously I cannot stress enough that if you have not seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer you NEED TO WATCH IT NOW. Buffy is the show that Teen Wolf aspires to be and there are 7 seasons, a spin off and comics, which should keep you plenty busy until January.


Get Involved:

The hiatus is a great time to get more involved in fandom. Try your hand at writing fan fiction or making fanart. If you’re not creative then just try talking to people. If you both like Teen Wolf you’re practically already friends anyway. There’s no key to making friends in fandom, just say hi and see where it goes.


Okay wow this got really long, and it’s not very good because I’m kind of in holiday mode at the moment.

Feel free to chat to me about Teen Wolf on Twitter or Tumblr otherwise, enjoy the break and I’ll see you in December.