Shrining Out of Your Element

[Todd]

We all kind of known for making shrines in a particular community. For myself, I think I'm most known for my video game fan sites, particularly my three Final Fantasy tributes. I've made sites to other things though: TV show characters, movie characters, and one manga character. The latter was the most challenging to make because I felt it was so far out of my comfort zone... While I watch some anime and read manga (super casually) I'm not familiar with very much from Japan. I learned quite a lot as I was making the shrine, particularly about honorifics, kanji, and general customs.

Lately, I have planned a couple new animanga-related tributes, and I am excited and nervous to work on them, because they don't come as easy to me as video game-related tributes do.

Is a particular type of site out of your comfort zone or element? What are some struggles you have found while working on these sites in the past? Have you not worked on a site you wanted to make because it was out of your element or comfort zone?

[Robin]

Is a particular type of site out of your comfort zone or element?
Back in the day, gaming sites were out of my comfort zone, because I had started out making Yu-Gi-Oh! shrines and didn't see myself really making anything else but anime-centric shrines. (Nowadays, image gallery sites are my downfall--see Point #3)

What are some struggles you have found while working on these sites in the past?
The gaming sites were hard at first, because I was still so much a noob at the games and didn't really know what a "game site" even ought to have on it. Thus, my first attempts at doing gaming sites were kindasortaactually fail (especially my old Magic the Gathering site *UGH*).

But in a weird way, making the game sites (like Skies over Atlas and The Gamer's Repose) forced me to learn the rules and lore of each game better so that even a new player could learn from my website. And, as a side result, I learned how to make an "info" site that wasn't necessarily an opinion-based shrine. [In fact, the game sites were about all I had on my network for years after I came back from college internet to super-shitty dialup (pardon my French, but it's an apt description).]

Have you not worked on a site you wanted to make because it was out of your element or comfort zone?
YES. Currently I'm struggling with my Dove shrine, because I want to create an AWESOME picture gallery for her, based off her appearances in the comics. There are so few Dove sites out there, so there aren't really any picture sources out there like what I want to do. But I hate hate HATE scanning in pictures! And the thought of coding a picture gallery takes me back to 2004 and my hand-coded Yu-Gi-Oh! thumbnail gallery that took 20 hours to do. >_< (Doesn't help that I had this shrine almost finished and then the Great Hard Drive Crash of 2011 happened. V_V)

ok i'm apparently 12 years old because i'm still laughing about "super-shitty dialup"

[Camy]

Is a particular type of site out of your comfort zone or element?
The site I made for Pascal from Tangled for the minor character event was pretty new since I've never done a minor character before. There was so little information about him so I had to think "Okay how do I make this enjoyable for the visitor and have them stay for a while." It was a great challenge.

What are some struggles you have found while working on these sites in the past?
It was my first time to make a shrine for a minor character.

Have you not worked on a site you wanted to make because it was out of your element or comfort zone?
No, I'm always willing to do different subjects. I just get insanely lazy is all lol

[Sarah]

Is a particular type of site out of your comfort zone or element?
Before I made All Hail, celebrity fansites were really out of my comfort zone. I still feel a little intimidated by the thought of making one, but I'm also a bit more confident about them too. (If that makes any sense.)

What are some struggles you have found while working on these sites in the past?
Well, for one thing, it was really weird for me to write about an actual, living person. I'm just so used to fictional characters. It was so different talking about someone who exists in real life. Then I worry that if Joel should ever come across my site one day, what would he think of it? lol. Though the chances of that happening are pretty slim, I'm sure. Another thing I struggled with is setup. I didn't make it like the typical celebrity site (which there is nothing wrong with, of course) that has the news feed and HUGE image gallery. Mine is on a smaller scale and a bit more personal. Sometimes, that fact makes me feel like my site isn't up to par with other celebrity sites. (Especially when I look at the "elite affiliates" sections of those sites.) Then I just try to tell myself my site isn't meant to be gigantic, it's just meant to show my love for Mr. McHale. And that helps. :)

Have you not worked on a site you wanted to make because it was out of your element or comfort zone?
Nope.

[nyxmidnight]

Is a particular type of site out of your comfort zone or element?
Hahaha so many. I have mainly done minor video games characters tributes so far and still today it's what I do. However, I have plans for a comic series tribute (Sky Doll), a non canon pairing tribute (Junpei Iori/Akihiko Sanada from Persona 3) as well as a tribute to a somewhat major manga character (Renji Abarai from Bleach).

What are some struggles you have found while working on these sites in the past?
Comic series
Deciding the level of spoilers is really difficult, because I want people to discover and read the series, which implies not sharing everything, but I also want to have a complete reference to the series, which implies getting all the juicy details.

Non canon pairing
AUGH. This one is really hard because it's a tiny ship, for which I am captain of, and I have never seen a shrine to a non canon pairing before for inspiration. Some days I fear going too far into OOC/headcanon territory and some days I don't care, which means I can take two step forward and two back on different days.

Major manga character
Bleach is 59 volumes so far and 90% of my collection of it is back at my parents'. So not only is it a daunting task, but I don't even have access to the source. Plus, my sources are in French, and the French translation is different from the French one. Sometimes I think I should bite the bullet and write it in French, but I want you guys to enjoy it too

Have you not worked on a site you wanted to make because it was out of your element or comfort zone?
I'm seriously thinking of giving up on the French part of my Sky Doll shrine, but at the same time, the series is not as complete in English yet and they have no publisher, so maybe it's the English I should give up on... but to participate in challenges and such I need to write in English... it's really hard

As for the Renji shrine, the sheer size of the task is scaring the unholy poop out of me. I don't even know where to start.

[Cherri]

Is a particular type of site out of your comfort zone or element?
Live Action are out of my element. Which is why I don't have any and that they are planned.

What are some struggles you have found while working on these sites in the past?
Quite honestly, I'm still trying to make one. I have a hard time with the images because I'm afraid I'll ruin them or something.

Have you not worked on a site you wanted to make because it was out of your element or comfort zone?
No, I make what I want when I want.

[Robin]

As for the Renji shrine, the sheer size of the task is scaring the unholy poop out of me. I don't even know where to start.

This is exactly my feeling about my Dove site. I keep telling myself "well, scan in images from one comic a day and it'll be done in no time!" Has that happened in the 2 years I've been planning this site? NOPEEEEE.

(part of my problem is that the scanner is hooked up all the way in the living room, also known as "college junk room," and as such it's a HUGE PAIN to get in there and try to use it. Also, I had to fiddle around for hours and come up with some kinda funky settings to get the comics images to show up right last time, and I don't remember what those settings were ;A; )

[nyxmidnight]

Do I ever hear you. I'd love to have the hugest, bestest shrine for that big idiot, but I don't have the energy for it. I'm left wondering how to make a shrine to him without scanning 60+ volumes of manga because I *must* include all his appearances with scans so my shrine can be a true shrine, of course.

[Crystal]

Is a particular type of site out of your comfort zone or element?
Live action. I struggle with it so hard. I do have my Data shrine, which is currently my only live action shrine, but that site is so way below my standards that I actually hate it. Also relationships. I've never done a relationship shrine before and because the one I want to do falls under live action and is from an on-going series I have no idea how I'm ever going to finish it.

What are some struggles you have found while working on these sites in the past?
Some of the subjects I'd like to shrine are from a still on-going series or so unappreciated that they don't have much resources to work with so it's hard to keep myself motivated to work on them.

Have you not worked on a site you wanted to make because it was out of your element or comfort zone?
Yes. So many of them! :(

[Robin]

@Crystal your Data shrine is awesome tho :) Just curious, what would you add/update to bring it up to standard?