Yesterday I met with a professor of mine about an assignment for his class and what I wanted to accomplish with my upcoming thesis. The conversation eventually led to True Blood and True Blood Fan Source. For a long time I chose not to disclose the fact that I write about True Blood in conversations with professors and classmates because it is the polar opposite of what I write about, talk about, and read about in school. Over the course of the past year, I have chosen to be more open about it because I am proud of the things I have accomplished with my site. I write about a show where blood is a staple and human beings are food for tall vampires with very sharp fangs.
Then my professor asked me point blank why I love True Blood so much and ironically I did not have an answer for him. I knew that I should. But how can you truly describe to someone how something as small as one of the new Waiting Sucks teasers feels to you when you see it for the first time? I get giddy and excited when I see a brand new piece of footage. I can barely finish watching it the first time for myself before I go post it. That is how excited I am.
I write about True Blood, the cast, and the crew year round. On any given day I can tell you what the latest spoilers are, who just got cast in a film or another TV show and who will be doing another convention and where it will be. Despite this, I still find myself missing seeing our favorite characters on TV and although I’ve been assured via social media several times that production on season 6 is under way, actually seeing the video footage that has been released so far is a completely different experience. When the show officially enters its pre-season, the slate of the previous year is wiped clean and a fresh wave of excitement envelopes me all over again. But how do you describe the year round commitment, the knowledge you have to have, and the giddiness you get when the new season begins in one sentence? It’s love.
I do what I do every day on True Blood Fan Source because of love to put it simply. I have to love it myself in order to keep posting and sustain a site pertaining to something that is only on three months a year. The love I have is bigger and more meaningful than the show, the cast, and the crew though. I love the process I go through to write a post, cover an event, or live-tweet an episode. And I love what that process has given me.
In the process of writing about this show I have gained an amazing group of friends, had diverse and unique experiences, amazing interviews, and I’ve had an impact in the lives of other people and animals even if it’s a micro-sized difference.
I started writing about True Blood in order to preserve some measure of sanity while I went to graduate school and work full time in a family run business while living with said family. 2 years and almost 2,000 posts later, True Blood Fan Source is still the best thing I have ever done. I have been able to put all of the skills I’ve gained in school and on the job into work for this site. The once opposite sides of my life have come together to form this extraordinary thing and prompted me to find ways to keep this passion I have alive long after True Blood is over.
Love is truly a splendid thing even if it is for vampires, werewolves, humans, fairies, and shapeshifters and I have it in spades.
Image Credit: HBO, Inc.