becoming truebie

Representations of Women in True Blood: Queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq (Evan Rachel Wood)

2011-04-19T23:39:00.000-04:00

This post continues on the same path as my previous post on Lorena Krasiki’s character and representation as a powerful female vampire.

There are not many examples of powerful female vampires in True Blood. Queen

Sophie-Anne Leclerq is arguably the most powerful.

Queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq is played by actress Evan Rachel Wood.

Like Lorena, Sophie-Anne is unsatisfied with herself and shows the desire to be a 'normal girl' instead of a powerful vampire. There are two problems with this: first, she appears to reject her status and power in favour of normalcy, and second, her appearance, behaviour, and desires are strongly gendered.

Sophie-Anne LeClerq is the vampire Queen of Louisiana (and later, of Mississippi as well). At 500 years old, she is the oldest and most powerful female vampire to appear in True Blood. However, she is represented later as struggling to maintain her power, and because of her incompetence and scheming, she is blackmailed into a marriage with the 2500-year-old vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington. Her behaviour, both when she is in power and after she is blackmailed, reproduce dominant ideologies of femininity and patriarchy.

Viewers meet Sophie-Anne when Bill goes to her luxurious mansion for advice on how to defeat the Maenad terrorizing Bon Temps (“Frenzy”). She is beautiful and glamourous: dressed fashionably in all white, with curled hair, dark eyeliner, and red lips. Bill struggles to respectfully ask for help while she offers him dinner (a delicious Latvian boy), lounges by the pool, and reads a magazine. She briefly displays some knowledge on Maenads while applying makeup and inspecting her manicured nails. However, she does not give him the information he wants right away and insists that he spends the day. The following night, Sophie-Anne forces Bill to play Yahtzee with her and two of her human companions. Finally, she explains the origins and weaknesses of Maenads. In a mirroring scene when Eric visits Sophie-Anne, her childish mannerisms are displayed further (“Beyond Here Lies Nothin'”). She forces Eric to play Yahtzee as well, and in her conversation with him, she is very scattered: distracted, uninterested, and abruptly changes topics. In these scenes, she is portrayed as powerful and intelligent, but her aloof manner and luxurious femininity raise concern regarding her interest in her queendom.

Sophie-Anne feeding on her human lover, Hadley.

Sophie-Anne flaunts her decision not to mainstream; however, it seems this is a strategy of hers to appear more powerful to male vampires. Though she teases Bill about his 'restricted diet' of Tru:Blood, Sophie-Anne's kindness to humans is apparent, especially when compared to King Russell Edgington. While he is known to be vicious and prejudice towards humans, Sophie-Anne clearly enjoys the company of humans. She lives with several in her home and spends her nights playing games with them. In fact, there is evidence that she envies humans and desires to be a normal girl instead of a vampire queen. Most notably, she spends most of her time in her mansion's 'day room'—a luxurious pool room imitating an outdoor beach setting with luscious plants and lounge chairs but also vibrant, day-like dioramas outside the windows and false skylight windows in the tall ceiling.

Queen Sophie-Anne's day room.

Sophie-Anne understands that “romance complicates the ability to construct an independent identity. Power and heterosexual romance seem to be incompatible” (Jowett 3). To retain her status as a powerful queen, she emphasizes her own homosexuality and frowns on monogamy, gossiping with Eric about Bill's romantic relationship with Sookie: “You know I think Bill is monogamous with his human?” Eric confirms that Bill is “in love with her,” to which she warns Eric by saying, “one vampire falling in love is bad enough” (“Beyond Here Lies Nothin'”). When she says this, Hadley (a human girl) looks up at her curiously. This is the first of many indications that Sophie-Anne loves and confides in Hadley, though she tries to keep it secret. Sophie-Anne feeds on her, but she is gentle, so it is sexually pleasing for Hadley (“Frenzy”). Later, her love is used against her in order to get information from Sophie-Anne: Eric tortures Hadley and forces Sophie-Anne to watch.

Sophie-Anne is held in a cage while Eric tortures Hadley.

At the end of season two, Sophie-Anne is shown to be manipulative when a conversation with Eric reveals that she is ordering him to sell her blood (even though vampires believe that their blood exists only to make other vampires, it is also a powerfully addictive and illegal drug known as V)(“Beyond Here Lies Nothin'”). In season three, it's revealed that she is selling her blood because she is desperate for money, which reinforces the stereotype that women are not capable of managing finances. Her calculating nature is proven as she betrays Eric and frames him for selling V the moment she is suspected. Unfortunately, it is this betrayal and her financial incompetence and leads to her loss of agency as an independent queen.

With King Russell Edgington plotting to take control of Louisiana in addition to his kingdom of Mississippi, he takes advantage of Queen Sophie-Anne's struggle. He arrives unannounced at her mansion where he finds her sitting on the ground surrounded by scratch tickets (“I Got a Right to Sing the Blues”):

Russell: My darling Sophie-Anne, I want you to accept my proposal of marriage.
Sophie-Anne: I've turned you down countless other times. What makes you think I'll accept this time?
Russell: Because, in addition to never touching you, I will settle all of your debts.

She declines his help, but he blackmails her with his knowledge of her selling V. She realizes she has no choice but to marry Russell and relinquish her independence. In a humiliating scene following, Eric (who is furious at her for framing him) pushes her to the ground and says, “I am older and stronger than you. I only submitted to you in the past because of respect [...] I renounce any and all allegiance to you.” He carries her away while she screams childishly, “my Hadley... I want my Hadley!” (“I Got a Right to Sing the Blues”). Sophie-Anne's failure and subordination to Russel (and Eric) reinforces their authority as men, not only Russell as a King.

Much to her delight, Russell is killed in a plot unrelated to Sophie-Anne at the end of season three, and as a result, she gains significant power as the wealthy Queen of both Louisiana and Mississippi. However, another one of her plots may threaten this new power. At the completion of a three-season arc, it is reveal that Sophie-Anne ordered Bill to spy on Sookie because she suspected that Sookie was part-faery (faeries are extremely rare, and they are desirable for vampires, partly because they are beautiful and their blood is delicious, but also because there are legends suggesting that faery blood would allow vampires to walk in the sun as humans do). Sophie-Anne's intelligence and knowledge of the supernatural is proven once more as she is correct in her suspicious about Sookie.

The season three finale ends with Sophie-Anne arriving at Bill's house for Sookie, “Alright, bring me the girl. I've been waiting centuries to find a true fae. I can't wait to feel the sunlight on my skin again. Maybe I'll get a yacht” (“Evil is Going On”). Her motives for finding a faery reinforce her desire to be a normal living girl who is able to go outside in the sun, instead of spending her eternal life hiding from it. However, Bill invited her to his home under false pretences. He intends to protect Sookie, and says “only one of us will be leaving this house” (“Evil is Going On”). The final frame features Bill and Sophie-Anne aggressively showing their fangs and jumping at each other. The way this fight and its outcome is portrayed will be significant for the representation of women on True Blood. As a queen and a vampire over twice his age, she should overpower him without much of a problem. However, her past storyline indicates that conventional gender roles may prevail.

Jowett, Lorna. “The Problem of Romance and the Representation of Gender in Buffy and Angel.” Slayage Online, 2004. Web. 27 Feb. 2011.

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As Southern Vampire Mysteries fans know, Queen Sophie-Anne in the books has a very different story line and presents a more powerful image of women. She is not introduced until the sixth novel, Definitely Dead.

I’m planning a post regarding my thoughts on Sophie-Anne’s TV adaptation that will address the differences between the books and True Blood (similar to my posts on Sam & Tommy and Lafayette & Jesus), but I’d love to hear from you as well.

What do you think the outcome of the Sophie-Anne/Bill fight will be?

Representations of Women in True Blood: Lorena Krasiki (Mariana Klaveno)

2011-04-18T23:50:00.005-04:00

As most of you know, I’m a student. I’m finishing up the final term of my degree, and I ended up taking a Women’s Studies class to fill an elective credit: Representations of Women in Popular Culture. When essay time rolled around, I started writing about women on True Blood (…such a fangirl…True Blood always on my mind).

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There are not many examples of powerful female vampires in True Blood. Queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq is arguably the most powerful, with Lorena Krasiki and Nan Flanigan trailing somewhere behind her.

Both Lorena and Sophie-Anne are unsatisfied with themselves and show the desire to be a 'normal girl' instead of a powerful vampire. There are two problems with this: first, they appear to reject their status and power in favour of normalcy, and second, their deepest desires are strongly gendered.

Actress Mariana Klaveno plays Lorena on HBO's True Blood

Lorena is similar to many other female characters in conventional vampire fiction: a virginal victim of a male vampire, and “once bitten, turns into fanged, voluptuous temptress who desires to infect all the men who enter her life” (Wisker 6). Her power as a 250-year-old vampire is undermined by her feminine desire for eternal, heterosexual love. She is Bill's maker and ex-lover, and she becomes an antagonist and romantic threat to Bill's current, human girlfriend, Sookie. In her appearance and personality, she is represented as the complete opposite of Sookie: pale with dark hair, irrational, manipulative, violent, and undead. However, Lorena was not always this way; she was corrupted by her maker who forced her into enticing “men with [her] flesh, luring them into [his] clutches so that he could murder them as [she] watched” (“I Got A Right To Sing The Blues”). Even when she becomes independent from her maker, she continues to use her body, rather than her abilities as a vampire, to lure men into sex before she drains and kills them.

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The context in which Lorena made Bill into a vampire reveals a mixture of female stereotypes; she is presented as a deadly temptress, but her loneliness influences her to make Bill into a vampire instead of killing him like the other men who “proved to be no more than savages once [she] let them into [her] home” (“Sparks Fly Out”). When Bill finds Lorena's cabin after the Civil War, he is starved and injured trying to get home to his wife and children. Lorena cunningly presents herself as a nurturing, lonely widow, and intending to feed on him, invites him to stay the night with her.

When Bill declines her sexual advances, Lorena decides she wants to turn him into a vampire instead because she admires his loyalty to his wife. She reveals her history of abuse when she says to him, “You're an honourable man. The others have not always been so” (“Sparks Fly Out”). Lorena maintains her passive, feminine demeanour and doesn't reveal her strength as a vampire until Bill is about to leave. Her actions in this scene show her preference for her victim to stay the night by choice, rather than by force (through her strength or power to glamour humans). She has been taught that her value is in her appearance, so her self-esteem depends on validation from men. As a result, she prefers to use her power as a beautiful, manipulative woman than her power as a vampire.

Before Bill gets out the door, Lorena overpowers him and drains most of his blood. She reveals her dream of finding an honourable man to love her when she says, “I've waited a long time for a man such as you.” She straddles him and slits her neck, telling him “if you do not drink, you will die. Together, we'll be forever” (“Sparks Fly Out”). Lorena's representation here is complex: though many of her qualities conform to conventional female stereotypes, as a female vampire, she is also “masculinized because she penetrates her victim” (Creed 70). Her role as a maker is further masculinizing because, in addition to her maker-progeny power over him, it is her blood inside him that creates his eternal life.

Lorena turning Bill into a vampire ("Sparks Fly Out").

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The unappealing portrayal of Bill and Lorena's 70-year relationship “characterized by sadism and an aggressive sexuality” is a confirmation of traditional sexual ideals, and it validates Bill's romantic relationship with Sookie (Burr 350). In a flashback, Lorena seduces a couple for her and Bill to feed on, and they violently torture the couple before killing them. There is a clear sexual tone as they alternate between kissing each other and feeding on the couple, and later, they have sex on the bloody bed beside the body of one of their victims (“Hard-Hearted Hannah”). Lorena is “an active predatory seducer” (Creed 70).

In another flashback, Bill begs Lorena to release him, and Lorena is simultaneously portrayed as physically strong but psychologically weak (“Release Me”). Again, Lorena's poor self-esteem is apparent as she determines her self-worth by her physical appeal to men, and fails to understand Bill's rejection: “Men have readily laid down their lives just to spend one night with me. What more can I give? What is it that you want from me?” (“Release Me”). Lorena's uses her power to fill her need for male companionship, and it is her irrational dependence on Bill that prevents her from forming an independent identity required for her power as a vampire to be respected.

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Lorena enters the current storyline in seasons two and three (over 70 years after releasing Bill), and in both cases, her obsession with Bill is used as a tool by more powerful male vampires to help with their plots. In season three, when Bill is held prisoner at the King of Mississippi's mansion, he tells her again that he will never love her, but she begins kissing him. Bill roughly throws her off him and initiates extremely violent sex with her (he twists her head around), but Lorena embraces her masochistic position and is sexually aroused by the pain he inflicts on her (“It Hurts Me Too”). Later, she is ordered by the King to execute Bill for attempting to murder him. She tortures him and allows his blood to be drained by werewolves. When Sookie finds him, Lorena bites her (“I Got a Right to Sing the Blues”). Bill pulls Lorena away and holds her down while Sookie stakes her (“Hitting the Ground”).

Although Lorena wants true, eternal love with Bill more than anything, Lorena is also “voracious, seductive, and deadly” (Wisker 2). In conventional vampire fictions, female vampires' “sexuality, seen as dangerous in terms of a patriarchal status quo, must be constrained, their deviant energies must be destroyed and order restored” (Wisker 2). In this case, order is the romantic relationship between Bill and Sookie; “their roles—delineated by clear gender categories—complement each other ideally” as Sookie needs nurturing and protection and Bill is validated as a lover through his ability to provide it (Spicer 3).

Sookie meets Lorena at Godric's nest in Dallas.

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Thoughts from @LorenaTheMaker.

How do you compare to Lorena's character? What about her can you identify with? What do you like about her? Dislike?

I am nothing like Lorena, aside from her fashion sense. *laughs* It is hard to identify with her in any way. I understand that she adores William, but there has to come a time when you move on. She has horrible self esteem and thinks keeping him is what makes her whole. I cannot even imagine feeling that way. No man is worth so much. It is clear it was her maker that made her this way, the years of abuse that she and William touched on briefly as she was torturing him. I would love to know more about that.

I do adore Lorena and love playing her. I like her being a bit on the unstable side and exploring the way she thinks. I like that she is tough and does not give up on what she wants, no matter how crazy it really seems to me. I like the very obvious layers she possesses, being so devoted to William, yet at the same time, wanting to make him what she sees as the perfect mate, whether he is happy about it or not.

I simply cannot say that I dislike anything about her other than the fact that she is now a pile of goo. *cries bloody tears* If she were a real woman, I would probably not enjoy her company much. *laughs*

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Let me know what you think about Lorena's character in the comments!

Burr, Vivien. “Ambiguity and Sexuality in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Sartrean Analysis.” Sexualities 6.3-4 (2003): 343-360. Print.

Creed, Barbara. The Monstrous Feminine. London: Routledge, 1993.

Spicer, Arwen. “'Love's Bitch but Man Enough to Admit It': Spike's Hybridized Gender.” Slayage 2.3 (2002): n. pag. Web. 26 Feb. 2011.

Wisker, Gina. “Vampires and School Girls: High School Jinks on the Hellmouth.” Slayage 1.2: n. pag. Web. 26 Feb. 2011.

True Blood TV Adaptation: Sam Merlotte and Tommy Mickens

2011-04-03T23:22:00.000-04:00

In both the books and the TV series, Sam Merlotte is a true shapeshifter that can turn into any animal at will, though he normally shifts into a collie. He is the owner of Merlotte's and cares a lot for Sookie.

Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte in True Blood.

In True Blood, Sam’s storyline is expanded and adapted for the medium. While the differences from Southern Vampire Mysteries aren’t as drastic as with Lafayette (see previous post), there are significant changes to his family and history, which fuels a subplot and a new character: his brother, Tommy Mickens. In addition to the family storyline, Sam develops relationships with Tara Thorton (in Season 1) and Daphne Landry (in Season 2).

Marshall Allman as Tommy Mickens in True Blood.

In the Southern Vampire Mysteries (SVM), the first person narrative only allows readers to experience the plot through Sookie. We don’t know what is happening with other characters if Sookie doesn’t know, or if she’s not involved. Though this works well for books, television requires multiple characters with interweaving plotlines to maintain audience interest every week (and for True Blood, throughout the year!). Alan Ball adapts the books appropriately for the nature of the television format. He gives the viewers a wider perspective on the events happening in the True Blood universe, and to do that, he enhances characters and gives them thier own subplots.

In SVM, both of Sam’s parents were shifters. After his dad died, his mother remarried a human man. She and Sam keep their true nature hidden from her new husband and his two children. Later in the books, when weres and shifters decide to reveal themselves to the human public (as vampires did), his mother is shot and injured by his stepfather.

In True Blood, his family history is considerably different. He was adopted as a child by the Merlottes, but they abandoned him at 15 when his abilities as a shifter developed. As an adult, he visits his biological family (the Mickens) and discovers that his mother and younger brother (Tommy) are shifters. When Sam realizes his brother is being forced into dogfighting to make money for the family, he takes Tommy to live with him in Bon Temps. Unfortunately, it isn't easy for Sam, and their relationship is under a lot of stress. At the end of Season 3, Tommy steals from Sam and tries to run away, but Sam catches up with him. In the final scene, Tommy is walking away as Sam points a gun at him, then we hear a gunshot.

True Blood Season 3, "Evil is Going On"

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Unlike Tommy Mickens on True Blood, @TommyBonTemps is literate and regularly RPs on Twitter. He’s been RPing for a few years, but “it just goes so fast that it feels like [he’s] had no experience at all.” He RPs because likes being “a part of something bigger […] No matter where you are, someone else, right at this moment, is reading what you typed and suddenly.. you're not so alone anymore.”

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Why did you pick your character, Tommy?

@TommyBonTemps: He reminds me so much of myself. He's like this mirror image of me with a shape shifting ability. He's a wild card, but he has a good heart. He doesn't really know what to do with that because he's been brought up around so much negativity. In the end, he's just a kid who needs love.

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What are your thoughts on the changes to Sam’s family history and storyline?

@TommyBonTemps: I feel that this particular plot change works: it gives viewers a chance to see a different side to several characters. […]I like to think of the books and shows as two separate things, so when something does change I'm not shouting at the TV in anger of adding/leaving an important plot piece in/out.

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How do you think the gunshot scene with Sam and Tommy plays out? How do you think your character will be involved in Season 4?

@TommyBonTemps: Tommy'll be back. […] He just has that essence of fighter around him. […] In Season 4, I'd like to see Sam and Tommy work their differences out because they'd be a bad-ass team! What will actually happen though? I have no idea. Something shiftery, I'm sure.

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Check out the video below featuring two major betrayals of Season 3: Sookie finding out about Queen Sophie-Anne's orders to Bill and Tommy stealing money from Sam (with some still-delish-even-covered-in-cement Eric Northman in between). The Tommy/Sam scene is at 4:16.

Leave comments below with your thoughts on Sam and Tommy

or if you have predictions for Season 4!

You can email me at becoming.truebie@gmail.com,

follow me on Twitter @becomingtruebie,

and ask me anything on formspring.

True Blood TV Adaptation: Lafayette & Jesus

2011-04-02T23:44:00.007-04:00

As truebies know, each season of True Blood is based on one of the books in the Southern Vampire Mysteries (SVM) by Charlaine Harris. The books are written in first person from Sookie's point of view. For the TV series, while Sookie is still the heroine of the show, Alan Ball enhances the supporting characters by adapting and creating new plotlines.

Lafayette’s storyline is a major deviation from SVM. He is a minor character in Dead Until Dark: a cook at Merlotte's and road crew worker with Jason and Hoyt. He is friendly with Sookie (though not as close as the TV show portrays). He is a flamboyant, gay black man (though unrelated to Tara), and he had a reputation for being involved with drugs and secret sex parties. The second book, Living Dead in Dallas, opens with Sookie finding the dead body of Lafayette in the backseat of Andy Bellefleur's car in the Merlotte's parking lot.

In the TV series, Season 1 ends with someone kidnapping Lafayette, and later, a dead body is discovered in Andy’s car in the parking lot. The viewers only see the victim’s foot; it is African American with red nail polish. Fans speculated, and when Lafayette wasn’t in any of the Season 2 previews, they braced for the worst.

Fortunately for Lafayette’s many fans, the painted toenails were not his. Miss Jeanette was murdered instead (though Ball didn’t tell Nelsan Ellis until the table read for the Season 1 finale).

Lafayette's character helps support Tara's expanded role on the show, and his character maintains a subplot that interweaves with multiple characters in the series. In Season 3, Lafayette begins a relationship with a character exclusive to the series: Jesus Velasquez, a nurse from his mother's mental institution. Jesus is a brujo (a witch), which will no doubt mix in with the Season 4 plot (read synopsis of Dead to the World for some idea of where we’ll be going this season).

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On Twitter, @LafayetteTB and @JesusTB are a happy couple, regularly tweeting new storylines for followers. @JesusTB has been RPing for 4 years, and though RPing wasn't “something that was going to go on this long, […] with each fandom there came a whole new world to play in.”

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Why did you pick your character, Jesus?

@JesusTB: At first, it was because he had pretty eyes. When I picked him there wasn't much to go on and it's always a challenge when you're essentially starting with a blank canvas but as the plots moved on it became evident that I was just drawn to the role and the characters surrounding him. Jesus has a likable personality and I think I can draw a lot from that. Did I say he had pretty eyes?

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Thoughts on Lafayette's adapted plot line?

What's the world without a little Lala? He's humourous, but it goes so much deeper than that. He's more level headed than people give him credit for, and it would be a shame not to see that in the series. […] I guess you could say I'm a little biased because if he was killed, where would I be?

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Your character is a brujo (a witch). How do you think Jesus will be involved in Season 4?

Honestly? I have no idea! […] I think it will definitely be something to do with Lafayette and developing his roots but then again, since it's set a year ahead, no one really knows! I'm looking forward to seeing what they throw in Jesus's path though and I'm sure it will be something extra magical!

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There are rumours that Lafayette "turns into something." What do you think it is?

As far as that goes, my inkling is that it's something to do with some powerful magic!

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Any thoughts on the representation of LGBTQ characters and relationships in True Blood?

I think they are played out well to some extent, though it really is different for everyone. I'm pleased that they're so open and out there with it - man love is adorable, too!

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Leave comments below with your thoughts on Lafayette and Jesus

or if you have predictions for Season 4!

You can email me at becoming.truebie@gmail.com,
follow me on Twitter @becomingtruebie,

and ask me anything on formspring!

true blood roleplaying communities

2011-03-28T18:12:00.002-04:00

Earlier this year, I began following True Blood RPers on Twitter. At first I thought it was a clever marketing scheme of HBO’s (would any of us be surprised?), but I quickly realized that none of these RPers (not even @SookieBonTemps) are on HBO’s payroll. They are loyal fans that all have real lives and real jobs.

@SookieBonTemps is not a waitress. She just plays one on Twitter.

After my realization that there weren’t any ‘real, official’ character accounts, I began following multiple Sookies and other canon characters (and more recently original characters as well).

But I wondered how do characters know who their Sookie is? How does each Sookie know who her Bill, Eric, Sam, Alcide, Lafayette, Tara and Jason are?

I discovered that HBO endorses a group of characters (among them @SookieBonTemps) and features them on their website under "Truebie Characters." In addition, there are countless other RP groups.

@BarmaidSookie explains it nicely, “I tend to see groups basically as a cast of characters. It helps keep plots organized to know that, if you’re in this group, this is your Sookie, your Alcide, your Sam. That’s all a group is, really, the cast you work with.”

Like anything, all groups are different. Some have multiple sets of canon characters. Some allow original characters (OCs). Some follow the Southern Vampire Mysteries and the TV show closely, while others deviate significantly. Some groups have planned, structured storylines (SLs) and others rely on improv only. Regardless of the each group’s differences, they all contribute to the True Blood fandom and add to the story.

I learned about these communities by asking questions. Everyone I've chatted with so far has been helpful and friendly. Even though we all know Lorena has a reputation, @LorenaTheMaker doesn't bite (too hard).

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Blog | Twitter | Email: billsbelles@gmail.com

Tell me about BillsBelles.

@smeykunz Well for starters, it's a fanclub for @VampireBill. Yes, I am painfully aware of how bizarre that sounds, but there is a reason. All the people that know me are thinking "here we go again.....". Not only is he a really wonderful Bill, but he's a fantastic person, has done a lot for me and is a good friend, so I show the love. Follow him, he is an extremely popular tweeter, you'll see why the Belles are long time and extremely loyal followers. We love the character, we love the actor and we love the RPer.

That being said, I tend to follow and watch the people he tweets most, which are in a variety of groups. I just like good characters and showcase them on my blog no matter what group they tweet with.

I try and keep my fan love to Stephen Moyer, Bill Compton from True Blood & the Southern Vampire Mysteries, and the Twitter characters that I enjoy.

What is your connection with BillsBelles? 

@LorenaTheMaker: I have tweeted with many different characters in the last two years, but have stayed mostly with the original HBO group that started the frenzy. I will tweet anyone who approaches me, but I have certain loyalties as far as stories go. I have not, will not and do not wish to ever tweet another William other than @VampireBill. He is my partner and no one will ever replace him. I may be biased, but I do believe we are an excellent team. I also enjoy tweeting my good friends @JessicaHamby, @WereCoot, @VampireMagister and @WerewitchHallow.

Do you plan narratives with other RPers? 

Or is it all improv?

@LorenaTheMaker: That depends. For the most part, we have a good idea of what we are planning on doing when we embark on a story line, an outline of sorts. I used to do longer story lines with @VampireMagister, but we never had any sort of script. In fact I detest them. I rather enjoy the free form way that RP was meant to be. Get into the head of your character and react as they would.

When I play with @VampireBill we virtually never have a plan and if we do, we most likely change it along the way based on something one of us has said or done. There is a peculiar maker and child bond in our brains that I cannot quite explain. He anticipates my tweets. I swear the man is psychic. Must be the blood. *smirk*

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Website | Twitter | Email: Sookie@YieldToMe.com

Many of the RPers are affiliated with a group they tweet with. Did you start YieldToMe? How is it different from other fan communities?

@BarmaidSookie: @SheriffNorthman and I started YieldToMe as a message board back in September of 2009. I definitely can’t speak for other fan communities or groups out there, and there are some absolutely terrific ones that I enjoy following myself, but what we try to do is come up with lots of new and original material while still staying true to the spirit of the books and show. We’ll use a lot of the elements given to us by both and try to find ways to do new things with them, to try stuff we haven’t seen done before. It’s a lot of fun.

Do you plan narratives with other RPers? 

Or is it all improv?

@BarmaidSookie: There’s definitely a mixture of both. For bigger plots involving more people, we tend to plan things out, at least in outline form, so everyone knows what’s going on and no one gets lost in the mix. Big plots can be an organizational nightmare, so there’s some element of planning, but within a very open framework, there’s a lot of improv. We’ve never had any sort of scripts or anything more than a basic outline, and then only for bigger storylines involving more people. For smaller narratives or just day-to-day interactions, it’s all improv. That’s usually what ends up leading to the plots. The smallest comments or jokes can spark whole storylines that can go on for months, and it’s always a wild ride.

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Website | Twitter | Email: mailto:OnceBittenRP@live.com

Tell me about the Once Bitten community.

@SookieSC: Once Bitten came about because a group of my friends and I were trying to figure out what to do with ourselves. I try to keep as hands off with the group as I possibly can. I don't force members to do SLs and we clearly allow pretty much anyone into the group or else we wouldn't have four sets of Canons. I try and make it a very relaxed environment and not ask too much from my members. I would rather have members who are having fun and enjoying RP then worry about SLs. SLs come on their own terms even if you don't try for them. Truthfully I believe every group on Twitter is different for the next in their own way. It's really hard to describe the differences, it's just something you have to observe. I can just say I am proud to be part of such a talented and wonderful group of RPers and to be amongst the several other groups out there in Twitter RP.

Do you plan narratives with other characters? Or is it all improv?

@SookieSC: Sometimes we plan the general outline of how we want a SL to go and then at others, it's a complete last minute thing. Though usually we have a goal in mind on where we want to get.

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Check out my list of True Blood RP Communities on Twitter. I know I’m missing lots, so let me know about your group via Twitter, email, or in the comments below.

my interview with 2 Sookies & a vampire

2011-03-24T23:30:00.002-04:00

How did you get started with Twitter RP?

@LorenaTheMaker: I was here on Twitter as a follower when I decided to try my hand at RP. I chose Lorena because I thought it would be easier to play a woman and I was at a point in my life where I needed to escape who I was. In addition, I knew she would be fitting into the story on True Blood in the coming seasons and thought I would have an opportunity to play along.

@BarmaidSookie: When I discovered twitter RP, I’d already been RPing for about six years. I’d RPed mostly in threads on forums, but the conversational nature of twitter RP really appealed to me. I loved that you could get a real time, immediate response, so I decided to try it out. I initially started with a much more obscure character, Halleigh, and eventually took on a few original characters before trying Sookie out.

@SookieSC: I actually stumbled upon True Blood Role play and actually Twitter RP in general. I was already a fan of True Blood, since right after the first Season aired on HBO and had already become a fan of the books its based off of. I checked out the True Blood page on HBO's site and under their fans section, I was surprised to read about @SookieBonTemps. I had never known people were RPing on social sites and while I had a real life Twitter account, I was completely uninterested in it. I made my first Sookie account on May 25, 2010. Dead in the Family had recently come out and I based that first Sookie off of Sookie after that book. I stumbled along for the first day. Trying to talk to Lafayettes and Arlenes who now I realize were in groups. But I found my way and had a nice following by the end of my 6th day. An OC I had become friendly with then offered me the account you now know of as SookieSC on that 6th day. She was originally part of a different group and I started off as her with over 1500 followers and now 9 months later, here I am!

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Did you have RPing or twitter experience before you started?

@LorenaTheMaker: No, I did not have any RP experience. I had dabbled in theater and creative writing, but never in this medium. I had a personal Twitter account when I made the Lorena account in April 2009.

@BarmaidSookie: Yes, six years give or take a couple months, all of it threading on forums, most of which I ran along with the same RP partner and real life boyfriend I’ve had for over five years now, @SheriffNorthman. It was definitely a strange transition going from thousand word posts to 140 character ones, but it’s been so much fun.

@SookieSC: None at all. I had heard of RP before, though I wasn't extremely familiar with the concept. I use to play Everquest for a few years and they had an RP server.

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Your RL life is a secret from your followers. Is RP a secret from friends and family?

@LorenaTheMaker: No, my family is keenly aware of what I do. They do not always understand it or why I do it, but they know that I do. My friends, for the most part, know as well, though most of the people I see on a daily basis do not understand it. The friends I have met here, obviously understand my desire to RP in my spare time as they also enjoy it. I know a lot of them personally now and my close partners know who I am. That became vital to the trust factor for me.

@BarmaidSookie: Yeah, I’d say it is, at least to an extent. My family’s had no idea what I was talking about when I’ve tried explaining it to them, and it’s a part of my life I keep separate from my friends. Years ago I RPed with some friends I went to school with. It was pretty strange when the two worlds collided, and I can only imagine it'd be stranger now. My sister tried RPing a few years back, and it was too weird for both of us. It’s hard to pretend that someone you’ve known since birth is someone else.

@SookieSC: Truthfully, my RL family and friends know all about my Roleplaying. I do other things for the group I run and I usually run new graphics or webpages/sites past them for their opinion before showing them to the stream.

More comics here.

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Why do you people follow you? What is the role of the follower in the Twitter RP? How do they get involved?

@LorenaTheMaker: I believe my followers choose to watch Lorena for a few reasons. The Lovers of Eric Northman do not typically like William and enjoy me abusing @VampireBill. There are also followers that like a tough crazy bitch, which I seem to do well. *laughs* I do know that I have attracted many followers due to my interaction with @VampireBill and I cannot say I am surprised. He is well liked in the community here and they wish to see what he is doing, so they follow who he talks to. If they choose to stay and watch what I have to say, that means I am doing my job properly.

The role of the follower depends very much on the followers themselves. I have had many who just want to talk to me, although I am often aloof and unkind since Lorena dislikes most humans. I have been propositioned, asked to bite or turn them, etc. Some of them get involved by becoming their very own original character. I have met quite a few that started that way.

@BarmaidSookie: Sometimes I think it’s because I follow a lot of people, and they think it’s polite to follow back. I’m beyond humbled and flattered that anyone does. I truly enjoy RPing, and my best guess and hope would be that it comes across in my writing. Beyond that, it’s not about me. I work with a fantastic group that comes up with amazing stories. I’m lucky to be a part of those plots. If I weren’t in them, I’d be following them too.

I think every new follower is a new opportunity of someone I could possibly interact with in the future. I absolutely love reading what other RPers come up with, so for me it’s another story I get to watch develop, which is a lot of fun. I’ve always been an avid reader, so getting to read everyone’s storylines is sort of like getting to read a bunch of books all at once.

I’d say followers can get involved any time there’s any sort of open RP going on, which would be any interaction taking place in a public space where others don’t mind you getting involved. My classic example of this is whenever I have Sookie working at Merlotte’s, or out shopping, or suffering through a visit to Fangtasia, that sort of thing. As a general rule, I usually feel that if a character’s in a public space, it’s okay to approach them unless they’re having some serious, private conversation. If they’re in a private space, like a house, then it’s always polite to ask first. You never go into someone’s home without knocking; it’s just good manners. It’s always good to know what a character is doing and where they are before you start talking to them, and if they’re already involved in a narrative, it’s a good idea to ask first.

@SookieSC: They're bored? *laughs* Um.. truthfully? It surprises me when I get DMs from people who actually not only follow my account, but follow my SL. I never really think of doing this as something that someone else is watching. This is for me. For my human. I do this because I enjoy it. Though I appreciate the compliments I receive.

Some followers, follow merely in hopes of being followed back to build their own follower count (is not opposed to this and I follow everyone who follows me). Some, such as other RPers do it as a means to help support one another. I am a big fan of this and if Twitter would be nice and lift the Follower limit, I would follow many more RPers who are out there, regardless of what kind of RP they do. Several followers actually follow along. They enjoy the interactions and the SLs and in fact, several members in my group have started out that way. I do try and talk to anyone who talks with me. Many eventually make that leap into RP themselves.

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What are the challenges of twitter RP?

@LorenaTheMaker: Twitter itself can often be a challenge. It seems to have so many issues with it's interface. It has gotten considerably better in the last year or so, but it used to shut down a lot. It was quite unnerving.

@BarmaidSookie: I think the most obvious challenge of twitter RP is trying to get anything at all said in 140 characters or less. With forum RP, I think you have a greater opportunity to get into the thought process of your characters, to really flesh out the details of your stories and take the time to paint exactly the picture you want. With twitter RP, the challenge is to do exactly that, only with way fewer words. I prefer the immediate response of twitter RP, and the real time progression of plots to the slower, more drawn out style of forum RP, where a thread that takes a month to finish is really only a few hours in your character’s life.

I’ve supplemented my twitter RP with blogging as Sookie, which I think fills in some of the details from her story that just aren’t expressed in 140 characters or less, and I’ve really enjoyed that. My background is in forum writing, so I’m always going to be a little detail-oriented, but there’s absolutely no substitute or comparison for the amount of interactivity you get on twitter. It’s a much bigger world for your character to live and thrive in, and while there are definite complexities to navigate and overcome, there’s also a much greater pool of opportunities and talent.

@SookieSC: *laughs* Like with anything, there are dozens of challenges with Twitter RP. Whether its the timezone differences (RPing with someone in another country for example), language barriers (the distance thing), the 140 character limit and of course, the #FailWhale attacks.

I think the biggest challenge is finding RPers who are willing to take on roles that are not exactly ideal. Several Canons are difficult to find and in most groups, you'll find several characters are played by the same couple of people and sometimes that is the best fit. Another challenge is sometimes you just don't mesh with the person you are RPing with. Just like in RL, you aren't always going to instantly get along with everyone and sometimes your characters just aren't a good match for one another.

More social media comics here.

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Any advice for Twitter RP newbies?

@LorenaTheMaker: Find a character that you adore playing. This will make every moment of your time on Twitter more enjoyable.

@BarmaidSookie: Read before you leap, probably. If you’re trying to get involved with a plot or even a discussion with another character, make sure you’ve read a little bit of their back story, even just their bio or their most recent tweets. It’s awkward to have someone trying to shake your hand while your character’s showering. Originality, creativity, and respect all go a long way in all RPing, not just on twitter. Listen to those around you, and keep an open mind.

@SookieSC: Relax. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to people you don't know. Be respectful to the fact that when someone is in storyline they may not immediately respond to an outsider and don't be discouraged if they don't respond. Finding your place in this world we've built (for ALL characters) takes time. I was lucky in stumbling into that place early on, not everyone is. Be patient. It will come and you will find your way.

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Stay tuned for more excerpts from my interviews with some of our favourite True Blood Twitter RPers. Whether you're an RPer or a fan, feel free to leave comments with your thoughts on my questions (or if you have questions of your own).

You can email me: becoming.truebie@gmail.com
Or ask me anything on formspring!

Follow me @becomingtruebie

True Blood Roleplay on Twitter

2011-03-22T20:11:00.003-04:00

Nails by @DailyNail | http://daily-nail.blogspot.com/

For many fans, following a few characters and spoiler tweets is enough to satisfy their interests. For others, it's the first step leading to a roleplaying account and group affiliation.

True Blood roleplayers (RPers) embody canon characters—taking on their voices, expressions, personality, and interests. Roleplayers collaborate to create stories and improvise with other characters. Unlike most roleplaying games, the characters don't just interact with each other. They'll respond in character to anyone who talks to them, and followers can become part of the story. Also, because the roleplaying is taking place on Twitter, the storylines are real-time tweets from multiple characters. Most True Blood Twitter roleplayers are affiliated with a group of RPers that acts as the cast of characters.

Some RPers create an original character in the world of True Blood and interact with the canon RPers. The world of True Blood leaves a lot of room for fans to write themselves into the story. Some RPers present themselves as related (in the traditional sense, but also the maker-progeny relationship between vampires) to primary, background, or deceased characters. Others affiliate their character with a referenced location, person, or group.

To supplement the concise nature of tweeting, some RPers have an accompanying character blog that gives them an opportunity to develop their characters further than 140-character tweets allow. In addition, the creation of a fictional persona or the further development of a canon character can lead way to fanfiction and other fan expressions.

Roleplayers are “engaged in two fundamental social practices: first, they are constructing communities through play, with internal goals and identity values, and second, they have a social role in the production and reproduction of symbolic worlds” (Roig 100). Fans are creating interest-based virtual communities that span countries and time zones.

There is a “new relationship between subject and representation that goes far beyond the 'spectatorship'” (Roig 89). Because True Blood is an alternate reality, there's a lot of backstory and content available for fans to explore. Fans are taking it upon themselves to fill in the holes and add to the story.

HBO openly endorses the True Blood RPing (even featuring some on the website), but there aren't any officially affiliated characters. However, because of their frequent tweets and uncanny ability of many RPers to adopt their characters voices, they are often assumed to be employees of HBO (@SookieBonTemps can certainly attest to this misconception).

Following RPers

Each character is fun to follow (who doesn't want tweets from Sookie?), but if fans also follow the characters Sookie roleplays with, then they have a new story and set of conversations to follow.

Following characters and storylines gives fans some daily True Blood entertainment while they wait for the next season or episode. In the Twitter timeline, the dialogues become integrated with tweets from non-RP Twitter accounts—creating a mixed reality that enables fans to immerse themselves in the alternate universe of True Blood.

Followers of Rpers may also influence the storyline and directly engage with characters... though they should be sure to avoid tweetdropping, or interrupting a storyline taking place in private (e.g. Sookie's house... or bed). When Sookie tweets that she is at Merlotte's, it leaves the chance for anyone to 'walk' into the story.

RPing on Twitter

Unlike fanfiction and more traditional forms of RPing (forums, blogs etc.), Twitter is made for conversation, which allows for more interaction (with RPers in the storyline, other RPers, and followers). In addition, the immediacy of Twitter allows for the real-time plot progression and dialogue.

@SookieSC: “It's a bigger world for the characters to live in.” Twitter becomes a public stage for RPers. The appeal of participation through twitter is, in part, the acknowledgement users get from others in the fan community (Ytreberg 476). Twitter users can acknowledge by following, retweeting, replying, or direct messaging.

With an HBO presence and many of the True Blood actors on Twitter, there is also the opportunity for the participants to “be recognized by those who represent and embody the format” (Ytreberg 476). This opportunity is very appealing for fans who get to experience the recognition and for those who experience it vicariously though another by seeing it on their Twitter feed. For example, @TrueBloodHBO retweets fans on Wednesday Word of the Day competitions. Another more exciting example: Carrie Preston (@Carrie_Preston) is following @ArleneFowler, and Kristin Bauer (@BauervanStratan) is following @Pam_Ravenscroft.

Next post: interviews with @SookieSC, @BarmaidSookie, @LorenaTheMaker, and @smeykunz (@BillsBelles).

Roig, A. et al. “Videogame as Media Practice: An Exploration of the Intersections Between Play and Audiovisual Culture.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 15.1 (2009): 89-103. Web.

Ytreberg, Espen. “Extended liveness and eventfulness in multi-platform reality formats.” New Media and Society 11.4 (2009): 467-485. Web.

#TrueBlood on Twitter

2011-03-16T18:09:00.002-04:00

HBO recognizes the value of fan participation “a key means of securing audience loyalty,” and they encourage audiences to fully engage with the alternate reality (Ytreberg 469). Even though the television platform draws the largest audience, web platforms are growing quickly in relative importance since they facilitate fan participation. Twitter is one of the most important web platforms for True Blood.

@TrueBloodHBO uses Twitter in a few different ways:

They promote and advertise True Blood products in a more traditional way by tweeting about new products and merchandise, sales, and related events.
- TrueBloodHBO: Pre-order #TrueBlood Season 3 from the HBO Shop by 5/31 and get a FREE bonus disc shipped right away. SHOP: http://itch.bo/hFsWWY
- TrueBloodHBO: Contaminated Tru Blood wreaks havoc in #TrueBlood Tainted Blood Comic Book Issue 1, a new series. ORDER: http://itsh.bo/gpwAlj

During Season 2, HBO took part in the Twitter roleplay via the voice of @bontempsgossip: a gossipy character in BonTemps commenting on the story as the episodes air and offering some spoilers for followers
- BonTempsGossip: Friend of a friend = receptionist at vet office. Said Laf. Called asking for an appt. Did he get Swine Flu wherever he went?
- BonTempsGossip: Dirt from bday party still comin out: New waitress and Sam got down. Tara and Eggs disappeared early from party. Guess they're going strong.

@TrueBloodHBO uses Twitter to engage fans by encouraging participation and interacting with the community.
- Their use of True Blood hashtags encourages fans to tweet in a similar way e.g. #waitingsucks #tbwithdrawal #secretlyavampire #fangfriday (like #followfriday #fanfriday or #ff)
- Memorable #TrueBloodQuotes are tweeted for entertainment. This also encourages fans to tweet other favourite quotes from the show.
- By linking to spoilers, polls, videos, interviews, and their new blog (inside the production of Season 4), they are collaborating distributing news with the fans.
- They facilitate Twitter contests and givaways, and as they retweet, they comment on fan tweets.
  - TrueBloodHBO: Because #waitingsucks. Your WEDNESDAY WORD OF THE DAY is: amnesia. Use it in a sentence, tag #trueblood. If we RT, you = swagged.
- They tweet using trending tags but add a True Blood spin. For example, on Justin Beiber's birthday, #happy17thbdaybiebs was trending.
  - TrueBloodHBO: You haven't aged a bit. Perhaps you're #secretlyavampire? #happy17thbdaybiebs

TrueBlood Fans on Twitter

Twitter is one point of entry into the virtual True Blood fan community. With new media forms like Twitter, True Blood becomes part of fans' daily lives and creates “a cross-over between the real world and an imaginary or fictional world” (Roig et al 93). For many fans, following a few characters and spoiler tweets is enough to satisfy their interests. For others, it's the first step leading to a RP account and group affiliation.

The True Blood fan communities on Twitter certainly fit Jenkins' description of a participatory culture (listed in my previous post). It's free to sign up for Twitter, and it's easy to learn. People are welcome to simply follow others and read their tweets, but there's incentive to become a more active member of the virtual community. Participation is socially rewarded in the fan community as users acknowledge each other's contributions by following, retweeting, replying, and direct messaging. This interaction and acknowledgement makes users feel their contributions matter. In addition, these interactions provide and opportunity for a form of informal mentorship for newbies (although this is more predominant in the smaller fan communities on forums etc.).

On Twitter, I've noticed a few main forms or fan participation:

Twitter as a promotional vehicle for fan affiliations and expressions: links to websites, forums, blogs, fanfiction etc.
Twitter as a tool for collaborative spoiling: sharing links to new interviews, videos, and photos that hint at the upcoming season four.
Twitter as a stage for roleplayers: fans acting out the role of a True Blood character by tweeting in character to other roleplayers and their followers.

Twitter has been praised as a effective new media marketing tool, a vehicle for citizen journalism, and a creative expression of fandom. The capabilities and limitations of a technology influence user behaviour, but everyone uses it in ways that suit them. @TrueBloodHBO and its fans are no exception.

Follow my tweets @becomingtruebie

Ytreberg, Espen. “Extended liveness and eventfulness in multi-platform reality formats.” New Media and Society 11.4 (2009): 467-485. Web.

participatory culture & true blood fandom

2011-02-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

Growing technologies are always providing new ways for people to communicate and circulate information and ideas. There are also new opportunities for fans to connect and collaborate. As such, fans are no longer passively consuming; instead, they are avid media consumers but also contributors and producers of new content.

True Blood fans enjoy consuming the Southern Vampire Mysteries, HBO’s tv series, and the many other forms True Blood’s story has moved into. Many of these fans are also actively involved in the participatory fan culture online.

In Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture, Henry Jenkins defines a participatory culture, as one with

relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement
strong support for creating and sharing one's creations with others
some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices
members who believe that their contributions matter
members who feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care what other people think about what they have created).

Not everyone in a participatory culture must contribute, but “all must believe they are free to contribute when ready” (Jenkins). For example, in True Blood Roleplaying (RP) on Twitter, fans can follow RPers, and read the newly developed storylines. Later, fans can start a Twitter account themselves and RP with other characters (more on this next post).

In participatory cultures, “many will only dabble, some will dig deeper, and still others will master the skills that are most valued within the community. The community itself, however, provides strong incentives for creative expression and active participation” (Jenkins). In the True Blood Twitter RP community, RPers respond to and interact with their followers in character. When I joined Twitter and began following characters, I was thrilled to see the following messages in my inbox:

@EricNorthman I see you are following me. I will offer you but one warning -- I would not try anything rash if I were you. I'm still hungry.

@SookieBonTemps Thanks for followin' this waitress. Look forward to readin' your thoughts 140 characters at a time.

@PamVampTB You’re in my vault.

It’s hard to explain why these messages were exciting for me. I guess it’s because they’re in character, and it’s a new experience to be acknowledged by a character and have the opportunity for dialogue. It’s funny… because I know they’re RPers and fans like me… but messages like this welcome newbies to become participants in this part of the True Blood narrative.

There are many other participatory cultures beyond Twitter RP. Jenkins discusses four forms:

Affiliations: memberships in online communities centered around various forms of media.
Expressions: the production of new creative forms, such as fan fiction, fanart, and fanvids.
Collaborative Problem-solving: the collaborative completion of tasks and development of new knowledge (e.g. Wikipedia, alternative reality gaming, and spoiling).
Circulations: shaping the flow of media (e.g. podcasting, blogging).

Successful transmedia stories like True Blood have a fully developed fictional world, which invites fan participation in all of the above forms. With True Blood set in an alternate reality where vampires have come out of the coffin (and later weres and shifters), there are seemingly endless possibilities for new storylines, character development, and original characters. This world with supernatural beings has its own fictional history, traditions, beliefs, politics, geography, pop culture etc. There is so much to be written, creators (Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball) need fans to fill in the story.

Jenkins, Henry et al. (2005). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.

transmedia storytelling

2011-02-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

Virtual fan communities are growing as the Internet and new technologies become increasingly dominant in our daily lives. Since the emergence of Web 2.0 applications, we’ve become a participatory culture. Rather than passively viewing and consuming, fans actively contribute to global fan bases through creation and participation. Media consumers are also producers.

With the rise of user-generated content, companies are finding success by creating new kinds of content as well. Most brands have extended their name to the web, but the narrative is traditionally found within one medium. Fans aren’t satisfied with one medium anymore. Our lives are multi-platform, and so our entertainment should be as well.

True Blood is a transmedia story. True Blood fans can engage with new content across different media platforms. The complete narrative is not confined to one medium (e.g. HBO tv series); instead, it continues across many platforms, and the fictional world becomes integrated with real life.

There are two main benefits to this new approach: transmedia content promotes the main platform (tv series), and it also provides fans with a more immersive experience in their fictional world of choice.

For transmedia n00bs, here’s an overview (mostly based off of an introductory handout called "Transmedia Storytelling 101" by Henry Jenkins):

In transmedia storytelling,"integral elements of fiction are dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience”(Jenkins).

Most brands are multi-platform, but not all use transmedia storytelling. The content shouldn’t be repurposed or adapted to a new platform; instead, it should expand the narrative and the fictional world with unique content. “Ideally, each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story” (Jenkins). These narrative extensions can keep the interest of audiences (while they wait for season 4 of True Blood), provide insight into characters (Jessica Hamby’s blog), and elaborate on parts of the fictional world (Fellowship of the Sun website, American Vampire League website etc.).

A successful transmedia narrative is planned to benefit from the strengths of each media platform. Content should be where fans “already are, with tools that they’re already using, and in ways they already understand” (Thompson) (e.g. Twitter can reach fans and share information quickly, but you have a 140 characters to work with). Transmedia storytelling expands fanbases “by creating different points of entry for different audience segments” (Jenkins). People who are familiar with one media platform are likely explore others to get more of the story. For example, the Dying for Daylight game is based on one of Charlaine Harris’ characters in the world of True Blood. Dahlia is on a quest to find a sun potion that allows vampires to walk with the living in daylight. Although True Blood fans may not normally be gamers, a True Blood-themed game will attract fans who enjoy True Blood in its other forms and want more of the story (…and to understand the new addition of sun potion to the True Blood mythology).

Transmedia storytelling is closely linked to worldbuilding—the creation of “complex fictional worlds that can sustain multiple interrelated characters and their stories” (Jenkins). A fictional world provides opportunities for a complex transmedia story and encourages fan participation. Fans gather and organize information found in the different media forms for reference. The transmedia narrative provides a set of rules and mythology for the world, which fans use to guide their participation (e.g. fanfiction, role playing). For example, the Harry Potter Lexicon is an online encyclopaedia of the Harry Potter world (JK Rowling herself was known to use it for fact checking).

Jenkins, Henry. “Transmedia Storytelling 101,” Confessions of an Aca-Fan: The Official Weblog of Henry Jenkins, March 22, 2007.
Thompson, Brooke. “4 Easy Steps for an Accessible Transmedia Experience,” Giant Mice, April 29, 2010.

becoming truebie

2011-02-08T16:22:00.000-05:00

Truebie—noun

A fan who consumes the True Blood narrative across all platforms, as well as actively engages in the fandom subculture by participating and expanding the media franchise through the creation and production of new content. Under the guise of research, I am becoming a truebie.

I am exploring True Blood in all forms available and immersing myself the fan culture. I will be discussing both “official” canon texts and fanon additions (unauthorized, fan-generated extensions of the True Blood narrative).