My first foray into organized fandom was Star Trek, too. Before that I was a little kid writing little ficlets about my favorite shows, but it was only when I became a Star Trek fan that I realized that lots of other people were doing that too, and I could go to conventions and meet them and read their stories and so forth. First it was the original series, then Next Gen, then DS9. I never got into the later iterations. (It's possible that I didn't have a television set anymore by then.)
I think that one of the best things about Star Trek as a fandom is how much scope for imagination the show inherently provides. Even while still in the Mary Sue stage, you can write stories about *anything* and anyone, explore facets of imaginary cultures or communication systems or mating practices. (And then you can inflict them on your friends and family, as I also did. Oy.)
I can relate to soooo much of what you're talking about here, though when I was 5 it was Emergency! and Baa Baa Black Sheep, and I was making up stories for myself and whoa yeah, hurt/comfort, two decades before I would ever encounter that term.
I've always been way more reticent than you were, about sharing any of the things that go on in my brain. I had tried writing fanfic (for old-school Doctor Who) a few times, not even knowing it was a thing, but I failed miserably. I hated my OCs and I couldn't plot a cemetery, let alone a story, so my solitary efforts never got past about three pages. That didn't change until I was 32 and I accidentally Doctor Who fandom online, while merely looking to see what kind of information was out there. And I stayed in that fandom until 1. it left my non-cable-having self in the dust in late 2005 with the new series and 2. by accident I didn't change the channel on that awful-looking House show before the credits started, and it said HUGH LAURIE WAIT WHAT?!!? and here we are
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I think that one of the best things about Star Trek as a fandom is how much scope for imagination the show inherently provides. Even while still in the Mary Sue stage, you can write stories about *anything* and anyone, explore facets of imaginary cultures or communication systems or mating practices. (And then you can inflict them on your friends and family, as I also did. Oy.)
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I've always been way more reticent than you were, about sharing any of the things that go on in my brain. I had tried writing fanfic (for old-school Doctor Who) a few times, not even knowing it was a thing, but I failed miserably. I hated my OCs and I couldn't plot a cemetery, let alone a story, so my solitary efforts never got past about three pages. That didn't change until I was 32 and I accidentally Doctor Who fandom online, while merely looking to see what kind of information was out there. And I stayed in that fandom until 1. it left my non-cable-having self in the dust in late 2005 with the new series and 2. by accident I didn't change the channel on that awful-looking House show before the credits started, and it said HUGH LAURIE WAIT WHAT?!!? and here we are ( ... )
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