This is the place for group discussions of phanfic! Each month, on the 1st and the 15th, a host will lead us in discussion of a fic they have chosen. Please join in the discussion or host an upcoming fic!
In the rest of this post there is an index of all the fics we've discussed, including pointers to the start of each discussion. At the bottom are the current fic and the next one.
Happy reading and discussing!
First Fic for the IDB Book Club
Fic: home is where the wifi connects automatically by oqua
Host: lefthandedism
Date: January 15th
Discussion begins: here
"home is where the wifi connects automatically" was written in September 2016 and was the winner of "Best Reality" in the 2016 Phanfic Awards. This fic is written in limited third person from Dan's point of view, and is a series of snapshots of Christmas from 2010 through 2015. Dan and Phil spend each Christmas apart, with their respective families. It's always a difficult time for Dan.
Second Fic for the IDB Book Club
FIc: RIght Where We Are by thatmistertoyou
Host: readingmama
Date: February 1st
Discussion begins: here
Right Where We Are is a series of 5 works written in 2015 in the reality genre. It was written by thatmistertoyou who has several other works in the phandom on ao3. Each one-shot in the series covers the lives of Dan & Phil as they navigate through various situations involving their relationships with each other, their families and their fans in the years 2013-2015.
Third Fic for the IDB Book Club
Fic: when i sing, you sing harmonies
Author: The_Blonde (AO3 | Tumblr)
Hosts: smartcookie & LtrllySusan
Date: February 15th
Discussion begins: here
"When i sing, you sing harmonies" is an unchaptered AU fic published in November 2017 as part of the Phandom Reverse Bang. Phil, a witch with the ability to see people's auras, runs a cake shop in which he sells magical pastries to humans. He meets Dan, an insecure music student, whose music and aura fascinates Phil and intrigues him. The fic was received very well and subsequently won three awards in the Phanfic Awards of 2017: Second place in "Best of the Best" and first place in both the "Best of the Best AU" and the "Originality" category.
Fourth Fic for the IDB Book Club!
Fic: Let The Salt Dry by hunterfics
Host: obsessivelymoody
Date: March 1st
Discussion begins: here
"Let The Salt Dry" is an unchaptered fic written in July 2016 that takes place in 2009 but Dan is a trans boy. It follows the timeline of 2009 closely and is written from Dan's point of view.
Fifth Fic for the IDB Book Club!
Fic: waiting outside the lines by dizzy
Host: captainspacecoat
Date: March 15th
Summary: A not-really-coffee-shop, not-really-uni au in which Phil is confused, Dan is cute, no one does Youtube, and there's still a happy ending.
Discussion begins: here
Sixth Fic for the IDB Book Club!
Fic: Dan and Phil: Lords of the Internet, Masters of Ambiguity by islet (requires ao3 account)
Host: @parallel
Date: April 1st
Summary: A version of this article appears in print on May 22, 2016, on page MM22 of the Sunday Magazine with the headline: The Curious Case of Dan and Phil.
Discussion begins: here
First Meta-Question for the IDB Book Club
Question: What makes a written work a phanfic?
Host: lefthandedism
Date: April 19th
Discussion begins: here
Second Meta-Question for the IDB Book Club
Question: What role does characterization play in making a work a phanfic?
Host: lefthandedism
Date: May 20th
Discussion begins: here