Hello Amassment Friends! We are planning a new segment at Amassment.org called "Shrining for Newbies" which is a page introducing people to the concept of shrines and basically how to make one! And we want your help! We feel that having a section like this would make a great impact if we could use quotes right from actual Amassment members. Would you please take a few minutes and tell us:
- What got you into shrines?
- What is a shrine to you?
- What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
- What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
- What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
Thank you!
"Shrining for Newbies"
-
Robin
- Events Staffer
- Posts: 3072
- Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:15 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
- Contact:
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
What got you into shrines?
I became interested in webdesign in 2001, but I didn't want to make a site about myself because I knew it would be boring. (Still true, unfortunately xD) So I spent a year piddling around with learning HTML, not really doing anything with it--and then I got heavily into the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom in 2002.
Once I was a huge fan, I knew I had something I could make an interesting site about. I realized that the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom in those days didn't really have many text-based sites, so I created the content over the summer of 2003. Thus, Transcendence, my general Yu-Gi-Oh! shrine, was launched on October 15th, 2003, officially beginning my webdesign/social media forays. (I still have all its files and have toyed with the idea of relaunching it, but my writing style and thought patterns have changed significantly since I first created it, so it would need a huge rewrite.)
What is a shrine to you?
A shrine is something more than just a collection of facts and pictures about a subject; it has lots of personal touches. Opinions, fanworks, theories (no matter how off-the-wall), tangential research that ties into the subject somehow--whatever is uniquely your perspective or creation is perfect for a shrine.
What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
This has changed over the years for me. I used to like to have ~all the information~ and ~all the pictures~ and be the ~number one source of info on the web~ for whatever I was shrining. Now, here's what I like to include:
1. Character/subject songs (see Helen Burns shrine, Clefairy shrine).
Music is my lifeblood and I express myself in song just as well as in words, so this makes sense for me.
2. Connections between my subject and other real-life subject matter (see Elsa shrine, Clefairy shrine).
I like to draw analogies between subjects that aren't usually thought of.
3. Lots of links to other sites about my subject (see pretty much all my sites).
I love link lists; they're like interactive bibliographies that point my visitors on to other cool sites they might be interested in.
What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
I like to see other shriners connect personally with their subject matter. More than facts, pictures, etc. that prove their credibility on the subject, I like to see WHY they were drawn to the subject, and what moved them to make a site about it. I hate it when a shrine/fansite reads like somebody just copy-pasted a bunch of stuff from other sites--it feels impersonal and shallow. (This is actually my main beef with my Clefairy shrine right now; my info and trivia pages feel trite and forced, because they are.)
What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
1. Your shrine doesn't have to be the be-all and end-all source of information on the web. What can YOU personally bring to the subject that's different and original, never seen on the Web before?
2. If you want to make a site about something, but someone has already done a great site about it, don't get intimidated; just take a different tack. Instead of feeling like you have to be a soloist on this subject, allow your site to be the harmony to their melody.
3. When creating content, use headings and white space to break up Walls of Text on your pages. Giant paragraphs are daunting for the casual visitor, and A.D.D. Kids like me will lose their focus without a heading or subheading to grab their attention again.
4. Never be afraid to ask for help developing your layout, and never be afraid to redesign as many times as you need. TRUST ME ON THIS--even after 12 years of webdesign, I still ended up reworking my Elsa shrine layout 3 times before I came up with a design I didn't hate on sight. xD
I became interested in webdesign in 2001, but I didn't want to make a site about myself because I knew it would be boring. (Still true, unfortunately xD) So I spent a year piddling around with learning HTML, not really doing anything with it--and then I got heavily into the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom in 2002.
Once I was a huge fan, I knew I had something I could make an interesting site about. I realized that the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom in those days didn't really have many text-based sites, so I created the content over the summer of 2003. Thus, Transcendence, my general Yu-Gi-Oh! shrine, was launched on October 15th, 2003, officially beginning my webdesign/social media forays. (I still have all its files and have toyed with the idea of relaunching it, but my writing style and thought patterns have changed significantly since I first created it, so it would need a huge rewrite.)
What is a shrine to you?
A shrine is something more than just a collection of facts and pictures about a subject; it has lots of personal touches. Opinions, fanworks, theories (no matter how off-the-wall), tangential research that ties into the subject somehow--whatever is uniquely your perspective or creation is perfect for a shrine.
What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
This has changed over the years for me. I used to like to have ~all the information~ and ~all the pictures~ and be the ~number one source of info on the web~ for whatever I was shrining. Now, here's what I like to include:
1. Character/subject songs (see Helen Burns shrine, Clefairy shrine).
Music is my lifeblood and I express myself in song just as well as in words, so this makes sense for me.
2. Connections between my subject and other real-life subject matter (see Elsa shrine, Clefairy shrine).
I like to draw analogies between subjects that aren't usually thought of.
3. Lots of links to other sites about my subject (see pretty much all my sites).
I love link lists; they're like interactive bibliographies that point my visitors on to other cool sites they might be interested in.
What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
I like to see other shriners connect personally with their subject matter. More than facts, pictures, etc. that prove their credibility on the subject, I like to see WHY they were drawn to the subject, and what moved them to make a site about it. I hate it when a shrine/fansite reads like somebody just copy-pasted a bunch of stuff from other sites--it feels impersonal and shallow. (This is actually my main beef with my Clefairy shrine right now; my info and trivia pages feel trite and forced, because they are.)
What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
1. Your shrine doesn't have to be the be-all and end-all source of information on the web. What can YOU personally bring to the subject that's different and original, never seen on the Web before?
2. If you want to make a site about something, but someone has already done a great site about it, don't get intimidated; just take a different tack. Instead of feeling like you have to be a soloist on this subject, allow your site to be the harmony to their melody.
3. When creating content, use headings and white space to break up Walls of Text on your pages. Giant paragraphs are daunting for the casual visitor, and A.D.D. Kids like me will lose their focus without a heading or subheading to grab their attention again.
4. Never be afraid to ask for help developing your layout, and never be afraid to redesign as many times as you need. TRUST ME ON THIS--even after 12 years of webdesign, I still ended up reworking my Elsa shrine layout 3 times before I came up with a design I didn't hate on sight. xD
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
- What got you into shrines?
Uuuh I remember I was still into fanlisting quote a lot at the time, and I was rejected for my most favorite female character ever - Yuuko from xxxHolic, so I decided I didn't need the fanlisting to show how much I love her and stated working on the shrine. Still missing few sections ages later Butterfly
- What is a shrine to you?
Its a way to show my love for the subject and write mostly my opinions on the subject aside giving the basic information. I find it as a personal site to show my love and maybe interest someone into the subject.
- What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
Well, it depends what kind of shrine it is, I always need to have the basics of the subject, be it series, character, relationship whatever I'm shrining, I will give something about the world/history of the place they come out, and then it depends on the subject, some things need more sections some less, but yeah never missing is credits and about the "world" that the subject is part of. And if there are some specifics, like for example my Oscar shrine has stuff about French revolution as it's a big part of the story, or My Bunnymund/Jack Frost have added myths about Easter bunny or Jack frost, same goes for Mugetsu
- What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
I love seeing the personal view on the subject that i know, because I want to see how different it is and how much alike it is. On the other hand when I don't know the subject, I still like the personal view of the creator along the basics, which makes me want to read/play/watch it.
- What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
1. start with what you are comfortable with, now don't drop to much content that you don't know how to share. start small, and then along the lines add stuff, make it grow, start simple and then slowly tackle the more complicated
2. When deciding the subject and how to write the content, decide from what part you want to tackle the subject, what is you want to show with your shrine. When working on subject think what it makes it special and try to integrate that into the shrine
3. It is your shrine, it will show your side of the story, and even if there is already a shrine for the subject, doesn't mean it got all the information on it, and you just need to get a personal way of dividing the content.
4. Remember about your readers, some will know the subject some won't, so you have to write it in a way that will be easy to read for both type of readers.
5. If it helps you before starting working on content write down a list of topics you want to write about. I always have all sections written down and then I start writing, after I subdivided them. For example now I'm working on the Hikaru shrine, and I divided the shrine in 10 major topics (Series, Baiscs, Personality, Appearance, Combat, Mission, relationships, symbolism, trivia), it's easier to write, and while you write this way, you can get back to the other topics to add things, or just make a note to a topic you haven't started to just remember when you will be writing it.
6. Most important - do the shrine the way that is most comfortable for you.
Uuuh I remember I was still into fanlisting quote a lot at the time, and I was rejected for my most favorite female character ever - Yuuko from xxxHolic, so I decided I didn't need the fanlisting to show how much I love her and stated working on the shrine. Still missing few sections ages later Butterfly
- What is a shrine to you?
Its a way to show my love for the subject and write mostly my opinions on the subject aside giving the basic information. I find it as a personal site to show my love and maybe interest someone into the subject.
- What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
Well, it depends what kind of shrine it is, I always need to have the basics of the subject, be it series, character, relationship whatever I'm shrining, I will give something about the world/history of the place they come out, and then it depends on the subject, some things need more sections some less, but yeah never missing is credits and about the "world" that the subject is part of. And if there are some specifics, like for example my Oscar shrine has stuff about French revolution as it's a big part of the story, or My Bunnymund/Jack Frost have added myths about Easter bunny or Jack frost, same goes for Mugetsu
- What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
I love seeing the personal view on the subject that i know, because I want to see how different it is and how much alike it is. On the other hand when I don't know the subject, I still like the personal view of the creator along the basics, which makes me want to read/play/watch it.
- What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
1. start with what you are comfortable with, now don't drop to much content that you don't know how to share. start small, and then along the lines add stuff, make it grow, start simple and then slowly tackle the more complicated
2. When deciding the subject and how to write the content, decide from what part you want to tackle the subject, what is you want to show with your shrine. When working on subject think what it makes it special and try to integrate that into the shrine
3. It is your shrine, it will show your side of the story, and even if there is already a shrine for the subject, doesn't mean it got all the information on it, and you just need to get a personal way of dividing the content.
4. Remember about your readers, some will know the subject some won't, so you have to write it in a way that will be easy to read for both type of readers.
5. If it helps you before starting working on content write down a list of topics you want to write about. I always have all sections written down and then I start writing, after I subdivided them. For example now I'm working on the Hikaru shrine, and I divided the shrine in 10 major topics (Series, Baiscs, Personality, Appearance, Combat, Mission, relationships, symbolism, trivia), it's easier to write, and while you write this way, you can get back to the other topics to add things, or just make a note to a topic you haven't started to just remember when you will be writing it.
6. Most important - do the shrine the way that is most comfortable for you.
-* Nothing is true ... everything is permitted.
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dubiousdisc
- Administrator
- Posts: 2535
- Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:49 pm
- Contact:
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
Thank you for posting this discussion! :D
- What got you into shrines?
In 2003, I purchased an issue of a Pokémon fan magazine that contained a review of a nice fansite. I went to check it out, and the world of fansites opened up to me! I guess I just really liked this idea of sharing one's thoughts and theories on some subject through the means of a website, and soon I found myself starting my first fansite.
- What is a shrine to you?
For me, it's any site that expresses and elaborates the owner's love for a subject! It doesn't matter in which way, or what the subject in question is. If the love is there, I think it qualifies as a shrine.
- What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
See, this is a weird question for me because I suppose that my #1 objective is to make something unique and new every time! That's really what keeps me going, both in shrines and other creative endeavors. So in a sense my top "must have" is to not have a must have, haha.
- What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
An unique, personal and fresh touch. Especially when it comes with interesting ideas, conjectures and theories. I want to read sites that make me go "aha!!".
- What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
- Be yourself, not someone else. Being inspired by someone else's work is great, but keep in mind that your site is all about what YOU have to say!
- Relatedly, don't feel like you have to write certain pages and sections, or your site won't be complete. If you find yourself writing something half-heartedly, maybe it's better not to do it at all. Instead, focus on what you really want to write, even if you think it's silly or unimportant. Make a section about a character's crotch, if that's what you want. Don't be afraid to break the mold. Your site, your rules!
- Basically, HAVE FUN!
- What got you into shrines?
In 2003, I purchased an issue of a Pokémon fan magazine that contained a review of a nice fansite. I went to check it out, and the world of fansites opened up to me! I guess I just really liked this idea of sharing one's thoughts and theories on some subject through the means of a website, and soon I found myself starting my first fansite.
- What is a shrine to you?
For me, it's any site that expresses and elaborates the owner's love for a subject! It doesn't matter in which way, or what the subject in question is. If the love is there, I think it qualifies as a shrine.
- What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
See, this is a weird question for me because I suppose that my #1 objective is to make something unique and new every time! That's really what keeps me going, both in shrines and other creative endeavors. So in a sense my top "must have" is to not have a must have, haha.
- What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
An unique, personal and fresh touch. Especially when it comes with interesting ideas, conjectures and theories. I want to read sites that make me go "aha!!".
- What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
- Be yourself, not someone else. Being inspired by someone else's work is great, but keep in mind that your site is all about what YOU have to say!
- Relatedly, don't feel like you have to write certain pages and sections, or your site won't be complete. If you find yourself writing something half-heartedly, maybe it's better not to do it at all. Instead, focus on what you really want to write, even if you think it's silly or unimportant. Make a section about a character's crotch, if that's what you want. Don't be afraid to break the mold. Your site, your rules!
- Basically, HAVE FUN!
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
What got you into shrines?
I looked online for Animorphs websites to learn more about and to discuss my favorite book series growing up. I discovered fansites to the series, and wanted to create my own.
What is a shrine to you?
I feel like shrines constantly evolve based on what is going on with the internet when they are made. Back in the day, they used to be information sources, as Wikis weren't available, and information for subjects was harder to find. Today, they are more personal dedications, providing opinions and insights that you can't find on Wikis.
What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
1) A section introducing the subject to visitors who have not experienced the game, manga, show, or whatever. This is hugely important to me, as I know not everyone has experienced the subjects I like to make websites to. I want my websites to be able to be visited by anyone.
2) My unique views on a character or series. I back all of my opinions with facts, but I like to present characters from my own perspective, and get others to appreciate them by seeing what I see. No two sites of mine have the exact same page, as I tailor each site's sections to fit the character I am discussing.
What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
OPINIONS. OPINIONS. OPINIONS. I like reading good sections, articles, and essays on characters that provide unique insight, interpretation, or use of a character. I will often check out shrines for characters from games I am interested in playing, or series I am interested in watching, as I want to see a fan's take and opinion on the subject. Wikipedias seem so dry, and neglect the fan experience.
What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
1) Don't feel a need to make a beast of a shrine. Shrines come in all sizes, and it is perfectly okay to start small. Planning too large of a site often intimidates people, and they won't finish what they start. Concentrate on the basics first, and grow from there.
2) Try outlining your shrine! It helps, really.
I looked online for Animorphs websites to learn more about and to discuss my favorite book series growing up. I discovered fansites to the series, and wanted to create my own.
What is a shrine to you?
I feel like shrines constantly evolve based on what is going on with the internet when they are made. Back in the day, they used to be information sources, as Wikis weren't available, and information for subjects was harder to find. Today, they are more personal dedications, providing opinions and insights that you can't find on Wikis.
What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
1) A section introducing the subject to visitors who have not experienced the game, manga, show, or whatever. This is hugely important to me, as I know not everyone has experienced the subjects I like to make websites to. I want my websites to be able to be visited by anyone.
2) My unique views on a character or series. I back all of my opinions with facts, but I like to present characters from my own perspective, and get others to appreciate them by seeing what I see. No two sites of mine have the exact same page, as I tailor each site's sections to fit the character I am discussing.
What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
OPINIONS. OPINIONS. OPINIONS. I like reading good sections, articles, and essays on characters that provide unique insight, interpretation, or use of a character. I will often check out shrines for characters from games I am interested in playing, or series I am interested in watching, as I want to see a fan's take and opinion on the subject. Wikipedias seem so dry, and neglect the fan experience.
What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
1) Don't feel a need to make a beast of a shrine. Shrines come in all sizes, and it is perfectly okay to start small. Planning too large of a site often intimidates people, and they won't finish what they start. Concentrate on the basics first, and grow from there.
2) Try outlining your shrine! It helps, really.
-
Robin
- Events Staffer
- Posts: 3072
- Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:15 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
- Contact:
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
YES MY NEW SHRINE IDEA HAS BEEN VALIDATED!!! --Oops did I say that out loud???dubiousdisc wrote:Make a section about a character's crotch, if that's what you want.
But all kidding aside, this made me snort and giggle madly xD xD
THIS. This so much. (And I for one am glad I don't have to be the ~center for information on a subject~ anymore...'cause I'm kinda bad at keeping up with things after a while ^_^;)Todd wrote: What is a shrine to you?
I feel like shrines constantly evolve based on what is going on with the internet when they are made. Back in the day, they used to be information sources, as Wikis weren't available, and information for subjects was harder to find. Today, they are more personal dedications, providing opinions and insights that you can't find on Wikis.
-
dubiousdisc
- Administrator
- Posts: 2535
- Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:49 pm
- Contact:
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
I WAS 100% SERIOUS! WHY NOT, AFTER ALL!CuriousLittleBird wrote:YES MY NEW SHRINE IDEA HAS BEEN VALIDATED!!! --Oops did I say that out loud???dubiousdisc wrote:Make a section about a character's crotch, if that's what you want.
But all kidding aside, this made me snort and giggle madly xD xD
(And wait until I revamp that site; I've got EVEN MORE TO SAY about his crotch)
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nyxmidnight
- Communications Staffer
- Posts: 1078
- Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:55 pm
- Location: Canada
- Contact:
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
CuriousLittleBird wrote:YES MY NEW SHRINE IDEA HAS BEEN VALIDATED!!! --Oops did I say that out loud???dubiousdisc wrote:Make a section about a character's crotch, if that's what you want.
Hey, that's my line!
What got you into shrines?
I hail from the fanlistings corner, but fanlistings are on the way out and it made me sad to make sites no one would join. Shrines are another, more personal way to express my love for characters/pairings/series/things, and unlike fanlistings, there are no rules, no update obligations and no restriction on subjects.
What is a shrine to you?
To me, a shrine is a website, big or small, celebrating a topic close to one's heart. It can be as serious or as silly as the shrinemaker decides, big or small, but what counts is the love poured into making it. Hell, I made a shrine to a total dick, so.
What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
Information about the subject! It doesn't have to be exhaustive, neutral or strictly factual: there are wikis for that. What I want to see is your personal colour when you talk about your subject. Gushing and fawning is allowed. Opinions and headcanons are allowed. Go wild.
What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
I like to see "Why I love [X]", even if I am myself unable to write such a section. I just like to know why people are into what they're into. It doesn't have to be rational or intellectual! It can be a love at first sight you can't explain, or you can like it because it's silly/nonsensical/trashy, it's all good.
What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
Sign up here! No, seriously! We are a squishy, friendly bunch and we will help you! Whether you need a good brainstorming or just HTML/CSS help, there is someone here who can help you do what you want.
Join in the Tale, in the Blight, of Conquest and Lies
Come the Sun, to Tarnish in the Sky
Vow that we shall Tear the Light - Dark seizes the Throne
Lost in thoughts, all alone
Come the Sun, to Tarnish in the Sky
Vow that we shall Tear the Light - Dark seizes the Throne
Lost in thoughts, all alone
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
What got you into shrines?
I was searching for information of Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha and fell upon A Killing Perfection. It was so incredible, the website's design gorgeous and I wanted to make one too.
What is a shrine to you?
A site dedicated and built for a character that someone likes/adores/respects/etc., no matter their faults.
What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
Information and appearances [if any photos].
What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
Information of the character with some images, but hey, I'll live without the images. I also love to see the maker's perspective of why they chose the character.
What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
There's no "correct" way to do a shrine. Just put what you feel that is important and always have fun!
I was searching for information of Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha and fell upon A Killing Perfection. It was so incredible, the website's design gorgeous and I wanted to make one too.
What is a shrine to you?
A site dedicated and built for a character that someone likes/adores/respects/etc., no matter their faults.
What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
Information and appearances [if any photos].
What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
Information of the character with some images, but hey, I'll live without the images. I also love to see the maker's perspective of why they chose the character.
What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
There's no "correct" way to do a shrine. Just put what you feel that is important and always have fun!
I accept your challenge, "high prince", but I am no general.
Re: "Shrining for Newbies"
- What got you into shrines?
Before fandom archives were as big as they are today, I started my first fansite so that I would have a place to post my fanfics. After I got into posting on archives such as Deviant Art and Fanfiction Net, I continued making sites as a way to link all the places were I posted and because I enjoyed making layouts. When I joined Amassment I saw that people had sites that were very different from my own with articles rather than fan content. I wasn't much into it at first, since I mostly browsed sites for characters I already knew and liked, so I wanted to see new things, rather than discussions about what I already knew. Later, I tried to make a site like that by editing some of my blog posts as articles and adding some details to them. I got very positive responses, so I later became motivated to make a few more sites like that. Group events are a big motivation.
- What is a shrine to you?
A site dedicated to something you enjoy. It can be any kind of site.
- What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
Art :)
- What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
Art, fiction, interactive sections and personal interpretations. Anything that makes it more than just a prettier wiki.
- What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
Do whatever amuses you, whatever you enjoy making, if you're having fun, you're doing it right.
Before fandom archives were as big as they are today, I started my first fansite so that I would have a place to post my fanfics. After I got into posting on archives such as Deviant Art and Fanfiction Net, I continued making sites as a way to link all the places were I posted and because I enjoyed making layouts. When I joined Amassment I saw that people had sites that were very different from my own with articles rather than fan content. I wasn't much into it at first, since I mostly browsed sites for characters I already knew and liked, so I wanted to see new things, rather than discussions about what I already knew. Later, I tried to make a site like that by editing some of my blog posts as articles and adding some details to them. I got very positive responses, so I later became motivated to make a few more sites like that. Group events are a big motivation.
- What is a shrine to you?
A site dedicated to something you enjoy. It can be any kind of site.
- What are your top "must haves" in your shrines?
Art :)
- What do you like to see in other people's shrines?
Art, fiction, interactive sections and personal interpretations. Anything that makes it more than just a prettier wiki.
- What advice would you have for someone who is making their first shrine?
Do whatever amuses you, whatever you enjoy making, if you're having fun, you're doing it right.
