+++JEANNINE’S *SOMEWHAT* HELPFUL GUIDE TO READING HOMESTUCK!!+++
Recently, a few of my Tumblr friends have expressed a desire to read Homestuck, but are a little apprehensive to do so for several different reasons. I’ve decided to help them (and other potential/interested Homestuck readers out in Tumblr land) get the most enjoyable experience possible, just as I and many others did! I’m going to incorporate a few tips of my own as well as tips I’ve learned from others as well as from the Homestuck panel I attended at Shutocon this year. If you’re a Homestuck reader and you feel like adding a tip yourself, go for it!!
Just a little discretion note here; I’m not trying to be some wise, all knowing, holier-than-thou Homestuck sensei here. I am literally still trying to figure out things for myself, and I’m rather new to the fandom as well. I made this guide in order to help others, and if my tips don’t suit you, then fine. Just please don’t crawl up my ass about them thanks u_u
==> LET US BEGIN SHALL WE :33
- TIP 1: START HERE!!!! — I’m pretty sure the most frequently asked question for interested Homestuck readers is “WHERE DO I GO TO READ THIS?????” So, uh…yeah. Just…start there.
- TIP 2: NO YOU CANNOT SKIP AHEAD TO THE TROLLS — …Well, I mean, you COULD, if you really wanted to. I ain’t your mother. But, seriously, if you really want to enjoy Homestuck, you HAVE to read it from the very beginning.
- TIP 3: REALLY JUST DON’T SKIP ANYTHING — Again, I’m really trying not to dictate what you can and cannot do, but I’m being really, really serious. Don’t skip Act 1 (ACT 1 IS ACTUALLY REALLY HILARIOUS OK). Don’t skip the pesterlogs (literally 3/4 of the story are within these pesterlogs). Don’t skip the Intermission (it’s really fucking great ok and actually relevant to the story and it’s gREAT OKAY). DON’T. SKIP. ANYTHING. Skimming is totally ok, but for the love of christ DON’T FUCKING SKIP OK.
- TIP 4: HAVE A READING BUDDY — Getting through over 6000+ pages of reading seems like a daunting task, and there will be points where you’ll want to just give up. My suggestion is finding a friend who is either a new Homestuck like you, or getting a veteran Homestuck to be your cheerleader. I had a lot of fun liveblogging my reading and getting reactions from friends who had already read it, and they kept encouraging me to continue reading, even when I didn’t really want to.
- TIP 5: PACE YOURSELF — Read at a pace you feel most comfortable with. Try not to rush yourself. If you rush yourself through 6000+ pages just to get caught up with everyone else, than you won’t really get to experience everything at its full potential. Also, try not to read things at 3 in the morning. You’ll later find out that you’ve probably missed some key things while in your half-awake state (just like I did lol ooPS).
- TIP 6: DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE FANDOM — This should probably be higher up on the tips list but I’m just rolling with it lol ANYWAYS YES THIS IS REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT. Some of my friends feel like they won’t really belong within the fandom because they feel like they don’t have anything to contribute media-wise. THIS IS TOTALLY OK!! Don’t feel like you have any obligation to contribute anything! Some people just read Homestuck and keep happily to themselves, and that is perfectly normal.
- TIP 7: HAVE A DICTIONARY HANDY — As silly as this tip sounds, there were a LOT of words I didn’t even know the meaning to my first time reading, and it really tripped me up. Of course, this probably just means I’m really dumb and probably should have read more. Some words have contextual clues, so you might just have to read and reread things. If you’re really stuck, just Google it.
- TIP 8: ASK FOR HELP — If you feel like there was something you really, truly did not understand and you’d really like some help understanding it, I would ask a friend who’s knowledgable about Homestuck. You may want to stress that you don’t want spoilers in their explanation before you get your answer, though. There’s a very high chance that, most of the time, your answer will be, “Just keep reading - they explain it later”.
- TIP 9: HOMESTUCK ISN’T FOR EVERYONE — Sometimes, even with all these tips, you just don’t feel like you can get into Homestuck, and that’s totally ok! At least you got your feet wet. :)
- TIP 10: HAVE FUN!!!!!!!! — Self-explanatory, yes, but still worth mentioning. Don’t treat Homestuck like it’s something you HAVE to get through; Treat it like it’s your favorite sweet treat, and you want to savor each moment of it…wow ok that was a really fucking dumb analogy BUT YOU GET WHAT I’M SAYING HOPEFULLY MAYBE PROBABLY
And that’s all I’ve got! Like I said, if you feel like there’s a tip you’d like to add, feel free to do so!
I hope these tips helped somewhat, and if not, oh well - at least I tried. xD
HAPPY READING EVERYONE!! :33
reblogging for those who didn’t see this yet uwu
i need to show dis to my bro!
For all my friends. All of them.
(Source: nepetaquest)
