Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 2c: What Is a Fanifesto? ship manifesto & milieu study

[ysabetwordsmith]

This is a new meta entry for marchmetamatterschallenge 2025. See my tracking post here. Also, the first writing prompt is to write a fanifesto.

Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 1: The Importance of Fanifestos
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 2a: What Is a Fanifesto? intro & canon guide
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 2b: What Is a Fanifesto? cast list & character study
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 2c: What Is a Fanifesto? ship manifesto & milieu study
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 2d: What Is a Fanifesto? plot analysis & crossovers
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 2e: What Is a Fanifesto? trope manifesto & format guide
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 2f: What Is a Fanifesto? personal manifesto & others
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 3: Benefits of Fanifestos
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 4: Drawbacks of Fanifestos
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 5a: Contents of a Fanifesto statement to tropes
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 5b: fanon to other aspects
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 6: How to Write a Fanifesto
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 7a: Where to Find Fanifestos location types & communities
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 7b: fanifestos A-E
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 7c: fanifestos F-I
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 7d: fanifestos J-R
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 7e: fanifestos S-Z
Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 8: My Fanifestos


Ship Manifesto -- A ship manifesto describes the relationship between two or more characters and argues for why people should worship it. The more popular etymology posits that "ship" is short for "relationship" but some people believe that it is short for "worship." It is likely polygenetic, thus may have its roots in both: "a ship" from "relationship" (noun form) and "I ship it" from "worship" (verb form). Related terms include OTP (one true pair) and OT3 (one true threesome) referring to a fan's preferred relationships among characters. These may or may not have support in canon. They may be heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, or any other orientation. See "Harry/Luna" (OTP) and "Aragorn/Boromir/Arwen" (OT3). If the combination is uncommon, it may be described as "rarepair," as in "A Case for Andy/Nile."

A typical ship manifesto begins with a description of the focal characters. It describes their relationship dynamics and why this should appeal to fans. It commonly includes any possible fragments of canon that provide any support for the relationship, particularly video clips or images that show them interacting in suggestive ways. An amusing custom in fanvids involves cutting and pasting scenes where the focal characters are reacting to someone else, but making it look like they are interacting with each other, which can make such fanvids a type of ship manifesto. A great example of this is "When Han Met Luke." Many creators also include links to fanworks that feature the ship.


Milieu Study -- A milieu study is an exploration of a canon setting. This type of fanifesto is most often created for milieu fiction, a story in which the setting is so important that it almost functions as a character in its own right. It's so essential that the story could not happen anywhere else. Among the most famous milieu stories is Alice in Wonderland.

Some of these fanifestos can take the form of a travelogue or atlas, as in "Travel Guide to Middle Earth." Others just provide a description of the world and its key locations. Some follow a chronology, like histories, or trace the books in a series. They can even be a fan's personal musings on why this particular world resonates with them so deeply.

A milieu study typically includes maps, diagrams, images of locations, or other visual support from canon if available. If not, the creator may use fanworks instead to help people visualize a trip through the setting. It also tends to highlight the features of the setting that make it unique. These may be part of the physical terrain, ecosystem, political geography, mystical factors, or anything else that distinguishes it from other settings and is critical to the story. A milieu study is valuable to fanwork creators because it provides a guide they can use to move their characters through the world, for artistic inspiration, and so forth. For example, see "A beginner’s guide to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld."