Buffyverse Meta

March Meta Matters Challenge 2026 Returning!

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:39:30 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

March 1 is just weeks away, so that means the kickoff to this year's March Meta Matters Challenge will be taking place soon! The challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation, plus there will be some prompts for creating new meta.

Feel free to ask questions here about the challenge, locations, etc. Otherwise subscribe to marchmetamatterschallenge and look for our opening post on March 1!

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The March Meta Matters Challenge Is Returning...

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:12:42 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

...for year 3! The marchmetamatterschallenge is focused on not just new meta, but making sure older meta gets a chance to be read and remain a part of fandom history.

While new meta is also encouraged, the priority for Meta Matters is to make sure meta doesn't vanish with sites or personal accounts when those get closed or moved. That's also why the challenge will be using the Archive of Our Own as a destination site and collection host.

This will be a month-long event kicking off on March 1 with bi-weekly check-ins. March Meta Matters will close on April 1.

Find out more about the challenge through our introduction or the FAQ. Feel free to leave questions on either post.

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Send Your Meta a Valentine

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 19:38:40 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Dates: March 1 to April 1

For anyone who has ever created any meta, the marchmetamatterschallenge community will be running again to help keep you going (or get started!) on archiving your meta works on AO3.

While creators have often used multiple sites to host their works, one type of work has generally been left out of fans' efforts at archiving and preserving fanworks -- meta. In many cases, meta posts have not been copied anywhere else other than the location where they were first posted, leaving them hard to find and particularly vulnerable to loss.

So what if we can make a small dent in getting it saved? The March Meta Matters Challenge is focused on not just new meta, but making sure older meta gets a chance to be read and remain a part of fandom history. While new meta is also encouraged, the priority for Meta Matters is to make sure meta doesn't vanish with sites or personal accounts when those get closed or moved.

This is a month long event that kicks off on March 1. There are no signups and anyone can participate, whether here at Dreamwidth or elsewhere.

If you have any questions about MMM, look over how the challenge works, or visit our FAQ or leave a comment!

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Shell and Sarcophagus

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:53:32 GMT

Posted by: deird1

This is a repost of something I wrote back on LJ, 9 years ago.

Definitely time for some meta.
Right now, I thought I’d write about the relationship between Fred and Illyria, and how I think it works.

( vases, exploration, and love )

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Buffyverse Top 5 Opens in 2 Weeks!

Sat, 17 Dec 2016 17:21:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

After the holiday madness is over, don't forget to look back at 2016 and think about the things that were actually good about it, such as Buffyverse fanworks!

Gifting your fellow fans some lovely items to start the coming year with is a great way to spread a little cheer to all those wonderful writers, artists, vidders, mods, and more who have given you something to smile (or maybe cry) about during 2016.

buffyversetop5 will reopen for its 2016 session on January 1, 2017 at midnight UTC (click here for your time zone) and will remain open through 6 PM GMT on January 16th.

So start checking your download folders, your tags, your bookmarks and memories to see what you enjoyed this year and what you want to make sure the Buffyverse community doesn't miss from 2016. If you want to help spread the news, several artists have made us starter treats to entice friends to the party. If you have any questions about the session, ask them here!

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Classic Recs to open next week!

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:17:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Starting at midnight GMT on October 27 (6 PM EST in the U.S. on Oct 26) buffyversetop5 will be celebrating Halloween through all the time zones until midnight November 1. Five days for you to bring your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms! All time periods before 2016 are eligible for posting and, as always, crossover content is A-OK, so get those lists ready!

We've also reopened the The Wishlist. Take a look at what recs people are hoping to see and put together a list. You can also leave your own request for recs.

If you have any questions about the session, check out our profile page or leave them here.

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Transforming the Demon Pt. 3

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 15:43:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Re-Integration

We know of at least three human souls that were brought back from death and re-united with the physical body a vampire had taken over -- Angel, Darla, and Spike. As mentioned earlier Darla returned fully human, so the demon who had killed her did not get pulled back. Instead, Darla was revamped later by Dru.

One question I have about vampires is whether they are all the same demon (essentially, clones) or if each demon is somehow unique apart from its human host. It does not seem likely, for example, that the same demon who was killed in Buffy S1 is somehow restored to Darla's body once she's revamped in Angel S2. But if the vampire parasite just creates clones of itself when it finds a human
host, the question becomes somewhat irrelevant. Darla's human brain retained the memory of its life as a demon because the physical form was restored from its point of destruction (in Buffy S1) but with the original human inhabitant restored from its demise in 1609. ( Read more... )

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Transforming the Demon Pt. 2

Mon, 29 Aug 2016 14:46:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

As the Buffyverse developed, the issue of souls and soulessness became increasingly muddled. In Buffy's early seasons the soul was presented as a form of morality leash on vampires, though its actual definition was a little hazy. As the Buffyverse expanded, particularly on Angel, the mix of demons and humans up to no good made it quite obvious that souls were no guarantee of good behavior, nor was their absence a guarantee of violence and evil deeds. So why is it that the issue of souls for vampires is so key to the presence of morality? ( Read more... )

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Transforming the Demon Pt. 1

Sat, 27 Aug 2016 20:28:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

I was considering something I mentioned in a discussion about "This is the Picture", which was the repeated use of young women as mentally ill or institutionalized in Joss Whedon's work and how Spike was a rare male recurring character who was shown in the same way. That led me to thinking more about his ensoulment and what a human soul even means in the Buffyverse.

Getting a Soul

There has been, in Buffy fandom, a vigorous debate about what the writers intended to do at the end of S6 with Spike's storyline. Was he always intended to get his soul? The official story is yes but there has always been doubt on this topic. And I'm not sure why because, to my eyes, nothing else really made any sense. ( Read more... )

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Who's interested in a meta challenge?

Sun, 08 May 2016 13:05:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Although this community is open for posting, it seems that only one person's thought to crosspost content here in the past few years. While Buffyverse meta probably isn't being written as often as it once was, I think there's still enough content out there that we could keep this account active.

One thing I've been noticing in a review of my own meta is that a lot of it was prompted by someone else's post -- sometimes fic or discussion, but often another meta post. It made me think that an interesting challenge might be to do a meta "remix". This could be of a meta post originally written about a different fandom, or another Buffyverse meta post that could use updating or another take.

Would anyone be interested in taking part in this if we set contribution dates at the end of July? I'd like people to commit to making a specific post, but we could do it as a weeklong event instead of set posting dates to keep things simpler.

If you'd be willing to take part, please leave a comment here. If we have at least a dozen people willing to take part, I'll make a new post and we can determine specifics of the posting week, and people can "sign up" to contribute particular topics.

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Remember 2015 at buffyversetop5!

Sun, 13 Dec 2015 20:00:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

The end of the year is almost here and that means it's time to remember the year in Buffyverse fandom! Recs to any and all types of fan-created Buffyverse works are eligible so long as they were created or continued in 2015.

Gifting your fellow fans some lovely items to start the coming year with is a great way to celebrate the holiday season, and spread a little cheer to all those wonderful writers, artists, vidders, mods, and more who have given you something to smile (or maybe cry) about during 2015. So after all the eating, drinking, and general merrymaking is done, don't forget about the Buffyverse :) We'll be opening at midnight GMT on January 1st and will remain open through 6 PM GMT on January 18th. (What time is that in my timezone?)

If you have any questions about the session, ask them here!

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Character Development

Mon, 30 Nov 2015 12:13:00 GMT

Posted by: lusciousxander.livejournal.com

Some characters get the flashy, in-your-face character development (Willow, Wesley, Spike, Cordelia) and there are those characters whose character development is so subtle that you barely notice it, but it’s there.

Xander Harris and Bangel

Xander was a jerk to Buffy and her feelings for Angel on many occasions, like this:
( Read more... )

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Classic Recs Kicks Off at buffyversetop5

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 19:56:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Are thoughts of Halloween creeping up on you? It means Classic Recs is coming up soon at buffyversetop5

Starting at midnight GMT on October 28 (6 PM EST in the U.S. on Oct 27) we’ll be celebrating Halloween through all the time zones until midnight November 2. Five days for you to bring your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms! All time periods before 2015 are eligible for posting and, as always, crossover content is A-OK, so get those lists ready!

If you haven’t posted at Top 5 before, please take a look at our FAQ page for tips on how to post. If you have any questions, just post them here.

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Buffyversetop5's 2014 Session Starts Jan 1

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 17:01:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

At month's end buffyversetop5 reopens for its 2014 session. Recs to any and all types of fan-created Buffyverse works are eligible so long as they were created or continued in 2014.

Gifting your fellow fans some lovely items to start the coming year with is a great way to celebrate the holiday season, and spread a little cheer to all those wonderful writers, artists, vidders, mods, and more who have given you something to smile (or maybe cry) about during 2014. So after all the eating, drinking, and general merrymaking is done, don't forget about the Buffyverse :) We'll be opening at midnight GMT on January 1st (6 PM on the 31st in the U.S.) and will remain open through midnight UTC on January 19th.

If you want to help spread the news, several artists have made us some starter treats to entice friends to the party. If you have any questions about the session, ask them here!

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Classic Recs are coming to Buffyversetop5!

Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:21:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Feel that change in the air? It means Classic Recs is coming up soon!

Starting at midnight GMT on October 30 (6 PM EST in the U.S. on Oct 30) we’ll be celebrating Halloween through all the time zones. Four days for you to bring your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms! All time periods before 2014 are eligible for posting and, as always, crossover content is A-OK, so get those lists ready!

If you haven’t posted at Top 5 before, please take a look at our FAQ page for tips on how to post. If you have any questions, just post them here.

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Buffyverse Top 5 to open January 1

Tue, 17 Dec 2013 11:08:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

At month's end buffyversetop5 reopens for its 2013 session. Recs to any and all types of fan-created Buffyverse works are eligible so long as they were created or continued in 2013.

Gifting your fellow fans some lovely items to start the coming year with is a great way to celebrate the holiday season, and spread a little cheer to all those wonderful writers, artists, vidders, mods, and more who have given you something to smile (or maybe cry) about during 2013. So after all the eating, drinking, and general merrymaking is done, don't forget about the Buffyverse :) We'll be opening at midnight GMT (6 PM on the 31st in the U.S.) and will remain open through January 19th.

If you want to help spread the news, several artists have made us some starter treats to entice friends to the party. If you have any questions about the session, ask them here!

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Classic Recs are coming!

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:56:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Starting at midnight GMT on October 31 buffyversetop5 will be celebrating Halloween through all the time zones. Four days for you to bring your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in the Whedon fandoms. All time periods before 2013 are eligible for posting and, as always, crossover content is A-OK, so get those lists ready!

If you haven’t posted at Top 5 before, please take a look at our FAQ page for tips on how to post. If you have any questions, just post them here. ( Read more... )

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BuffyverseTop 5 to open Jan 1!

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:03:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

buffyversetop5 will be opening at midnight GMT on Jan 1 for its annual session. Recs for any and all types of fan created works for the Buffyverse are eligible so long as they were created or continued in 2012.

Stop by with any questions -- otherwise start making your lists now and spread some holiday cheer to your fellow fans!

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Join us on January 1!

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:08:00 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

That's because on January 1, buffyversetop5 reopens for its 2011 session. Recs to any and all types of fan-created Buffyverse works are eligible so long as they were created or continued in 2011.

Gifting your fellow fans some lovely items to start the coming year with is a great way to celebrate the holiday season, and spread a little cheer to all those wonderful writers, artists, vidders, mods, and more who have given you something to smile (or maybe cry) about during 2011. So after all the eating, drinking, and general merrymaking is done, don't forget about the Buffyverse :) We'll be opening at midnight GMT (6 PM ET on the 31st in the U.S.) and will remain open through January 18th.

If you have any questions about the session, ask them here!

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Future of this Community

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:40:00 GMT

Posted by: http://users.livejournal.com/peasant_/

Does anyone wish to take over the ownership and maintenance of this community? It is currently moribund but could be revived, or it could simply be kept in aspic as part of the fandom record.

If nobody is interested I will simply delete it, but that seems a shame since there are some great essays here.

LJ Community Management FAQ

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Review/thoughts on Buffy #7

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:29:00 GMT

Posted by: spankulert.livejournal.com

First time try here, so be gentle. "This sucks" is just dandy, as long as it's followed by a "because..." ;)

(let me know if this doesn't count as meta. A little unsure of the definition)

( Back to black(and my journal) )

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Misandry and The Buffyverse OR Does Joss Whedon hate men?

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:22:00 GMT

Posted by: sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com

Title: Misandry and The Buffyverse: Rupert Giles

Author: Maggie (sevendeadlyfun)

Summary: Buffy The Vampire Slayer is presented as a feminist triumph, a show where female strength and feminine heroism are given prominence and value. Equally, however, the show engaged in a systematic disparagement of men and masculinity. This essay focuses on Rupert Giles. Later essays will explore the other male characters of BtVS and how possible misandry affected their portrayal.

(Boys Are Bad)

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Aurelius: the Order of Irreverence

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:07:00 GMT

Posted by: thatotherperv.livejournal.com

Title: Aurelius: the Order of Irreverence
Author: Mel (thatotherperv)
Summary: Spike is the well-known renegade of the family, but all of them rebelled against the previous generation and the status quo in their own ways. a look at the Master, Darla, Angelus, and Dru as rebels.
Spoilers: let’s say whole series, just to be safe.
Word Count: lil over 2000

essay here

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Identity, choice and heroism in 'The Chain'

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:02:00 GMT

Posted by: stormwreath.livejournal.com

Looks like I get to post the first post-metathon meta. :-)

Author: stormwreath
Summary: Identity, choice and heroism (with a digression on Existentialism) in 'The Chain'
Spoilers: up to Season 8 episode 5, and also for the Firefly episode 'Objects In Space'
Word count: 2,068
Notes: An analysis of the main themes in episode 8:05, plus a look at Existentialist theory as it applies to Joss's works.

Essay here.

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Stay tuned!

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 06:45:00 GMT

Posted by: http://users.livejournal.com/peasant_/

The Metathon is now officially over, and I hope you all agree it has been a marvelous month. I originally started the com because I was wondering what I could do to encourage a little more meta to be written, and it has exceeded my greatest hopes. I think we all just showed there is still a great deal to be said about this wonderful show of ours.

But it needn't all be over now.

We still have a handful of delayed essays to look forward to, but I have also had a lot of people express interest in continuing to use the com for other essays. This was always my intention and I think we definitely should keep the com as a pimping/posting place for all Buffyverse related meta.

So from now on, the com is open to all Buffyverse meta essays as and when you want to post them. Please still post in the format used for the Metathon - with headers, and tags and spoiler warnings etc. as before. If you are looking for inspiration then the subject list is still available with plenty of marvelous suggestions. Add a comment to the relevant suggestion when you have posted to help people find your essay (no need to say 'taken' or set yourself deadlines, obviously). Or post on a completely new subject as the inspiration takes you. The Buffyverse is our oyster.

In addition, you can link to other people's meta that you come across in your travels. The only rules are that it must be Buffyverse related, it must be a public post, you must follow the usual header and tag rules in your post, and you must inform the author that you have linked to her so she can ask for the post to be removed if she is unhappy with it.

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