WRFA - Author Interviews [Author

Question: Why did you start writing fan fiction and what do you find are the challenges and rewards of doing so?

Answer: It’s funny, but I think I was writing fan fiction back in sixth grade or so. My teachers were always saying how creative I was when I wrote, what interesting characters I came up with... They obviously didn’t watch the same shows or read the same books as me, or they would have recognized Eastwood’s “The Man Without a Name”, or Cool Hand Luke, or Charlie Bucket, or Anne of Green Gables, or Laura Ingalls - I just took my favorite characters, gave them new names, and put them in new situations. And it fooled them every time.

Question: When you're not writing fan fic, what are you doing in Real Life--i.e. interests, hobbies, work, etc.?

Answer: I work as an Editorial Assistant for a clinical nutrition journal. Database management and helping authors and reviewers deal with our online manuscript submission and review system.

As for hobbies... My biggest and strangest hobby is donkey riding. I have one donkey I’ve owned for two and a half years and trained to ride. We trail ride a lot and she’s lots of fun. I just bought a second donkey that I get to bring home at the end of March. When I’m not working, riding, or trying to write, I crochet a lot, watch reruns of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, teach weaving, play video games with my sweetheart, and drink beer on the back deck. I’ve got a pretty easy life for a thirty-something.

Question: Most of your stories have been posted after the release of X2. What has your experience been as a fairly new writer in the fandom?

Answer: My experience has been that there was a lot of reading to catch up on! I caught on to the X-Men really late. I’m always behind. Hell, I just discovered “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” this past year. It’s kind of fun to be a latecomer - you can immerse yourself up to your eyeballs and not have to wait.

Question: With the exception of a couple of cameos by Bobby and Professor Xavier, your stories *only* include Logan & Rogue. Why them...why write about Logan and Rogue rather than some other character(s)/pairing?

Answer: Ah, you haven’t seen my attempts at writing about Mystique! They’re on the XMMFF site. I find her quite fascinating. Don’t think I quite “get” her, but god she’s sexy, isn’t she?

I’d love to write about Magneto - he’s the coolest villian I’ve ever seen. But he intimidates me too much. He’s too cultured, and I am so not cultured. I don’t think I could tackle him (ah, but if I were an older woman, what I wouldn’t give for a chance to tackle that Mr. McKellen, eh? Oh, make that if I were an older man - not that there’s anything wrong with that. He’s so great).

Logan and Rogue gave each other these *looks* in the movies that seemed real to me. Hell, the Wolverine’s plain hot and I always like the potentially bad guy (in movies, not in real life - my boyfriend’s a teddy bear and I like him that way). And Rogue’s mutation is just so amenable to angst, I can’t pass that up.

Question: Is one of their characters more difficult to write for any reason?

Answer: Rogue was hard for a long time, because the movies didn’t really give her a strong character, in my opinion. She was *too* quiet and stare-ey, without a whole lot else. I finally just had to imagine her myself, what I would think if I was in her situations. I feel more kinship with Logan’s attitude, and since I could tell he really liked her in the movies, I think I started creating Rogue based upon what I thought Logan would like in a companion. Simplicity, acceptance, a quiet courage, and a little hero-worship.

Question: In regards to Rogue, do you prefer to write her character with or without control of her mutation? Does it depend on the story you're trying to tell--i.e.fit her to the story--or do you write the story to fit her characterization?

Answer: I hate the idea of her controlling her mutation. Her mutation is what I find most interesting about her.

Question: Tell us more about what you do when you write. Any special habits, customs, conditions, superstitions?

Answer: I think and think and think some more, while lying awake in bed or riding my donk through the fields or sitting on the back deck, and when I’ve worked out the whole thing in my head to where I feel that I “know” it... I sit down in front of my computer and it all just comes spewing out in a big clump. Well, actually, my stories are all pretty short. Maybe that’s why. They’re only as long as what can be formed in one ball in my head and then spit out in one long sitting. Then of course I come back and read it with fresh eyes, add some stuff, take some stuff out, rearrange some stuff... and sometimes just delete the whole file and go “what was I thinking?”

Question: Most writers claim to have a muse. Do you? If so, what does it look like and how does it help you?

Answer: Nope. No muse. My ability to write and interest in writing definitely come and go, but I wouldn’t say I have a muse.

Question: What do you do when your muse takes a vacation...i.e. how do you deal with writer's block?

Answer: Hee, hee... pretty simple, really. I don’t write.

Question: I find it interesting that the same person has written the dark "Fixed" and the ethereal "No Words For It" because they are a world apart. If you had to describe your writing to someone who had never read any of your stories, what would you say?

Answer: It’s a little manic-depressive? I’m an insanely happy and energetic person (ask my poor officemate who has to deal with my singing and dancing) with a dark, depressing, angsty, morbid, slightly sadistic side. Good lord, my favorite movies of my entire life are (1) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and (2) Monster’s Ball. Go figure.

One thing I love about movies (good movies, that is) is that they give you room to take the characters lots of different directions in your head. Take Willy Wonka - is he a twisted, sadistic, creepy pedophile? Or is he a loving, eccentric, honest dreamer? At the end of Monsters’ Ball - has Hank shaken off his father’s racism and his own anger? Or is he going to turn around and call Leticia a n----- the first time they have an argument? I think a good movie leaves you with room for speculation. And I love to speculate.

Question: You've written quite a variety of stories, from angst (She Sees) to humor (Tease) to songfic (Hey, You!). Is it difficult writing such varied types of stories about the same characters/couple, or easier to highlight particular qualities in them via different genres?

Answer: I find it pretty easy to switch between genres, because everyone is so multi-faceted. And because I’m such a moody spaz.

Question: What is your favorite type of story to write and is there any genre/style you'd like to do that you haven't done so far?

Answer: I really like to write “slice-of-life” pieces like “No Words For It.” I like to write in the present tense, and just give little pictures of individual events, with no actual plot. Just sort of mood pieces, I guess.

I’d really like to be able to write a longer story someday soon, with plot and multiple chapters... If I can keep my mind disciplined enough for a while. My brain just bounces from one little possibility to another too often for me to be consistent, like I mentioned earlier.

Question: Different types of stories seem to focus on different aspects of the characters and their relationship. What five adjectives do you think best describe Logan and/or Rogue?

Answer: Logan: frustrated, bitter, tired, passionate, independent. Rogue: frustrated, frightened, brave, curious, feisty.

Question: First, second, third. Which POV do you prefer writing in and why?

Answer: Third. It’s interesting for me to just tell what people are doing and leave the thinking unsaid. What people do is so ambiguous - do Logan and Rogue feel “that way” about each other? I prefer that they do things together and give each other looks that keep us wondering. In first person I feel the need to explain what they are thinking, and that takes some of the fun out of it for me.

Question: Logan's presence in Rogue's head is usually depicted as helpful or beneficial by most fic authors. However, in "Want" Bobby is worried about how Logan is changing or remaking Rogue as she absorbs more and more of him. This point is also mentioned in, "Sharing More Than Beer." What prompted you to explore this aspect of a relationship between the two?

Answer: Well, Rogue is a teenage virgin from (according to the first movie) a pretty well-off family situation. Logan’s a god-knows-how-old beer-drinking killing machine. His presence in her head had to be quite a shock, and probably quite an eye-opening and interesting shock at that.

The movies didn’t do much with the idea of Rogue absorbing *personalities*. Seeing this explored in other people’s fan fiction made me think more about it. I think I’d like to absorb some of Logan’s personality. I’d love to be able to give someone a look like he does when they are starting to piss me off. I’d like to say “screw the rules” more often. I’d like to be able to open a can o’ whoop ass when I’m pissed off instead of going home and moping to myself. And well, I’m just twisted enough to think that Rogue would get off on Logan’s sexuality when she found it in her head. ; )

Question: The stories, "Party Time" and "Remember This" depict a close friendship between Logan and Rogue as opposed to a romantic relationship. Friendship vs. Love...what are the qualities (and/or differences) of one vs. the other in regard to the Logan and Rogue characters?

Answer: I write about Logan and Rogue in a sexual way sometimes because I’m a perv sometimes. But I actually much prefer them as a friendship duo. “Party Time” might be my favorite of my stories because of this. “Friendship vs. Love”?? No such thing. Friendship *is* love. It is love that isn’t complicated by sex or possession or jealousy. I think the most romantic idea ever is that of two people bonded by a friendship that lasts them throughout life, that is platonic but passionate beyond anything else, that can’t be broken by anyone for any reason, that is worth risking one’s life for, and that exists beyond the bounds of age and time and distance and reason.

Question: "Fixed" is a rather dark story. What can you tell us about it and what inspired you to take such a dark turn of events?

Answer: You know, I think I wrote “Fixed” after watching too much Buffy, during a time when she and Spike were at it hot-and-heavy in a sort of S/M evil dark way. I took lots of stuff from Buffy and put it into that story, although I don’t think I realized it at the time. Rough sex, the bad guy assuming a false identity to torture the good guy, dark passions, lust, shame, guilt, embarrassment, doomed love, misunderstandings, missed opportunities - gotta love it.

Question: Did you get any negative feedback over your darkish story/themes and in general, how important is feedback to you?

Answer: I have never gotten negative feedback at all, and that makes me a little suspicious of feedback. I only hear from people when they like a story. So it’s a nice ego boost, and I’ll never turn that away, but at the same time it doesn’t really mean much. People who don’t like a story just go “ick!” and move on to another one. Heck, that’s what I do, too. Little Thumper’s mom was absolutely right - if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all. Unless someone has actually *asked* you to critique their writing, that is.

Question: "It Ain't Hay" was written in response to a challenge. Could you tell us a bit about how this story came about?

Answer: I was just surfin’ one day, bored. Checked out the “challenges” section and when I saw the Pulp Fiction title “It Ain’t Hay” it just cracked me up to no end. I’m a fan of pot , have never seen people not get along and have fun when pot’s involved - as opposed to alcohol and any other drug I’ve seen used, which generally cause people to *not* get along and just make each other miserable. Anyway, the thought of Logan and Rogue sitting around giggling just killed me.

Oh, crap... Remember, kiddies, as Logan said - “I can’t, er, condone the use of, ah,...” Don’t do drugs!

Question: Which story are you most proud of?

Answer: I think “Party Time”. It just makes me feel good. And I feel like it’s one story that just came straight out of my own head and imagination without much influence from anything else - a rare thing for me.

I also really like “She Sees”. It shows pretty well what I personally think Logan likes about Rogue, in a completely platonic way (although a lot can be read into the last line, I intended it as completely platonic).

Question: I know some writers say they listen to music while writing for inspiration, while others don't because it (or any noise) is distracting. Do you need music playing while you write? Does it influence you or is it just background noise?

Answer: I never have music playing except when I drive my car or when I want to dance. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love music. It just usually doesn’t occur to me to put any on. I write in silence, definitely.

When I’m driving along and listening to the radio, some songs really wipe me out. I want to write a song fic to Sting’s “Fortress” song, you know the one “If I built this fortress around your heart”, etc. It’s bouncing around in my head. Seems to have some good Logan/Rogue potential. Anyone else want to give it a go, be my guest.

Question: Do you have your work betaed? If so, what do you look for in a beta reader?

Answer: I haven’t had any of my stories betaed. Some of them I’m sure I should have.

Question: "Growing Up" relates Bobby's POV of the movie events and Logan & Rogue's closeness. What was *your* reaction to the movie events (particularly the sequel) and would you have changed anything?

Answer: Ha! I saw the sequel before I saw the original! I was sort of dragged to X2 by my partner - “okay, Hon, I’ll go see the big bad comic book hero movie with you”... I * loved* X2 and went and rented the first movie the next week. Then went back to the theater to see X2 again... and again. Then rented the first movie again. I can’t complain about any of it.

I don’t think the movies meant to imply any more than a bond of understanding and trust between Rogue and Logan, and I don’t expect that to change in any future movies. That’s all in our heads, people, and that’s fine with me.

Question: If you could be any character in the X-men movies, who would you be and why?

Answer: Wow, that’s an interesting question. None of them have the power to make a donkey walk when it doesn’t want to, do they? That would be real useful and is certainly not a power possessed by normal humans...

I am absolutely fascinated by Magneto as portrayed by Ian McKellen. When I am his age if I can be as witty and sexy and impressive as him I will be very happy. But I won’t be evil, of course. Oh, and hey, if I could control metal I could take care of that donkey problem by putting metal horseshoes on my ass (hey, I mean the four-legged one) and controlling them! Cool.

Question: Is there anything else you'd like to add about yourself, your stories, fan fiction, or the X-Men in general?

Answer: I am kind of a “closet” fan fiction writer. Most of my friends laugh at the very idea of fan fic. You know the stereotype - lonely housewives and virgin pre-teens lusting after movie characters, devoid of any actual writing skill... Hey, it applies to some people and not to others, as does any stereotype. But I think that everyone who likes movies or books or tv shows invents stories in their heads about the characters they enjoy, and there’s nothing wrong with trying to write them down, now is there? And we don’t all have to be great at it to have a good time, either. So there.