mjules by Author Interviews
Summary: Interview with mjules.
Categories: Author Interviews Characters: None
Genres: General
Tags: None
Warnings: None
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Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes Word count: 7006 Read: 3377 Published: 04/10/2005 Updated: 04/10/2005

1. Chapter 1 by Author Interviews

Chapter 1 by Author Interviews
When you're not writing fan fic, what are you doing in Real Life--i.e. interests, hobbies, work, etc.?
Do you know, this may be the easiest question in this whole interview. I'm already shaking in my boots trying to figure out how to answer some of them!

Let's see... my Real Life is spectacularly unspectacular. I've been doing temp work (mostly data entry) for a little over a year and right now I’m working second shift, which leaves my days open. I love that. My hobbies are varied but mostly center around creative pursuits... I’m very into art (I sketch and watercolor), I dabble in pottery and sculpture, and I write *endlessly*. Original fiction, poetry, anything. Give me paper and pen, or a computer with a word processor, and in thirty seconds or less there will be words written whether they make sense or not.

I love music – all kinds, really, but mostly classic rock, classical, Celtic, alternative, and some heavy, edgy hard rock. I really like finding obscure artists that no one else really knows about, and nothing will make me like a song or an artist quicker than a brilliantly turned phrase in their lyrics. The late Mark Heard (folk-rock) won my heart that way. Some of my favorite artists are U2, Jeff Buckley, Mr. Mister, Peter Gabriel... I’m so pathetically Top 40 material despite my attempts at being otherwise.

I like movies – I like everything about them. I like the way they’re made and the effort that goes into them; I admire the writers, the directors, the actors... I love stories, and I especially love seeing the way good stories get told well whether it’s in books or films or a song or however.

I’m very fond of animals, especially horses and wolfish dogs. I’m a nature girl at heart and it’s just about killing me living in the middle of a big city. I’d love to move up to the mountains, maybe out west in the Rockies. I like to travel though I haven’t done very much of it, and I’m an adrenaline junkie if I have the opportunity to indulge myself.

I’m probably going back to school, hopefully starting in the summer term, and I’m moving film (my former major) into a minor and choosing English (writing) for my major.


Do you tell "real life" friends that you write fan fiction?
Only a select few. My roommate (also my best friend of three years) knows, one of my cousins (also guilty of being a fangirl) knows, and… I can’t think of anyone else who does, except friends whom I met online who then became ‘real life’ friends. If I think they won’t make fun of me, I tell them. *Grins* I’m a chicken.


What are your thoughts on why Logan and Rogue belong together regardless of ‘verse, despite their not being a canon couple in any of them?
You know, I think if they WERE a couple in canon, I wouldn’t be compelled to write them. I like trying to convince people. :-) If the canon writers were already convinced, I’d just be happy to read their stories.

But I probably came into the fandom with a bias because the friend who *demanded* that I watch the movie (who was also my beta reader in the X-Files fandom) also told me “This movie is for any girl who’s ever loved an older man.” (Knowing, of course, that the last guy I was serious about was 12 years older than me.) So I guess that’s how it got started. So, shout outs to Floridiana for roping me into this. (She’s also the reason I discovered Hugh Jackman. Everybody needs a friend like her.)

Then when I got into the comics and back into the cartoon and saw the subtle differences in the characters, I totally fell in love with the idea of the two of them together – they’re both so strong that nobody could see the places where they need something from others. I figured they would understand each other because nobody else is really that way. Rogue is bullet-proof and Wolverine super-heals, and yet they both are emotionally vulnerable.

Having someone who understands that about you and is willing to take care of you in those areas without making you feel like you’re needy or that you’re incapable of taking care of yourself is a big part of what I feel a relationship is about. Part of my philosophy on a romantic relationship is summed up in a quote from the Jewish Talmud: “If your wife is short, bend down and whisper to her.” In other words, if your partner has an area where maybe they don’t have it all together, do your best to help them out without bringing attention to that weakness.

I also feel like Wolverine and Rogue are people who say what they mean, so they should be able to communicate fairly easily, and communication is a huge part of any relationship – maybe ninety percent of it. I think they accept the other one for who they are without judging, and that creates a feeling of safety, a sensation of, “I can tell you anything and we’ll still be friends.” I think they feel safe being themselves with each other, and I think that’s a good sign that any relationship, romantic or not, will stand the test of time.

I guess the bottom line would be I feel like they understand each other, and you know what the Monkees say: “Love is understanding.”


Since you’re receiving these questions on Valentine’s Day, which of your stories, or scene from a story, depicts a perfect romantic moment between Logan and Rogue?
Oh dear.

That’s a terribly hard question to answer. I’m not really a hearts-and-flowers kind of girl, so my idea of ‘romantic’ doesn’t really look like what you might normally think of, especially when it comes to Wolverine. His basic personality doesn’t seem like the kind to go for clichéd romance, although he’s capable of it if the situation calls. Still, I’d be more apt to swoon over a guy stabbing himself through the chest to save me than I would a guy setting up a romantic candle light dinner. I mean, those traditional gestures are nice, but they just don’t scream of devotion in quite the same way. (And I’d be so out of place at a fancy dinner it would just be terrible.)

So when I think of romantic moments in my stories, I think of Wolverine saving a little bit of his rations for Rogue in “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” or Rogue bringing him socks because he’s sick even though either action could get them killed. I think of an upcoming scene in the ‘Slow Revival’ series where they actually talk about where they want to take their relationship and the way they bend for each other. (I won’t tell you the exact piece of dialogue I think is so romantic because I don’t want to spoil it.) I think of the scene in “You Make Me” where Logan gets sick after a nightmare and Marie takes care of him. I guess the most romantic moments to me are when there are gestures (little or big) that aren’t easy to make, but they’re made anyway in situations that maybe aren’t so conducive to romance. (That candle light dinner might suddenly look a whole lot more romantic to me if it took place in the middle of a kind of not-so-fairytale setting where food and candles were heavily rationed... *laughs*)


What's the writing process like for you… what does it take to get from the beginning of a story to the end, and then post it?
Oy. I wish I knew.

Sometimes a story is written in one sitting because it sort of springs into my head fully-formed. “Every Breath You Take” was one of those, as was “Red Rain.” Sometimes, the concept is in my head, but the story itself is a little trickier to get a handle on. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and “Bridles to Brides” go there. And then sometimes, I have one scene that I *need* to write and have to try to build a story around it. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” might also qualify for that one.

Depending on how well the story comes out the first time, it may or may not get several detail-obsessed read-throughs from me before I send it to a beta. I’ve had several wonderful betas, and I really hate posting stories without them. Sometimes, when it’s a foof piece, I refuse to send it to a beta because I don’t take the story seriously. Once I’m comfortable with it and the betas give me the thumbs-up, then I’ll post it. And that’s the most horrifying and exciting part – seeing what other people think of what I’ve done.

I’m starting to actually get organized, though, and I’ve begun making outlines for my stories – especially the longer ones. It keeps me focused and gives me a guide to go by... a sort of “What comes next” nudge.


What is the hardest part of writing a story? The easiest? The most satisfying?
It depends on the story, really. Sometimes, the dialogue isn’t easy or the descriptions don’t seem to flow... in “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” the balance between action and description nearly killed me. It took me forever to even get it to a place I would let the betas see it. As far as easy, the easiest part is usually starting it. The hard part is always finishing – either *getting* to the finish, or knowing where to stop. The most satisfying is the feedback, usually, knowing people liked it. That makes it worth it. Although if I ever finish my novels, *finishing* will probably be the most satisfying!


Has a story ever gone off in a different direction than you planned?
You know, I started to say that all of them have, and that’s true in small ways. But the larger ways... not really. Most of them have stayed with the general idea I started with, even though certain little twists happened in the middle. “Kitchen Chair” probably went the most awry as I never intended for Rogue and Wolverine to actually consummate their little affair. It started out with the idea of it being more like the Wolverine-Jean relationship where they wanted each other but never actually did anything about it. The characters, however, had other ideas. I can see now how it really wouldn’t have been true to the characterizations to make that happen – Rogue and Logan are both very straightforward, down-to-earth, matter-of-fact creatures. If they want something, they’ll get it. In that case, it was a matter of what Rogue wanted more – to be ‘faithful’ to Remy, or to hook up with Logan. I can’t say that Logan was very supportive of the ‘faithful’ idea. He didn’t help at all, bad child that he is.


You’ve stated that you’ve gotten inspiration for your stories from a variety of sources, such as a comic scan (Kitchen Chair), pretzels (Twisty Bobcat Pretzels), songs (Every Breath You Take), other fic (The Strong Survive), etc. What would you say was the funniest source of inspiration for a story? The strangest? The most unlikely?
Geez. Um. The funniest might actually be the pretzels. Either that or shaving my legs (Voodoo). The strangest – a dream I had that had to do with bones in a desert. (That story hasn’t been written, but I haven’t been able to totally give up on the idea.) The most unlikely – a Bible story. Seriously. See if you can guess which fic that was, and which story, before I tell you later in the interview! Well, okay, two Bible stories – but one of the fics has been written and posted, the other one is still in progress and hasn’t been posted.


What’s your fascination with AU stories?
I think it’s that my great love of drama and fiction centers around the characters. I’m fascinated by psychology and how people react in different situations, so I like to experiment with placing the same basic characters in situations they normally wouldn’t be in and seeing how they interact with each other and how they’re changed by their surroundings. In an episode of the X-Files, Agent Mulder once postulated that our circumstances and how people treat us is half or more of who we are. I think that concept fascinated me and I’ve been playing around with it ever since – how much of our personality and our self-image do we actually decide, and how much is simply a reaction to outside influences like our upbringing, our environment, the way others perceive us? I guess AU’s are just a way for me to explore that.


For the AU setting of "Bridles to Brides" did you do any research, did you already know much of the information, or is it all imagination?
In the beginning, it was some knowledge but mostly imagination. Since then, I’ve been researching. The trick is proving to be playing a fine line between factual research (I have actually maxed out my library card with non-fiction resources on that area) and Hollywood images (I’m right now in the middle of an old Gregory Peck western; by the way -- Gregory Peck? *rowr*) because they’re actually very different. I’ve stuck with mixing them together. Hollywood is fun, after all.


There are some notable original characters in “Bridles to Brides,” such as Luke and Abbey. Why did you feel the need to create them—instead of using other X-characters—and what purpose do they serve in the story?
Gah. Luke and Abbey. They totally hijacked my story. They weren’t supposed to be major characters at all. It started out as a little nod – Luke was the name of a guy I had a crush on at the time, and I love to name minor characters after people I know. Then I had him order a bride – and Abbey's original name was Meggie. One guess as to who *that* was. Well, then I realized that for Logan to trust Luke enough to let him influence whether or not Logan ordered a bride, there would have to be a history there. So Luke gained a history with Logan, and since he was a 3-D character, his bride needed to be one too. At that point, I refused to let the bride be a Mary Sue, so I renamed her Abbey, changed her around a little, and let it roll from there. As for their purposes, they're kind of foils for Logan and Marie; they allow me to tell Logan and Marie’s story through another set of eyes. As for why I didn’t choose X-characters, aside from them beginning as tributes, when I started the story I wasn’t familiar with many characters outside of the first movie, so I didn’t have a whole lot to choose from.


You’ve written AUs (Elle Sait), comic-based stories (Baby, It’s Cold Outside), Evolution-based stories (Sin), even a meta story (All the Little Logans) as well as movie-based stories. Which of the ‘verses is your favorite to write in and why?
I think probably comic. Maybe because not many other people do it, but I think mostly because I love a good challenge, and I love the characters. I love their differences. (What the differences are is another question so I’ll wait to answer that.) Also with the comics, you can choose from so many situations because the comic writers love AU’s – they send the characters into space, into alternate dimensions, into prehistoric jungles – I mean, really, you want to write AU’s without calling them that? Write comic. *laughs*


Do you work on more than one story at a time? If so, how do you keep them straight in your mind?
I do, actually. I usually have anywhere from two to five stories being actively worked on, and anywhere from five to fifteen more that are “dormant.” As for keeping them straight – I don’t know. They’re all different to me, different worlds and different situations, and they don’t get mixed up in my head. I don’t know how that happens.


Is canonical accuracy important to you, or do you twist it to suit the story? Why or why not?
It varies. I do like to keep it accurate because it sometimes presents more of a challenge – and why would you write fanfic if you didn’t stick with the elements? You might as well write original fiction. I have been known to twist certain things, though. I pick and choose. Usually if I change something, I apologize for it up-front. *laughs* Although the classic example of me picking and choosing canon is when I refer to Logan's past. I tend to use the history presented in the Origins series for the most part – except his last name. I hate the name they gave him in Origins and I usually won’t keep it for that reason. I’ll throw the ‘James’ in somewhere, but the ‘Howlett’ is beyond me. No offense to people who actually have that name; I just never thought it ‘fit’ Logan’s character at all.

If I’m writing non-AU, I do try to keep it as accurate as possible. And of course if I’m writing AU’s, what is ‘accurate’ and what is not is kind of irrelevant. *grins*


There are subtle differences in the characters depending on what verse you’re writing. Did you have to do some research to learn about the characters’ various incarnations--reading, talking with comic fans, watching animated series, etc.?
I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn't set out to write comic ‘verse; I just started reading some of the comics and fell in love with the different characters. It all just sort of happened naturally. I watched the cartoon on Saturday mornings when ABC Family started re-running it, and I got into Evolution when Fox Kids was running it. I don’t watch them anymore simply because I actually don’t have cable, but I basically just watched and read anything remotely X-Men that I could get my hands on because I loved it. In fact, I’m finally going to break down and subscribe to some of the titles pretty soon. I can already see Devil Doll doing a dance...


I think Rogue’s character varies the most from the movies, to the comics to the Evolution cartoon, while the differences between Logan’s characters are not so obvious. Which qualities in Movie!Logan and Movie!Rogue do you think are most different from their other canon characterizations and are these differences hard to deal with when writing?
It’s funny you say that, because I actually think Logan changes the most! Movie Logan walks around with his heart on his sleeve – or at least on his eyebrow. He really does. And any attempts to disguise whatever he’s thinking or feeling just makes it more obvious. I think that has something to say about Hugh Jackman's excellent abilities as an actor to project emotion with his body and his face. But while he *shows* a lot in the movie, he doesn’t say a whole lot. He’s actually a lot more long-winded in the comics, I think.

In the comics, he doesn't seem as emotionally open -- but he's very emotionally vulnerable. It may have something to do with the simple difference in mediums – it's easier to show expression on a human face than maybe it is with pencils on a two-dimensional piece of paper. However, it comes out as part of the character: You don’t see what comic Wolverine is feeling in his expressions as much as you do with movie Wolverine, but he obviously feels a lot, if his inner monologues are anything to go by.

He *mopes* at times, even if it’s only when he’s by himself. That’s the same in every universe. I guess the biggest difference between those two would be to say that he seems somehow “older” in the comics... perhaps more world-weary.

And in Evolution, he seems more settled, more accepting of who he is and what he is. He doesn’t seem as plagued and tormented by self-doubt. He’d actually be a really nice guy to be around – someone I could see myself getting very attached to.

Rogue experiences some of the same self-doubt and self-loathing, but she seems to cover it up by being ‘sassy.’ If that doesn’t work, she gets defensive and closes off. She’s much louder about her moping than Logan is, but she mopes just the same. This pretty much goes for the comics, the cartoon, and Evolution. In the movie, she doesn’t seem to have so much self-hatred just yet, but she definitely has sass. She isn’t quite the bad-ass that the other Rogues are, but she shows definite potential for growing into that. The way she stripped off her glove without a second thought in X2 when Magneto pissed her off points to that side of her.

She seems to have the same basic emotions and personality in every universe, she just expresses them differently. Her outward appearance and expressions change dramatically, probably moreso than Logan’s, but inside she seems to be the same person – someone sweet and fiery who, at times, resents her mutation but has also learned to value it.

As for whether the differences are a difficulty when writing – no, not really. If anything, I like to try to blend them a little – give a little of Comic Rogue's personality to Movie Rogue if I age her at all, what have you. I try not to mix Logan’s personalities too much, though, because they do seem so different to me.


In the AU/comic story, “Every Breath You Take”, Logan starts out as an assassin hunting the mercenary Rogue, but ends up in quite a different position by the end. I thought this was a neat, albeit dark, twist on their characters and relationship. What can you tell us about the story and Logan’s journey in it?
Wow. This story just sort of appeared in my head without a whole lot of thought trying to make it work. At the time, I was really into Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd, and I knew about this one movie they’d made called “Eye of the Beholder.” I’d never seen the movie, but I read the basic plot on IMDb.com and their summary (which wasn’t completely accurate as far as the movie went) was that this guy was hired to kill a person, found out she was a beautiful woman, and became fascinated with her, even to the point of protecting her ... but he never let her know he was there. I thought it was a fascinating idea and started thinking about that.

It would stand to reason that, after observing a person for awhile, you would become very attached. They’d be almost like a pet project, something that was personal. You’d become invested. The more you watched them, the more you’d understand them and become sympathetic towards them. And with Logan, who is very capable of being obsessive, I thought he’d be especially good at it. From there, the story just sort of wrote itself. I think maybe the part that I loved the most as far as showing how far gone Logan was when it came to Rogue was when one of his own teammates was about to die – and he didn’t care. When his target became more important to him than his comrades. Logan’s got a staunch idea of loyalty – but this time, his loyalty was to Rogue.


In, “My Weakness” you write about why Logan falls in love with women who are already in love with someone else and in, “Lovers Less Wild” you deal with his intensity for life and love. Could you talk a little bit about how you see Logan and his philosophy on love in regards to, not just these stories, but in general when writing about him?
I stated earlier that Logan experiences bouts of self-doubt... I think these are mostly in relation to how other people see him, because he knows that they don’t see everything he really is. They only see pieces – they see what they want to see or what he wants them to. I’m not sure how much I totally believe what I wrote in “My Weakness” anymore, but there are probably some elements of truth there.

I think that if I were in Logan’s shoes, my biggest dissatisfaction would be the inability to find someone who lived life with the same passion that he does. Because I don't know why, but he does -- everything impacts him on a deeper level than most people. Possibly because being observant is a big part of just who he is, so he’s kind of detail-oriented. When you're like that, you don’t want someone who isn't observant for a mate. You always feel like two-thirds of your life is unable to be shared with the person you’re trying to share your entire life with, and it doesn’t make sense. I think Rogue is a very intense person as well, so I think they go well together. *grins*

But from what I’ve seen of Logan in the comics – he’s huge on commitment. Yeah, he has his fun and his one-night stands, but I think it’s different for him because those things aren’t done with the expectation of anything more. I think when he wants a relationship, he’s “all in.” He doesn’t do anything by half-measures, least of all love. He’s a guy who likes love, and likes being in a partnership. He likes being “it” for someone and likes having an “it.” But I also think he’s smart enough to not try to make that happen with the wrong person – except in the case of Phoenix, which is tough, because there are elements where Phoenix and Wolverine fit together, and you can see why he would think there would be potential. But I don’t think either of them will ever be the first one to back down on an issue and a relationship where no one gives in is doomed for disaster.


To me, a title is a very big part of the story itself – it can make or break it. How do you choose your titles…are they something you start out with and work from there, do they come to you in the middle, or do you look over what you’ve written in the end and come up with something then?
All of those ways, actually. It happens differently at different times; sometimes I’ll have a title that actually inspires the story, sometimes some phrase in the middle of the story will jump out at me and I’ll instantly recognize ‘There’s my title!’ (“Lovers Less Wild” is the perfect example of that), and sometimes it isn’t until the story is actually all done, beta’d, and ready for posting and I’m still sitting there scratching my head going, “But what is it CALLED?” Working Titles are very useful in such situations. I’m really big on titles too – I love them. They say so much in such a small space, and it’s very fun to have a misleading title that still manages to capture something in the fic. I think darkstar’s “Save the Last Dance” does that very well. There are a few others that are great examples of that but I can’t think of them at the moment.


Several of your titles come from songs. Does music influence your writing/stories in any other ways?
A lot of times, yes. Either a certain phrase will trigger my imagination (in the case of one of my original novels, the entire concept was birthed from a half-line in a Jars of Clay song), the mood of the song will create a scene in my head, or the story behind it or told within it will get me thinking (as with “Operator”). A lot of times I will choose specific music to listen to while I’m writing as it helps shape the mood I’m in and therefore the mood of the piece. Music is a really integral part of my life and I guess it just bleeds over into the writing. I also think the music we listen to tells us something about who we are as people, so I try to be really picky in fics when one of the characters is listening to the radio – what station do they stop on, and why? What is it about them that wants to hear that song? I also don’t incorporate that into my stories a lot because it is such a touchy thing. If you met me, you might never, ever guess that I’m an avid fan of techno, blues, and jazz until I turned on a CD and sang along. In the same way, it’s difficult to guess what kind of music these characters might listen to, so I try to stay away from it for the most part. Except the Eagles. I think Wolverine and Rogue in their comic incarnations are probably both Eagles fans. *grins*


Which of your stories is your favorite and why? Least favorite?
I have lots of least favorites, especially my early ones before I feel like I really got a handle on the characters. Maybe the one I can think of that I’m most frustrated with, especially of the ones that have been written since I feel like I’ve gotten my fandom feet more under me, is “Alter-Eighteen: The Strong Survive.” The beginning of it showed such promise to me, and the title itself was based on the whole idea of evolution, and all this stuff – and then the ending felt so rushed and like everything happened off-screen and it was very unsatisfying. I frown every time I think about that story.

My favorite bounces between “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and a work in progress called “Time For Love.” They’re my favorites because they take stories that are very personal and important to me, concepts that I’m rather obsessed with in my ‘real life,’ and make them into something that I can practically see and feel. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” was actually based on one of the most romantic love stories I’ve ever read, and one that I read over and over – the story of Ruth and Boaz in the biblical book of Ruth. Somehow in the Bible, the basics get told and the human emotion and details get skimmed over – and when I read it, my imagination brims with the kinds of emotions these characters must have been feeling. Ruth was risking her life to be on the threshing floor where only men were supposed to be – and Boaz cared enough about her that, despite the fact that he could’ve had his way with her and no one would have blinked twice, especially her since she offered, he wanted to do it right. He respected her enough to not only do the right thing for her, but to keep her reputation from being ruined... but he couldn’t stand to let her leave so she stayed the night with him. I could go on for hours about that, but I won’t.

I’ll tell more about “Time For Love” later.

I also really like the “Slow Revival” series because it’s giving me a chance to explore what a relationship would be like if it happened more gradually, not so much a spark of chemistry and a blazing fire that just sort of sweeps you away... because in my experience, my “Fourth of July” relationships fade pretty quickly. It’s the ones that sneak up on me that last.


Take Thirty” was written in response to the Big 3-0 challenge. So, what was the most challenging thing about writing it? :)
Trimming it down. I had a big, long, epic-sized idea for that story and I ended up barely referring to the epic events in little, expositionary flashbacks. Of course, this also makes me feel like the story is incomplete, almost like I cheated myself. I was actually going to write the whole story of when Logan served Marie with divorce papers to keep her from following him on this dangerous mission, and how she went over there to get him and almost got them both killed… but then I didn’t. So that’s actually a little frustrating for me; I’m actually highly dissatisfied with that story.


Most writers claim to have a muse. Do you? If so, what does it look like, how does it help you and do you have a different one for each ‘verse?
I don’t think I have a muse in that sense – more that, somehow, each character for a story ends up feeling like a real person, someone that has its own creative say in what happens in the story. They develop a personality that dictates where the story goes and at times, I have what I call “Writer-Character Conferences” in my head, where I reference what I know of the character’s personality and see if I’m being true to it. This is true for my original fiction as well as fanfic, and I get very attached to these characters in my head. But as far as having a ‘muse’ in the traditional sense, no I don’t think I do.


What do you do when your muse takes a vacation…i.e. how do you deal with writer’s block?
I ignore the story until it comes back. *laughs* That's why I have so many unfinished ones.

Sometimes, if it's a story I really, really want to finish, I will actually sit down and go over what I know of the plot – the outline, notes, scenes that I've scribbled down – and try to get interested in it again. Sometimes I’ll watch or read things that are related to that universe – like with “Bridles to Brides,” especially, I’ll watch westerns or read Louis L’Amour novels or what have you. And once I’m submerged in that universe and it’s sort of saturated into my brain, then I'm more ready to go back and write.


I know you’ve written X-Files fic in the past. With all the varied stories you’ve written, have you ever considered writing a crossover?
Actually, I’m still toying with the idea of a not-so-serious fic where Logan and Mulder meet, and what would happen. I think it would be funny, because they’re both mopey, but Mulder is a little more whiney which would piss Wolvie off and… well, like I said, it’s an idea. But I don’t know if it will ever happen because I’m not very fond of crossovers in general; something about it screws with my head and it just doesn’t work for me. Macha claims I will not be able to resist the pull of a cross-over and will actually do it; I'm holding out from sheer rebellion. So you may never see it, but it does appear in my head from time to time.


When are you going to give us the next part of "Bridles to Brides," will there be a sequel to "Kitchen Chair" and can you give us a sneak peek at what stories you're working on currently?
Well, I’ve just "hired" a new beta for "Bridles," and I do have some little bits written. They probably won’t be posted until my computer problems are fixed, and the really sad thing is, it can't be written on until I have a new computer. I am jotting down ideas and shaping up an outline, though, so there’s hope for it.

As for “Kitchen Chair,” there is a Word file on my doomed-to-hell computer (fortunately, the file is now saved to disk) with a working title that bounces between “Lilac Wine,” “The Lilac Tree,” and “Marble Arch.” (All phrases from the same Jeff Buckley album that gave me the title “Kitchen Chair” – I like to go with a theme if I’m in a series. *grins*) It’s not so much a sequel as a companion piece, showing the stages Wolverine went through in their little chase. I don’t know that writing a sequel to “Kitchen Chair” is something that I’m capable of. I’m not sure this companion piece will make it, either, but I haven’t been able to get rid of it yet.

My upcoming projects – I’ll give you a peek at some of my favorites.

There is one called “Zero Sum” that is the sequel to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and is giving me more problems than a mid-term math exam. I'm excited to finish and post it, though, because I have a feeling Devil Doll's going to want to kill me by the end of the first section, so I'm spending the rest of the story trying to make it up to her. *laughs*

There's one I'm hoping happens, but it sort of depends on the author I've asked to co-author it with me and our respective schedules. If she ends up not being able to do it, it probably won’t get done, and if anybody understands the need to get away from the pressure of a WIP, it's me. But it has to do with skeletons...

Obviously, the "Slow Revival" series is being continued. That one’s a lot of fun for me to play around with. It’s easy; the characters are really laid-back and there’s no big stress or huge conflict. They’re trying to sort out their emotions, true, but not under strenuous circumstances. They’re sort of taking their time, and that’s nice for me. Gives me a break as an author. I hate it when my characters put me through the wringer. The next one is back to Rogue's point of view, and I’m looking forward to catching up with the little vagabond and seeing what she’s been up to while Logan’s been having his epiphanies. One of the upcoming installments (maybe two or three down the road), though, is the one I'm most excited about. It’s where they finally meet up on their separate little road trips, and I picked a town I lived in for several years. It’s a hick-town on the backside of nowhere, and it’s the perfect backdrop for what happens.

My big upcoming project that is sort of my baby right now is a story I mentioned in an earlier question called "Time For Love." The best word I have to describe this monster is "ambitious." I've made an outline for it (four pages long!) and have a couple of chapters written, and if the average pages per chapter stays the same, it will end up being about 90 pages long. Not only does the length of it make it ambitious, though; the concept is daunting. In my opinion, it’s an AU to end all AUs I will ever write. If I finish this one, I will probably never want to hear the phrase "Alternate Universe fic" ever again. I've had a few people glance over the chapters I have so far to give me a reaction and see if it's something that will even click with readers, and they assure me that it will. It's based on a biblical concept, much like "Baby, It's Cold Outside," but one that is much more complicated and much darker. The universe it lives in is gritty and rough (one of my main characters is a drug addict living on the streets in bad condition), there's a war that happens, and one of the characters that I didn't expect to have a very large part of the story at all actually plays a pivotal role and almost gets everyone killed, including herself. I do get to indulge my Phoenix obsession, though, and that makes me happy.

The really intimidating thing about writing this story, though, is the sheer volume of time that it spans. We get a chapter about every three to four years, and it manages to span somewhere around twenty-one years in the lives of the characters. When we first meet Jean in the beginning, for example, she's a sixteen-year-old high school student. By the time the story reaches its climactic moment, she's thirty-five with a whole history behind her that has led to where she is. I won't tell much about the journey the other characters (Logan, Marie, Scott, Hank, Charles, Ororo and more) go through because it would give too much away and in a universe like this, I think surprise may be my best element.

So that's a peek into what lies ahead, and I guess that about does it. I enjoyed this; thanks to everyone who participated and special thanks to Diane for putting it together!

This story archived at http://wolverineandrogue.com/wrfa/viewstory.php?sid=1686