Do you remember your first introduction to fan fiction?
Writing it or reading it?
My introduction to writing fan fiction came at a very young age. When Buck Rogers was on TV here in the 80's, I frequently found the subtext between Col. Wilma Deering and Buck Rogers to be unbearable and would trot out my school writing pads and a pencil to "add" to the end of episodes, usually finding a way to make them kiss. I couldn't fathom much more than a kiss, therefore these were always short. I moved on to Dr. Who fanfic (4th Doctor, Sarah Jane gen) and then to V, where I was writing a completely Mary Sue epic that just would NOT turn out the way I wanted it to! My character, a teenage leader of a resistance cell, had two bodyguards, one male and one female. I kept trying to write a romance between my character and the male bodyguard and the female bodyguard kept messing it up! Years later, I got it, but at that age (14?), I had no idea that my subconscious could manifest itself so clearly.
Reading my first fan fiction came in the form of print 'zines. For ST:TNG and Beauty and the Beast. I was amazed that there were people who shared these stories with one another. They were mostly het and sometimes painfully awful, but they were shared. It truly amazed me. I wrote one story for a 'zine but the 'zine folded before printing my story. Which is fine with me because it was a particularly horrible ST:TNG Picard/Crusher story with hints of Troi/Worf.
Then came the advent of the Internet and the first stories I read were ST:DS9 Kira/Dax stories. Obviously, by this time I had come out. Then, while searching for more of those, I came across some stories about a TV show I had only heard of: Xena, Warrior Princess. I started watching the show because of the fan fiction and that's the fandom in which I first published, under the name bardzlife.
What main character that you've written femslash for, would you most like to hit upside the head?
Olivia Benson. Hands down.
Is your fan fiction writing limited to femslash or do you also write gen, het or male slash? If so, is there a difference in style or content (besides the obvious) between them?
I restrict myself to femslash now, but in my "youth", I wrote het, which never felt comfortable to me. Most of my stories focus on the interpersonal relationships between the characters anyway, so whether femslash or het, there is always an emotional interplay that I feel is central to my writing.
Have you ever been tempted to write a Mary Sue?
I had a handwritten Mary Sue epic in the V fandom but I can be excused the infraction because a) I was only 14 at the time and b) it has never seen the light of day. I also have a sneaking suspicion that my first published work, Something More Than This (XWP), more than borders the Mary Sue line, but the character does not have a romantic relationship with either Xena or Gabrielle (or indeed anyone in the story). It is an X/G first time story so I don't know if it is a true Mary Sue or not. I've never been quite clear on that point.
Are there certain genres you find easier to write for?
Science fiction fandoms are the easiest. Cop dramas are next. The most difficult are those genres that include the younger characters, like Buffy and Veronica Mars.
Do you research subjects before you write them and, if so, in how much detail?
I am a research NUT! I have been known to scour real estate sites for the perfect house in Falls Church for Casey's childhood home. I have been known to shop for clothing for my characters out of online catalogs, research restaurants and hotels (down to the room number and interior), research and develop new languages, research and design weaponry and armor, research diseases, injuries, and treatments... If it is included in one of my stories, I have researched it. Usually to within an inch of its life.
What's your preferred length of story to write and read?
To write? I prefer epics though I rarely finish them. Followed by medium-sized one-offs.
To read? I like them all lengths. I find inspiration in the drabble and the epic. Though I prefer moderate to epic length.
Can you touch the tip of your nose with your tongue?
I cannot. My tongue is long enough to reach but cannot bend at the right location to have it reach my nose.
Are you, yourself, a fan of other fan fic writers and, if so, who are they and what is it about them that appeals to you?
I adore Carola Eriksson's ST:VOY stories. She has the perfect comic timing and the most wonderful romantic streak that make her stories a joy to read.
I love Sparx's ST:VOY stories, too. I think she has a unique and compelling interpretation of B'Elanna Torres that makes her stories pop!
I read Missy Good's Dar and Kerry stories largely because of the technology lingo and computer stuff. Though I really think Dar and Kerry are like Jonathan and Jennifer Hart and are therefore less believable as characters. They have no vices/darkness to round them out as characters. They need a little something so that they are not so perfect.
Ever wanted to head butt another fan for dissing your pairing?
I'm a C/O writer. I'm used to having my pairing vilified. LOL
Do you have a favourite cliché, one that you'll read with joy even though it's been done to death?
Baby stories. And hurt/comfort. If you can combine the two and I love the pairing, you've hooked me already!
Would you lend me twenty pence if we were stuck at Charing Cross station and I was dying for the loo?
Of course! In fact, keep it! I owe you much more than that anyway. ;)
If you've written real person slash how does it differ from writing about fictional characters?
I do not approve or RPF, so I do not read or write them.
Do you find you're more inspired by subtext, maintext or barely there text shows?
Subtext. The best stuff there is. :)
Where do you get your inspiration for specific stories; missing or extended scenes from the show, ideas from other shows or real life situations?
A lot of my inspiration for my SVU stories comes from missing scenes or just from scenes that appear in my head. ST:VOY inspiration can come from anywhere, I've found.
Do you like cheese?
Oh yes! I love cheese! Mild cheeses, aged cheddars, Wensleydales with cranberry, bleu cheeses, soft cheeses, gourmet cheeses! There's only one I don't like and that's Swiss.
Every read over one of your stories months or years later and thought 'What the hell was I thinking!'
All the time. One that instantly comes to mind is "20/20", a C/O story of mine. But my gf loves it.
Why do you write fan fiction?
Because we lesbians deserve to see reflections of our lives starring our favorite characters. And because I love to write, particularly with someone else's preconceived characters. There's an element of challenge in trying to create a believable scenario, often crafted out of subtextual cues, with believable dialog and characterization.
I also love feedback. Who doesn't? ;)