Writer’s Showcase
created by
Annie Lansbury
1999
Dear Readers,
Welcome, I am glad you have chosen to drop by and read this week’s interview. I hope you enjoy it and you will come back week after week. Also, you will find links to past featured writers at the end of this interview. Just click on the writer’s name and you will be taken to their interview.
This week’s Featured Writer is also a 1999 Kerth Award Nominee. Her thrilling drama “Fear of the Unknown” was nominated for ‘Best Dramatic Story’. I hope everyone enjoys this interview from this talented person.
Now without further ado I am proud and honored to present this week’s Writer in the Writer’s Showcase …
Featured Writer of the Week
YC
Lois and Clark or Superman Status
How long have you been watching L&C?
Since the episode where Clark gets a virus at Christmas time (can’t remember the name) first aired in the UK…about 2 years ago maybe – the UK FoLCs will correct me if I’m wrong on that one. I’d watched a couple of episodes in a kind of half-hearted way before that, but this was the one that really caught my attention and got me hooked.
How long have you been a fan of Superman?
I guess since the first Christopher Reeve Superman film, although I’m not sure I would have called myself a fan back then. It wasn’t really until L&C came along that I think I reached the dizzy heights of fandom.
How long have you been writing?
Since about June last year.
How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
Same answer 🙂
What types of Fanfic have you written?
I’m not really sure – I’m not very good at categorizing creative works, or maybe I should say, I’m not sure that I believe in putting them into boxes. But if you want some sort of guide, I suppose I write longish fanfics, usually with an A plot and a big dollop of emotional angst.
Most recent story posted? Where?
Heliophobia, and you’ll find it on the main fanfic archive. Clark starts to get sick but no-one can figure out why.
Favorite story you have written? Why?
Hmmm. I think probably Fear of the Unknown. I really enjoyed writing it, the ideas seemed to flow very easily, and it gave me a chance to explore some deep emotional issues, which I guess is my stock-in-trade. Amnesia is one of those subjects which gives you a huge canvas to work on, and although the storyline was always pretty clear to me, I felt as though it could have developed in lots of different directions. I suppose that’s why so many books, films etc. have used it as a plot device, although I believe it’s not actually that common in real life.
Current project/projects?
Without giving too much away :), I’m currently working with another huge subject area – Clark and Lois’ fear of his secret identity becoming public knowledge. It’s a story that just seems to keep on growing and growing – I’m up to about 50 pages now, and I reckon there’s maybe at least another 10, maybe 20 pages to go. Other than that, I’ve got a title but no plot yet that I want to work on, and I just heard a brilliant idea for a story today, but it’s someone else’s, so I’m not sure who’s going to write it. Also: moving house, which is turning out to be a very long project indeed.
Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read?
Chris Mulder’s two stories: Love Beyond All Measure and Dimensions of Loving. They got me hooked on fanfic, and I still reread them regularly. Crystal Wimmer’s Full Circle is superb drama, and is a very clever resolution to the baby mystery at the end of the series. Another favourite which I reread a lot is Jenni Debbage’s The Huntress’ Revenge – apart from it being the type of plot I happen to enjoy, I also like the domestic details she gives, especially near the beginning. I’d always check out anything by Wendy Richards, and finally, if nfic is to your taste, then Labrat has written some beautiful stories – she has a wonderful way of drawing you right in to a scene, and the dialogue between her characters is very natural and believable.
General Interview Questions
What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy?
If I can (sort of) pinch a line from a friend of mine (if she’s reading this, she’ll know who she is), I get to write the stories that I’d like to read myself! I enjoy the way a story can sometimes seem to pull itself together – you think you’ve written yourself into a dead-end, so you jump ahead to another part of the story, and all of a sudden a new dimension opens up all on its own and before you know where you are you’ve fixed the dead-end and you’ve found a new direction at the same time. Sometimes it feels a bit like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, although I hope fervently that my stories don’t read like that! Also, there’s nothing like the feeling you get when you’ve written a chunk of story that you just know says exactly what you meant to say, and it just flowed onto the page without having to agonize about it for ages. I also like the way it can make you think about the characters in new ways, when you try to step into their shoes for a time.
What about the L&C and the characters do you like the most?
I like the fact that, apart from the whole alien/Superman thing, the characters are very real, credible people. The villains are often fairly ‘comic-book’, but the really great ones transcend the comic-book status – like Lex Luthor and Tempus. I like the mixture of drama, romance and humour in L&C, and of course, I like watching Dean Cain (yum….)
How do you interpret them in your work?
I try to make them as much like the characters in the TV series as I can. Being British makes this a bit tricky, although I was interested to discover that when I asked for advice on American idiom, opinions were pretty divided. I guess I should have remembered that the US is vast and not everyone talks the same. I mean, we’ve got Liverpudlian, Geordie, Cockney, Glaswegian, Buchan, Shetlander, West Country, and lots more…and we’re only a little island.
How did you begin writing in general?
I’ve made up stories in my head about various TV series (such as Star Trek) for years, mostly to pass the time during long journeys, and last year, after reading L&C fanfic for about a year, I decided to try actually writing an full-blown L&C story. It took a long time for me to take this step, because I never thought I had the imagination necessary, and hated English at school, but then I threw caution to the wind and just went for it. I have a very boring drive to and from work, so I spent it thinking about the plot and then started putting pen to paper. I still work like that – pondering plots and scenes while I’m driving around (haven’t crashed yet ;)) – and then writing it on an old borrowed laptop from work when I get home at night.
How do you feel about being nominated for a Kerth Award?
Extremely flattered! I’d like to send a very, very big thank you to everyone that nominated me. Without wanting to get too personal, life is a bit traumatic at the moment, and you really cheered me up, so thanks!
What story of yours was nominated for a Kerth Award and could you tell about it?
Fear of the Unknown (Best Dramatic Story). I already said a bit about it…what else? Well, I guess it was also the first story I did a bit of research for, which was interesting and fun. I decided I ought to know a bit about amnesia and post traumatic stress syndrome in order to generate ideas for Clark’s behaviour and keep them vaguely plausible, so I dug up some information from the Health sections on the Net. Heaven knows what any work colleagues thought if they saw my screen while I was doing this! Also, it wasn’t until right at the end of writing the story that I came up with the explanation as to why Clark got knocked out at the beginning. That was one of those ‘light bulb’ moments, although it’s been pointed out to me that it’s still a little far-fetched that Superman would be knocked out by a flying girder. So…you live and learn. I’ll try and plug a few more plot holes in my next story.
Have you ever been nominated for the Kerth Award before? If so, please name the fanfic and tell something about it.
Since I only started writing half-way through last year, no.
What are you working on now and where do you see it going?
Working on the story I mentioned before – Clark and Lois’s fear of his identity being leaked to the world. It’s been a very interesting journey so far. I thought I was writing a basic A-plot with some of my usual anguish, but it turns out I’m also exploring questions of self and identity. AltClark just turned up in the story, and I think we’re going to have some interesting interaction between him and Clark. I also want to explore Clark’s feelings about his brush with the New Kryptonians, although I’m not sure whether that’s going to happen in this story or another one.
What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic’s
Action?
–
Drama?
–
Humor?
I’d have to give the same answer for these three. Action is great, drama is great, humour is great, but what makes a really good fanfic for me is when they’re all rolled up together. I wouldn’t really enjoy reading a story which was only action or only humour. Drama…maybe. Call that probably.
Round Robin?
I have tremendous admiration for anyone who can write ‘to order’. I’m sure I couldn’t do it. I’ve enjoyed reading some of the Round Robins, although I find them a little light-weight at times (remember, I’m a heavy drama-queen :)).
Nfic?
There’s some great stories out there. Again, the best ones for me incorporate all the different facets of story-telling – a strong plot, some humour, drama, and romance. Also, I think nfic works for L&C in a way it doesn’t for other TV series, because there’s already a lot of ‘chemistry’ between Lois and Clark in the TV episodes.
Has *everything” been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left?
Not telling, ‘cos I’m going to write it! Seriously, I think the possibilities are endless, because L&C is about life, which is full of infinite variation (sorry, is that a bit corny?). For instance, there’s a mountain of revelation stories already, but there’s always a new way for Lois to work out who Clark really is. Also, maybe it’s because I’m heavily into this territory at the moment, but I think a lot more could be done on Clark’s identity – how he perceives himself, how he feels about his real parents, New Kryptonians, and how he copes with being the only one of his kind.
What do you think makes the best story?
As I said before, one which has elements of drama, humour, romance etc, in the right proportions. Don’t ask me what the ‘right proportions’ are – that’s the mystery of writing 🙂 Also, one which is well-written – i.e. has good grammar, good spelling and good punctuation. I don’t think I’m too nit-picking (and I’m certainly far from perfect myself), but whilst I can admire a good storyline even if these elements aren’t present, I can’t really lose myself in it if I keep having to step past mistakes, typos and the like.
Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work?
On the fanfic archive.
Open Forum for Author Comments…
1 Writers thrive on feedback, so if you enjoy a story, tell the author. Then he/she might write another one you can enjoy 😉
2 This site is a wonderful idea.
3 I know there’s a huge amount of hard work going on to make the Kerth Awards a success, and I’d like to send lots of heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.
4 Keep up the good work at the fanfic archive. Where would we be lost without you?