Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Lois & Clark The New Adventure of Superman Writer's Showcase. At the bottom of this web site you will findlinks to past featured writers. Just click on the any writer's name you might have missed or want to read again and you will be taken to their interview.

Now, in keeping with Annie's famous words, without further ado I am proud and honored to present this week's Writer in the Writer's Showcase ...

Annette, Labrat, Kaethel, Avia

Personal Information

Author name
S. Lynn McCreadie

E-mail addresses
mccreadie67@hotmail.com

Residence
Chicago, IL U.S.A. Actually, I live in a little suburb about 15 miles east of downtown Chicago - Elmhurst.

List, AOL, or web affiliations
None

Lois and Clark or Superman Status

How long have you been watching L&C?
When Lois and Clark first aired back in 1993, I watched the show religiously every week. I admit that after the tragic Wedding Arc, my interest waned. I remember thinking when Lois had amnesia that I just couldn't stand it anymore! After that, I caught the balance of the episodes hit or miss. And at risk of having rotten tomatoes thrown at me, I think I probably only caught two or three of the Season 4 episodes. Then I forgot all about the show, except for the occasional perking-up of my ears when I'd hear mention of Dean Cain <g>.

This summer, after getting laid off from my job, I discovered that TBS was rerunning episodes of Lois and Clark, and it became part of my morning ritual to watch them. My kids were always asking "Are you watching Superman again?" I caught pretty much all of the episodes over the summer, missing about six from Season 4 while I was away on vacation. When TBS pulled the show after "Soul Mates," I was devastated because there are about six epis I've still never seen!

How long have you been a fan of Superman?
Really, I have to say that I've only been a true fan of Superman for about six months now. I'd always liked Lois and Clark, but it was the "Clark" persona rather than Superman that kept me watching.

Once TBS pulled the show off the air this summer, I turned to "Smallville" to fill the empty Superman void in my life. I'm finding that show fascinating because it's introduced me to quite a bit of Superman mythos that I never knew about. I've gone so far as to look at a few Superman comic books, but in general, I find comics aren't my thing.

Recently, I rented the first Superman movie with Christopher Reeves. I'd seen it years and years ago, along with Superman II, but was really interested in watching it again keeping in mind my current LnC and Smallville obsessions. I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed. I thought Christopher Reeves made an outstanding Superman, but I absolutely hated Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. And I felt that the movie gave me little reason to believe that Clark/Superman had fallen so much in love with Lois that he brought her back from death. I think I was kind of spoiled for this movie because I view Lois and Clark as my "canon", and anything that deviates from that I find suspect ?.

How long have you been writing?
All of my life, I've had stories floating around in my head. I used to tell them to myself at night when I had trouble falling asleep - something I still do to this day. Scenes would play in front of my eyes as if they were a movie, and I've often said that if I had to do it all over again, I would have gone to Hollywood to be the female Steven Spielberg.

I'm a voracious reader, at least I was until I had children and found that they create a time vortex that just sucks your free time away. I've come to realize that there is a wide variety of stuff out there that spans the gamut of breathtakingly wonderful to absolute drivel. I decided that maybe I could write a book, all I had to do was sit down and give it a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

So in January, 2003, I sat down with the intention of writing that book. I got pretty far, nearly done in fact, but felt that there was much I needed to learn about the art of writing before I could get the book up to snuff enough to try to have it published. I've since been taking a creative writing class and reading a lot of books about the art of writing to try to fine-tune my techniques.

Now that I've given myself up to the forces that drive all writers, I often walk around in a half-daze, thinking about my stories and working out plots and details. It's kind of like living in two worlds at the same time.

How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
Actually, only since August of 2003, which would make it about 4 months at the time of this interview. In a fit of Lois and Clark frenzy, I Googled around until I found the Lois and Clark Fanfic message boards. I read a few stories and was really amazed at how good and moving they were. Soon after finding these boards, I saw the TOGOM episode, and my first fanfic was born.

I wrote "Save Me, Superman" in the course of about a week, not overthinking it too much. I knew I wanted to convey Lois's anguish about losing Clark, and I just let everything flow out. After I'd finished it, I scrunched up my courage and decided to post it. Never before had I put something that I'd written out into the world where others could read it. Thankfully, the FoLCs on the LCFMB were so receptive and supportive, my first experience was better than I could have ever dreamed.

What types of Fanfic have you written?
So far, most of my stories have been more on the angst-end of the spectrum. I'm very, very bad at A-plots, perhaps because even on the show, that was the stuff that held the least interest for me. I like to concentrate on Lois and Clark and their developing feelings for each other. "Save Me, Superman" was very introspective, and I tried to branch out a little when I wrote "Starwood In Aspen." With "Rage" I kind of ventured into an A-plot, but still, most of the story focused on Clark's internal conflicts. In general, I think if you read my stories, you will see that they are far more character driven than plot driven.

I've written one less serious fic - Roadtrip. And I've just started getting into the fanfic challenges, although they are really tough!

Most recent story posted? Where?
Most recent "real" story is "Rage". It was posted on the Lois and Clark Fanfic Message Boards - Nfic section. I've since converted it to PG, and it is in process of being GE'd. As soon as it's complete, the Nfic version will go to the Annesplace Archive, and the PG version will go to Annesplaces as well as the Lois and Clark Fanfic Archive.

I also, in the last week, posted a fanfic challenge response - a vignette called "Linens N' Things." It's located on the LCFMB Fanfic Challenge thread. I like to sometimes take breaks from my bigger story-in-progress to write something fluffy.

Favorite story you have written? Why?
Probably my favorite is "Save Me, Superman." In writing that story, I could absolutely feel what Lois and Clark were feeling, and as such, the words just came out so easily. It is one of my stories that I don't mind reading again and again. I can always manage to get caught up in it!

This story also holds a special place in my heart because it was my first ever posted story, and I still smile when I think of how generous everyone was in giving me positive feedback. I was fairly glowing those first few days after posting it, thankful that I'd written something that other people actually enjoyed reading.

Current project/projects?
I'm currently working on a story that involves trains <g>. The working title is "Intensive Therapy." I don't want to give away too much, suffice it to say that it has a lot to do with Lois dealing with her anger about some truths that Clark has revealed, and how Clark works to attain her forgiveness. Because of a lot of things going on in RL, however, I have a feeling that this one is going to take a little longer. I don't have the time to sit and write except at little bits at a time.

I do have an idea for another story tumbling around in the back of my brain. It was inspired by a question someone on the board had asked - sorry I can't remember who - about what would happen if Clark were to fall in love with someone other than Lois, but not Lana Lang. I'm thinking about writing a story wherein Superman falls in love - sort of - and how he deals with that. I have to work on the details. I think such a situation is going to need to be handled carefully because I'm sure that most FoLCs do not want to see Superman/Clark with feelings for anyone other than Lois. <g>

Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read?
This one is tough for two reasons. One is that I haven't been able to read even a small percentage of all of the stories out there. I keep hearing about all of these great stories, and I go and find them then download them into a folder on my hard drive called "To Read." Needless to say that this folder is stuffed! The second reason is that there are so many great authors in this fandom, picking a few favorites is almost impossible.

If I were have to name just one favorite author, it would be LabRat, probably hands down. I first read "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and was glued to my screen for hours. And then I went on to "Epiphany," "Burnout" and "Mile High" and was just as amazed. She has such a wonderful way of drawing me in, I feel as if I'm watching Lois and Clark right in front of me, with the benefit of getting to be in their minds as well.

The first LnC fanfic I read ever still remains one of my favorites, and that is Kathy B and Demi's "When Friends Become Lovers." I also enjoyed the sequel, "When Lovers Become More."

As I've tried to read stuff as posted, I've very happily become acquainted with such talents as Wendy Richards, Kaethel, MissyG, Sara, and CC Aiken. I'm looking forward to reading all of the stories posted in this last year as part of the Kerth awards process, so please allow me to update this question then, because I'm sure I'll have a lot of stories to add!

General Interview Questions

What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy?
I enjoy writing fanfic because the characters are such well-known entities. Because of the television program, I've gotten to see them in a wide variety of situations and have a fairly good idea of how they think and how they would react in a particular situation. Having this backstory allows me to concentrate on my story without having to develop the three-dimensional character. Also, I have a real visual to fill in when setting the story or imagining a conversation - I just picture Dean and Teri. It's kind of like playing with Barbies - you already know what she looks like and how she can move; you get to have all of the fun putting her in different clothes and pretending she does all sorts of different things.

That being said, writing fanfic is very fulfilling because the people who read the stories already have a vested interest in the characters. They can hold you to a high standard and expect you to treat the characters fairly, which offers a great challenge to a writer. When they offer you praise, it means a lot because it shows that you remained true to the characters.

And I guess that is the other reason I like writing fanfic - it is a very immediate way to put something out there and get feedback, both good and bad. People are quick to tell you what they liked and what they didn't, so you can adjust your story to respond appropriately. I'm a true hedonist - I don't like to wait for anything!

What about the L&C and the characters do you like the most?
This is probably been said a million times, but I just adore the love story intrinsic in the whole Lois and Clark mythos. The fact that Clark never gives up even though Lois doesn't give him much hope in the beginning, and the fact that they faced such overwhelming obstacles but still ended up together.

I've always said that I prefer the Clark character over Superman, and I liked that in LnC, they focused more on the man than the superhero. I also have a total damsel-in-distress fascination, so the fact that Clark was able to save Lois time and time again always set my little heart aflutter <g>.

As for Lois, I always enjoyed her spunk, but I really started to appreciate her in the later years when she softened. Even now, the only fanfic stories that I actively dislike are ones where Lois is portrayed as too much of a...well, when she's just so mean she is intentionally cruel.

Mostly, though, if it were not for Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher's wonderful portrayal of Clark and Lois, I don't think I would have watched the show for a minute. I thought that they had wonderful chemistry, and they really made me believe that they loved each other. I routed for them to get together and cried when things kept them apart.

How do you interpret them in your work?
In my stories, you will always see way more of Clark than Superman. And I most likely will always portray Lois on the more forgiving end of her range. Mostly, I like to see them together, or coming together, so I tend to focus on the things that brought them to each other rather than the things that kept them apart.

How did you begin writing in general?
I've toyed with writing my whole life. Only in the last year have I approached it with any seriousness.

What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic's?
Action?
I'm not a big A-plot lover in general. I'm more interested in what's going on between Lois and Clark on a personal level, so unless the action directly affects their relationship (i.e, one of them is in peril and the other needs to help out), I find action interesting only in the technical end of things.

Drama?
I love angst. I love stories that bring tears to my eyes. So I guess, in general, I love dramatic fanfics. The only think that turns me off in a dramatic story is if Lois and Clark face obstacle after obstacle without any end in sight. I'm also not a big fan of "misunderstanding" stories, where Lois and Clark angst internally over something for interminable amounts of time, when a simple conversation might clear up the whole problem.

Humor?
There is nothing better than sitting at my computer, reading a story that has me laughing so hard tears roll down my face. When it's done well, I just love reading humorous stories. I tend to like dry humor rather than the more slap-sticky stuff, so I'll probably never laugh if Clark trips over a banana peel. Mostly, I like when the humor is driven by the affection between Lois and Clark and the teasing that results.

Round Robin?
Honestly, at this point in time, I've never read one. I think the whole concept is really neat. It shows how the same group of people will have totally different ideas of where a story should go - the originator maybe never expecting where the story will finally end.

Nfic?
I enjoy Nfic as long as the sex is done well and in context with a bigger story. That being said, I've also read some sexy vignettes (again, I bow to LabRat) that I just loved because they show the genuine affection and amazing chemistry between Lois and Clark. A fun romp story is great as long as it shows emotions as well as just physical stuff. What I don't like is if the Nfic tries to be shocking, or if it is so blatant or uses harsh jargon that is more pornographic than sensual. These two characters appreciate each other, and I enjoy reading them "appreciate"!

Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left?
If nothing else amazes me more, it's the absolutely endless number of ideas out there. I think I said it once in a post that I was afraid to read too many fanfics because I'd come to see that it had all been done before and there was nothing left. That no matter what whacky idea I came up with, someone else would have covered it and I'd simply be copying. But I've found that the coolest thing about writing, fanfics or anything, is that there are no limits. Even though the show ended over ten years ago, Lois and Clark are alive and well.

What do you think makes the best story?
From a big picture perspective, I prefer stories that focus mostly on Lois and Clark's relationship with each other. I like a nice mix of internal angst that doesn't go on overlong leading to affection and genuine love expressed between these two. And I'm a big sucker for rescue stories, either rescue on a physical level (Clark pulls Lois from a burning building) or an emotional one (Lois keeps Clark from leaving Metropolis when he thinks no one appreciates him).

From the technical end of things, a story really hits me as well written when it contains natural-sounding dialogue and well-expressed emotions. This is tough to do, so I appreciate anyone who pulls it off.

Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work?
On the Lois and Clark Fanfic Archives for PG stuff and on Annesplace.net for both Nfic and PG stories. I always post my stories to the boards for feedback before sending them to the archives.

Open Forum For Author Comments
Wow. It's amazing that in less than six months, I feel that I've entered a whole new world full of wonderful people with such amazing talent. I think the best part of my experience with Lois and Clark fanfic is the people that I've met in the course of my participation. People from all over the world who share a similar passion and who genuinely like to "hang out" with each other.

Also, I can't thank everyone on the LnC Fanfic Message Boards enough for their kindness and support. Everyone has been so welcoming and generous, taking the time to read stories by a new author and to give feedback. Because of this experience, I've found the courage to take my writing to places I'd never hoped to go, and for that I'll always be grateful.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all even better, and I hope that this passion we share will continue indefinitely. I can only dream that someday, we will all attain "Trekkie" status, and that Dean and Teri will attend our wacky conventions! ;-) Lynn M.