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
Carolyn B. Schnall

E-mail addresses
cschnall@med.cornell.edu

Residence
New York, New York

List, AOL, or web affiliations
On many FOLC and Dean lists

Lois and Clark or Superman Status

How long have you been watching L&C?
Since September 1997, when it came to TNT, except that I recall seeing some scenes while it was on ABC, notably the death of Mayson Drake.

How long have you been a fan of Superman?
Since early childhood, when my brother and I watched the George Reeves series and occasionally got to read the comic books. The nightmare I remember the most vividly from my childhood is about red Kryptonite exploding my building!

How long have you been writing?
Since about the age of ten. I was writing one-page fanfics based on the Man from U.N.C.L.E. before the term "fanfiction" had been coined. I know that dates me but it turns out that I may have been one of the earliest writers in the genre without knowing it! My Master of Arts is in Creative Writing and I also have written some STTNG nfics.

How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
I believe my first archive story went up late in 1997 and the first nfic was around the same time, so I probably I began them mid-autumn 1997.

What types of Fanfic have you written?
I have written fanfics and nfics, comedies and action stories, a holiday vignette, a round robin with a great pal of mine, and one story that had a violence warning. I tried a couple of other types, including a reporter series, with various amounts of success. I have written a series with four parts so far and a two story cross-over series with STTNG.

Most recent story posted? Where?
My most recent story, an nfic, is called "The Sword is Mightier than the Pen", a sequel to my earlier nfic called "Duty/Dancing," and has been carried on the Joyce/Debby list and Anne's nfic archive.

Favorite story you have written? Why?
Not sure I can choose though I sure had fun writing the one that just got posted. Actually, I enjoyed writing all of them, especially the round-robin nfic, and the STTNG cross-overs. Also, I think I enjoy writing nfics in general more than the g-rated ones, but I also enjoyed the challenge I gave myself in my most action oriented story, which is on the archive, called the Retreat (is that a shameless plug?)

Current project/projects?
I have about 15 ideas/story lines in progress, including another in my long series and a possible third STTNG cross-over. I normally have one on the front burner while others languish in the bun warmer )

Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read?
My all time favorite is Erin Klingler's When You Needed Me Most and I credit her with encouraging me to sign up to the lists. Prior to that, I had surfed the net and found a ton of great stuff, notable Gorn's nfics. There are more but too numerous to mention, since I liked 99% of what I have read!

General Interview Questions

What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy?
Hard to say since I have been doing it so long. After I finished my 1983 Master's thesis (a Star Warsian type novel) I only wrote a few stories, notably the STTNG nfic (1990) that are carried with my L&C nfics thanks to Joyce/Debby and Anne. It took L&C to end my fanfic drought of eight years (did a ton of writing for work). I might add that L&C and FoLCs have helped me enormously at a time when I really needed to be inspired. My parents were ill, I had to change jobs and my opera company had died. I just find it another form of self-expression where I can tell stories not developed for TV. It is also really wonderful when someone else reads my stuff and likes something in one of my stories.

What about the L&C and the characters do you like the most?
L&C made me remember some important life issues that I had been too busy to think about before (running an opera company, taking care of sick parents and working more than full-time is like having three careers and no life). Clark reminded me of the man I had been seeking and the teasing relationship between him and Lois is like the marriage I would like to have.

How do you interpret them in your work?
I try different angles, trying to switch point of view enough not to be boring but keeping what I learned in graduate school in mind. I find that I tend to concentrate a lot on Clark, even identify with his character, so I consciously shake it up from time to time and I try to shift the focus around. I seem to be most comfortable in short story mode and I don't stray too much from canon or stories that can co-exist with canon. I also prefer to tell stories are set prior to the next generation, perhaps because my own experience beyond that is limited. Nfics can really only be set, for the most part, after the wedding, so there are some limitations built in, at least for me.

How did you begin writing in general?
I believe I started in grade school, but the fanfics I wrote about popular TV series of the time were among the first stories I can remember writing for fun.

How do you feel about being nominated for a Kerth Award?
My nKerth nomination was a lovely surprise and honor.

What story of yours was nominated for a Kerth Award and could you tell about it?
My story "How He Needed Her" was the one nominated for the nKerth and since it was my first L&C nfic, I was really stunned that it was so well received )

Have you ever been nominated for the Kerth Award before? If so, please name the fanfic and tell something about it.
I really enjoyed writing it and I was able to put elements into the story about how Lois and Clark make a great team in every aspect of their lives. I was thrilled it was nominated but very happy when a better writer got the award.

What are you working on now and where do you see it going?
I am currently working mostly on an nfic I started last year but the end is not in sight )

What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic's?
Action?
I find that actions stories are not the ones I usually write, but I have been trying to make sure there is a least some action in each of my stories.

Drama?
Love them but I'm not sure any of mine qualify in the face of such wonderful novels on the archive by writers I admire very much.

Humor?
My favorite. There is at least one that cracks me up whenever I think of it (the one where Clark practices spinning into the suit and picks up a cow along the way, sorry, was that Zoom's story ;)) I think the closest I get is banter in my nfics.

Round Robin?
These are great fun to both read and write!

Nfic?
Perhaps my real meat, since most of my ideas tend to be nfic type stories. It was a revelation to find so much well written stuff out there when I first became a FoLC and for awhile could not get enough of it to read. It also led to some great friendships on line, since most discussion was private.

Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left?
Oh no, not at all. It is truly inspiring how many creative ideas turn up all the time and how well wrought they are. FoLCs are not only the most generous people but the most talented I have ever met.

What do you think makes the best story?
I really like the ones that are either so like an episode that you can practically envision it produced or the ones that take us into an area never before explored while remaining true to the characters and, as much as possible, canon. There have been some notable exceptions and I am way far behind in my reading. Logic in story line and true depiction of character are important to me because I find that if I cannot suspend my disbelief, it is too distracting.

Would you like to add a link or URL to your favorite fanfic for the readers to sample your writing?
Hard to choose and I can't put an nfic here, but on the archive, I have a fondness for http//www.lcfanfic.com/stories2/retreat.txt

Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work?
The Archive and the nfic archive or the Joyce/Debby list.

Open Forum For Author Comments
I really was stunned to be asked for this interview and appreciate very much having FoLCs as friends. I also must thank my private editors, Dawn Field and my brother Neil, the Teri fan!