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
Cindy Leuch

E-mail addresses
leuch@iastate.edu
isuleuch@hotmail.com

Residence
Ames, Iowa, USA

List, AOL, or web affiliations
I lurk in the fanfic list, I'm cindyleuch on AIM, and leuch on the IRC.

Lois and Clark or Superman Status

How long have you been watching L&C?
I started watching the night that Lois and Clark first aired on ABC. I started watching purely out of curiosity (I couldn't believe that they were making a live-action Superman TV show) and got hooked immediately.

How long have you been a fan of Superman?
I remember watching the Christopher Reeve movies on my dad's Betamax as a kid. So I guess I can say that I've been a fan almost as long as I can remember.

How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first book in first grade - they encouraged those things at my school, and even had a binding machine so that we could make our books more real. I was voted "most likely to become an author" in sixth grade.

How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
I started writing fanfic in April 2000.

What types of Fanfic have you written?
I started with next gen, and then decided to keep writing in the continuity that I had set up. I wrote a vignette this last winter and I'm in the process of writing an Elseworld story right now. I'll write just about any type of story that stimulates my imagination, no matter what "type" it is.

Most recent story posted? Where?
My most recent story was a vignette called "True Partners." It's on Zoomay's boards and it's posted in the archive.

Favorite story you have written? Why?
That's a hard one. I thought that Personal Loyalties had the best plot, but I like Dawn of Discovery a lot, just because it was my first, and I thought I put a lot of myself into that one.

Current project/projects?
I guess I answered that earlier. I'm writing an Elseworld story that explores a different beginning to the series.

Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read?
There are SO many good fics out there that it makes it hard to pick a favorite. I love anything written by Shayne Terry. Some of the other authors that I follow the most closely are Shelia Harper, Pam Jernigan, Nan Smith, and Irene just to name a few. And I adore Missy's Stranger's series.

General Interview Questions

What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy?
I tend to have a very active imagination, and I remember that back when the show was still airing new episodes, the first few days after each episode was aired were spent dreaming up scenarios about what would happen next of what happened when the cameras weren't on the characters. Back then I didn't put any of these scenarios to paper, though. I didn't even know that there WAS Lois and Clark fanfic until last year, when I started poking around on the internet and found all sorts of interesting sites. I started reading TUFS, then moved on to S5 before finally finding the archive. Reading the stories stirred my imagination anew, and I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the characters were put in different situations. After a while, I got an idea in my head and it just wouldn't get out, so I started writing.

I think the reason that I started writing next gen stories was that there was so much that could be done. The future was something that was left very open ended on the show, and it allowed me to say, "what if...?" I could create new characters and explore new angles that, even with hundreds of fanfics written, hadn't been explored before.

What about the L&C and the characters do you like the most?
I've always been attracted to the personalities of Lois and Clark (as portrayed in the show). Clark is such a caring person, yet he's not a push over. He can and does tease people, yet it's never mean spirited. His personality is very three dimensional, a nice contrast to how his character is portrayed in the movies. Lois is strong and independent and intelligent, so unlike how TV and the movies likes to portray women. I guess I could identify with Lois, and in a way that sucked me into the stories more.

How do you interpret them in your work?
To tell the truth, up to this point I've written more for their descendants than for Lois and Clark themselves. But when I write for any of my main characters, be it Lois or Clark or their children, I always try and think about how they would really react. I like to make sure that their defining personality characteristics (intelligence, caring, stubbornness, and sense of humor, to name a few) come out. I want to be HONEST to the character.

How did you begin writing in general?
Like I said before, I began writing when I was still very young (I think I was 6). I've always had a very active imagination and a desire to put things on paper. I do admit that as an engineering student (and soon to be professional engineer), I don't get much time to explore my creative side. I guess that's what makes writing fanfic so desirable to me, because it let's me use my imagination.

How do you feel about being nominated for a Kerth Award?
I never expected that I would be nominated. When I started writing, it was mostly as a form of recreation for me. I was shy and very insecure, and I had never talked to a folc before I sent that first story into the archive. I wrote for myself, and was very surprised and pleased to see that other people enjoyed my story, too. I feel honored to have been nominated, and I sincerely want to thank everyone who voted for me.

What story of yours was nominated for a Kerth Award and could you tell about it?
I wrote three stories in the year 2000, all of which were nominated. Dawn of Discovery, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, and Professional Loyalties were all next gen stories, which followed the exploits of Lois and Clark's three children. I explored how they handled finding out about their heritage, and what they would do with their lives. I think the descriptions I give probably don't do my stories justice, and I thank Erin for writing the wonderful descriptions that she wrote for the archive.

Have you ever been nominated for the Kerth Award before? If so, please name the fanfic and tell something about it.
This year was the first time I have been nominated for the Kerths.

What are you working on now and where do you see it going?
I'm working on my Elseworld story, and I don't want to say too much at the risk of giving away some of the plot. This will be a stand-alone story, and will a little darker than my previous stories.

What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic's?
Action?
Very exciting. I like it as long as Lois and Clark aren't getting hurt

Drama?
I like it, especially when it's not TOO angsty.

Humor?
I love it! These are my favorite fics.

Round Robin?
These are fun.

Nfic?
I read nfic, but I like it best when the story itself is a g-fic with the n-part inserted for flavor.

Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left?
Of course not! You only need to look at the boards and the archive to see that there are always new and original situations that Lois and Clark can be put into. I still think that next gen is the most wide-open territory, and the possibilities in that genre are limitless.

What do you think makes the best story?
I think the best stories are first and foremost fun. While I appreciate the dramatic stories, I LIKE to read those that let me sit back and read it with a smile. The best stories have believable plots and characters, and of course, Lois and Clark. I also appreciate original concepts, and I'm not afraid of the occasional WHAM.

Would you like to add a link or URL to your favorite fanfic for the readers to sample your writing?
http//www.lcfanfic.com/stories/2000/dawnofdi.txt

Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work?
On the archive (www.lcfanfic.com).

Open Forum For Author Comments