Wow, lots of questions!!
1) Do you go by a pen name when you write? If so why did you choose it?
Yes. When I first got up the nerve to see about getting my first story hosted, I was terrified of my friends finding it, so I made up a pen name. It comes in handy when I meet weirdos online, cause I don't have to worry about them knowing my real name and finding out where I live and such; that would creep me out.
2) Name a story you wish you had written and why (meaning a fanfic that already exists)
"Finding Brotherhood" by Mersey (
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/mersey/fb.html) because it's such a cool, creative, clever story. I'm not usually creative enough to think of the kind of stuff she had in that story, so I admire her for having that kind of talent.
3) What is the most creative idea you have ever had for a story?
LOL I have no idea... I don't think I'm very creative. =P Most of my ideas are inspired by other things, and then I put my own twist on them. My most creative stuff probably came out in "Phantasm," a collaboration I participated in with Mare and a bunch of other authors. It also comes out in my comedies.
4) What is the most cliched story you have written?
I have quite a few cliched stories from my first year of writing especially, but the one that takes the cake is "Through Thick and Thin." It's a girl band fic. =P I called it "my bopper story" when I was writing it cause I knew how cliched it was even then. But it was really fun to write, in that lovely cliched, soap opera way, so I don't even consider it my worst story LOL.
5) What is the most overused plot line out there in fanfic today?
Today? I'm not sure. I don't see as many bus crash and girl band stories as I used to, so maybe it's the "Boy meets girl who has been raped/abused/assaulted/hurt/whatever and teaches her how to love and trust again" kind of story. I get tired of the female leads with the tragic pasts, dead parents and abusive boyfriends and all.
6 ) What started you on writing fan fiction?
I came across a story one day that sounded really good, so I read it, and it was pretty good, but it was only a short story, and I found myself wishing it had been a longer story. It didn't quite meet my expectations. I wished I could read a story like the one I had been imagining when I read the summary of that one, and when I couldn't find out, I decided to write my own. That's how I started writing. I've gotten several story ideas that way - if no one else is writing the kind of stuff I want to read, I write it myself LOL.
7 ) Is fan fiction more of a hobby or is it a stepping stone to something you want to persue realistically?
It's always been a hobby to me, although lately I've gotten it in my head that I would like to someday try to get a novel published. But I have no desire to write as a career; I prefer doing it for fun, with no pressure, deadlines, etc.
8 ) If your fan fiction career ended tomorrow, what would you regret?
I might regret the fact that I've spent the last four years of my fanfic "career" working almost solely on the same series and haven't yet had a chance to pursue the other ideas that have been slowly brewing in my head. But at the same time, I'm more proud of that series than anything else I've ever written, and it's taken me four years to write it because I had a LONG story to tell, and I'm nearing the end of it now, so I really shouldn't have any regrets.
9 ) Is there anything that turns you off about fan fiction readers as a whole?
The only thing that turns me off is the ones who read regularly and never say a word - no reviews, no feedback, not even a "Great story; I'm really enjoying it; keep it up!"
10 ) What are your thoughts on including Kevin in a piece of fan fiction these days, assuming the piece is not an AU?
I don't see why that would be a big deal at all. It's not like Kevin is dead; he's still around, so why couldn't you write about him? It's not like the Boys have severed all ties with him just because he left Bsb, so why should we cut him out of our stories?
11) What's one genre you'd never write about & why?
Slash, because I can't take it seriously. So if I wrote about it, it would be in a parody, and I'd be making fun of it.
12) Did you ever write a story not because you wanted too, but because you felt you HAD too [like, you were forced to write it]?
Yes.
13) What's one story you've written that most people would be shocked to find?
I think anyone who stumbled onto Broken and BMS, having never read any of my older stories, would be shocked to read the horrors that are my older stories, especially stuff like Through Thick and Thin LOL. My writing's gotten a lot better since then.
14) Do you have a story you've written & posted online, but will never post on absolutechaos because you're afraid of what people night think?
I have a ton of stories that aren't posted on AC, just cause I don't think they're any good. I'd rather plug the stories I'm reasonably proud of.
15) Do you have a favourite absolutechaos author? If so, who is it & why?
Offhand, probably Jenna. I've been reading her stories for like 7 years, and she writes the kind of stuff I like to read. The Swollen Issues series is a perfect example.
16) What story pulled you out of your writing comfort zone and why?
Phantasm, which I mentioned earlier, because it was a supernatural/psychological kind of story, and it was more fantasy than I'm used to writing, so I really had to stretch my creativity to contribute to that one.
Also Broken and BMS because I ended up writing scenes in those that were just uncomfortable for me, but because of that, they've both been great challenges for me.
17) Name a relatively unknown writer who you feel needs to be recognized, one of her/his fics and why.
Jen, author of "Remember Me This Way" (
http://www.geocities.com/imaginefanfic/), who really shouldn't be unknown because she's been writing for at least 8 years, but I don't see her get a lot of recognition. She's awesome though. She writes great angsty medical tearjerker types stories (which I love), and her writing has gotten so good over the years. She just needs to update more often. =P
18.) Has a music video inspired one of your stories? How?
Actually, yes. I have a short story inspired by the video for Fuel's "Hemorrhage." I'm sure that's not the only example, but it was the first thing to come to mind.
19.) What skill do you feel you need to work on as a writer?
Skill-wise, characterizati
on. Story-wise, I would love to write a good suspense or some kind of fantasy/supernatural thing that would be really creative and original, something out of the box.
20.) What do you feel is your best skill as a writer?
Dialogue; I think I'm pretty good at dialogue. I'm also good at researching and writing medical stuff accurately.
21) If someone started professionally publishing Backstreet novels (multi-genre; anything from suspense to action to romance), would you be likely buy them?
If I liked the original fanfics, of course!! That would be cool.
22) On which TV show would you most want to see the BSB guest star--either as themselves or as characters on the show? (Can have them all on the same show, or if prefer they’re each guest staring on different shows--which one stars on which show?)
ER or Survivor
23) If you tired of writing BSB, do you think you would continue to write fanfiction for another fandom, or would it likely be the end of your fanfic “career”?
It would probably be the end. I've never gotten into writing for any other fandom. My biggest obsession after Bsb would probably be Harry Potter, but I've never been able to read HP fanfic, and I can't see myself really getting into writing it either. When I get tired of writing about Bsb, I'll probably just write original fiction.
24) What Alternate Universe would you most want to see a story about? (examples: BSB as doctors, as firefighters, as police officers, as squirrels (hmm actually I challenge anyone to write that one!)
Bsb as a club of 13-year-old babysitters. I was a big fan of the Babysitter's Club when I was little.
(No, honestly, I prefer to read about the guys as themselves, so I have no idea LOL.)
25) Going back to question# 11. What would it take for you to reconsider writing a fic of that dreaded genre? (i.e. Would you if challenged? Would you for money? For a best friend’s birthday? Under absolutely no circumstances?)
As I said there, the only way I'd do it is if it was a comedy/parody. Then I could totally see myself doing it LOL.
26) What influences you to continue writing? Is it reader support, number of reviews, your own determination, or something else? Why does it influence you?
Mostly my own inspiration, but reader support definitely helps. When it comes down to it, though, I write because I want to write. If I don't feel like writing something, no amount of begging is gonna get me to write it.
27) Was there ever a time you felt that you could no longer write fan fiction and took a "hiatus"? What did you do during that time?
Nope... seven years, and it hasn't happened yet LOL.
28) If for some reason, due to circumstances beyond your control, you were forced to give up your fan fiction career, who would you want to finish your incompleted works?
My friend Bianca is probably the only one I would completely trust to finish them. She's incredibly talented, and she knows how my mind works, and she's always on the same page as me with stuff in my stories, so I know she would be able to do them justice.
29) If you could no longer write fan fiction, what is the one thing you would like to be remembered for?
I guess I would like to be remembered as a good writer who was also a nice person and appreciated her readers.
30) What is your main goal in your writing? Do other people influence this goal, or is it more of a singular thing?
My main goal is entertainment.
.. of myself and other people, I guess. I write because it's a fun hobby for me, and I love the fact that other people enjoy reading my stories too. That's part of what makes it fun. So my main goal is just to enjoy myself and provide enjoyment for others.
31) Do you share your fan fiction with the people you know uotside of the internet? Or is it a secret part of you that only us special people get to see?
It's absolutely a secret part of me LOL. My family knows I write, but they're not allowed to read my stuff. My mom has swown she will never read it, and my dad and sister don't really care to LOL. My friends have no idea I even write.
