Writing

[annundriel]

I totally stole these from jack_infinitude.

01. When did you start writing?

Sometime in elementary school, I'm pretty sure. I don't remember if I ever tried anything before that. I know I certainly made a lot of things up. The only difference between that pre-writing period and now is that now I write those things down. :) But elementary school is when I can actually remember getting paper and a pencil or crayon and trying to make stories. There were also computer programs both at school and at home where you could choose your visuals and put together the words to go with. I loved those.

02. First drafts: Handwritten, typed, or some combination?

"First draft" is such a strange box for me to think in. All of my drafts kind of blend into one. I'd say some combination. Things will start handwritten and then I'll move to typing, generally. Whether or not I'll have an entire story handwritten first before moving to the computer is another thing. I do love writing things by hand.

Although, some things just flow better when I can type. Sometimes I'll close my eyes to better visualize something and type that way. It's not so easy to handwrite things with your eyes closed.

03. Do you keep any kind of notebook or writer's journal, and if so, what kinds of things go into it?

Yes, I do. Since I was a freshman in college. I started carrying tiny notebooks around with me to class so I could sit there and write without messing up my class notes. A strange version of doodling. What kinds of things go into it? Random sentences that may end up being the beginning or ending of a story, title ideas, story ideas, paragraphs, impressions, thoughts on a show/episode/character I might want to explore more fully, quotes I like, copies of conversations that may eventually trigger a story, prompts, whole ficlets. You name it. If there's a fic I've posted on my LJ, it probably started life in some form in my notebook.

04. Do you set any quotas for your work (number of words per day, number of hours per day, etc.)? Why or why not?

My only quota is to write something every day. I've been able to do this for 14.5 months. Otherwise I try not to pressure myself too much. Keyword there being "try." Sometimes I hit a good spot and produce a lot. Sometimes I feel utterly useless. Deadlines don't help in the later situation. Though I did great with them in school situations and the time with my play.

05. Are you most comfortable writing short stories, novels, or something else?

Oh, I would love to write something long and plot-filled with interesting characters. But I'm most comfortable writing shorter pieces. I like challenging myself with drabbles (100 words, no more or less) and other restrictions.

06. What's your favorite kind of story to write?

Hmm. I really like to explore the feelings and motivations of the characters. And, okay, I kind of really enjoy doing this through porn. I like the various things that come up (heh, "come up") when you put a couple of characters in a romantic/sexual situation: emotions, sensations, revelations, questions, denial, acceptance. I like seeing what they do in those situations.

07. Talk about a story of yours that was easy to write and one that was difficult to write, and why.

I am going to cheat on this question. It's difficult for me to pick just one that I would call relatively easy to write. "From Thy Hand" came out of nowhere practically fully formed. "Patterns of Experience" was also practically just there. "Interior" I wrote in one sitting while I was at work. "Zombie Apocalypse, What Zombie Apocalypse?"/"Let's Misbehave." For my first official piece of porn, "Any Other Name" was also surprisingly easy. Those are just a few. Why were they easy? I don't know. I really don't know with the first two. I hadn't been watching Supernatural that long and hadn't seen all of season four, yet. PoE scared me because I was worried that my cobbled together knowledge wasn't going to cut it. And still, I didn't have to poke at it too hard.

Difficult is easier to answer. "Before the Night Is Through." omg, that fic. You can ask ginnith and sdrohc_ratiug. That fic was making me crazy. I started re-writing it three times. Almost started a fourth until I realized the third was good. I blame Dean. I just could not get him quite right. It worked out in the end, though. "For Every Action" was also kind of difficult, but only because I'd never written anyone handcuffed before. ;)

08. Which of your characters is closest to your sense of self? In other words, who do you most identify with in your own work to date?

Ooh. I....really don't know. McGee, maybe. My mother will tell you I am Dean and/or Sam. I identify a little with all of them.

09. What work are you most proud of right now?

I am still really proud of "There's Not a Step We Can Take That Does Not Bring Us Closer." It's short, but "Sand." I really love the flow of "Sand" and the beats it hits, as well as the way it focuses in and then backs out.

10. What do you feel your strengths and weaknesses are as a writer?

I think plot is probably my largest weakness. Or maybe sustaining plot? I get distracted by other shiny things I want to write.

Strengths? Can porn be a strength? That I can definitely do. Also, I hear from people that the characters are in-character, so there's that, too. Detail, maybe.

11. Name a few writers who have influenced you or your work in some way.

Agatha Christie is a pretty big one. My high school play was pretty much an homage to her. Jane Austen is another big one. There are so many things I wrote in middle/high school that were definitely influenced by her. I'm also totally going to say Joss Whedon. Anne Perry. I don't know who I was reading the last couple of years of high school, but when I look back that's when I can see certain stylistic things starting to emerge.

12. Talk about something you've written that you later found embarrassing for some reason.

Nothing, really embarrasses me. Maybe something SGA related? Sometimes I worry "Time to Spare" isn't as good as it could be.

13. Talk about the earliest stories you remember writing. What were they about?

Anthropomorphic animals! Fairies! People stuck on desert islands with anthropomorphic animals! Um. Gee. To go back to question #11, maybe L. Frank Baum was influencing me more than I thought. I wrote a story in...9th grade about a ball and a ghost and a tragedy for an assignment. Oh! And a Regency mystery in 8th grade!

14. If you knew you would be successful, what would you most like to write?

Mysteries would be so much fun. But not ones with, like, some cutesy hook. Not that cutesy hooks aren't good, just...I think it would be really great to have a series that had a weightiness to it without being full of itself and a certain levity without being silly.

Also, characters that break heteronormative molds.

15. What inspires you?

Television, movies, music, poetry, photography. Taking a walk. Shelving books. Driving down the freeway. ::shrug:: My environment. Anytime I'm allowed to veg out and let my mind wander, I usually find something.

16. How many projects do you tend to work on at once?

I don't really like to work on more than one. So if I have one thing started and I get an idea for something else, one usually sits on the backburner until I finish the other. Though lately I keep starting things and then rotating projects.

17. Who reads your work before it's released to the public? Do you have beta readers, a critique group, etc.?

ginnith reads everything. I don't think she even actually watches any of the shows I write fic for now, but she still reads it all. (I mostly go with my gut for whether or not something is IC/OOC. This may be a good or bad thing.) Sometimes I'll also turn to sdrohc_ratiug. mclachlan's had a few things thrown her way as well. I have a hard time posting things without getting someone else's opinion on them first, no matter the length.

18. When you're not writing, what do you do for fun?

I read a lot. Watch TV and movies. Take walks. Listen to music and play computer/video games.

19. Advice to other writers?

Keep writing.

20. What are you currently working on?

Oh, all sorts of things. Southland fic. Dean, Cas, and bubble baths. Dean, Cas, and showers. Tony, Tim, and towels. Castiel's first time at the fair. Various other examples of Castiel's "first time."

21. Share three sentences of a work in progress.

Choices! From the Southland fic:

John watches him, posture casual, but Ben can see the tension bleeding out around the edges. He holds the beer out between them.

Stepping forward, John ignores the bottle in favor of crowding Ben, stepping into his space unblinkingly, close enough Ben has to tilt his head to keep eye contact.

I'm going to break the rules again and do two! :P From the NCIS towel fic:

“Aren’t you going to say it?”

“Say what?”

Rolling his eyes, Tim says, “’Gee, McGee, we should get you out of these wet things’?”