Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Writer's Showcase. I hope you will enjoy what you find here and come back time and again.
This week's Featured Writer is one busy lady. After you read her interview you will understand what I mean. She is not only a guiding force behind the Lois and Clark Fanfic Archives (Chief Editor) but, she is also coordinating the upcoming S6 episodes of L&C. Plus she finds time to write wonderful fantastic fanfics. She is definitely a lady of many talents.
Now without further ado, I am proud and honored to present this week's Writer, in the Writer's Showcase ....
Personal Information
Author name
Kathy Brown (KathyB)
E-mail addresses
kathyb@lcfanfic.com
Homepage
Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to set up my webpage with my new ISP, yet!
Residence
Recently moved to Illinois, born and raised in Michigan.
List, AOL, or web affiliations
LOISCLA since late 1995/early 1996,
Fanfic List since inception (1997) and
#loiscla on IRC since ... er, I guess it would be fall of 1995.
That was the second FoLC thing I did, the first being discovering and reading fanfic. I'm addicted, which is kind of too bad since I would get SO much more done on my writing if I spent as much time on it as I do on IRC. <g>
How long have you been watching L&C?
I've been a L&C fan since *before* the Pilot aired. I've been a Superman fan since I
was a kid, but I always fixated more on Clark and his personal life. So when I read in
TV Guide in the summer of 1993 that there was going to be a new show that fall that
would concentrate not on Superman but on the relationship between Lois Lane and Clark
Kent ... well, I almost passed out with joyful anticipation. <g>
How long have you been a fan of Superman?
Since I was about 10 or 12. Chris Reeve's Superman in the movies really caught my
attention, then I started watching the old George Reeves' TV show in reruns. I also picked
up a few comics around this time, in particular, a "Superman Encyclopedia" that I found
in a used book store. It summarized everything there was to know about Superman
up to that time (late 70's), including the history of the character and descriptions/summaries
of the villains, friends and plots. I really learned a lot from that book, which I used to pore
over time and time again.
Interestingly, what I would do in studying this book was gather "material" for my daydreams about Clark. I was actually writing fanfic in my head, though I certainly didn't have a name for it back then.
One thing I find funny/cute/ironic, is how most of my "daydreams" about Clark involved him meeting a woman who appreciated him for all the things he was, not criticized him for what he wasn't. (Remember, this is based on the "pre-crisis" Superman, like in the Reeve movies, who pretended to be a timid nerd as his disguise.) I might have been the only person who really liked Superman 3 & 4, not because of the gosh-awful a-plots, but because they both involved women who liked Clark romantically, and made Lois jealous. <g>
In my mind, he always would go for the girl who treated him well and left Lois lamenting the fact that she didn't know a good thing when she saw it. I think it was the allure of finding that "diamond in the rough". We all want to both find that person ... and be that person that someone notices as being special.
But my "fandom" was brought to a new level with "Lois & Clark". There is absolutely no contest over which incarnation is my favorite.
How long have you been writing?
I did some writing in elementary school and junior high but I remember it as being a chore
rather than fun. We had to submit a story every year for Young Authors as part of our
classwork, and I used to dread it. I won for my grade in 2nd grade, and then again in
8th grade. By junior high, participating was optional, but I had an idea for a story that
I actually wanted to write. It was about an abused girl who gathered the strength toadmit
what was happening to her and go to a shelter for help.
My sister won the same year for 7th grade. My poor mom ... so proud because 2 of the 10 winners at the awards ceremony were her kids, but mortified that her oldest daughter had written about child abuse. LOL!!!
But seriously, I never considered myself a writer. My sister was the artistic one, and I shied away from doing anything "artsy" because of it (just as she probably avoided math/science like the plague because that was my thing). Even in college, I never enjoyed writing up my papers. I didn't hate it, but it didn't do anything for me either.
It wasn't until I started working that I realized I had a talent for this stuff. I did corporate consulting for several years, and by the end, I was considered one of the best writers in my office. I did business proposals, marketing materials, sales brochures, procedure and software manuals ...you name it. And that's when I realized how much I loved writing. It was non-fiction (well, some of those sales brochures ... <bg>), but the feeling I would get while massaging those words until they were perfect ... I really enjoyed it.
How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
I wrote my first story (Camping with Clark) in December of 1995, which was half-way
through the 3rd season of L&C on ABC.
Fanfic was one of the first things I discovered in FoLCdom when I went on-line that fall, and I was devouring them left and right. After I'd read a hundred or so <g>, I started thinking "hey, I could do this". All I needed was the right idea. I had recently attended a camping trip with a bunch of work friends and bingo! I always wanted the show to introduce us to some of Clark's old friends who he claimed to keep in touch with. Since they didn't, I decided to do it myself. :)
"Camping" was intended to be within continuity -- L&C had just become engaged on the show, and I figured they'd get married during May sweeps. I set the wedding in June to account for summer break. Who could have expected they'd try to get married in February?! When L&C didn't end up married after that horrible story arc, I thought I was golden once again --they'd have to marry them during May sweeps. Buzz! Wrong answer. Oh, well, can't have everything. <g>
What types of Fanfic have you written?
My "independent" writing has been almost exclusively nfic or romance. I have also
written or contributed to several S5 episodes, and those were combinations of action
and romance, just like the show.
Most recent story posted? Where?
My most recent story was the S5 episode "Through The Looking Glass", which was
our alternate universe episode. If you wanted to see Alt Clark find his Lois, I think
you'll like this story. :) You don't need to have read the rest of S5 to enjoy it, though
I highly recommend reading *all* the S5 episodes.
The web version is available on the S5 website: http//www.tempus.simplenet.com/ season5/. These are fun to read since we combined pictures to go along with the story.
Text only versions can also be found on the main L&C Fanfic Archive. http://www.lcfanfic.com
Favorite story you have written? Why?
People ask me this and I never know! LOL, you'd think I could pick one, but they are
all like my children. I love them all for different reasons.
But if I have to choose ... My favorite "regular" fic isn't too hard -- "Through The Looking Glass", the alternate universe S5 episode. I couldn't write anything substantial in "our" L&C universe for weeks because I was so into those characters. I would have loved to just keep writing sequels for them.
My favorite nfic is a lot more difficult to identify, but I guess it would be "Winners".
It's the longest story I've released so far at 238K, and it just covers so much ground.
The story was written over about a year, so what started out as a reaction/follow-up
to "Virtually Destroyed" expanded to address the non-wedding argh, and then the New
Krypton arc. It was very therapeutic for me, a story in which I could wrap-up a
lot of the loose ends left by the 3rd season of L&C. Of course, the fact that it
contains what might be the longest love scene in L&C nfic history at over 20 pages
means absolutely nothing. I have to make a special mention of "Camping with Clark" here, though. I won the
1997 Fanfic Kerth award for that story, and that meant so much to me. Camping
was the first story I wrote, so I always tended to discount it a bit. It wasn't very
long; it didn't address a "serious" topic -- it was just about being in love and having
friends and having fun. Yet, I've had so many people tell me it's their favorite of the
stories I've written and that they re-read it often. I can't express how great that makes
me feel. I've always liked the story myself, but I guess I wasn't sure that anyone
else would. The success of that story was what kept me writing in the first place. :)
Current project/projects? What some of you may not know, however, is that I'm coordinating a Season 6
(S6, continuing from last year's S5) this year. It won't be a full season as S5
was -- we are only doing 11-12 episodes, spread out over 9 months. However, I
can say that we have some fantastic writers on staff (about half from S5, half new to
the project) and some great episodes planned. So, even though they won't be released
like clockwork every Sunday, keep an eye out for them. We'll be sure to post our
schedule on LOISCLA and the Fanfic list when we are ready. We'll also put a link
to our website on the Archive, once we get things rolling. We're aiming for a
mid-October premiere.
Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read? I should just stop there, but since I've never been one to stop a good ramble ;), I'll move
onto a few specific authors. We are so lucky to have the talents of authors like Zoomway,
Sheila Harper, Chris Mulder, etc., and like most of the other authors profiled here, I love
their work. However, in interest of variety, I'm going to suggest some of my favorite authors
that may not have been mentioned as often. Look them up on the L&C Fanfic Archive!
I highly recommend anything by Phil Atcliffe. I find his work just wonderful; he impresses
the heck out of me.
I also need to mention Pam Jernigan. She has a wide variety of high-quality stories.
Wonderful stuff.
Jeff Brogden is another great author -- his Degeneration and Kansas Fourth are still
some of my favorite stories. (In Jeff's recent profile, he says "writing is not one of my
strong points". After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I wondered "gee, imagine how
good he must be at the things that *are* his strong points!" <g> Jeff claims not to be
the best at grammar, etc., but his story-telling abilities are top notch.)
The best new story I've read is a recent addition to the Archive. It's called "In A
Child's Name" by Delaney. I just *love* it when a new author arrives on the scene
with outstanding work!
There are many, many more stories/authors that I love, but I think this gives you some
idea of my tastes. (Oh, and for the record, Chris Mulder's "Love Beyond All Measure"
and "Dimensions of Loving" are my all-time, number one, best of the best, favorite stories.
Yeah, yeah, me and everyone else. <g>)
Interview Questions What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy? There are two "best" parts for me. One is telling a story that you enjoy personally, and
having others enjoy it, too. (I love getting compliments; there, I admitted it. <g>) The
second is this writers' high I get when the words are flowing. It's like I get in this zone
and everything just clicks ... it's the most incredible feeling in the world, and I can get by on the adrenaline
from one of those episodes for days.
Now if only I could figure out how to keep it going all the time, you'd be reading a lot
more from me. <g>
What about L&C and the characters do you like the most? How do you interpret them in your work? So, for my stories, I may take L&C and put them in situations the show would never
give us, but I do try to stay honest to the portrayal that Deanand Teri gave us.
How did you begin writing in general? I work in transitions as they come to me, but sometimes I literally have to bang them
into place with a sledgehammer. <g> But in general, I just work forwards and backwards,
and here and there, until things start joining.
I don't use outlines, though I would like to try sometimes. One new thing I'm trying is
writing down descriptions of scenes even if I don't have time to get the whole scene
completed in detail ... I'm hoping this will help me capture the emotion of a scene so
I won't lose it later. I've had that happen before, losing the "perfect solution" because
I waited too long to get it on paper/screen.
My style isn't the most organized way to write, which is evidenced by how long it takes
me to finish my longer stories. But it does allow me to go back to my "roots" -- to
daydreaming about my favorite characters, and letting the written fanfic flow from there. :)
I think it's also evidence that writing is my release -- if you saw the way I keep story
records for the Archive, you wouldn't believe I could be so laid back about my own
writing. <bg>
What are you working on now and where do you see it going? I have several unfinished fanfics in the works, but three in particular that I really want
to finish sooner rather than later. One is a story that Demi and I are co-writing based
on the premise "what if L&C were thrown together romantically in early 2nd season
rather than later on?" It picks up where "That Old Gang Of Mine" ends, and rewrites
continuity from there. It should be a *great* story ... if we just could only get it finished!
We are easily over 100 pages with no end in sight. It's an epic. <g> (And yes, everyone
is sick of me talking about it because we've been working on it for 1.5 years now and still
aren't done yet. ;))
The other 2 stories that I can't let go of are a prequel and a sequel to my nfic "Winners."
The prequel is tentatively called "Coming Home" and it's about Clark's return from New
Krypton (in Winners, Clark had spent the summer serving in the war on NK, since the
bulk of the story was written that summer after BGDF and it didn't occur to me that
they'd have him turn around and come right back ;)). This is a darker, more emotional
story than those I've written in the past, and it's the one that has most of my interest.
W2 (how's that for an original working title for a sequel? <g>), picks up where Winners
leaves off, and explores how L&C adapt to having an intimate relationship before they
are married/living together. My goal is to have this story end with an October 6 wedding,
which would bring everything back into continuity. Thus, all 3 of these stories together
would cover approximately 5 months (from May, when Clark went to New Krypton after
BGDF, to October's STGTTWAK)
What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic's?
Drama? Humor? That said, I really don't have a favorite "type" of L&C fanfic. To me, a good story is a
good story, and it can be serious or humorous, a-plot or b-plot heavy. I do tend to be
drawn more towards the romantic "getting together" stories, but I've also been known to
get a big silly grin on my face when reading a well-done a-plot. <g> A story that draws
me in, has me turning the page (or scrolling down the screen ;)) excited to read more ...
those are my favorite kind.
Round Robin? What I'd like to see is more groups getting together via email, for example, and writing
RR's that way. Instead of setting things up ahead of time, get a general idea down, and
start writing. Set a limit -- everyone writes, say, five paragraphs and passes it on. Have
fun ... see where you end up. There are all sorts of things you can do with an RR.
Nfic? Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left? But there are definitely new directions for fanfic ... just wait a bit to see what we
come up with for S6. ;)
Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work? My nfic is available on www.nfanfic.net. You must be
18 or older, and promise never to redistribute it without my expressed permission. Oh,
and this is a big one ... please send comments. Feedback is like cash to fanfic authors ... we
write because we enjoy it, but if we think no one is listening, we are less likely to share
our stories outside or immediate circle of friends.
Thanks for this opportunity, Annie. :)
Kathy Brown
As many people know, I'm the Editor-in-Chief of the L&C Fanfic Archive. This
keeps me pretty busy. I love the job and am honored to be such an active part of
running the Archive. But the irony is it keeps me so busy that I don't have nearly
as much time to either write my own stories, or even to read other people's fanfics.
Up until a year ago, I could say that I had read every single story on the Archive.
Now I have to rely on recommendations from friends and my editing staff to give
me a heads up when a new great story comes along.
The easiest way is to give two categories -- the entire S5 season, and all of the 1997
Fanfic Kerth award winners (and many of the nominees). Links to these can be
found on the Fanfic Archive.
I've always had stories going in my head, even before I even considered writing them
down. I never considered myself a writer, but once I finished my first story, I fell in love
with it.
Lois and Clark have, to me, a "perfect love". It might not be realistic in our world -- I
don't really believe in soul mates, for example, for anyone but L&C. But for L&C,
nothing else will do. I simply adore them. :)
We've all read stories where the characters names are "Lois" and "Clark" but the people
described on paper are not the ones from the show. I vastly prefer being able to see/hear
Dean and Teri in those roles. Fanfic writers may take the characters and put them in
new situations, but the "feeling" has to be there.
By reading fanfic obsessively, and one day deciding "I could do that". :) As for how
I write my stories, I tend to start out with a single scene. I write down scenes as they
come to me. I might not have any idea what the rest of the story will be about, so I
keep it simmering in the back of my mind ... what could this story be about? Eventually,
a story takes form. If you looked at my in-progress stories, though, they would look like
jigsaw puzzles, with "sections" completed all over the place, with lots of blank space
in between.
Writing-wise? How much time do you have? <g> I'm scheduled to write one S6
episode, no spoilers allowed. :)
Action?
The best stories are the ones that combine all of these, just like the show did. Some
authors excel at one kind, another at something else, but when the elements are all there
and clicking ... wow! :)
I've enjoyed reading the RR's; they are great "fun" reads for me -- a story you have
for mental dessert. <g> The IRC group has done a great job with them. I used to
participate in them when they first got started, but I've had to bow out for lack of time.
They have been a very creative group. Impressive!
I really enjoy nfic, but by far, I prefer the kind that has a back-story. There are some
really well done, sexy stories out there, but the best ones give us the motivation for why
the particular encounter is happening. What makes it "special"? I think this is why "first
time" stories are so popular. There is a built in tension there -- will they or won't they.
It's certainly very possible to write a good 'vignette' nfic with a married L&C, but you have
to work harder to add in that tension.
I'm still finding new stories with fresh ideas on the Archive, so no, I don't think everything
has been done. As long as a story is well-written, I will enjoy it even if I've read other
stories with similar premises before.
My fanfic can be found on the L&C Fanfic Archive http//lcfanfic.com/
In addition to in the Archive, my S5 work can also be found at ...http//www.tempus.simplenet
.com/season5/.
kathyb@lcfanfic.com
KathyB on IRC