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
Sarah Luddy

E-mail addresses
sarahldy@wam.umd.edu

Residence
Maryland (near DC), United States

List, AOL, or web affiliations
#lanekent
message boards
lcfic and lcnfic mailing lists
My homepage is http//www.wam.umd.edu/~sarahldy/, and I have a few non-L&C things I've written there (though not many).

Lois and Clark or Superman Status

How long have you been watching L&C?
Since episode number one (just ask my mother about how we had to plan our entire lives around being home by 8pm Sundays to watch). I was actually hesitant about the series when I started watching it. I'd seen a picture on the front of the TV Guide with Lois sitting in a chair and Clark resting his head on hers, and they looked squish-faced, I remember thinking (I was 13). I was just so used to the Christopher Reeve version, I couldn't imagine any other. But once I started watching, I think I fell in love with the series about 2 minutes in. It helped that 2 minutes in was, um, I believe when Clark Kent first appears, isn't it? Hmm, what a coincidence. *wink* The last episode, Family Hour, aired on my 17th birthday. What a bittersweet birthday present. *sigh*

How long have you been a fan of Superman?
I used to like the movies when I was a kid, and at one point I actually bought the Doomsday issue of the comic (but I think that was after L&C started). My brother and I were definitely into the Superman movies, I'd say, but it was Lois and Clark that really made me a fan.

How long have you been writing?
Well, I've written off-and-on since about the time I first learned how. I used to have these stories in which there would be three pages about the heroine getting dressed in a certain outfit (described down to the last detail, of course). Quite boring. :) My friend Jenny and I would write stories and trade and critique them. My mother, however, says I've been storytelling since I could talk, and she just wishes she wrote my stories down. I used to play dolls all the time and narrate these long convoluted stories, mostly involving orphans finding homes (a topic that apparently fascinated me, despite my having two happily-married parents). I'd even make up stories for my brother's G.I. Joes or for our run-around-the-yard-shooting-each-other-with-toy-guns games, much to his despair. In action stories I was always fascinated with acting out the villain's daughter. Only over the last two or three years, though, have I been writing regularly.

How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
Hmm, I believe I started my first story in August (2001), though I couldn't swear to it. I rediscovered L&C in June, watched every video by the end of July, found the archives, started writing my own story, and read almost every story in there by October. Then promptly forgot them all, as shown by my poor showing in the Kerth quizzes. :)

What types of Fanfic have you written?
With longer stories, I tend to lean towards Elseworlds. You know how when kids have a paper to write, they like choosing a really unusual topic just so that nobody else will choose it, because they figure they have a better chance of looking good and getting a good grade if nobody else has written something similar to compare it to? Well, I think my writing is kinda like that. I want to write a story that hasn't been told, something different and unusual, because I don't want to be compared to anybody else and come up short. *grin*

Most recent story posted? Where?
Hmm, most recent complete story is probably "Sugarplums for Lois," a quick short story I wrote, which is currently only on the message boards. But my current story, "Path to the Congo," is on the message boards as I write it.

Favorite story you have written? Why?
Hmm, favorite story is always either the one I'm currently working on or the one I want to start working on once the current one is finished. :) Which means that my favorites are "Path to the Congo" and the one I'll start when I finish that.

Current project/projects?
"Path to the Congo."

I have about 3 on the backburner that I'm plotting out as I finish PTTC.

Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read?
Hmm, how many pages do I have to list them? :) Okay, let's see. Every word my twin (Meredith "Annie" Nicholson) writes. Anything by Wendy, definitely. Especially "The Penfriend," "The Healing Time," and "Just Another Undercover Assignment." Pam Jernigan's "Tryst." Kathy Brown and Demi's story "When Friends Become Lovers" was the first fanfic I read, and it's still one of my favorites. Chris Mulder's Love Beyond All Measure/Dimensions of Loving and Meet Me in Kansas City. "The Darkest Hour," by Erin Klinger. Any stories by Labrat, Kaethel, and Tracey. "Quick Change," by Carla Humbert, which I made the mistake of trying to read in public and had to bite down on a pen to keep from making a fool of myself by literally rolling on the floor with laughter. Kathryn Kent's "48 Hours Without a Superman," which caused a repeat performance of said laughter. :) M.L. Thompson's "A Matter of Destiny." Countless others that I'm not going to remember offhand. Just about anything well-written, I enjoy.

General Interview Questions

What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy?
I think I always liked to have some guidelines, someplace to start a story. I enjoy writing semi-fantasy stories, and Lois and Clark's universe is great because it gives us a chance to write romance, adventure, and fantasy - without having to make up our own fantasy worlds to write about. I have to say, though, the first thing that led me to think I could write a story was randomly reading stories on the archives and coming across one that made me think, I could write as well as this. Reading the Kerth winners had exactly the opposite effect, of course.

What about the L&C and the characters do you like the most?
I like Lois's spunkiness and quirks. I have to admit I have more trouble with Clark, making him nice and a "boy scout" without making him boring. Lex is definitely fun to write, as I'm finding in my current story. I also like adding in different characters from the series at different points at a story, sometimes in places they aren't expected (for instance, Claude in my current fic).

How do you interpret them in your work?
Hmm. Hopefully the way they are in the series. I know I keep bringing up my WIP...but I think it's forced me to really think about the characters and their development, because I'm starting with them as children. Lex I found the most interesting, simply because I had a lot more leeway on his background and his evildoings. Ask my beta-reading twin, Annie -- I'm constantly complaining to her about how evil Lex is being, in a story I'm writing myself, no less. But I do sometimes find that while I planned for a character to act a certain way, they seem to have their own mind about what they're going to do or say.

How did you begin writing in general?
I think I kinda answered this in "how long have you been writing." I guess I started writing because I loved to read and I loved the made-up worlds that I found in books. And I liked to create my own, or make changes to them in my mind. I firmly believe that a great deal of my writing never actually gets written down. Every day, all day, I'm coming up with little stories and imaginary worlds. Most of them don't have plots *darn* or non-Mary-Sue characters, so they get tossed away. But some eventually become stories when I find the time to write.

How do you feel about being nominated for a Kerth Award?
Hey, don't jinx me! *grin* I haven't had any stories nominated yet. I'd like to, one day. Personally I understand where authors are coming from when they say that they're pleased to just be nominated. I was looking at the list of eligible stories from last year's Kerths, and just thought, wow, it must be amazing to be picked out of so many stories there. So I guess being nominated or winning a Kerth is my eventual goal, but I'm willing to work for it. :)

What are you working on now and where do you see it going?
Well, I'd almost consider that I have two WIPs, one that I'm writing and one that I'm thinking about. My current story is called "Path to the Congo," because it starts when Lex, Clark, and Lois are children, and it goes through significant events of their lives separately until they finally all meet in the Congo. It's an elseworld story because while I start in such a way that it could lead up to the pilot, I eventually veer off into elseworlds. I'm combining canon from both the regular world and the alt-world (as the latter part of the story will take place in the Congo), and adding original characters right and left. Which makes it pretty complicated. The story I'm still working on plotting out is actually one I thought of while reading a poll on the ficlist about which type of story people like to read, L&C married, dating but Lois knows CK=S, dating and Lois doesn't know, not dating, etc. There wasn't a category for L&C married and Lois doesn't know. It got me thinking, could there possibly be any defense for Clark marrying Lois and not telling her that he's Superman? What if Superman has done something unforgivable in Lois's eyes, and Clark is willing to give up the persona to be what Lois wants? It's going to be a tough sell, I know, and I'm probably going to have to learn how to actually write introspection, but I want to try it.

What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic's?
Action?
I like action, but as long as some of the other elements are included. I know, I know, my stories are far more action/drama than waffy, but that's just because I know I'm not good at waffy. :)

Drama?
Definitely like drama, I even enjoy WHAMs (as long as our characters are all nice and happy at the end). That said, there's one story that the ending never fails to make me cry and be miserable for days afterwards, and yet I still can't help rereading it every once-in-a-while, Ad Astra Per Aspera by Becky Bain.

Humor?
Oh, definitely. I like stories that are almost entirely humor, as long as they're short (I don't think pure humor can sustain a longer story), and I love every story to have a little bit of humor in it. I think that was one of my favorite parts of the show, because (despite earlier comments) I was a bit young for the romance to sustain me.

Round Robin?
I haven't read many of these. I find them funny, but sometimes too disjointed. It sounds like fun to do but I doubt I'd be good at it.

Nfic?
I like nfic on occasion. I love it when my favorite authors turn a story I'm loving into nfic, or allow it to have an nfic scene. But, if it makes any sense, I want the sex to be a turning part or otherwise significant to the story, or "well-earned" (if the story has a lot of sexual frustration, I like to see it resolved at the end and would feel cheated if it wasn't).

Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left?
No way! A book I love that was written in the early 1900's mentions that there are 7 original plots in all of fiction. And how many original, fantastic, delightful books have been written since the early 1900's? I don't think the world will ever run out of stories, because every person is unique and every person sees the world in a different way. I could discuss a story in detail with somebody else, plan the entire plot with them, we could both sit down to write it, and our results would be very different. I think that's because every writer brings something new to fiction, from their beliefs, their experiences, and simply the kind of stories they like to read. I'd like to be able to show my grandchildren this archive someday, and the 100,000 stories I'm sure will be on it by then. *grin*

I think one of the reasons I like Elseworlds stories is because they're often the most different and unique, and they have the most room for exploration. If you consider how many possible Elseworlds there are to contemplate, on top of alternatives for the regular series...wow.

As long as we don't forget Lois and Clark, I think there're still an infinite number of stories to write, as long as we keep our creativity alive and our muses well fed. You DO feed your muse, right? Look on the message boards for a muse-food recipe to tickle the tongue and imagination of the bored and recalcitrant muse.

What do you think makes the best story?
I've always most enjoyed stories that mix a lot of different elements. Action, drama, humor, waffiness, great villains to hate, obstacles to overcome and true love in the end. As for non-fanfic stories, I've always enjoyed those that cover multiple genres, like fantasy/mystery/humor/romance, etc. So I think I just in general like stories that combine all the elements I love.

Would you like to add a link or URL to your favorite fanfic for the readers to sample your writing?
Hmm, my favorite fanfic isn't quite finished yet, it's the one I'm working on. You can find what there is of it on the message boards, http//www.bluetights.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=gettopic&f=11&t=000050.

Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work?
My complete stories have been or will be all posted to the archives, so you can find them by going through http//www.lcfanfic.com/. My WIPs are posted to the message boards, which you can find through http//www.bluetights.com/.

note As of this posting Sarah has also been added to annesplace.net Sarah Luddy (note this is to the nfic side of the side where you must be a member to access.)

Open Forum For Author Comments
Discovering the message boards and the lanekent channel has been so amazing, I can't even express how much they've inspired my writing. It's one thing to enjoy writing, but to be able to talk to people about Lois and Clark and the stories I'm writing, to be able to receive comments on parts of the story as I write it...it's like nothing else. Yes, I've definitely been bitten by the feedback bug. *grin* Through lanekent I met my "twin," Annie (we were born two days apart and I swear we're telepathic), and having someone to share writing with has been the most amazing experience. I've written more in the past few months than I have for ages before that, simply because of the many resources that FoLCs have designed to keep L&C alive *checks calendar* 3 1/2 years after the series went off the air.

I've really enjoyed reading previous entries on the Writer's Showcase and getting to learn more about my favorite authors! Thanks for all the hard work you've put into it, and for asking me to participate. :)

Oh, and if any FoLCs plan to visit anywhere in the Maryland/Washington, D.C. area, let me know! I'd love to meet fellow FoLCs, even if, as a poor college student, I might not get to travel anywhere to visit.