Writers' showcase revisited

What have you been up to since the last interview?
After my last interview, I found that I could not keep up with the amount of email the various LnC mailing lists produced, the amount of fanfic being produced and all the things that were happening in my personal life with work and family. Something had to give, and that was my involvement with FoLCdom. I unsubscribed from the mailing lists, and only looked at the fanfic archive once or twice a month. It's hard to give up reading all those great stories, and in the end I couldn't do it. If it wasn't for the great stories posted on the archive, I wouldn't have anything to read. :-)

After about a year and a half or two years, I got the itch to write again. I discovered Zoomway's message boards and as soon as I read them, I was hooked again. I tried to start writing several different stories, but nothing clicked. After many false starts, "Lost and Found" seemed to strike a cord and take on a life of it's own. It was a great challenge, both technically and personally, for me to finish that story. That challenge was rewarded when the wonderful FoLC's awarded it a Kerth last year. I was stunned and humbled. Thank you, all, who voted.

During the writing of that story, my personal life changed yet again, and since then, I've found even less time than before to devote to writing. At this point, sadly, I've even been forced to give up reading the message boards on a regular basis.

Although a FoLC is forever, are you still an active part of the fandom? What holds your interest now?
I'm no longer (if I ever was) and "active" part of the fandom. I don't post messages on any of the mailing lists, or the message boards. I don't frequent the chat channels anymore, and it's becoming harder to find time to read the stories I love so much on the archive.

My children are now 8 (nearly 9) and 5, and they take up most of my "free" time. School, PTA, homework, etc... At times, I don't feel like I spend enough time with them. Other times, I wonder if I will ever get a free moment to myself just to sit in my recliner and listen to some soft music for a few moments.

Are you still writing? If so, what is/are your current project/projects?
Sadly, I'm no longer writing. I'm in another retirement phase. Unlike last time, I didn't make an announcement that I was going to be going away - I just faded into the background. (Oopps. Guess I just spilt the beans about my departure!)

I have always had lots of ideas, I've just never had the time to explore them. There are a couple of ideas that keep needling me in the back of my mind. They just won't go away. Who knows. Maybe someday, I'll find the time to write again. (Gee! Where have I heard *that* before. ;-) )

Do you think your writing style has evolved? How? Why?
I wrote my first LnC story because I got this idea while mowing the yard. Writing has never been one of my strong points. I'm more of a scientific/engineering kind of a guy. Before I went to college, I used to be big into art. I'd draw, paint, sculpt, etc.... After college, I never did that sort of thing. Don't know why, really. But I found I missed that creative process. Writing that first LnC story, I re-discovered that part of me. Writing gave me the opportunity to think creatively.

My writing style has been described as a "grammatical nightmare." I won't make any outlandish claims about it getting better in that sense, but I do think my writing has matured. Deeper plots, more intense emotions, better imagery. If it hasn't; please don't tell me. It would crush me. ;-)

I think all writers *hope* they're style evolves - for the better. Whether I've managed to do that is an exercise left for the reader.

Has your view on the characters and the show changed, and why?
My view on the characters has remained fairly constant. Who Lois Land and Clark Kent are to *me* are very well defined in my own mind. That has not changed over the years. My view of the show has changed. For some unknown reason, I find it almost painful to watch an old episode of LnC. I'm at a lose to explain it, but I haven't been able to bring myself to watch an episode for a very, very, *very* long time.

My oldest daughter still recognizes Teri and Dean as Lois and Clark on television. We used to all watch it together, and she was even wore a Superman (or Supergirl in her case) costume one halloween. (Boy, that's a whole other story! Think homemade costume, constructed the night before in the wee hours of the
morning - just so a three year old wouldn't be disappointed. Ah, the joys of parenthood.)

Anyway, where was I... Oh! The show. I can't watch it anymore. Don't know why. Especially season three and four. At the time, I was a big fan of season three and four. Now, I dunno. Season one is painful to watch, too. The way Lois treats Clark... sigh.

Now, I live mostly with my happy memories, and let it go at that.

Are your tastes in fanfic, as well as your view of writing in general, different from what they used to be? Why?
Most definitely different. Like most people, I originally read everything I could find. Now, I'm much more selective in my reading. There is just so much *good* fanfiction out there, and so little of my time. I still have the same criteria - creative and original. And those two requirements are still being met today, even though the show has been off the air for so long. In someways, reading LnC fanfic has made reading "commercial" fiction boring. I can spot all kinds of mistakes and plot holes and contrived circumstances in "professional" writing. When I want something really good to read, I still hit the archive.

What are your most recent picks of other fanfics in the fandom?
Wow, um, hmmmm.... Nothing stands out at the moment; there are so many great stories being produced now. It's going to make voting on the Kerths incredibly difficult this year - and I thought last year was nearly impossible. This year will be worse (or is that better? More great stories can't be worse, can it?)

I have my favorite set of core writers that I always read, and they continue to produce great stories. For which I am grateful.

Open forum for author comments.
I've been a part of the LnC fandom for a long time. Sometimes more so than others. I don't think I'll ever get as involved in a fandom again as I did this one. I've met many great and wonderful people as part of my time here, and I thank you all for accepting me as you did. I don't know if the impression you got of me from my long-winded ramblings and various mouthing off episodes on the mailing lists and message boards fit with who I really am. I hope I didn't step on too many toes or feelings. I'm just glad I got to participate in a truly fascinating and caring community. Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of the LnC world.