Writers' showcase revisited

What have you been up to since the last interview?
I've been busy having children :) and running around taking care of them, which got a lot more complicated when my son was diagnosed with autism just after he turned three. But he's been making fantastic progress, so it's all been worth it. I've written a few more stories, with the last one totalling out at 462k, which astonishes me.

Although a FoLC is forever, are you still an active part of the fandom? What holds your interest now?
I haven't been as active as I have been in the past, for various reasons, but I still try to keep up with the fanfic when I can. I have changed ISPs since the last interview -- my new email is chiefpam@nc.rr.com, and my FOLC Obsession Page is at http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam

Are you still writing? If so, what is/are your current project/projects?
I've just finished my longest story yet, and at the moment I have nothing new planned. My son is in school now, but my daughter has quit taking naps. Since naptime was my writing time, I'm thinking I'll need to take a break for a year or so. But you never know when the bug might bite me again.

Do you think your writing style has evolved? How? Why?
Gosh, I hope so. I like to think I've gotten better at plotting, and I've been lucky enough to find excellent beta readers and editors, so my grammar has improved, at least somewhat. I've also been writing longer stories, and I can't do that without more advance planning, which has been interesting. While writing the beginning of Hearts Divided, I knew exactly how I was going to end it, but no clear idea of what to do in the middle -- thankfully it all came together as I wrote. I ended up re-sequencing some of the scenes in the end section during the editing process, which I think made the story stronger. I like to think I'm gaining some understanding of story structure. Slowly and painfully. :)

Has your view on the characters and the show changed, and why?
That's harder to say ... they probably have, but in such subtle ways that I'm not fully aware of it. I very rarely re-watch episodes these days, so I'm more influenced by my favorite fanfic authors. I'm still not overly fond of relationship conflict, but I'm trying to resist the temptation to solve things *too* easily. I'm relaxing to the point that I can enjoy an early episode (like Madame Ex) without going nuts because there's no romance. I think it's finally sunk in that they *do* get together in time ;)

Are your tastes in fanfic, as well as your view of writing in general, different from what they used to be? Why?
Umm ... I think my view of writing has been deepening, if that makes sense -- I'm more aware of the techniques and craft of writing, underneath the surface of the story. My tastes in fanfic are for stories that don't stress me out :) but I can appreciate a well-written nail-biter, whether the tension comes from the a-plot or the b-plot. I do require a happy ending, but fortunately those aren't hard to come by. I've stopped reading nfic for personal reasons. Overall, there are even more great stories being written now than there used to be, and I'm grateful for that.

What are your most recent picks of other fanfics in the fandom?
See my webpage for my recommended reads -- http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/rec_fic.html. I try to keep that updated with stories that I love.

Open forum for author comments.
I'm still a part of L&C fandom, although not quite as active as I used to be, due to real life concerns. There are occasions when certain FOLCs drive me insane (and vice versa, I'm sure!) but overall, I feel quite fortunate to have found this great group of people.