Me me me me

[itsallovernow]

So, themoonbar asked me some questions, and I gave some answers. A lot of answers:)

1. I know you were in fandom for awhile before you tried writing fanfic. What changed for you that made it appealing? How do you think your writing has evolved?

I don't know that I'd say I was in fandom before I started writing for it. I was an avid fan, and an avid reader of fanfic, and an avid lurker on LJ. For me, part of the appeal was the quality of what I was reading, both the good and the bad. And I had written some things in a writing notebook, full of embarrassment for furtively scribbling about a TV show, and then, once the series was over, there didn't seem to be any reason not to try it. I had grand visions:) But I'd never considered myself to be a particularly good fiction writer. I always felt that I wrote crappy dialogue, and convoluted melodrama, and had talked myself out of trying anymore. Fanfic seemed like a good way to see if I was lying to myself so I didn't have to try (and risk failure) or if it just meant that I'd have to really work to produce the result I wanted to achieve.

More importantly, for me, I'd made a vow to start writing for myself again. I got a personal, nonfannish blog - which of course I've mostly abandoned - forced myself to join farscapefriday, and then after the first week of doing that, got a LiveJournal. Most likely, if it hadn't been for the writing aspect, I wouldn't have gotten involved in fandom actively, at all. The writing drew me in, and the community.

I think I've become a less wordy writer (yeah, yeah, still I think it's true). I can say more with less now, even if frequently that happens in the editing process. I've realized I don't suck at dialogue, but yes, I do have to work that hard to make things sound how I want them to sound. I think I've developed a style, not just fallen into one. I also have lost any embarrasment at writing about sex. Is that evolution or devolution? No seriously, I think it's important to write about sex - not to say that I think what I've written is important - but that it's something that drives our species, drives our culture, is at the root of so many things, and basically I just like to write the word fuck down on paper:) I've learned what's good about my writing, what's weak about it, what's choice and what's laziness and that plot is about work. I can plot, I just don't want to very often.

But, hopefully, I've become a better writer, a more conscious writer, more willing to take risks, take criticism, shift my vision and stay true to the character and the voice and the story. I think my writing has only benefitted from me learning to take things out:)

2. Five favorite movies?

Notorious - I love this movie more than I can say.
Aliens - I've seen it so many times that no one will watch it with me. No one!
The Natural/Field of Dreams - Baseball and fathers and perfect moments.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid-Swim, hell the fall will probably kill you.
The Empire Strikes Back/Raiders of the Lost Ark - Gimmee a break. It's generational. I stood in line to see these movies and my mom wouldn't let me see the face melting scene until I was 11:)
Holiday - Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn and I always cry. Always.

Honestly, there are many, many more. Camelot, and The Philadelphia Story and The City of Lost Children and A Fish Called Wanda and The English Patient, and Truly, Madly, Deeply and I'll just stop now.

3. How do you think being involved in LJ/fandom has affected you?

Hmm. It's made me feel connected to a community, which is something difficult to achieve for someone living in a large city. It's validated my thoughts on writing, given me a forum to discuss media, writing, books, movies, so many things. It's given me an outlet to vent, to talk, to ponder, to be silly and snarky and ridiculous.

It's also made me more self-aware, for good and bad.

I don't like that I get antsy for replies and feedback, I don't like the idea that I could inadvertantly hurt someone's feelings or that I'm voicing an opinion because someone might agree with it, that I could be currying favor, maybe. On the other hand, I think it's made me more thoughtful, bolder, sillier and more open to other opinions and more laid back about people disagreeing with mine.

4. What's something that most of us don't know about you? Snort. Is there anything? I don't know, really. I have a horrible singing voice. Um, I'm a perfectionist, but a lazy one:) I kill plants, albeit inadvertantly and have never gone more than six months without a parking ticket. Ok, here's this. I wanted to be an archaeologist because of the Elizabeth Peters books, which got me into college, and into grad school, and I once had a master plan that would allow me to join the FBI then run for president and rule the world. It was my mission statement. This was unfortuntately, less than 10 years ago:) And I claim to be bad at plot. I'm great at plot, not so great on realistic planning:)

5. And since I'm boring, the music question. I need new MP3s, what should I download?
Damien Rice. Go right now, This moment. Really. Download everything.
Hem - Anything, but especially anything from Rabbit Songs
Nick Cave - Into my Arms and anything from Murder Ballads
Bob Dylan - One more cup of Coffee, and Don't Think Twice, It's Alright which is a perfect song, and Love Minus Zero/ No Limit
Joan Baez - Song for David
James - Laid, Sometimes(Lester Piggett)
David Bowie - Seven, Absolute Beginners
Emmylou Harris - Red Dirt Girl
Ryan Adams - Come Pick Me Up
Gorrilaz - Anything
The Dandy Warhols - Get Off
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Belle and Sebastian - Anything
Jude - The Asshole Song
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees

Again, I'll stop now:)

So then it works like this:

Want to be interviewed yourself? Ask here.

1 - Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 - I will respond; I'll ask you five questions.
3 - You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 - You'll include this explanation.
5 - You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.
NB: Will limit myself to the first five people who ask, assuming there are that many. ( I like this because I'll end up asking the same questions over and over again.

Comments

[sorlklewis.livejournal.com]

Damien Rice. Go right now, This moment. Really. Download everything.

Yes! And I got my hands on all of O today. Finally! I am so totally in love. And poor Tom, being left out in the cold while I gawk at the Irish boy and his lovely voice singing Cold Water, Delicate, and Prague.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

It's true, he's very, very hard to abandon. You turn off the CD player and think, he's all alone in there. Better run back and turn him back on:) So, so glad you're enjoying it. And the album as a whole is just so fluid and graceful and perfect, like a three act play.

[boofadil.livejournal.com]

I'm a perfectionist, but a lazy one:)

so very much so with you there.

wanna interview me?

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

1. You're getting ready to go back to school. Why? What do you want to study and what do you want to learn?

2. You asked for a list of things to read and learn. What things, in your own mind, do you think you should read or study?

3. As a burgeoning writer, what is your biggest fear about writing, and what has been the greatest reward?

4. Top five scenes from film or television. No redeeming value necessary.

5. Five artists - in any genre, books, music, film, TV, multi-media, photography, whatever - that you can't live without.

[riarambles.livejournal.com]

I'll sign up for the interview thing, since I hardly know you and you hardly know me. Do you want to make it a mutual questioning in which I leave questions for you as well?

(NB: If you ask me music-related questions, you will be sorely disappointed in my answers.)

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. Mutual questioning sounds like a fine idea, although I'm sure my questions will sound vaguely silly:)

1. You have an LJ, read through my giant monster of a fic, and yet I don't know any of your fannish history. Give me a rundown.

2. Five favorite moments from film and television, and why. There doesn't have to be any redeeming value to them, just as long as they're your favorites.

3. What would you do if you could do anything and get paid for it. Would you travel, write, paint, be an accountant, fly kites, drive race cars, what?

4. Five books you can't live without. Again, no redeeming value necessary.

5. You warned me about the music questions, which is just too much of a dare. So tell one artist, song, album, symphony, one piece of music that has resonated with you.

Re:

[riarambles.livejournal.com]

Answers posted.

Questions coming your way soon. I have to make muffins first, though.

questions

[riarambles.livejournal.com]

1. Name five (or more) books you've read so far this year. What did you like/not like about them?

2. If you had a million dollars to give to any person(s) or organization(s) you chose, which one(s) would you choose?

3. Describe your favorite vacation ever.

4. What's something you can do that most people can't? Or something you can do that most people who don't know you very, very well would be surprised to know you can do?

5. Quote me 10 snippets--ideally 2 or 3 sentences long or more--from anything (books, movies, tv, poetry, drama, songs) that you can recite off the top of your head. Where are they from and why do you remember them?

[rubberneck.livejournal.com]

Do me! Interview me!

Notorious - I love this movie more than I can say.

I concur, this movie is just too excellent for words.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

1. How did you end up in Farscape fandom? And where did you come from? This is not as disingenuos as at sounds:) I know you've written in X-Files, but know little of your fannish background.

2. At what point in your life did you figure out, "Writing. Wow, I should do that."?

3. What is the rudest thing you've ever said to anyone? And in contrast, what's the ruddest thing you've ever wanted to say to anyone and didn't. And within that context, because you know I love how you use words, baby, what's your favorite illicit phrase.

4. Five books and five movies that you can't live without. They don't need to have any redeeming value.

5. And because I like this question. You have a year off and a moderate income, what do you do with the time. Where do you go, who do you bring, how do you fill the time?

Shameless Lemming

[life-on-queen.livejournal.com]

Interview me! Interview me! 8D

Re: Shameless Lemming

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Alright, you're on.

1. If you were given a year off, with a moderate income (say the equivilent of your current salary), where would you go and what would you do?

2. How is your vision of yourself different from your actual self. This isn't necessarily physical but the whole package.

3. Name the five books that are most important to you and tell me why?

4. Four all time favorite scenes from film or television.

5. How is being Canadian differnet than being American, in your opinion, and as a result, and as a writer, who are some Canadian writers who you respect and have learned from?

[veritykindle.livejournal.com]

Is it too late to be interviewed? I only counted four people you interviewed so far... :)

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Nope, you're on:)

1. You lived in Russia as a child, obviously live here now. How has that effected your view of America, and alternately, how has living here effected your view of Russia?

2. Because I'm fond of this one. Five favorite moments in film or TV.

3. You've given me fantastic book reccs in the past. Recc me five books, based on what they mean to you and why you think they'd translate to a wider audience.

4. You have a million dollars and can make a donation to three organizations/people (you are included in this as a a potential beneficiary). Who do you give it to, and why?

5. Name three places that you love to be in, and tell me why. Tell me specifically, what words come to mind when you think of these places. At least one of them has to be a place that you go to read or write.