MsKathy and theladyingrey42 get down to the nitty gritty.
Questions for theladyingrey42:
MsKathy: What does a typical "writing session" look like for you?
LiG: It's usually me, my laptop, a cup of coffee and some Skittles. I have to be alone, with the screen facing the wall. I usually read through some of the last stuff I've written, maybe sketch out some plot points in my notebook, and then try to get in character and let it flow. When I get stuck (especially if I'm writing Edward) I have a smoke. I do my best thinking watching smoke drift up into the sky.
Sometimes I just clunk along for 4 or 5k words before I even look back at what I've written. Sometimes I obsess over every line as I write it. More and more, it tends to be the former. But when I first started writing again, it was definitely more of the latter with the obsessive second-guessing.
MsKathy: Do you schedule/plan writing time, or let it flow when you feel it?
LiG: Well, for starters I don't have a life or a family, so that makes it a lot easier to find time to write. Unless my husband wants to do something besides play video games (which isn't all that often) I usually sit down with my laptop most nights. I aim for 1000 words a day, though that's usually an average. More often than not it's either 4k in one sitting or nothing. If I don't feel it, I don't force it too much, but I do try to at least write a little because once I start I can usually get myself going.
MsKathy: Do you outline? If so, bare bones, detailed... ?
LiG: I go back and forth on this.
When I start a one-shot I usually envision it in my head. I keep a pencil-and-paper notebook and I'll usually sketch out the major plot points and any particularly vivid descriptions or snippets of dialogue that come to mind to accompany those plot points. And then I work from that.
When I started my chapter fic, I spent days with the notebook sketching out the characters and what I thought would be the plot. It's changed a lot since then. Every time I start a chapter I usually write down what I think needs to happen in it to keep me focused. But the overall outline for the longer story is pretty loose and mostly just stored in my head.
MsKathy: Do you get nervous before posting a new chapter/story?
LiG: When I first started I would be a wreck. An absolute mess. Now I'm a little more cool about it. I know some people will love it, some people will hate it, and some won't get it, and I'm OK with that. I do watch reviews come in anxiously, even though I know I shouldn't.
MsKathy: What's your biggest Fandom pet peeve?
LiG: Not completely sure what you mean.
MsKathy: Is there anything about the community that bugs you? For example, for me, it can sometime be the review comparing, even though I'm guilty of it myself.
LiG: Hmmmm ... I don't know if I have one, really. Though I'm a little reclusive and try to stay away from most of the cattier behavior. Sorry.
MsKathy: Best review ever?
LiG: Oh gosh there have been so many. I think the one that might have touched me the most was from a woman who had been widowed and the Edward from Over the Twisting Line of His Spine had made her think about her husband. It was so emotional and to think that what I had written had touched somebody like that was very powerful.
MsKathy: Most rewarding part of writing?
LiG: Feeling like I'm creating something. I get anxious and moody when I'm not creating. And on top of that, getting to live inside the heads of these characters and in this emotional universe just makes me feel ... full? Happy? I don't know it's hard to explain.
MsKathy: Most annoying part of writing?
LiG: My back and neck and knuckles hurt.
Lame, I know.
Oh, and writer's block and feeling like a failure when I can't get something to come out right. Those suck, too.
MsKathy: Why, why, WHY so much angst?
LiG: *Hangs head* Sorry! It's what I've got. The easiest things for me to write are the really intense moments, and stringing a lot of intense moments together ... tends to get angsty.
In fic I think I'm particularly angsty in part because I got sucked into Twilight by Edward's character. I'm most obsessed by his self-doubt and his tortured past and the way he kinda hates himself and what he is. And since I'm almost always writing his character, the angst flows naturally from there.
I'll make one other quick point about the angst, before I shut up. In my opinion, the deeper the despair and the doubt and the sadness, the prettier and more epic and transcendent the bliss when it finally comes. What would the shower wank in Wide Awake have been without Edward being emo and reclusive before it? What would Chapter 10 of My Yes, My No have been without all the ones you cried through before it? Hell, WTF would Ch. 20 of New Moon have been without Ch.3?
For me, angst serves a purpose. And more often than not, that's to make the beautiful things that are going to happen all the more beautiful because their brightness and light stand out against the dark.
Didn't realize you would touch a nerve with that one, did you? Anyway, moving on ...
MsKathy: I love this answer, and I think it's really beautiful and true to life. Yin/Yang. I like angst in completed stories, but I am so neurotic that if I read a story that isn't complete and it has "too much" angst, I will literally fret my day away about the fictional characters. Silly, I know.
LiG: No, I so so so totally understand. I tend toward insomnia anyway and I have literally lost sleep on more than one occassion because of heartfail. I'll call out Art After 5 and House of Cards for both hurting my dear, poor Edward so much that I forced to stay up all night worrying about him.
MsKathy: Can I apologize, again, for attacking you when you entered Tattward? I'm still pretty embarrassed that I asked if you were a sock and basically demanded you tell me who you are. Sorry. Sometimes I am like an eager puppy.
LiG: BWHAHAHAHAHA! I totes had to go back and find that email. For what it's worth, I didn't completely get that you were attacking me. You ensconced it pretty well inside a joke.
At some point will you tell me who you thought I was a sock puppet for?
MsKathy: I use the term "attacking" affectionately. Like, eager puppy attacking, not like ZOMG tell me now!
I have no idea who I thought you were a sock for, I was just so amazingly blown away. How rude of me to assume that someone new couldn't dive right in and have a masterful handle on these characters. I owe you like 1M more apologies.
MsKathy: Are you an "out" lover of Twilight? I guess that assumes you loved Twilight. Did you?
LiG: I loved Twilight. Beyond reason and with a passion. Never have I read a book or series of books so many times in such a short timeframe.
Loved.
(That said, I love it less now that I read fanfic. So many authors have written alternate endings that make me realize how much better Twilight would have been if say Lolashoes or someone had written it.)
Oh right, the question. Am I "out". I guess I'm one of those people who is not in the closet, but I don't exactly wear a Team Edward shirt out in public either. If people bring Twilight up, I will admit to reading and enjoying it, but I will not start frothing at the mouth until they give away some sign that they are addicted and obsessed, too. With my too-cool-to-care friends who make fun of it and think it's stupid, I will simply say that it had it's merits and was a fun read, socio-political undertones and literary merit being besides the point.
MsKathy: Which genres do you find yourself gravitating to, as a reader?
LiG: I read a lot of different stuff, but pretty much all of it has to be centered on some sort of a love story. I enjoy fluff and smut and I read a lot of it because it makes me happy. But my favorite stories are the ones with the right balance of love and smut and ... angst. Seriously, the angst just makes everything better.
MsKathy: I always think of you as a very serious author. What's would surprise everyone the most to learn about you? Hidden talent? Goofy personality trait?
LiG: BWAHAHA. Yeah, I guess I am pretty serious when I write. But I'm a total goofball in person. I have a massive stuffed animal collection and I still talk to my stuffed animals. I have a stuffed frog who's most significant personality trait is that he likes cake. He knows how to tell you he would like cake in three different languages. He asks my husband for cake multiple times a day. Oh, and my husband thinks I am positively deranged.
PPSS questions for everyone:
Do you have any tattoos?
LiG: *Rolls eyes* Yeah, like I could possibly avoid this question. Yes, and it's totes lame. I have this little blue frog on my back near my hip. I love frogs and it was the only thing I dared to do. I got it in a Spanish-speaking country from a guy who didn't speak English (and I don't speak Spanish) after I broke up with somebody.
That's it.
Totes lame, I know.
That said, I LOVE them, and I want more and someday when I'm less of a chickenshit I will get more.
What is your favorite sexual position?
LiG: I'm a big fan at the moment of me face down with him behind me. But I'm not picky. Nothing too athletic and it's good by me.
Favorite ff ever?
LiG: You have got to be kidding me. Does anybody answer this question? It's freaking impossible.
Hardest part about writing ff?
LiG: Biting my nails wondering when I'm finally going to write the chapter that jumps the shark so bad that everybody realizes I was a nutcase to start with and stops reading.
Do people in RT know you do it?
LiG: Sorta... Hubby knows, of course, and my few friends who are into Twilight are vaguely aware, but I've never given any of them the link.
If I looked under your bed right now what would I find?
LiG: About a million finished crossword puzzled that I really need to throw away already and all the missing left socks.
For those of you that use 'toys', which is your favorite?
LiG: Totes embarassing. I have never used a toy. I know, I gotta get one. I suck.
If they could be in a relationship...would it be the same characters that you'd want to bone, or is there someone else they find more relationship worthy?
LiG: OK, like fanfic characters? Because everyone is aware that they are characters, right? And that they'll never actually leap off the screen and bone / love me?
Anyway, I have mixed feelings on this issue. I'm drawn to the dark, artsy, haunted guys. But I know from personal experience that being with Mr. Emo eventually wears on me, and for a long-term relationship, I'll always do what I did in real life and go with the guy who I slightly less viscerally, desperately need to fuck, but who will always be there for me and be able to put his crazy aside to help with my crazy.
But I would never want to bone somebody I didn't think was at least somewhat relationship worthy, whatever that relationship might end up looking like.
Does any of that make any sense?
Do you currently have more than 1 sex partner?
LiG: Nope. Just the hubby, and that's A-OK by me.
Questions from around the fandom:
From MrsAC:
1) Who/what inspires you when you are stuck? (writer's block)
LiG: Phew. Fortunately, I am so completely in these character's heads that I have not had too terribly bad of writer's block since I started this story, with one exception. When I got sick and wrote Settling, I got out of the LATR characters' heads. And then I COULD NOT get back in them and it positively drove me mad. I could not find their voices.
I ended up powering through. Inspiration never came. But perspiration worked just as well. I wrote and deleted and rewrote a chapter seven times. And eventually what I ended up with was satisfactory. And when I started the next one I found their voices again and I was OK.
Though now you've made me all panicky. Jesus I hope that doesn't happen again soon. It sucked so royally.
2) When you write do you need complete silence (if that's even possible) or do you listen to something special?
LiG: It depends for me. Quiet is usually best, though I'll listen to something quiet that I know very well sometimes to help distract me. Especially if hubby is watching TV or on the phone.
God but I hate the TV.
There are a few things that I will listen to specifically to help get me in character. Each character has a few "theme songs" if you will. They're just things I listen to to help me think like them.
From breeze1213:
Favorite female twi character and why?
LiG: Hmm. I'm obsessed with Twilight because I love the guys, honestly. I don't give a hell of a lot of thought to the girls. I definitely identify the most with Bella because I'm insecure and always lusting after beautiful pale guys. But I think Alice is probably the one who intrigues me most. Seeing visions and the future and having this really dark history ... I'm amazed she ended up as well-adjusted as she is, and yet how she stands just a little bit apart from the world. Sort of dreamy.
Would you re-cast anyone in the movies and why?
LiG: I'm not a huge fan of the girl who plays Esme. But she gets so little screentime I guess it doesn't matter. I started reading Twilight after the first movie came out, so I kind of had the actors in my head already when I was reading. Made me accept them naturally for the most part.
Which FFn author's story do you wish you had come up with?
LiG: Ugh, so many of them. Right now, I'd say The Fates. I mean, it's so original and complex. I have no idea how they came up with it.
Since most of you characters have tatts, do you have tattoos? And if yes, can we see them?
LiG: BWAHAHAHA! Well, I already kinda talked about this in the general pool questios. I really wish I had some inspiration for the kinds of amazingly meaningful, intense tatts that I keep writing about. But I'm boring IRL. Really, really boring.
When did you start writing?
LiG: I feel like I've been writing forever. I have this really vivid memory of convincing my teacher in second grade that it was OK for me to write poems instead of doing what I was supposed to be. In high school and college, whenever there was any drama in my life, writing was the only thing that kept me above water emotionally. I cranked out what must have been thousands of hand-scrawled pages.
And then I met the guy I decided to spend my life with and got a stable job. And I kind of stopped. Completely. Until about six months ago when I started getting all these ideas and decided to write fiction instead of doing writing as amateur self-psychiatry. And ... voila! Here I am.
From Ainslet:
Do you get your lemons from your own fantasies or from other places?
LiG: More from fantasies than anything else, though I've tried some of the stuff. I feel like I'm usually writing the lemon around some really emotional piece, and the lemon extends out of that. I've written maybe two that weren't just physical ways for the characters to talk to each other. I really have limited interest in porn without plot. It does nothing for me. I also don't feel like fic has to read like the Kama Sutra.
Y'know, unless it's Tilt. Cause that sort of is the plot.
What are some of your favorite non lemony ff stories?
LiG: Cascade and Cyanide. And Cascade and Cyanide. And did I mention Cascade and Cyanide? Because holy crap I love Cascade and Cyanide.
Do you read paranormal fantasy and if yes which is your favorite vamps or shifters?
LiG: Not much of it, really. But Edward isn't my first vamp. I do enjoy the vampires muchly.
From SassyGeminiMom:
What is the one thing that you haven't written yet, that you want to?
LiG: Slash. Angsty, naked, man-cherry-popping Edward and Jasper slash. (Yes, please!)
What's your favorite story you've written for Twi?
LiG: Oooh, so hard to say. I think Settling, probably. It kind of came out in a rush and it was kind of a departure for me. For all that I say a one-shot should be tight, it was a really interesting endeavor to plan one out that spanned so many years and so many changes. It was also the first and only thing I've ever written in third person. And I still think about some of the lines from it. I know it was sad as hell through most of it, but I loved how the ending came together. And it made me happy.
What's your favorite meal to cook?
LiG: I make a mean manicotti, and a good chickpea curry. I'm a vegetarian and have been for almost ten years.
What else do you read, if anything (LOL) that's NOT Twilight related?
LiG: My girlfriend almost bitch-slapped me when I told her this, but I honestly have not read a book since I started Twilight in May. It's horrible, I know.
That said, what I like to read outside of Twilight varies dramatically. I do some sci-fi, though my favorite stuff is usually the sort of intellectual ladies book club fare. Think Middlesex and A History of Love. I like magical realism and novels that read like poetry. One Hunred Years of Solitude and The Passion.
But really I just like books. As long as they're well-written I usually enjoy them.
From seamonkologist: Quick question to those who enjoy/write m/m slash...when did you first realize it was something that was a turn on? And did you ever feel the need to hide that it turned you on?
LiG: I love slash. Love love love love love love love it. Have anyways loved it. And then when I discovered Edward and Jasper slash I ascended to a whole new plane of obsession and absurdity.
Seriously, I love slash. I'll tell anybody that, immediately. I constantly tell hubby he should let me watch him with other guys. He constantly declines.
Love it.
And as soon as Love Amongst the Ruins is over I can't freaking wait to write it.
From bitemypillows:
Do you enjoy writing o/s more than multi chapters or vice versa?
LiG: I really enjoy balancing the two. It's a totally different process for me. I think the perfect one-shot is something super compact, everything just perfectly tight. It's a snapshot in time, really, even if it covers five years because you can never get into everything. I like ot plan a really tight arch for a one-shot, with every single individual word mattering.
Where-as for a chapter fic there's so much more space and there's time to sort of luxuriate. I get lost in my characters in a the longer fic, and it's heavenly. There's a plot and a plan of course, but I can just write and see where it goes.
I wouldn't want to write either format all the time. And I love putting aside the longer fic for a weekend to plan and pull together something short and yummy.
From Prassacut:
Is there something you wouldn't write about in a fic?
LiG: You mean besides Jacob? *eye roll*
MsKathy: (totally interview-jacking your answer: OH GOD, me too! I don't think I could write a Jake-centric story. Sorry Einfach Mich, I hope you still love me after my confession... )
LiG: I guess nothing too squicky. I would never write anything to glorify or romanticize rape or abuse. But beyond that I guess I'm pretty darned open.
From clarebear069:
You're both GREAT writers - why write fic?!
LiG: LOL, that's what my husband asks me every day.
Here's the thing, I usually don't write when I'm happy. And I've been annoyingly happy recently. No ideas. Nothing.
And then I read Twilight.
And suddenly I wanted to write. I cannot begin to explain to you why. I just got so engrossed in Edward and Bella and ... just wanted to write.
I ended up going with the whole fanfic thing whole-hog then for a couple of reasons. 1) I hadn't written in ages and really wanted feedback, and posting on fanfic seemed to be a way to get it. 2) I had seriously never written anything longer than a few pages before, and I thought posting chapter serially might help me be able to do that.
Clearly, at least in that respect, it worked. Lord help me if LATR doesn't end up being 3million words.
From Delilahlovett:
What inspired you to start writing? How often do you get story ideas that you just HAVE to get written down?
LiG: I have always written in times of emotional stress as a way to process things. In the past it's been prose poems and little snippets of life sort of poeticized. Over the last ten years, I've been happy and stable and it's been absolute shit for trying to write.
Now that I've gotten back in the habit, I get little snippets and ideas all the time. Again, I keep a little notebook and I'm grabbing it out a couple times a day if I'm stuck being away from my laptop, just jotting down little descriptions of things or bits of dialogue.
As far as new stories, I don't really get ideas all that often. But once I do I usually follow them through pretty intensely.
From Hookashewz:
Where did you get the idea for LAtR? Will this be a HEA?
LiG: Ooh, I love talking about this.
First, yes, abso-fucking-lutely it will be a HEA. There will be happiness, everness and afterness. Yes. Totally.
Because if not why the hell would it be fanfic, know what I mean!?
As far as where the idea came from, it started with me thinking about Edward. (Like most things do.) What I love about him in canon is how he's this tortured, self-loathing guy who's also a gentleman and capable of great love. And I wondered how you could arrive at those kinds of character traits - how could you make him who he is - without the vampire backstory?
And so I started coming up with his story. It evolved a lot over the way. Originally Bree's character was *so* minor, and the whole James thing didn't even come to me until I was getting ready to outline that chapter.
And then I put him with the woman who could save him and show him love, where he'd never thought he could have it before. I made Bella somewhat a little lonely and bit apart from the world, but much more in tune with it in a more normal sense. I picked the library because it seemed like something she and he would do.
And the earthquake thing ... I dunno where the heck that came from really. I just liked it a a metaphor for everything falling apart.
Question for MsKathy:
LiG: (If this is personal or anything feel free to tell me to go to hell.) I understand that you have actual experience with D/s. Any comments on fics that are particularly accurate in portraying that? How do you respond to fics about it that are overly romanticized or particularly inaccurate?
MsKathy: First, almost nothing is too personal. I'm (sadly?) an open book. I do have “real life” experience with BDSM, which I've detailed out a few times. I'll spare the general mass audience the nitty gritty, but I have about 8 years of active education/experience.
I think every story at FanFic, with few exceptions, are romanticized versions of reality. Why would we read them, otherwise? Some portray punishments as harsher than you would ever see in a real life circumstance, while others have setups and situations that are potentially dangerous. That's why it's fanfic, not fannon-fic ;)
In general, I don't react to any of the BDSM fics anymore, with the exception of being Tara Sue Me's beta. I read some of them, but most of them do not ring true for me and my experience. This doesn't mean they're inaccurate; my own experiences are just that, mine. I expect and hope that other people have different experiences in all areas of life.
It does disappoint me to hear people pick on certain stories, ie – The Training, and call that Edward weak or a pussy. Is that an accurate portrayal of what a “real life” Dominant is like? I would argue that it could be. Just as some of the more hardcore Dominants portrayed around FFn could also be accurate to real life characterizations.
Dominance and submission, in my opinion, varies from relationship to relationship. Each person is responsible for caring for the other and attending to their needs. Who says you can't combine romance with that? Why can't you have a Dom that quotes poetry and is smart, and sensitive? Frankly, I have very high standards and I don't play with people in a BDSM setting unless I know they're (mostly) sane, mentally healthy, prepared to take what I give and give what I need to take, and most of all? That I am clear we will have a mutually beneficial relationship. There's just no point, otherwise.
LiG: I know this is your part of the interview, but can I sneak in for five seconds and mention that I love Domward? Love him love him love him and want to snuggle him and get strapped to something for him? Like seriously. Love him.
LiG: So, tell me, what funny story does this remind you of? (MsKathy's note: NSFW)
MsKathy: omg, this story is so going to be disappointing... don't hate me if you find it boring!
So, one time a Dom was telling this story to a group of us about how he and his sub traveled out of our local area for a convention-type-thing. They were staying in a small town, a Holiday Inn kind of a place, and things got a little frisky. He ended up binding her (I believe it was rope he used) to the shower. That photo seems like a shower pipe, with the tiled walls and such, right?
Okay, so the funny (to me?) part. He gets her all good and tied up, right? The real fun begins, and they're ... playing. He's teasing her, I'll spare you the deets but let your mind wander a bit, mkay? Right. So. He does something that makes her instinctively yank her hands down. Yank. Her. Hands. Down. While she's tied to the shower head thingie. You see where this is going?
Now, this is a very, very responsible Dom -- he called 911 first, because he needed to make sure his sub was okay, her arms having pulled against the force of the bindings, etc. Suffice to say, he was a safe guy and took care of her first, then called the front desk. Imagine that call... water is fucking spraying everywhere, your sub might be hurt, you're both naked, paramedics are on their way, and now you have to explain why the shower head has been yanked out from the wall.
Remember how I said it was a small town? They were asked never to return.
LiG: How did you decide to put your other fics on hold to finish TTH?
MsKathy: My brain was becoming a clogged up mess. I was chatting with Algonquinrt & AdorableCullens late one night, whining I'm sure, and they suggested it. I really resisted; I was having no problems keeping up with writing each of my stories, but once I started to accept more beta work, it just got to be too much. I really worried that my readers would jump ship, but I have to confess, it was one of the best decisions I've made with regard to writing. It has allowed me to concentrate on one plot line and I find the writing comes out easier. I miss my other stories terribly, though, and I very much look forward to getting back to them.
LiG: TTH just ended. Reactions? Did it turn out the way you planned? How does it feel to be done? (All of this from a girl who has never finished anything in her life, mind you.)
MsKathy: I was really, really happy for the first two days. I'm still really happy, but I'm also sad now. Ironically, as I was just writing an auction piece which is considered a "prequel," I hit on some amazing things I never realized before writing, from Jasper. I feel like I know him SO MUCH better now. It's a relief, and daunting. I'll be glad to get back to my other stories, but I will also sort of ache until I can write their sequel and really wrap their story up.
I do have to say, I am amazed and humbled by the response TTH got, and I want to say another thank you to everyone who supported me through that adventure. I remember the first review we got, my co-author at the time and I were totally squealing like teens at a midnight NM showing. I wish she was around to see the success, and I would love her feedback on where I took the characters, since it wasn't the same vision she had.
LiG: For folks who are new to writing fanfic, any advice on what they should be looking for in a beta, or how they should approach finding a beta? What kind of relationship do you have with the authors you beta for? (Is it mostly grammar stuff or do you talk through outlines and plot points and stuff too?)
MsKathy: HAH! Yes. *clears throat, steps on soapbox*
When finding and selecting a beta, read what the person writes. Granted, some of my early TTH chapters were a mess before I had someone else betaing them, so maybe find a story they beta and check that out. Ask them about what their expectations are, as your beta. What do they want from you? What do they hope to get from being a beta? What do they expect their turnaround time is with your average chapter? Do they want to content/story beta at all, or do they prefer to only be a grammar/punctuation beta? Do they have time to chat about the story, and if so, which chat medium do they use? Find out which software they use to edit, so you can figure out any potential issues before you agree to work together.
How do you find a beta? That's an excellent, excellent question. I usually refer people to Project Team Beta because I hear good things about them. There's also a thread at Twilighted for beta/author hookups. The best way, IMHO, is word of mouth. If you see a very clean, well-written story, look and see who the beta is. Maybe send them a PM. I've been extremely lucky in that both of my betas have fallen into my lap.
The needs of the authors I beta for vary wildly. Some of them discuss plot and storyline with me, some don't. Most do, to be fair. I've actually been gradually pulling back from the beta work that I do.
LiG: How do you find time to write and read and beta and tweet?
MsKathy: I don't read much these days, to be honest. It's a juggle, and I'm good at multi-tasking. I also am a stay-at-home mom, so I have delightful pockets of time during the day. At any given moment, I've got 4-5 active tabs on my browser open (actually, I usually have two browsers open, so I can be logged into more than one GMail account), 3-4 word docs (some that I'm editing, some that contain what I'm writing), Twitter, Adium, Skype...
My daughter is 8-years-old, so she's mostly self-sufficient. My husband spends a great deal of time online once he's home from work, so it just works out. I don't want it to sound like I neglect them, I swear I don't. I do crafts with my kid, help with her homework every night, etc. I rely on my Jesus Phone a lot.
I think I've figured out that when I'm working on a project I love, whether its betaing or writing, I can work pretty fast. With TTH, for example, I can write a 4-5k chapter in one day, maybe 4-6 hours of writing time. I suspect I just jinxed myself with a whopping case of writer's block.
Also, I'm a time management freak. I will tell myself if I clean for 30 minutes, I can get 30 guilt-free minutes to write. Most tasks can be drawn out, but I find that if I motivate myself like that, I can get things done very quickly and move on to the fun stuff.
LiG: Do you hopelessly follow all the pretty pictures of Rob that are everywhere these days? bwahhaa.. I so obvs do! How can you not? They're eeevverrryyywhhhhere. But I love them, so it's all good. I'd have picked some from VF or HB, but the truth is, I've seen them too many times, so I went with Old School Rob. Can't go wrong with those.
MsKathy: I totally don't; is that a twitter, or a blog, or something else? My favorite Rob picture is probably this, though:
or maybe...
okay, I can't leave this one out, either...
I'll stop there. We could be here all night.
LiG: This isn't really a question, but wow, all those pics you put up on Twitter. Um, wow. And Guh. Care to comment?
MsKathy: hahaha. I'm so glad you don't hate them. When I go on Twitter photo binges, I worry that half my followers will drop off -- either due to the content of the photos, or the quantity. I'm a visual/sensory person, so sometimes if I just need some inspiration, I'll drop by We Heart It, the greatest time sink known to man. I thank/blame your beta (antiaol), actually, for introducing us to that wicked, wicked website. I could literally spend hours there.
I figure, if I'm enjoying it, perhaps others will, too? I'm big on the sharing.
PPSS questions for everyone:
Do you have any tattoos?
MsKathy: No, but I have plans for a few.
What is your favorite sexual position?
MsKathy: It depends entirely on my mood and partner's mood. I mean, in theory they all end well, right?
Favorite ff ever?
MsKathy: Sophie's Choice/Turpentine. No way could I pick just one. I even tried to narrow it to top 5 and that sucked, too. I am easy to please. Write a compelling story about people and I'll love it.
Hardest part about writing ff?
MsKathy: Finding enough time.
Do people in RL know you do it?
MsKathy: My husband knows, that's about it.
If I looked under your bed right now what would I find?
MsKathy: After an unfortunate headboard-breaking incident, my mattresses now sit directly on the floor.
Yes, it was totally worth it. *wanders off giggling*
For those of you that use 'toys', which is your favorite?
MsKathy: I really like my non-rabbit rabbit, and this vibrator . Notice both are waterproof. Seriously, I could probs go on and on about toys. I never understand why people are afraid of them.
If they could be in a relationship...would it be the same characters that you'd want to bone, or is there someone else they find more relationship worthy?
MsKathy: It would absolutely be the same characters; I can't do sex without feelings. I mean, I can... I just end up a mess. Wait, I mean a wreck. An emotional wreck.
Do you currently have more than 1 sex partner?
MsKathy: No.
Questions from around the fandom:
From Hookashewz:
Are there any real life parallels in any of your fics? I believe you mentioned a relationship you had in the past for TTH but are there any in DBS, PM, YM?
MsKathy: Yes, there are parallels to circumstances or events in my real life in almost every fic I write.
This is personal and if you don't want to answer or ignore I would understand. For the authors that I follow you seem to be the go to person for D/s info. Are you active in that lifestyle and what advice would you give to those of us that are curious enough to want to learn more?
MsKathy: Yes, I'd say I'm still pretty active. I am less active now than I was at one point, but that has more to do with geography and time constraints.
If you want to learn more? Educate yourself. There are several really great books out there. I said this in my "interview" with tarasueme in chapter 20 of The Dom, but my personal favorites for 'newbies' that want to learn more about the lifestyle in general are The Topping Book & The Bottoming Book. I also think When Someone You Love is Kinky is good for those people wanting to ease their partner in. Also, The Loving Dominant is a good resource. These are all available at major book purveyors online, so it's not like you have to go to a special store, just a few clicks and you're on your way.
Also, fantasize. It sounds insane, but get into your own head, figure out what it is you really want, and why. This will help you and your partner a great deal. Also, don't be afraid to talk to your partner. You never know what they're thinking ... because you're thinking something dirty, too, right?
One other question, you do soooooooooo much for the fandom, is it difficult to balance real life and fandom responsibilities?
MsKathy: Yes, incredibly. I fail often, but I'm one of those nuttery granola crunchy types that allows myself to fail without (too much) self-flagellation. I save that for the bedroom.
From breeze1213:
Favorite female twi character and why?
MsKathy: I can't pick one; Alice and Bella. I love them both because I think they're the two I identify with on a lot of levels. I love Rosalie, but she's the most beautiful woman in the world? I can't identify to what that must feel like. I don't feel like I can capture her spirit properly in writing, either.
Alice? She's a little nutters, a little too hyper, fun, a great friend. I identify with those aspects of her personality.
Bella? She sees herself as plain, doesn't understand why Edward wants her, and generally is pretty laid back. Plus, she likes jeans. That's me, in a nutshell.
Would you re-cast anyone in the movies and why?
MsKathy: I honestly wouldn't.
Which FFn author's story do you wish you had come up with?
MsKathy: We could be here all night, but the truth is? None. There are tons of great ideas, but you don't know what I might have done with the idea I love the most. I might have slaughtered it and turned it into utter crap, whereas Ms.X author wrote a genius piece of poetry and prose.
How do you manage to keep track of who's hands are doing what in TTH? RL practice?
MsKathy: ngl, I'm laughing so hard right now. If it was RL practice, pretty sure I would no be here. ;) How do I keep track? I have a very, very vivid imagination.
And where did you come up with that infamous shower scene?
MsKathy: See above. When I write, it's like a movie in my head, whether I'm writing something angsty/dramatic (a la Bella's breakdown in DBS) or a juicy lemon (a la the shower scene in TTH).
Do you write w/or w/o music and if you write w/music, who do you listen to for inspiration?
MsKathy: I'm a music nutter, so sometimes I Blip what I'm listening to as I write, or I request Blips from people on Twitter. I don't have a TTH playlist, but I have one for DBS because music is such a huge part of that story.
From Ainslet:
Do you get your lemons from your own fantasies or from other places?
MsKathy: Both; some are from fantasy, some are from reality.
What are some of your favorite non lemony ff stories?
MsKathy: Blue Moon Over Manka's was my first FF, and it's T-rated. I was just telling someone the other day that I was reading fic for like, weeks, before I even realized M-rated stuff existed. Can you imagine? I also really love Boundless which has no real smut, and A Coming of Age. I also have a really long K/T-rated story outlined that I hope to write someday.
Do you read paranormal fantasy and if yes which is your favorite vamps or shifters?
MsKathy: In real life? Not so much. I honestly don't read any sci-fi/fantasy. Someone harassed me the other day because I haven't even read Harry Potter. I think the last thing I read that qualifies was Narnia when I was a kid (excluding Twilight).
I don't read many vampfics, not because I don't want to, I just don't have a ton of time right now.
From SassyGeminiMom:
What is the one thing that you haven't written yet, that you want to?
MsKathy: A vamp story, and something without smut. Both of which I have outlines for. ;)
How do you balance being a mom, beta, author, reader, wife and friend and still update on schedule?
MsKathy: Not very well some days, I'll be honest. Sometimes the clothes stay in the laundry bins for too long, or dinner is hot dogs one too many nights in a row, or I take much longer than I want to get a chapter back to an author I am betaing for. I don't do it all, trust me, I don't want anyone to think I'm saying you can. I left the corporate world after running my own company for seven years for that very reason -- I could not do it all.
Oh, and, you've heard me talk about my coffee obsession, right? Caffeine makes the (my) world go 'round.
What's your favorite sex toy?
MsKathy: I linked them above, but really, it's tough to find a toy I don't like. I think that has more to do with my attitude in bed, though. If it isn't fun, why do it? I love when I can play and have a good time, toys are just one aspect of that.
What's your favorite meal to cook?
MsKathy: I seriously love to cook. My favorite is anything that won't get complaints from my family.
Since I know you're a starbucks whore ... what coffee do you order there?
MsKathy: Get comfortable, this will take awhile.
If I have time to sit in the lobby with a friend, or my laptop, I get a French Press. The beans don't matter, my baristas all know me and give me random stuff to try. I have a coffee passport -- the kind employees at Starbucks get -- and I take notes. It's that serious!
If I have to run, it depends on the day, and what I'm after. If I need a good caffeine jolt, I'll hit up an iced, quad, tall hazelnut latte. If I wants something more sweet, I swap that for an iced, quad, tall white mocha or caramel macchiatto. If it's really cold outside, I'll go with a peppermint mocha, but in general, I get iced drinks so I can just consume them and move on faster.
On random days, I've been known to get an Earl Grey Tea Latte.
In the summer, if I'm not just seeking a quick fix, or I've already had a press or a drink, I'll get a black iced tea, or a passion ice tea, or sometimes a shaken lemonade black iced tea.
Wait, is everyone asleep now?
What else do you read, if anything (LOL) that's NOT Twilight related?
MsKathy: Homework, magazines, cookbooks, some purchased e-pubbed erotica, and not much else.
From MrsAC:
1) Who/what inspires you when you are stuck? (writer's block)
MsKathy: As I said before, I'm a sensory person, so I seek sensory input - sound (music, typically), sights (weheartit), taste (a snack, coffee, iced tea), in general.
2) When you write do you need complete silence (if that's even possible) or do you listen to something special?
MsKathy: I am completely weird when I write, in that sometime I prefer music, sometimes I prefer silence. Any given day, I might have NPR on, or the radio, or a story playlist via iTunes. Right now, it's quiet in my office and I just hear the cars driving by (I kind of live on a noisy street).
From KayCanon1:
Basically, do you have a preferred type of relationship, dynamically speaking. Obviously, we all just want love but, if you could have amazing passionate love, in any format, which would you pick? Could you rank your preferences (I'm not calling out hetero/homo/bi-sexual couples because I figure those are more basic/commonly known but feel free to include them in any answer)? Are there more than just what I've listed that you'd like to share. And, do you think you might write about any of the others? Please do share, if you can, and are planning to.
MsKathy: Okay, I clarified this question with KC, and although I've said before that I fall in love with people and not genders, I can still generalize enough to answer this, I think.
If I could just whip up my dream house situation, I think I'd live with one man and one woman, each with a little bit of a kink in their sexuality. I've done the 24/7 D/s relationship before and I personally have no desire to go back to something like that. I don't even want to do a weekend arrangement, I just want to have fun, relax, play when and if everyone can agree.
Even more important than that setup, for me, is being compatible with people on a sense of humor and political level. I can't fuck or make love with someone I can't also laugh, debate, and engage in intelligent discussion with.
From bmango:
What inspired you to write a story about polyamory?
MsKathy: Truth? Just dirty conversation with a friend one night. We wanted to write a threeway for a contest, so we did... and I simply fell in love with the characters. Most of the story was clear to me after we wrote it, and I couldn't imagine letting them go without telling the rest.
From Delilahlovett:
What inspired you to start writing? How often do you get story ideas that you just HAVE to get written down?
MsKathy: A friend nudged me repeatedly until I wrote. I get ideas ALL the time and write them down. Seriously. You should see my notebook. I also try to outline them fairly quickly so I can get the idea out of my head and focus on my current project, otherwise I find that "character" talking to me too much.
Don't send the men in white, okay?
From clarebear069:
You're both GREAT writers - why write fic?!
MsKathy: Why not?
Seriously, I think of fic as a great way to hone the craft. Where else can I play around with ideas, concepts, pairings, and writing style, get instant feedback on things, and have essentially no real-life retribution? If you aspire to write in the real world, I think FanFic is the perfect "beta" area. Not for anything you'd ever want to publish, mind you, but think of it like a really well-equipped science lab.
Also, no one is beating my door down to publish me. If you have a dream agent, could you send them my way?
LiG: Oh yes, ditto this last part. Please.
From Prassacut:
Is there something you wouldn't write about in a fic?
MsKathy: Rape, abuse (mental, physical, sexual), pedophilia...
From bitemypillows:
Do you enjoy writing o/s more than multi chapters or vice versa?
MsKathy: I prefer the multi-chapter format. I find that I'm just too fucking wordy for a o/s.
That's it for this week folks. Check back next week for hmonster4 and SubtlePen.
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3 comments:
I think I might have fallen a little more in love with you both. Didn't think it was possible. <3
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