Something Like HumanWhy are you called The Yuki? It’s a rather long and silly story. Basically, my friend Mojojessjo and I were working on a spoof fic where we danced all over most fanfic cliques. We were both self-insert characters and “Yuki” was my character’s nickname spawning from my obsession with Yuki Eiri from the anime Gravitation. Her screen name as well, comes from that fic. And no, you can’t find it online any more. It was more of a joke between the two of us and really wouldn’t make much sense to anyone else. If you could change a character in the AB series, which would it be and what changes would you make? I would change Micah. I have always felt that he is too perfect and too convenient; I would want to make him flawed in some way. I think that is what is holding me back from really enjoying his character. What do you feel, if anything, would make the books more reader friendly? I’m not really sure. I like them as they are, but I can see how some readers would not like all the sex, homosexual/bisexual situations and the BDSM themes. If you met LKH at a bookstore what would you like to ask/say to her? I would ask her for a picture and autograph because I’m a fangirl like that. LOL. Have you ever considered writing professionally? Hasn’t everyone? I doubt I’ll ever actually do it though. From where do you draw your inspiration for a story? I get inspiration from everywhere: A song on the radio, something someone says, another book/movie/tv show, etc. I even get inspiration from reading or rereading certain passages and thinking, “Hmm… that’s interesting – I could build on that!” How important are your betas in your creative process? What is the most important thing they contribute? I think that they are very important. I bounce ideas off of them and they help me form the stories into something more cohesive. The most important thing that they contribute is moral support! What would be your advice to a newbie who was about to write their very first fanfic? To just go ahead and do it! Even if it is horrible and everything wrong that you can do in a fic, everyone started somewhere. I’d also advise contacting a fanfic author that they like and look up to for support. We were all beginners once too and I personally love to help new people get started. What is the one thing about you that most people don't know, but you feel very proud of? Hmm…Probably that I come from a very poor family and that I overcame that by working four part-time jobs to put myself through college without loans or any help from anyone. It’s kind of my statement of, “you can do anything you want as long as you want it bad enough”. What minor character in the series do you feel needs more exposure? I’ve always been intrigued by Meng Die. She’s not a very well liked character but we really know nothing about her. I think her past or even her future needs to be more fleshed out. Which character do you feel the most kinship to? From the first pages of the series, I’ve felt a kinship to Anita. Even in the later books, I still feel it. Even though her experiences are quite extreme, they parallel many things in my life: finding your place in the world, balancing work and friends and loved ones, finding love. What other author's fic on PDS or SDS do you wish you had written? Pretty much anything by Mhalachai or Celeste! Which is your favorite AB book and why? Burnt Offerings has always been my favorite. I always enjoy the vampire heavy plots and I love the first introduction of Asher. How many times have you read the ABVH series? I’m not even sure! Multiple times… Your fics do an amazing job of getting inside the heads of minor characters - do you do a lot of research to accomplish this? I check character backgrounds but mostly it’s just me feeling them out. I love to get inside their heads and figure out what they are thinking. How much does your school/job experience contribute to your writing? This would go back to the last question. My degree is very psychology heavy and I work in the mental health field so it very much influences my writing. Does the inspiration for a fic just hit you and pour out, or do you stew on it? Prior to writing the first words, I stew on it – sometimes for months. But once I sit down to type, it just pours out. How did you discover fanfic, and how did you discover PDS? I discovered it by a very insistent friend year ago. I found PDS a few years ago by accident and trolled around for a while before writing anything. It's been too long, Yuki . . . any plot bunnies bouncing around up there? There’s always plot bunnies breeding – just never enough time to reign them in! Are you a good speller, or do you rely on the spell check a lot? I’m a horrible speller but I’m a good proof reader so I run spell check and also read everything out loud and check it again myself. Do you look at the keyboard or screen or notes when typing? I usually stare at the screen or even at the television while typing. I’m a fairly good typist so I never look at the keyboard. Do you ever put people you know in real life in your stories? I occasionally base some characters off of people that I know but only certain qualities or even just something a person has said. Are any of your characters based on yourself? Other than the spoof fic with Yuki, none. Do you have any strange or unusual talents? Is an aptitude for martial arts strange or unusual? Because that’s really it. What word or phrase do you say too much? “Wiii!!!” What would you say is your primary inspiration to begin to write AB fanfiction? It always comes back down to the characters. I find them very fascinating and love to read about them and write about them. What characters would you like to see LKH write more about? less about? More? There are so many characters that I want to see more about. As for less (I know some people are going to want to hit me) but I would like less focus to be on Richard and Micah. Those two are both very well fleshed out and a lot of time is spent on them. I would like to see some of the not so fleshed out ones get a shot at the spotlight. Who is your favorite AB character? Is there something that you would like to see happen to or with them? Jean Claude has always been my favorite character. I would like to see him finally get it on with Asher, alone, for once. *snicker* Same question only least favorite character. Richard has been my least favorite character even from the beginning. He was competition for JC and I didn’t like that. But then later on, well, we’ve all seen what’s happened with him. What is your favorite thing about the Anitaverse? The characters are, without a doubt, my favorite thing. What one thing would you like to see changed in the series? I would like to see the theme of ever-growing, uber-power stopped. I would also like the unspoken rule of never killing off a main character rule broken! What is your favorite writing environment? There’s a little spot in the woods by a small stream surrounded by maple trees that is wonderful to write at. What is your favorite writing form? I prefer to write in the first person point of view but as for length… I can’t seem to put out anything longer than a drabble or ficlet lately. Do your friends and family know about or support fanfic writing? For the most part, no. My husband knows that I write but, seeing as I have barely wrote in the last year, he hasn’t really paid it much mind. I have a friend who knows that I write but she is only interested in the fandoms she participates in and has not read any of mine yet. Do you know anybody else in RL that reads the AB books? I know a lot of people actually. A few of my friends do and we share the books around. My uncle and also my karate instructor read them as well. The three of us usually get into very interesting discussions about whatever book has just come out. Have you read other books in the genre? If so, which and how do you like them, also have you written any fics for them? I’ve a lot of books in the genre. I’ve always had a fondness for vampire stories so over the years, I’ve read a lot. I’ve not written any fanfic for them though. What is the one thing that you think LKH does really well? LKH creates characters very well. Will you write a Wicked and Truth one-shot.... pretty pleeease?? I need to do some research on them first, but I can try. How has your fondness for anime/manga influenced your writing? Anime and manga is what has gotten me into writing. I started writing for anime fandoms eight years ago and have been writing ever since. I also find that anime or manga tends to take subjects like homosexuality, violence, hurt/comfort, etc, less seriously than more western forms of entertainment so those themes that appear in ABVH are less shocking to me than to some. What would be a shining moment in the literary world for you? Umm… when the first cave man wrote on the walls of his cave? What is your personal watermark of excellence for writers? I would have to say, good spelling, grammar, an intriguing plot, and good characterization. I’m fairly forgiving so if most of those are good, I can forgive some other things – like cliques or a few grammatical errors. But pretty much, if the plot doesn’t suck me, I’m not going to finish reading it. If you could live one scene or segment in the series, what would it be? I would have loved to have been in the audience for when Anita was on stage at Guilty Pleasures with JC and Nate! That would have been a sight to see. What would you like your legacy to be to the world of literature? and the world in general? I would love to leave just one good book behind that I have either wrote or shared with enough people that it gets remembered. On the world in general? I would hope that through my work and my experience teaching martial arts that I have helped at least a few people better their lives. What is the most painful thing for you to write? To read? I absolutely refuse to write incest of any kind. I know some people like that kink but I don’t. It’s my one squick. What do you wish to leave your readers with? Or what do you hope they take away with them? I hope that they take away a renewed interest in the characters and I hope that they leave with a sense that they didn’t waste their time! LOL. What published author takes your breath away? This is probably not the answer that you’re looking for but the “authors” that take my breath away are the manga artists CLAMP and Woo. Their artwork is fantastic and their stories are very engrossing. They have a good balance of action and romance and humor. What direction would you avoid in writing at all costs? I mentioned this topic before but I really refuse to include any sort of incest in my stories. I would also never write something that would advocate the abuse (in any form) of a child. I will write about characters surviving abuse but never in a way that would glorify the abuse. What's up with the sheep thing? Wouldn’t you like to know! *wink* Actually, I like shocking people somewhat and I like to laugh. Sheep in general are rather amusing, while sheep in compromising positions are kind of shocking. So either way, I am entertained by talking about sheep. If you could talk in person with LKH, what would you ask her? I’d ask her for an autograph and to have my picture taken with her because I’m such a fangirl like that. Let's say LKH offered you one of her characters from the ABverse for your very own. Who would you ask for? Give a brief summary of the story you would write about them to publish as a companion to her books. I would ask for Jean Claude. I would write a complete history on him from the time that he was born until where we see him in St. Louis. I know that my first fic in the fandom briefly touched on his childhood but I would really love to expand on that when I have the time to write. _____________ Posted: June 29, 2007- |