Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Author Interview - circe290


So I had the honor of interviewing circe290, author of some of the very best Jasper fics out there. If you haven't yet read Full Circle, The Sword and the Shield or Serendipity, you have my sympathies because you are missing out, big time. She also has a new fic out, Ambiguous Morality, which is shaping up to be another brilliant story. So without further ado, take it away, Natalie...

To start us off, tell us a little bit more about yourself. i.e. family, interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, favorite music, etc.

Well, I'm a single mom of two fantastic teenage boys. I have a huge variety of interests, and whenever something interests me I tend to go sort of whole hog on it (for example, Twilight..haha!). I love all things Egyptian, Greek mythology, dance, Tolkien...guh, I could go on forever. My music tastes are seriously eclectic, everything from 80s music to Tori Amos, from Muse to my sons' music I'm too old for. Oh, and Danny Elfman is a genius.

You’ve been gone from the fandom since early February, taking care of RL and your sons. I would just like to say that it’s wonderful to have you back. I have sorely missed your writing & I’m sure that I’m not the only one. How does it feel being back?

It's so nice to be missed! Thank you! =)

It feels AMAZING to be back. I missed it and all of you so, so much. It was around this time last year that I became more active in the fandom, and it hasn't escaped my attention that I'm coming back to it now, at the same time of year.

What got you into writing Twilight Fan Fiction in the first place?

I've always enjoyed writing, but I never took the time to really examine the process, ya know? I thought this would be a good way to do that. Also, since I have no social life (see above mention of single mom with two kids LOL), it seemed like a pretty harmless pasttime.

Tell us a bit about your writing process and how you come up with your fantastic ideas…

Oh, I think you're going to be disappointed here. I'm not sure there really IS a process for me. I've heard of writers who outline, who write 30 chapters before posting, and who have their entire story mapped out from the get-go. I wing it. Completely. It starts with an idea. I think on that idea for a few days, and if it seems workable, then I start out chapter 1 with a vague idea of what the story will be and where the characters will finish up, but from that first chapter to the end, it's really a crap shoot. Anything can happen, and I just go with it.

You really do have to write for yourself as opposed to trying to please an audience. When I wrote Though Lovers Be Lost, I was afraid if I posted it I'd be crucified, but it's the one-shot of mine with the most hits and reviews. You never can tell what's going to resonate with people.

Full Circle and TS&tS Jasper or Serendipity Jasper. Which one was your favorite to write? (I would also like to point out that the only Jacob that I’ve ever REALLY enjoyed is TS&tS Jacob. The relationship between that Jasper & that Jake is brilliant! JS)

Oh, god. While I love, LOVE Jasper from FC and TS&tS, I think Serendipity Jasper was my favorite to write. He was so conflicted, and so simultaneously strong and broken. One reviewer (and I forget who...sorry!) said he was like the reverse of a hurricane....the calm eye on the outside while inside he was this maelstrom of uncontrolled emotions. She completely nailed it.

And I had a blast with Jake and Jasper's relationship in TS&tS. I hadn't really planned for Jake to be so involved when I started out. It was one of those times I really was winging it, and that time it worked. There are times it doesn't...believe me!

Talk to us about what else you are working on at the moment. And that new mysterious fic that is so enthralling.

I have a couple of stories in my head that I'm ignoring. Not even kidding...LOL. I am completely feigning deafness. I can't do more than one at a time! The new fic, Ambiguous Morality, started out as a "what if" idea. I couldn't sleep one night and I let my mind wander a bit, thinking of different scenarios, and that, friends and neighbors, is how that fic was born. I think it'll be a little bit slower in updating than maybe you're used to from me, but I still foresee two or three updates a week. I'm completely in love with the fact that readers will give me the benefit of the doubt. I'm not giving much information right now, and there are mysteries that will unravel slowly, so I'm really grateful that readers will hang with me for the ride.

Jackson Rathbone. Discuss. As Jasper? The smirk? The eyebrow? The red bandana? The fucking shiny suits? ;)

Hahaha! Ah, the eyebrow.

I think Jackson Rathbone is quite possibly the single most adorable guy on the face of the earth, bar none. When you see a photo of him smiling, you can't help but smile back. He's just so damn cute! And yeah, the smirk and the eyebrow...haha! It works. I think he's overplaying it a bit, but yeah. The red bandana I hope has been burned. Seriously. And I hope those fucking shiny suits go on the pyre next. Sweet Jesus, that last shiny suit was a damn travesty. And I know we've talked about this, but ugh, those short little legs!

When I first began writing, as much as I love him, he wasn't my Jasper. Travis Fimmel was my Jasper. Now I kind of picture Jasper as a combination of the two, I think.

Let’s talk Twilight & FF clichés. Which ones irritate the hell out of you?

I think we all know the fanfic cliches (tongues battling for dominance, anyone?), and I cringe sometimes when I read over FC, because I was guilty of so many of them when I first started writing. The one that baffles me the most, though, is the popping of the P in "nope" or "yep" or whatever. (Me TOO! I HATE that! LOL)Where does that come from?! There's a few others, some of which I've been guilty of myself, such as making Alice the shopping-crazed pixie or using Emmett just as comic relief.

Which FanFic author do you admire the most?

Oh, gosh. There is a list of authors I admire for their brilliant writing. It would take paragraphs to list them. However, I think the ones I admire the most are the ones who not only write amazing stories, but who take time out to encourage other authors, especially new ones. There are several who come to mind, but if I had to pick just one, I'd have to say ElleCC. She stuck with me all the way through FC, TS&tS, and Serendipity. And I still blame her for my habit of writing dissertation-length reviews, because her reviews are epic. They always made my day, and so when I'd catch myself writing something like "Good chapter!"... I'd really think about what I was writing and point out the parts of a story that really resonated with me.

What are some of your favorite FF stories that you can’t wait to see the updates for?

Lessons Learned, by mistyhaze420; Edward Wallbanger, by feathersmmmm; Conversations with My Killer, which Oracle Vas just started and promises to be just as brilliant as First Love Lost and Last Love Found; and I just started Bourbon and Tea by Zigster, and I'm loving it.

Thank you once again to the lovely circe290 for the great interview. It was a pleasure. And make sure to go check out her new fic, Ambiguous Morality. It's fantastic!

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