Author Interview - daisy3853

I've made no secret of the fact that I absolutely adore daisy3853's amazingly beautiful heart-wrenching AH Jasper/Bella fic Underexposed and frankly, I love anything she writes. So much so that I even bought myself an outtake from Underexposed in the FGB Eclipse auction. 

Not only is Katie a fantastic author, but she is also an extremely talented photographer. Along with agreeing to do this interview with me, she has also graciously shared some of her wonderful photos. In case you don't know, photography is what brings Jasper & Bella together in Underexposed and the theme makes for an interesting addition to each chapter. I certainly know more about photography than I ever did thanks to Katie's story. And just so you know, the Daisy in her penname is her gorgeous dog. Anyway, enough from me, here's Katie...

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

Well let’s see… I’m in my mid-twenties and living in Austin, Texas. I’m pretty laid back – I love reading, music, movies, and hanging out with my dog. Photography used to be my hobby, but I studied it in school and now it’s my job, so I guess I can’t call it that anymore! I like a lot of different kinds of music. Two of my favorites right now are Ben Kweller and Ingrid Michaelson. I’m one of four siblings and have seven (will be eight soon) nieces and nephews… so my family is pretty nuts sometimes. But I have a lot of patience because of it, especially with children. I’m pretty shy by nature and I prefer a drama-free existence, so I tend to get along pretty easily with almost everyone.

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

I’d been a reader for eight months or so but really never thought I would or could write anything. Then when ElleCC and LaViePastiche started promoting the For the Love of Jasper contest, I had this little plot bunny. At first it was just the photography idea – I had a very clear picture of the final darkroom scene in the original one shot. I started playing around with it and figured I should at least try to do a one shot, just to see if I could. I kind of fell in love with the characters and wanted to see if I could take it further, because there was always more to the story in my head. And here I am. :)

Tell us a bit about your writing process and how you come up with your wonderful ideas.

Ahh! That’s a tough question. I usually start with a scene… I’ll have a really clear picture of something that might be in the middle or end of the story, and then I work around it to build the rest. With Underexposed it was the darkroom scene at the end of the first chapter/original one shot. I wrote that scene first, and then went back and figured out who my characters were and went from there. It changed a lot but the feel of that scene is still the same as when I pictured it. I also get a lot of inspiration from photos and song lyrics. I have a huge folder of material and a playlist that I use while I’m writing. (Side note from Carol - I will forever think of your Jasper & Rosie whenever I hear "You Are My Sunshine")

When I decided to expand Underexposed, I knew I wanted to have a really solid outline before I committed to doing it. It was my first story and I was terrified that I’d get going and not be able to finish. I spent a good month outlining and making sure I was really happy with the progression of the story. I work from a fairly detailed outline – I have a few large plot points to hit in each POV for each chapter, plus any other details to make sure and get in there. I usually write a chapter straight through, going by the outline, and then I go back through to tweak and fill in with more details. Sometimes it goes in a bit of a different direction that I intended, but the main story arc and events haven’t really changed from my original outline.

Underexposed is one of my favorite fics ever. Every chapter is heart-wrenchingly moving and beautifully written. You have a way of making the reader feel the characters’ pain (especially Jasper’s) as if it were their own. Talk to us about what these amazing characters of yours mean to you.

Wow. These characters mean so much to me, probably because they’re the first I’ve written. Jasper and Rosie especially – their story really hits me where it hurts, and it’s been so hard but so fulfilling to write it. Even though I’m sorry that it sometimes hurts for people to read, it’s sort of nice to hear that they feel the characters’ pain because I really feel it when I write. It’s almost cathartic in a way to write them going through so much, yet still coming out on the other side with hope. It’s a lot more work than I ever realized writing would be, and I was surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed it. I feel like I’ve thought about them so much and spent so much time trying to get in their heads, they’re kind of dorkily real to me now. I feel like I know them. It’s definitely going to be hard to let them go when the story is complete.

Which is your favorite pairing to read? And to write?

As far as writing, the only thing I’ve written consistently so far is Jasper/Bella, so I’d say that’s my favorite. I like playing around with new ones though. Kate/Garrett and Jasper/Maria are two that I’m excited about recently. As far as reading goes, I love reading good Jasper/Bella, but most of what I read (probably because that’s most of what’s out there) is still Edward/Bella. It’s also a little hard for me to read a lot of J/B while I’m trying to write it. I’ll give almost any pairing a chance if you can make me believe it, with a few hard limits. ;-)

Tell us about what you will be working on when Underexposed is complete.

Oh man, that’s a good question. It’ll be complete pretty soon, and I’m not really sure what’s next. I know I’m going to be working on my FGB pieces – three outtakes from Underexposed and one original multi-chapter that I’m writing for ElleCC. I’m not really sure what Elle’s story is going to be just yet, but that and the outtakes will be my priorities before I start anything else. I have a couple plot bunnies I’ve been thinking about, but no definite plans yet. I’m toying with doing something with Kate and Garrett, and I really want to try to write an AU… writing vamp Darksper in my Twilight 25 was the most fun I’ve had writing in awhile. It was so fun to be evil and twisty, and I’d like to try to write more.

I know that you love photography, and it is what brought Jasper & Bella together in Underexposed. Tell us a bit more about your photography & the photos that you have so kindly shared with us.

I love photography, and I really hope that’s obvious when you read my story. It’s always been a hobby, but I switched my major when I was a sophomore in college and never looked back. I own my own portrait photography business now and I really love my work. I’m really lucky to be able to make a living at something I actually enjoy. It’s a lot more work than I ever thought it would be, but I love it so much.

I can’t really share my clients’ portraits, but I shared some of what I shoot for fun. I love landscapes and nature photography, abstracts, and taking pictures of my dog, Daisy. I’ve shared a few shots of Austin, as well, because it’s such a beautiful city, and I love it here so much.

The panoramic shot underneath the bridge is the Congress Street Bridge at Ladybird Lake. It’s home to millions of bats during the summer and fall, and Bella and Jasper photographed the bats there in Underexposed. The dark blue photo is a lily pad on the water – it’s actually a technique described in Underexposed where you mimic moonlight conditions during the daytime. The photo was taken at four in the afternoon but with very fun camera settings, so it looks like I took it at night. The snowy photo is the corner of a rooftop in Vail, Colorado, but I think it looks more like a s’more. Mmmm. There’s also a panoramic shot of a creek in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Dallas. And finally one of Daisy, just because I couldn’t resist. :)

Please click to enlarge, so that you can see Katie's pics better. They're really great! 

Isn't Daisy beeyootiful? Just look at those eyes! So precious.

 
Let’s talk Twilight FF clichés. Which ones irritate the hell out of you?
(I absolutely adore your cliché-ridden crackfic o/s A Sticky Situation that you wrote for Haitian Relief. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I read that. I don’t mind the clichés in that context, but when I see them being used in a serious way, it makes me cringe. My worst is the popping of the ‘p’ in “Nope” or “Yep”. KILLS me! lol)

Omg, clichés! I think I pretty much hit all of my favorites in the crackfic I wrote for Haiti. I’ll roll my eyes and probably close a story when I see popping the ‘p,’ tongues battling for dominance, carrying Bella bridal style, wet folds, throbbing members, chocolate orbs/pools, Bella-Barbie, Alice the shopaholic maniac, Rosalie the icy bitch with no depth, emo for no reason Jasper, possessive and unlikeable Edward, or a dumb Emmett. I hate when women other than Bella are automatically vapid, catty, and competition for Edward/Jasper/whoever. Not every woman is a one-dimensional rival. I hate when characters become caricatures of their obvious canon traits. I want an author to add depth and show me a new side of a character instead of relying on shortcuts. Also I’m really sensitive about my Jaspers, even in an E/B story, so if I come across one I don’t like I’m likely to stop reading.

Which FanFic author do you admire the most?

There are so many authors out there who I admire, so this question was really difficult for me to answer. I think I’ll have to go with Hmonster4, though. She’s a fantastic writer and an even better friend, and I am in awe of how much she puts into this fandom. From the Indie Twific Awards to the Twilight Counsel to just being there when you need her, she juggles so many balls and I never see any of them drop on her. She pushed me to start writing when I wasn’t sure I could and she held my hand the whole way. She’s a pretty amazing lady, and I owe her a lot.

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

These are a few of my favorites right now, and the first three have really amazing Jaspers! You should check them all out. :)
(The first one's on my "To Read" list already, but I'm going to add the rest to it, too)

La Canzone della Bella Cigna by philadelphic
Walking Backwards by justaskalice
Here, There, and Everywhere by LightStarDusting
Bright Like the Sun by dryler
Glitch by quothme

Thank you again so very much to the lovely Katie AKA daisy3853 for the great interview. Be sure to check out  
Underexposed. Her Jasper is an amazing man that has been through hell, but is dealing with his tragic past with Bella's help and has a strength of character that is awe-inspiring.