I feel as if I know almost nothing about you, except that you write fic I admire devoutly. So, how about it? Tell me a little bit about who you are.

Well, I'm in my early 30's and I have training as a visual artist with a concentration in ceramics and fiber. I currently work as a production manager for custom printed sportswear. Writing is very new to me. I just discovered it when I got my computer a year ago.

It's interesting that you have training in visual arts. Your fic to me is very visual (and tactile as well). I think your artist's eye is expressing itself here.

I absolutely agree. I would say that all my other interests carry over into the writing. I love cooking as a hobby, my live-in boyfriend is a chef, and I love to describe the flavors and aromas and foods in the fic. With my fiber degree, I find I'm always interested in what people are wearing and whether it's realistic. HTLJ did a lousy job with period costumes, though (you'd think everyone in Ancient Greece wore leather) so I can take a lot of liberties with the costuming too.

 I'm kind of amazed that you started writing so recently since you seem quite accomplished to me. No writing as a child? Even if you didn't write them down, have you always made up stories in your head?

When I was an adolescent I wrote some slash with my best friend. We'd pass it back and forth, each writing a chapter, banging it out on old typewriters. I did a bit of copy writing at a graphic design firm and I write all the correspondence for the president of my company, but until I had the computer it just wasn't a practical hobby for me.

When you started writing fic, did you do any formal training or just leap in? If you did formal training, was it worthwhile?

It's strange, since I'm such a grammar stickler, but I haven't even had an English class since high school. Believe me when I say that my 12th grade English teacher was phenomenal! Once I started writing, I looked at some online resources which gave me great tips on things like POV, passive vs. active sentences. I found that I knew a lot of the grammar stuff already from high school, though, so I consider myself lucky in that respect, that the technicalities come to me more easily than I think they do for a lot of other writers.

Are you part of a writers' group? Have a beta or two that you work with on a regular basis?

There are two Science Fiction writers that I met while playing an online video game; we beta each others' work, and we're all very different from each other which makes it interesting. KSA is the closest thing I have to a formal group, though. I have one beta who I share stories with at the beginning to brainstorm and then at the end to make sure it all makes sense and look for errors.

How have your life experiences shaped your writing?

I would say they affect my original fic more than my fanfic, maybe a reader would say if the themes appear in my fanfic too. I think that living in Chicago has made me a different person than I'd have become otherwise. It's very close and crowded and poor and filthy. Sometimes it's fabulous in its multiculturalism and sometimes you feel like you're in the tower of Babel. I think when I describe poverty, like in the scene in the dockside hovel in "No Man is an Island," it's because I see so much all around.

Has anyone in particular encouraged you as an artist? I'm thinking here of both your visual arts work and about your writing.

Certainly not my parents! I suspect that my work, both visual and writing, has a focused appeal. I tend to make a few friends who are just crazy about what I do and they give me plenty of encouragement, while, for the most part, other don't "get it." It was the same way with teachers in college, most were so busy being artsy that they pooh-poohed anything that was representational, but then I'd occasionally bond with one professor who seemed to be on the same wavelength.

What is it about sci fi/fantasy that appeals to you?

The magic of the genre is key, the idea that people can tap into the mystical elements, or that they're in a space or time where those elements are more accessible to man. I also love inhuman things like elves and godlings and nymphs and satyrs, they're so full of possibility. To suppose how they live or think or see the world is endlessly fascinating to me.

I think that love for the inhuman really comes through in your fic. Your gods tend to be the most godly gods I've seen in fic. And I like that in a god. I don't expect them to be perfect or all-knowing but I like them powerful. And I think the shows really dropped the ball on that one.

The shows absolutely dropped the ball. I suppose it's because they have different writers with different concern for how consistent they are, and probably with different levels of awe and wonder about the responsibility of creating a credible character. What's fun about gods is that they are so powerful, yet they are prone to things like jealousy and paranoia and unrequited love just like us mere mortals.

Are you interested in other genres as a reader/writer or is sci fi/fantasy it for you?

As a reader I enjoy historical fiction as well as horror. I could see myself writing historical fic or possibly romance, though I think I'd be too dark to be published as a romance writer, and probably too twisted! I don't have any desire to write fic set in the present time, because then it would have to be urban (as that is all I know from life experience), and I think my inherent disgust with much of humanity would color it to the point that no one would want to read it. I think the escapism of writing fantasy is what makes it such fun for me because, as you've said, I'm very visual, and I'm seeing and experiencing all this as I write it. I wouldn't care to sit and fantasize about the reality outside my door and just write that.

Anything in particular that you're reading right now? Anything you'd recommend to the list?

I've been reading mostly other fanfic lately, I guess because it's all so new to me. I'm still in that discovery stage where I can't get enough of it. Also, as I become acquainted with authors in the group I find that rereading their work and appreciating it as a body is becoming important to me as well.

Are you active in any other fandoms? Any other lists?

The only other fandom I care for is Batman. There are other shows that I do watch, like X-files and Star Trek, but I don't really see the slash in them. I haven't been inspired to write for any others. I think about writing in Gotham and the filthy urbanness of it turns me off, plus there are such limited pairings to explore. I'd rather send my brain to Olympus.

What do you like about the Herc/Xena shows? What do you dislike?

I like the reappearing characters on Herc/Xena. Felafel might be a joke, but I like that he pops up from show to show to show. Same with Sal and Auto and all the returning guests. On Xena, I loved last season when they traveled through India, it was so visually rich, as well as the Lao Ma episodes in China. I feel like Xena is more interested in having an authentic feel than Herc. I don't care much for comedy, or for towns like Thebes suddenly being "wild west " settings. And then there's the bird falling on Ares' head. I can't stomach the way they portray the gods sometimes, but you know that's a matter near and dear to my heart.

The bird falling on his head didn't bother me as much as the fact that both Herc and Iolaus started treating him as a total joke. They weren't afraid of his power any more. To me, that really sucked! (You don't have to comment if you don't want to. Just had to get that out.)

I so agree!

How did you start writing Herc-Xenaverse fan fiction?

I began writing to fill a void that I saw. The character of Hades had always intrigued me, and there was just a dearth of stories that he was portrayed in with any sort of interesting characterization.

How do you see his character?

I have a few different Hades that I've written, though not all for this list. The "Thick as Thieves" Hades I see as a just and caring ruler who's sexually frustrated and paranoid. I have another one I call "Naughty Hades" who likes to taunt and tease. I don't know that I have a clear picture of him. He's so undeveloped on the show you can kinda take him anywhere.

Which character do you most enjoy writing?

My favorite continues to shift and change, but in general I get a charge out of writing Thanatos. He's an OC that I threw in to season the stew, and he's taken on a life of his own.

Thanatos is an incredible character. Where did he come from?

I'm not really sure. I wanted someone to taunt Hades because he was walking around all unsatisfied, and I had just read some scholarly stuff on the underworld that mentioned Thanatos as Death Incarnate, a winged youth, and I though I'd make up someone cool to sashay around Hades rubbing his own nipples. I didn't know I'd get so into him myself. He was very spur of the moment.

An odd tidbit is that Hermes was never supposed to be in that story, he just sprang up out of nowhere too.

What is the hardest part about writing for you?

Writing for a list is very different from writing with the intent to publish or just writing for yourself. Somewhere in the back of your mind you know that other people are out there reading your work, and it's very tempting to gear the stories to please others rather than just telling your story. I've used the characters Castor and Pollux more than I would have otherwise simply because readers let me know they found them interesting. The desire to please can become problematic, though, and have me questioning myself and what I'm writing, and I get a little stuck sometimes because of it.

Do you find it easy to come up with story ideas? Anything in particular that inspires you? (Other than so many gorgeous male bodies. I'm taking that as a given.)

Actually, I wish it was a little easier to come up with story lines. I'm thinking that it's somehow subconscious. I might have a friend ask me to write something, think it's a great idea, sit down to do it and find that I just can't. When something does click it just flows right out. I had one piece where I was stuck, and I traced it back to one of my characters saying something that was just not him. I got rid of that line and the rest just flowed out like water.

Anything in particular you do to get yourself into a writing mood?

I've come to the conclusion that I just can't force it. I think I'm fairly prolific, I should be thankful my muse comes when she does. I find that doing something else (like work!) makes me crave writing. Reading other fic inspires me too, but then I have to be careful not to copy what's already been done. Round robins can be difficult, because your turn can land and you're just not up for it. I remember for one RR, I had just watched the season finale when Xena and Gabrielle got nailed to the crosses. I was crying like a baby and suddenly I had to plunge into a lighthearted RR. It was very very difficult to change gears. I read some FF from one of my favorite authors to cheer myself, but it was disconcerting to say the least. I suspect I wanted to wallow in my misery a bit at that point, too, and I was sad that I had to make myself snap out of it!

I think that's what's stopped me from volunteering for a quickie RR. I'm terrified that my turn will come and I'll go completely blank. Or I'll hate where the last person has taken the story. 

RR's are intimidating that way, aren't they?

Since you are so good at creating a lush, visual/tactile feel in your stories, do you have any tips for other writers about how to achieve this in their own stories?

Stories are more readable when the point of view is clearly established, so just try to plant yourself in one character's head, see what he sees, feel what he feels. If you must portray how a different character feels, have your POV character observe some body language that tells the story, or have the other character say something. No mind reading. Take your time and mention the things that are worth mentioning. Just try to see it in your mind and describe what's there. That's what I do, at any rate, I'm not sure one could write without visualizing the scene first. Then, don't be afraid to go back and edit or rewrite. I do this continually. If a sentence is clunky, find a better way of saying what you mean. If a word stands out from a sentence, replace it. Let it rest for a bit and then read it again.

What are your feelings on feedback and story critiquing?

I can't get enough of 'em. It's hard though, because I feel like no one should feel "obligated" to respond to anything I've written, but at the same time, it's just like Christmas for me if something I've written sparks some dialogue between me and a reader. If anyone has any gripes with anything I've done, I'd love to hear that, as well. I don't expect pats on the back for what I've written. Criticism is welcome, too, since it's usually more enlightening than praise. I'm sure if I got a heavy enough dose of criticism I'd come out bruised, but I'd still be interested to see it. 

I make an effort to feed writers as much as I can, since I know how disheartening it is to pour like a hundred hours into a fic and get less response than you thought you would, when a couple well-thought paragraphs really don't take much more than a few extra minutes to write.

Have you ever received a flame as feedback?

Nope, never had a flame. Not sure how I'd react to one. But remember I'm new at this, less than 6 months I think. My boyfriend runs from the room screaming if he sees any M/M action on the screen. Does that count?

What is it that attracts you to writing about men having sex?

Strangely enough, when I was about 13 I noticed a lot of androgyny and blurred sexuality in the rock & roll world and was quite attracted to it. I wrote my first slash then, although I didn't know other people did it and was quite shocked to find it on the internet nearly twenty years later.

What's difficult or easy about writing the sex scenes in particular?

My sex scenes evolve organically; I don't necessarily choreograph them ahead of time, though I do have certain key things or moods I'd like to portray in each one. I simply try to imagine the scene from the POV character's eyes and describe as it evolves. I suppose the trick is to watch your language. You want to be lyrical without coming off as an ass (at least that's MY goal), and you want to vary your vocabulary but keep it natural-sounding.

Do you write other fic as well as fanfic? Do you hope to publish someday?

I have a novel that was finished, but in stages of rewrite, when I started writing fanfic. I've kind of orphaned it, but I think that writing the fanfic has loosened me up and probably is helping me develop a style of my own which will ultimately help my other fiction.

If you could see any of your stories made into a real episode, which would you choose?

Definitely "Thick as Thieves," because I'd love to see the journey to the underworld and all the strange twists and turns of Hades' palace explored. I think the settings would be really sumptuous.

What stories are you working on now?

I have one scenario that I'm exploring where Gabrielle dies before Xena. It's from Gabrielle's POV and she feels very guilty for abandoning Xena. I have another which will probably be finished soon that focuses on the relationship between the Sovereign and AU Iphicles. (Interviewer's note: The latter story has since been posted to the list as "The Chancellor.")

This interview was conducted in January 2000, by Narcissus.