Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

I was born in Russia, moved to the U.S. with my family when I was 12 years old, and now live in New York City.  I have a Master's degree in electrical engineering, but I work as a computer programmer.  Besides writing and fandom, my main obsessions are scuba diving and underwater photography.  I have one husband, zero kids, and a fish named Iphicles.

I'm fascinated by your background.  How difficult was it to adapt to this country, especially at a time (early adolescence) that is often difficult enough in itself?

The culture shock was much worse than the language barrier.  I picked up English very quickly, but found I still couldn't talk to most people because we had no common cultural vocabulary.  American kids mostly thought I was a moron.  I didn't really begin to feel comfortable until I was in high school.  But I think I avoided a lot of common adolescent problems because I was so busy with an entirely different set of problems.

Sounds rough!  So I gather you didn't speak/read much English before you arrived in the US?

I had taken some private English lessons as a kid, but when I went to school, we were only offered German, so English didn't really take until I came here.  And my German classes were totally useless -- I can't speak a word of it now.

You have an amazing command of the English language!  I guess there's something to be said for the total immersion method.

Children have a natural language-absorbing ability, and immersion is definitely the way to learn.  At this point, I've been speaking English longer than I've been speaking Russian, so it's really my primary language.

Do you still speak and write in Russian?

I speak it with my family, and read it fairly well.  I still have most of my favorite Russian books, so I have something to practice with.  But it's very difficult for me to write in it now, I've lost the feel for the language that a writer needs.

Did you always want to be a writer or did the creative urge strike later in life? 

 started writing when I was six years old.  My father, who writes beautiful poetry himself, encouraged me to get started -- I think I was bugging him to play with me and he was trying to get me to go away so he could work.   But I can't remember a time since then when I didn't have a story brewing in my head.

How important do you think your father's influence was?  Would you still be writing without that early influence and encouragement?

It was incredibly important.  My father writes gorgeous poetry -- all in Russian, of course -- and he had guided me through my early writing efforts, encouraged me, gave me writing exercises, and generally expended a lot of time and effort on helping me develop my craft.  I might've begun writing on my own, but I wouldn't bet on it.  Fiction writing wasn't a heavily encouraged activity in Soviet schools.

Given your interest in writing, did you ever consider majoring in English/creative writing as an undergrad?  Have you ever considered trying to make your living as a writer? 

I did consider it briefly, but I also have a very strong interest in mathematics and computers, and in the end I chose to go with that.  I don't regret it, either -- I've seen enough of how full-time professional writers live to know that it's not the life for me.  I like to know exactly where the next mortgage check is coming from, and when. 

Somewhere on your web page, you and Keith [Marina's husband] describe yourself as sci fi/fantasy geeks (I think).  What is it about sci fi/fantasy that fascinates you so much?

I think it's a natural outgrowth of my childhood fascination with fairy tales, folklore, and mythology.  I never cottoned to the idea that stories should be restricted to the "real" world.  To me, the whole point of fiction is that you can go beyond the mundane. I don't want to read about people who are just like me, doing the sort of things that I do myself.

Do you read much in other genres as well?

I read mysteries, and historical adventure novels.  Historical mysteries, like Kate Ross' Regency mysteries, are a particular favorite.  I think to me, escaping into a different time period or society is similar to escaping into a fantasy world.  I just like traveling to exotic locations when I read.

Anything in particular you're reading right now?  Anything you'd like to recommend to the folks on the list?

I've just mentioned Kate Ross.  She wrote gorgeous, witty mysteries set in Regency England, with a protagonist who rivals Lord Peter Wimsey for charm.  In fantasy, Anne Bishop writes rich, dark, sexually-charged novels that remind me, stylistically, of Thamiris' writing.  And I would recommend Guy Gavriel Kay's novels to any fantasy fan, especially A Song For Arbonne.

How did you become a fan of the show(s)? 

I've always loved fantasy, and Greek mythology is a life-long interest of mine, so when Channel 11 first aired the Hercules Action Pack movies, I was right there watching. The movies were enjoyable enough to get me to watch the series, and I've been pretty much hooked since then.

I know you're interested in the mythology, but what else in particular do you like about the Herc/Xena shows?  What do you dislike?

I like the sense of fun in the shows, and the strong craftsmanship and production values.  The special effects are always first rate, the scenery and costumes are gorgeous, the fights exciting and well-choreographed.  All the leads and most of the guest stars give good-to-excellent performances.  This is what lifts both shows above cheap knock-offs like Sinbad.

What I dislike is the lack of continuity, and frequent sloppiness in the writing.  Then again, this is what keeps fanfic writers going, isn't it? 

How did you start writing Herc-Xenaverse fan fiction? 

I got into it by sort of a side route, by way of Highlander fanfic. I was trying to write a story about Methos leaving the Horsemen, but couldn't come up with a good scenario.  Then I came up with the idea of him enlisting Xena's help, and suddenly the plot clicked in my head.  So I wrote the story, Red Right Hand, and that was going to be my one and only foray into the Xenaverse.  But I found I really enjoyed writing in that setting.  And there were so many characters -- Ares, Iphicles, Iolaus, Jason -- that I wanted to explore. So I wrote more stories, and found, somehow, that I couldn't stop.

Do you find it easy to come up with story ideas in the Herc/Xenaverse?  Is there anything in particular that inspires you (in addition, of course, to all the gorgeous looking guys)?  Is there anything in particular that you do to center yourself or get yourself into a writing mood?

What generally inspires me to fanfic is annoyance.  Some interesting subplot has been dropped, an issue that I consider important is being glossed over, a character I like is being ignored or badly presented...  I get annoyed, and then I want to do something about it, so I sit down and write.  I do find that coming up with fanfic plots is easier than coming up with plots for original stories, because I'm not starting with a blank slate.

This is not to say that fanfic writing is easier than original writing.  Coming up with an idea is only the first step.  After that, the same level of craftsmanship and thought is required.

From things you've mentioned on the list, I get the impression that you work pretty hard at your craft--participating in a writers' group and so on.  Have you ever taken any formal writing classes?  If so, were these helpful or not?

I've taken a number of writing workshops in college.  I enjoyed them, and they were useful in the sense of providing an opportunity to practice my craft in a receptive environment.  But they weren't geared toward genre writing, and that limited their usefulness somewhat.  After college, I took a workshop on writing fantasy and SF at the New School [the New School for Social Research in NYC.] This was probably the most helpful writing class I ever took, because it hooked me up with a writer's group that I've been with ever since.

A good writers' group is worth its weight in gold.  All my published stories have been workshopped by my group, and improved tremendously as a result.

It's very important to get one's writing critiqued by an honest but sympathetic audience, to get multiple perspectives on the story, to get a feel for how readers respond.  Very few writers can judge their own work impartially. 

There's lot of things I admire about your writing.  But if I had to pick just one, I'd probably say your skill with characterization.  Although I wouldn't begin to describe myself as an Iolaus expert, I'd say you've got him dead on.  Iphicles is so underwritten or poorly written on the show that one could go in lots of directions.  You pick one and stick with it.  Ares, even in the Serpent story, where he's a hero, is still Ares.  Do you have any hints for other writers on characterization?

Examine your own motives.  That's my number one rule.  When I have a character do something, I always stop and think -- would he or she really do that, or am I projecting my own quirks where they don't belong?  I know, for example, that I have a tendency to be unsympathetic to Hercules and Alcmene, and to make excuses for Iphicles, so I try to watch for that.

Beta readers come in really handy here, as they can often spot this sort of thing better than I can.  And I still don't think I've been entirely successful with Alcmene.  But I try.

You live with another writer (and a successful one at that).  I know that you and Keith have collaborated on some work formally.  I'm curious whether there's also a lot of informal collaboration--bouncing ideas off each other, critiquing, and so on. 

Oh, yes, all the time.  Keith beta-reads all my fanfic (the non-slash stuff, anyway), and we will often discuss plot ideas with each other before sitting down to write.  He's also in my writers' group, so we get each other's input that way.  Keith was a professional editor for years before he quit to write full-time, and I have a deep respect for his expertise.

We also have similar tastes and styles, which makes receptive critiquing easier.

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

Besides the lovely mental images, you mean?  Honestly, I'm not sure.  I'm not a very devoted slasher; I'm just as happy reading and writing gen as slash, and quite often I completely fail to see pairings that are obvious to everyone else. But when I do see "vibes" between two characters, it fascinates me.  I like complex, multilayered character interactions, and sex always adds a layer of complexity, doesn't it? Having Iolaus and Iphicles be lovers creates all sorts of tensions and conflicts that simply wouldn't exist if they were just pals.  Sex, to me, is not an end in itself.  It's a means to opening up new story possibilities.

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

The hard part is to keep it from becoming repetitive without lapsing into either purple prose or medical-speak.  The English language doesn't really have a casual vocabulary for sex -- it's all either clinical terms or swear words. (Come to think of it, the Russian language isn't any better.) And half the time, when I think of a particularly nice turn of phrase, I discover that I've already used it in another story six months before.  I live in fear that there's a finite supply of descriptive sex phrases in my brain, and one day I'll use them all up, and be stuck writing nothing but G-rated stories for the rest of my life. 

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

The Sword and the Serpent.  It was written specifically as my vision of an episode I'd like to see wrapping up the Dahak storyline on Xena.  I knew it wasn't going to happen, of course, but a girl can dream. 

Which story are you most proud of? 

Imaginary Friend.  It's such an atypical situation to put Ares in, and it was a real challenge trying to make the characterization work.  I've had quite a few readers say, "If someone had described this story to me, I never would've believed it, but you convinced me."  That's the highest compliment I can hope for as a writer.

Which character do you most enjoy writing? 

Whichever one I happen to be writing at the time.  I'm fickle.  Ares, Iphicles, Iolaus... they're very different characters, and they fascinate me in different ways.  I could never choose.

Talk to me a little about your favorite characters:  Ares, Iphicles, Iolaus.  How do you see them?

Ares:  I see him as the most complex of the three characters, actually.  His function as God of War puts him in a very alienated situation, pretty much everybody hates war, even when they admit the necessity, and they hate him by extension.  He knows this, and tries to convince himself it doesn't matter, but it does.  I think he spends a lot of time and effort on trying to maintain a self-image that allows him to live with himself.  And I like to write stories where that self-image cracks.

Iphicles:  He is, as you said, very under-written on the show, so most of my characterization is speculative.  We know he's jealous of Hercules and estranged from Alcmene.  I think he's extremely insecure and emotionally needy, with no strong sense of his own identity.  I imagine him going through life making the same ordinary human mistakes that everyone makes, but judging himself more harshly because he's used to seeing Hercules as the standard to aspire to.  That's enough to screw anybody up.

Does being king add to the burden or provide an identity?

I think being king is actually good for Iphicles, or at least will be eventually. Like many insecure people, he can be very self-centered. Kingship forces a lot of responsibility on him, and after "War Wounds," he's seen how much damage he can do when he screws up.  He probably doesn't like it, but it will force him to look outside of himself instead of forever dwelling on his own perceived problems and shortcomings.

Iolaus: I see him as a very strong, resilient personality.  He can handle danger, and death, and having a perfect demigod as his best friend.  Unlike Iphicles, he has a very strong sense of self.  His central quality is loyalty, and his whole personal code is built around that.  It's just as well that he hooked up with Herc when he was young -- he could've just as easily centered his life around a less scrupulous person, and done a lot of damage.  The episode "Hero's Heart" showed us as much. 

I seem to remember that you're drawn to secondary characters on other shows as well.  What draws you to secondary characters?

Secondary characters attract me because they have more freedom to be imperfect.  They don't have to always be right, or to always win.  They need to have flaws and make mistakes, otherwise the hero will have no one to rescue.  Also, since they don't get as much on-screen attention as the hero, they end up having more unexplored aspects which I can then try to fill in with my stories.

Iphicles has a whole life we know nothing about -- there's fodder for hundreds of stories there.  With Iolaus, there's the time he spent in the East, as well as the time he spends away from Hercules.

What are your feelings on feedback and story critiquing? 

I love feedback.  I save every LoC (letter of comment) I receive.  When I'm feeling insecure and neurotic, I go to that folder, and re-read all the nice comments that people have made, and think to myself, "Hey, maybe I can write after all."  It makes me feel all warm and fluffy.  But it doesn't do much to help me improve as a writer.  For that, I need honest, constructive critiques, which is where beta-reading comes in.  I could go on for pages about my wonderful beta readers, and everything they've done for me, but I won't, because one of the things they've done is teach me when to shut up. 

I like your stuff so much that I have a hard time imagining that you receive any negative feedback, but I have to ask--have you ever received unsolicited negative feedback over the Net? 

It depends on what you mean by "negative."  I've had e-mail from a reader who felt that my characterization of Ares in the Serpent stories was way off.  But she wasn't flaming me: she raised perfectly legitimate points that made me think, and I'm grateful to her for writing.  We had some excellent e-mail correspondence, and while I don't necessarily agree with everything she said, I think she helped me in my writing.

I did get a single pathetic flame about my slash stories, but the person who sent it wasn't interested in addressing issues of writing craft. 

What is the hardest part about writing for you? 

Getting off my lazy butt and actually doing it.  There's so much other fun stuff I could do with less effort -- websurfing, watching TV, reading somebody else's story, baking cookies, hanging out with my friends... it's a wonder I ever get anything written at all.

What one story do you think people will always remember you for?

I think the likelihood of people always remembering me for anything is pretty much null.  Fanfic is too transient and narrow a phenomenon to base one's immortality on, and my few professionally published stories haven't exactly made a splash.  I'm pretty content with obscurity, though.  No pressure. 

Do you write other fic as well as fanfic?  Do you hope to publish original fic some day? 

I've published some original fiction already, mostly fantasy and horror.  My most recent sale was to "Chicks and Chained Males," a humorous fantasy anthology edited by Esther Friesner.  I've also published magazine articles and reviews, mostly about science fiction or Japanese animation. 

What stories are you working on now?

I'm actually working on a lengthy original fiction project right now, but I'm not really ready to talk about it yet, because my attempts at long original pieces have always crashed and burned in the past, and I don't want to start babbling about this one prematurely.  On the fanfic front, I have several stories in the planning stages: the next Iolaus/Iphicles story, an Ares story that will hopefully conclude the storyline I began with The Sword and the Serpent, some Young Iphicles stories, etc.  And of course, you never know when a PWP will suddenly jump out of nowhere... 

This interview was conducted January 2000, by Narcissus.