(no subject)

[viola_dreamwalk]

23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?

My journal, AO3 – mostly. I used to post to FFN and some fandom-specific archives back in the day, but it's largely just too much of a time-suck now.

24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?

This is a tough one for me. I really do feel like every story – especially long stories – needs at least one additional set of eyes to look it over. That said, it can be hard to find the kind of editing I'm after – what I like to call the 'swift, sharp, occasionally merciless editor's pen' – in online communities. I want fact-checking, editing for content and concept, someone to challenge my conceits and help me make the story better – not just a grammar nazi (though grammar nazis are often crazy useful). So sometimes I just give it a miss.

25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?

I need music. I always have a playlist for my projects (and occasionally I even share them).

26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?

I research everything – from urban legends to the top 10 greatest college football upsets of all time to how many TGIFriday's restaurants there are in the greater D.C. area to troop movements in the Ardennes during WWII. I've even looked up what day of the week a date was in the past, because if it was a Tuesday but I write that it was a Friday, it will bug me. Like, forever. If I'm writing about a city I've never been to, I research the place. If I'm writing about something that happened before I was born, I research the era. I want my stories to feel authentic, and in the age of the internet I feel like there's just no excuse not to plug stuff into Google (well, Bing in my case) as I go. Maybe it's more effort than one really needs to go to for fanfiction, but I feel like it adds texture and a sense a realism to a story.

27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?

Computer. Brain moves too fast for pen + paper. Having a 'favorite' place to write is a luxury I don't have anymore. I generally keep my laptop within reaching distance in case inspiration strikes.

28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?

A few lovely people have occasionally sent me art, but I've never directly collaborated with anyone on a project. I've never co-authored with anyone on a project, either, but I think it would be a fun experience to have at some point.

29 – What is your current project or projects?

Cleaning up the mess I left when I dropped off the map a few years ago. Seriously. Current projects in the queue to be finished (finally):

Percy Weasley: Rogue Demon Hunter (Harry Potter – with some crossover bits with Angel the Series)

The Geek Rock Series (The Lone Gunmen)

Iteration (Star Wars EU)

30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!

My long-time favorites, for various reasons, are:

Mysteries (SG-1) – Because it is full of awesome ladies being awesome.

Dreamwalk Blue and sequel (Harry Potter) – Not so much for the story, flawed as it is, but for the characters. I do love them all. I have vague fantasies about going back and fixing it all someday, but we'll see.

The Veiled Lady (X-Files) – It's a fun little ghost story -- with some bonus character notes -- and I pull it out again every Halloween.