Following the example of some of my good friends here, I have indeed picked myself for my first interview. Really, it seems like the perfect way to introduce myself to you fine people and perhaps give you insight on how/why I pick certain authors/stories in the future. I'm sure my interview questions will change as I continue to learn through my new role here, and I encourage everyone to submit suggestions of authors and stories you'd like to hear about - keep in mind I'm in charge of crossovers and suggest accordingly! I pretty much read crossovers exclusively and I'm always up for pairing new fandoms/characters together - I love the challenge of writing them and the joy of reading a well-written one! So now... on to the main course!
Hi there, nice to meet you: Basic Information
Can you please
tell the people reading this your name? Bertie
Bott
Where do you like
to post, and can you give us the site of your preferred medium?
I post at fanfiction.net, fictionpad (though don't tell anyone, I'm
behind!) and eventually I'd like to post at TWCS. Also, I have my own
Wordpress, which is definitely my preferred medium as I can literally
do whatever I want there: bertiebottwrites.wordpress.com.
What do you
prefer, Tea or Coffee? Coffee!!!! Soooo much coffee! I chase after two young kids during the day and couldn't do it without my Cup 'o Joe!
What is your
favorite beverage of choice? And if alcoholic and mixed, what are
the ingredients? I actually drink a lot
of water, but if I'm feeling frisky I
like to keep it simple with bourbon and coke.
What is your
funny story about trying something to drink and it rocked your boat
and/or sucked? When I turned 21, my first beverage was a Long
Island Iced Tea – which is, of course, wicked strong. I would say
it not only rocked my boat, but also my friend's since I tend to be a
very happy, talkative tipsy person.
What foods do you
love? Love Chinese food, but also can't go wrong with a good
'ole meat and potatoes.
What is your go
to food for comfort? Rolos (milk chocolate covered caramel)... I gravitate to them whenever I
need a pick me up.
What do you like
to snack when writing? I don't typically snack while writing –
I'm a distracted writer so I try not to give myself reasons to be
even more distracted.
Is there a scent
that says home to you? Lavender and vanilla... I tend to use
it (sparingly) whenever I clean house in order to mask that sterile
bleach-y smell.
Is there a scent
you wish you never smelled ever? Skunk, or more specifically,
roadkill skunk. I could definitely live without ever having smelt
that.
If you could
visit a place, anywhere, where would it be? Italy. I'm almost
¾ Italian and would love to visit Italy – the birthplace of the
Renaissance!
If you could go
at any point in time, which would it be? Probably the
Renaissance, though more for witnessing the birth of such a vibrant
changes in culture and art... I wouldn't last long without modern
conveniences though!
What music do you
like? All types – seriously, my iPod is so eclectic. I have
opera, musicals, rock, comedy, just everything!
Is there a genre
or song you hate? I don't really hate anything, but I don't
listen to as much country or rap as I do everything else.
Tell us something
about yourself that you think your fans would love to know about:
Ugh. No pressure! Well, I'm actually a published author. Nothing
big, but I've had a few poems published in literary magazines and
have a creative non-fiction essay that is due to be published in the
summer. I majored in Creative Writing in college, so in the midst of
fanfiction, I'm also pursuing my original fiction.
So what about the Good Stuff: The Writing
Why did you start
writing? For the freedom. I've been writing creatively since
the third grade when my brother was seriously ill, and it afforded me
an escape. It made me feel better, stronger, to be in control of my
own world.
What do you enjoy
the most about it? I'm very fascinated by the rhythm of words
and pairing unique adjectives with nouns. I like to make descriptions
that are visceral and unique. Truly, I've always loved words and the
power they lend you.
What do you like
least about it? The time. I have a husband and two kids and
never have enough time to write as much as I want. I take the time I
can get, but I wish google or someone would create a device that
would read my mind and type everything out for me.
That first time
hitting publish, how did you feel? Elatedly terrified, lol.
Most of us put sooo much of us in our work that it's almost like
we're putting ourselves on public display. In particular with Thirsty
for Your Love, I was nervous having never written a crossover
before and with Set My Soul Alight I knew I was taking a big
risk by merging two very different fandoms.
Where do you get
your inspiration? Dreams more often than not, although I also
feel inspired by reading other great authors. Obviously, I'm not
stealing their ideas, but sometimes I'll read a different pairing
than I usually prefer and fall in love with it and think, hey –
why don't I give that a try too? Oddly enough, that's how Thirsty for Your Love was born. I read Kittyinaz's You're All I'm Asking For and just fell in love with the pairing (Bella/Damon) to the point I knew I had to write something.
What is your
writing area like do you use computer or paper, or both? Or another
medium? I have an open office that faces into my living room
so I can keep an eye on my kiddos. It used to be very cluttered, but
I've recently cleaned it out and it was like cleaning out my head
too. I tend to use the computer almost exclusively, except for when
I'm out and about and have to jot down an idea or when I'm writing
poetry. I tend to write my poems in a journal and in cursive.
Do you use an
outline, rough draft or just write? Typically I just write at
first, get a feel of my characters and plot. Then, I'll create a
rough outline (always subject to change) with most of the major
points.
What do you do
while you're writing (listen to music, TV in the background, etc.)?
I always need background noise. Until recently, I'd just have the TV
on, but now I listen to music. With Thirsty, I'm all about
Poets of the Fall – an awesome band my friend Kittyinaz got me
hooked on. With Alight, I've gravitated towards Imagine
Dragons.
What annoys you
the most when you are trying to write? When people read over
my shoulder – drives me bonkers and I can get downright nasty about
it.
If you have
finished a fic, what was your feeling on it? I have one
finished fic (Carpe Diem, a Harry Potter story with Tom Riddle/Hermione Granger pairing) and truly, it brought me to tears when I hit complete.
Happy tears, of course! It was such a labor of love and I had to take
a long hiatus, so I was scared coming back to it, but it was like
slipping on a warm coat. It fit perfectly.
What are your
favorite fandoms to write? I've written Harry Potter,
Twilight, Vampire Diaries and Avengers... I'd have to say my
favorites are Vampire Diaries and Avengers. I love Damon (who
doesn't?) and have a deep rooted love for comic books too.
Who are your
favorite characters to write Hands down
– Damon. I swear, he talks to me and has become my muse for stories he's not even featured in. Loki is a close second because he's so complex... he's a bit darker though.
Why? I've
never had a character that spoke to me as easily (and loudly!) as
Damon does. He literally lives in my head and plants plot seeds. Some
of my best scenes weren't planned and just came to me in his voice.
Who are your
least favorite characters to write? Maybe Bella, though I
don't really mind her too much.
Why? I try
to stay as in character as possible in my crossovers, and
unfortunately, that means Bella starts off weak-willed and needy. She
tends to grow up in my fics, which is both fun and a joy to write,
but I do tend to want to smack her at first, lol.
What is your
favorite scene or story you have written and why? This should
be down with the hard questions – you're asking me to pick my
favorite child! If I had to choose... ugh! I love Thirsty for Your
Love because it's rekindled my fanfiction writing, but Set My
Soul Alight is so unique and there's not a lot out there like it so it makes me feel very proud for taking the risk in writing it.
There – that's the best answer you're gonna get!
What is the most
difficult story or scene you have written, and why? Hands
down, my first lemon in Thirsty. There's the obvious in that it was
my first one, but I also really wanted to find a balance of the
physical and the emotional without being too heavy or cheesy on one side or the other.
Do you see any
characteristics in the characters you write? Yes.
Which ones and
whom? I've always been quick witted and easy to fire a
comeback. I'd say I'm like Damon in that sense. Sarcastic, but often
using it to cover some real, deep emotion.
What do you like
most about your preferred fandom? I love writing about the
supernatural world – vampires, witches, superheroes... the skies
the limit and I love that I don't have an imaginary line I can't
cross as far as believability goes. I always strive for realism even
in the fictional world, but I love being able to create the
impossible.
How would you
describe your fics? 'How Bella Got Her Groove Back' – lol.
So far, I tend to have Bella at her lowest, struggling to find
herself. I suppose they're coming of age stories, but also romance.
I'm a romantic at heart.
What story would
you recommend of your own for a new fan to start first?
Probably Thirsty for Your Love if only because it's about 7 chapters
away from being complete so you won't be left hanging, lol. I finish
all my stories, but as a reader myself, I completely understand
the feeling that comes with hitting the next button and nothing happens.
Now that we've broken you in: The Nitty Gritty
If you could
offer a suggestion to someone who is thinking of publishing their
first story, what would it be? Just do it. Ignore all the
voices in your head telling you all the negative possibilities and
do it. I've always found that oneself is the largest obstacle to
overcome in any creative endeavor, so just ignore your inner critic,
buck up and get to it. You can do it!
If you could go
back in time, and give yourself one word of advice, what would you
say? (No Lottery numbers or anything like that!!!) If
we're talking advice in the writing world, I'd say exactly what I
wrote for the previous question. As far as life in general, I'd
remind myself of a song lyric from Avenue Q, “except for death and
paying taxes, everything in life is only for now.” Don't sweat the
small stuff because in the long run, they won't even be a blip on the
radar.
Tell us what you read!
I read ALL
of Dr Harleen Frances Quinzel's
crossovers on fanfiction.net:
https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5350628/Dr-Harleen-Frances-Quinzel.
There's not a lot of Twilight/Comic Book crossovers and she writes
so many of them. If I had to pick one
to read first, I'd recommend her Wolverine one... or Deadpool if you
like dark humor.
I love the
way Cuinawen writes and because I'll be
reviewing her later I won't go into too much detail now...
I'd recommend all of her
Twilight/Originals crossovers (Bella/Kol pairing) on her wordpress:
http://cuinawen.wordpress.com/
Kittyinaz is
an amazing author who writes several different crossovers. I love it
because you never know what she'll think of next!
http://kittyinaz.com/
An up and
coming author I've been reading lately is Mommy4Thomas. So far she
writes Bella/Damon exclusively and she almost loves Damon as much as
I do! http://mommy4thomas2002.wordpress.com/
-
Let's Get Metaphysical: Character Interview
Name
of Character: Loki Odinson (or Laufeyson if he's pissed at
Odin, haha)
Story he is in:
Set My Soul Alight
Is (s)he an
original Character or a series known? Well known from comics
and from Thor and Avengers movies
Are they in
character or Out of Character? I try to keep him as
in-character as possible, but like any crossover story, some out of character traits are impossible to avoid.
Nickname(s): Not
anything polite since most don't like him ;)
Date of Birth:
Unknown, though the humans call them gods and
believe them to be immortal, Odin quite clearly expresses that they
can die even with their excessively long lifespans. If we go by mythology alone, Loki must at least pre-date the Vikings.
Occupation:
God of Mischief and all around bad guy
Stats (Aka
Height, hair color, eye color, and so on): For me, Tom
Hiddleston embodies Loki. He's 6'2”, black hair (at least while in character)
and blue eyes. He's so pretty you can't help but to love him even
when he's doing bad things!
Significant
other(s): None, though in my story he and Bella will be the
main pairing
Best Friend(s):
Used to be Thor, now he only counts on himself
Enemies(s): Thor,
Odin, the Warriors Three, the Avengers... pretty much everyone until
he meets Bella
Any noticeable
Scars, Tattoos, or other markings: No, nothing. Loki doesn't
believe in marking his already perfect body. Only thing that happens is a slight skin reaction to the cold since he is half Frost Giant.
If they could
have a Theme Song, which would it be? Imagine Dragons,
Radioactive – it's actually what I listen to when I write
his POV.
What is their
favorite Movie? A Clockwork Orange, because it hints at the
superiority and class of the 'bad guy' and also implies a victory of sorts for
him in the end.
What
is something that the fans don’t know about your character? He
wears several masks... some are obvious,
but they all protect a very tender and needy heart.
That's it for me - it's a pleasure meeting you all and I look forward to introducing you to some really awesome writers and stories in the future!
18:01
The Non-Canon Awards
