Cascade Library Interview with Fidus Amicus
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| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Cascade Library Interview with Fidus Amicus |
| Interviewer: | Cascade Library |
| Interviewee: | Fidus Amicus |
| Date(s): | November 27, 2000 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | The Sentinel |
| External Links: | interview is here, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
In 2000, Fidus Amicus was interviewed for Cascade Library.
Some Excerpts
The area I lived in during the first run of The Sentinel didn't have a UPN network, though I caught it once in a while on an independent channel during the third season. It was okay, but didn't grab me until I saw S2P1. The expression on Jim's face when Blair was pronounced dead just did it for me. What can I say -- I always fall for the tough strong guy who gets emotionally sucker-punched. But even then, I wasn't sure if I'd ever see the second part, and I kind of forgot about it since I was actively involved in another fandom at the time. Then I was talking to a friend and she told me how a fourth season was made due in large part to fan support. Another friend made copies of some TS eps for me and I was caught -- hook, line, and friendship.
The character I most enjoy writing is undoubtedly Jim Ellison. As I said earlier, I'm a sucker for the dark hero with a ton of emotional baggage. However, I don't find it difficult to write in Blair's point-of-view either. My AU The Road Not Traveled opens with Blair and what has brought him to this certain point in his life. He's abandoned his sentinel studies since he couldn't find a subject and has focused on a closed society study of an island fishing village. I love the exploration of what makes both Jim and Blair tick, and in an AU venue it's doubly challenging. I don't think I have a least favorite character to write, though I'm the first to admit I don't write Rafe, H, Joel, Megan or even Simon as much as I should. I just don't have a good handle on their characters and can't do them justice. I am working on that, but still it's difficult since I prefer to keep a tight focus on Jim and Blair.
I've been writing it for years before I even knew what it was called. I have to admit that my first ones were Mary Sues -- I was in junior high school at the time. My first published fanfic was in the late 80's -- it was either an Alias Smith and Jones or a Rat Patrol story.
I'd like to do a story that deals more with emotion than action, maybe an exploration of Jim's earlier career as a cop when he was with Vice. Perhaps evidence comes in that brings doubts as to the guilt of a man Jim was instrumental in convicting while he was in Vice. Blair will get a picture of how arrogant Jim Ellison had been and will have to reconcile that image with the man/sentinel Jim has become. Of course, Jim himself will have to recognize what a jerk he'd been and admit that Blair coming into his life changed him in more ways than even he realized.