Chronicle X Interview with Meredith
| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Chronicle X Interview with Meredith |
| Interviewer: | uncredited |
| Interviewee: | Meredith |
| Date(s): | 1999 or 2000 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | X-Files |
| External Links: | interview is here; copy |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Chronicle X Interview with Meredith was conducted in 1999 or 2000 by the Chronicle X archive.
Some Excerpts
One episode -- "Never Again." I was fascinated by that episode, and I wrote a post-ep piece called "Backhand" in which I tied together the events of "Leonard Betts" and "Never Again." For the first time, the show was fleshing out the character of Scully beyond the "good girl/Navy brat" skeleton, and I was caught up in the furor to defend the left turn the episode had taken. At the time, most fanfic centered around Mulder, and I wanted to bring Scully into the forefront.
On one hand, they're dysfunctional, co-dependent, repressed, and sometimes misguided. On the other, they're passionate, caring, devoted, and utterly in love. Which makes them one of the most real, three-dimensional, and complex couples in all of the fictional world. I truly see them as soulmates -- neither one would be whole without the other. Their dynamic is fascinating -- too fascinating for me to write about anything else. Yeah... I'm a 'shipper. I fell off that fence right onto my ass during Redux II.... :-)
I don't remember, but [the first XF fanfic I read] was bad. The second one was even worse. But for some reason the third was better, the fourth was good, and the fifth or so was so spectacular that I became addicted only 2 short hours after I found Vincent's archive (which, for the newbies out there, has evolved into the Great and Wonderful Gossamer).
FEEDBACK IS EVERYTHING. Feedback is the reason I post. I'm not ashamed to admit that. If I didn't get feedback, I'd still write -- because I have to -- but I wouldn't share any of it. I treasure every e-mail I've gotten, and I respond to every note -- sometimes with frightening amounts of enthusiasm, I think. :-) I can't say enough about the need for feedback -- not just for me, but for lots of fanfic writers out there. Every time you send feedback, you are helping guarantee that fanfic stays alive on the net. If we don't send feedback to writers of all skill levels, at some point the writers may stop sharing.
Anyone who truly knows me is aware of the fact that I'd much rather read than write -- part of that distraction addiction I've got. It's only the demons in my subconscious that force me to pick up the pen. Hence I read a LOT of XF fic, and have done so for years. I read almost every genre and make an effort to watch for new authors, so I've got a hefty list of favorites. I've tried to include all of them, but I'll probably wince when I realize I've accidentally left someone out. They're not listed in any particular order, and I've also included a super example of each writer's work. Ready? Let's roll!My love of fiction centers around the beauty of language, and the seemingly infinite amount of ways to express emotion and the human experience. A few writers truly amaze me with their gift of metaphor and expression, including MustangSally, Joyce McKibben, Kelida Flynn, and GirlGone. Reading their work is a visceral experience that always reminds me of my appreciation for *words.* Works that have a special place on my hard drive include GirlGone's "Sounds of Silence," Joyce's "Revenant," Kelida's "Grains of Sand," and Sally's "All the Children Are Insane."
Inherent to the world of XF fic is the case file, which is *so* difficult to write well and is truly the most underappreciated genre. With case files I want it all -- a great plot, marvelous characterization, and as much detail as possible. As far as I'm concerned, Nascent, Kipler, Rachel Howard, and Jill Selby set the bar in more ways than one: I *adore* their Mulder/Scully relationships, which are so perfectly nuanced as to make my heart flutter. Plus, their plots are twisting and intricate and so very intelligent. Favorites include Nascent's "Eye of the Beholder," Kipler's "Chains," Rachel's "Goodnight Newton," and Jill's "Rags."
I've always been attracted to *real* MSR stories, even when I was a serious fence-sitter. (I guess that should have told me something!) No mush, no sappiness, no "Fox and Dana." As far as I'm concerned, the following ladies know how to write the best romance -- full of real, complicated motivations, character flaws, and mature relationships. Oh, and they write great smut, too. :-) Karen Rasch, Lydia Bower, Blueswirl, Shalimar, Annie Sewell-Jennings, and MD1016 are the best of the best. I *adore* and can recite text from Karen's "Cabbages and Kings" series, Lydia's "Primal Sympathy," Blue's "Tangible," Shalimar's "Dark Slide of Ecstasy," Annie's "Metamorphosis," and MD's brilliant "Rarity of the Human Connection."
For all-around superior characterization, nuance, skill, and palpable *love* of the characters no matter what topic, I have to praise QofMush (try "Changing Tides") and [Thalia D'Muse] (try "A Quiet War"), who amaze me more and more with every new piece.
Since I'm a self-proclaimed vignette slut <g>, I love to see writers who can craft a perfect gem of a vignette. It's harder than it looks, trust me! Justin Glasser, Brighid, and Marguerite never fail to create perfect pieces. I'm in awe of Justin's "Nom De Guerre," Brighid's "Playing Orpheus" and Marguerite's "Solar Flare."
Still with me? Great!
For pure cleverness and overall talent no matter what genre they try, do not miss anything by CiCi Lean ("Mr. Natural" is a favorite), Plausible Deniability ("The Carrot and the Stick" is superb), and Pellinor ("The Unconquered Flame" -- brilliant!).
Whenever I see a new story by Pares or Dasha K, I practically jump up and down. Their stories are like opening a gift from your best friend -- you can *never* predict what's inside, but it's always great! Pares' "Soporific" makes me warm and fuzzy, and Dasha's "Wonderland" gives me the chills (the good kind!).
Although I consider slash the most alternate of alternate universes, some of the best writers in fanfic call this genre home. I won't ever pass up a story by Te, torch, DBKate, JiM, MJ, or Rye. All are superior wordsmiths and lend incredible insight into the characters.
And I have to throw in two new names that everyone should keep an eye open for -- Maureen Ocks and Mesa. So far in their budding careers, I've been mightily impressed. They haven't posted much, but if we're lucky, they'll keep writing. :-)
Plus, I could never leave out MCA, because she's brilliant at every genre she tries her hand at. She can write anything, and it's always *stunningly* gorgeous!
Phew! Aren't you sorry you asked? <g>