From the Bard's Quill Interview with Bat Morda
| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | From the Bard's Quill Interview with Bat Morda |
| Interviewer: | |
| Interviewee: | Bat Morda |
| Date(s): | May 18, 1997 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | Xena: Warrior Princess |
| External Links: | interview is here, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Bat Morda was interviewed in 1997 by for the Xena: Warrior Princess site Tom's Xena Fan Fiction Archive.
Other interviews in the series: From the Bard's Quill Interview Series.
Some Excerpts
Q: XWP fan fic has created a mythology all of its own - separate from the TV show. Do you find in your own writing that you try to stay true to the series or have you also added to the fan fic mythology?
I try to stick with the show as much as possible. Up until the point I finish
a story, I'll try to incorporate the reality presented in the series. One exception was overlooking the Perdicus marriage in Broken Arrow although I did mention it at the end. Trying to remain true to the Xena and Gabrielle we see on screen keeps the fan fic characters believable, and provides consistency. It's also a ton of fun. Things we saw on screen can be looked at in a new way, or reinterpreted or whatever. Of course the whole relationship thing can be looked at as total embellishment, or just incorporating something they aren't actually *showing* us on screen but is plausible none the less. That all comes down to where you pitch your tent in the Great Subtext Debate. I think my perspective on that one is pretty clear.
In the Janice & Mel stories I've got a lot more room to manoeuvre since they're based on characters only seen in one episode. In that case I think I've definitely taken liberties with the show and added to the mythology. I mean, I gave Janice a dog after all, which she didn't have in the show. I've added a lot to their past histories as well which is easy to do as long as the characters ultimately resemble who we saw on screen. I've been told more than once by people who were originally disappointed with the episode The Xena Scrolls that after reading Is There A Doctor On The Dig? The episode made more sense and had more depth. I don't know if I'd go that far myself, but it's nice to hear anyway.
Q: Many readers feel that the fan fic often surpasses the TV series in its appeal. What are your thoughts on this? Do you find yourself attracted to themes which are not normally explored on the TV show?
Fan fiction is a wonderful by-product of the show, but I'd stop well short of saying it surpasses the tv series in it's appeal. I think the two compliment each other wonderfully. The series gives fan fiction a visual language to draw from and fan fiction can expand on what we've seen on screen. It's totally awesome being able to sit back and read stuff that *could* be a show, be it one they would ever air in the United States or not. Sometimes the fiction goes to extremes, where you read things that are so far out, the resemblance to Xena and Gabrielle that we see on screen ends with their names. And occasionally the show throws something our way that makes the fan fiction author scratch their head. For example starting a new story around the time the season gets ready to end has it's perils. Ulysses! What do you mean Xena loves Ulysses! Oh, geeze now how am I going to rationalize that one! Sometimes it's a challenge, but always a fun one. Still, I shudder every time I hear the word 'Rift'.
As far as themes are concerned- I don't consciously write thinking "I'm working with this theme", or "I'm going to examine that theme." I sit down to write a story and it just sorta falls out all over the page. I've had people ask me about themes after reading Assassin... Oracle... Bard especially, and I think "Wow, did I put that in there?" The basic themes of the show are so universal: the power of love, the struggle toward redemption, good vs. evil, and the darkness & light within each of us- it's a natural have such threads running through stories. As for things not normally addressed in the show, the relationship dynamic can be looked at more closely- and you can get inside the characters heads. Hear what they're thinking, not just what they're saying. You can also tell the story from a variety of perspectives. And there are no deadlines, no budgets, and no one can fire you for screwing up.