From the Bard's Quill Interview with Sharon Bowers
| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | From the Bard's Quill Interview with Sharon Bowers |
| Interviewer: | Tom |
| Interviewee: | Sharon Bowers |
| Date(s): | May 14, 1998 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | Xena: Warrior Princess |
| External Links: | From the Bard's Quill Interview with Sharon Bowers |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Sharon Bowers was interviewed in 1998 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?
Well... to be honest, because I write several different "forms" of fanfiction... it all depends. When I write what I think of as "pure" Xena and Gabrielle (my stories in the Chiaroscuro arc), I try to stick to the chronology of the series and the developments therein. I also write an "immortal" version of Xena and Gabrielle based on the canon established by Katrina's "Blood and Roses Altaverse." In two stories, Katrina created a wonderful alternate reality where Xena is indeed acknowledged as Ares' daughter and Gabrielle did partake of the blood of Bacchus, making her his "daughter" as well. Of course, this doesn't really "conform" to TPTB timeline necessarily... but I try to stay true to the characters as I perceive them. The wonderful thing about this incarnation of the warrior and the bard is that they have the entire tapesty of time to work within... and you can have some fun with crossovers you might not ordinarily see. The two stories I did involved Louis and Lestat from Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire" novels. More recently I've gotten involved in an Uber arc called "Lucifer Rising," which allows me to take the archetypes that Xena and Gabrielle represent and paint it on a canvas of my own choosing-- in this case, modern day Miami and the drug war the government can't seem to win.
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?
I think one of the reasons a lot of fans like the fiction "better" is the same reason people always say "The book is better than the movie." Fanfiction gives us the luxury of exploring motivations and shading characters. A well-written 100K short story will always be more indepth than the typical XWP episode. Additionally, the writers of the series not only have the constraints of a 48 minute hour, but also the commercial demands of the marketplace. I write strictly alternative fanfiction... not just because I am a gay woman, but because I perceive Xena and Gabrielle's relationship as transcending that of friends... even "romantic" friends. Obviously... no matter how much we "subtext" fans might like to see it... an overt love scene between Xena and Gabrielle will most likely never take place. So, for a lot of us-- writers and readers alike-- fanfiction fulfills a fantasy we will never get to see.
For me, the Third Season-- while it has left a lot of fans bewildered, upset and dismayed-- has given the characters a lot more resonance. We've finally seen some of that "darkness" the series was always talking about in Xena (as well as its consequences)... and Gabrielle-- in losing her blood innocence, as well as her naivete about the warrior-- has become much wiser. These ideas naturally give writers fodder for more stories. Already we've seen several great stories that explore the "darker" Xena spoken of in "Armageddon Now" (HTLJ) and others than begin to tackle the moral and emotional ramifications of the Rift.
Q: Of the stories you have written which is your personal favorite and why?
Oh gee... I think "Lucifer Rising" would have to be my favorite... In part because the Uber genre has allowed me the greatest freedom in executing my vision of characters. I'm not tied to a traditional interpretation of Xena. And also I like writing something that's set in modern day times. "Twilight's Children" is another favorite because it's the only story I've written from Gabrielle's first person point of view. I found that writing with a bard's words gave me a certain amount of freedom to play with the language and to indulge in a more "lyrical" style. Because it's one of the two "Immortal Scrolls" that I've written, it's also a little darker than some more traditional stories. Gabrielle is essentially a vampire, and that gives her a bit of a "bite." (pardon the pun). Really though... Each story means something special to me, and each represents a large chunk of my time that I've willingly devoted to sitting in front of my computer while the dog sulks at my feet. *g*