Quidditch Pitch Interview with Thalia Chaunacy

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Quidditch Pitch Interview with Thalia Chaunacy
Interviewer:	Annie
Interviewee:	Thalia Chaunacy
Date(s):	March 2007
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	Harry Potter
External Links:	interview is here, Archived version
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In 2007, Thalia Chaunacy was interviewed for The Quidditch Pitch by Annie.

See Quidditch Pitch Interview Series.

Some Excerpts

Accidentally [got involved with writing fan fiction]. Or maybe I should say fatefully. I had just graduated college and moved back in with my parents, was only working part-time, had no money and no friends within visiting distance. But I had an internet connection! Bless it. I probably would've gone mad otherwise. And I stumbled upon a fic site that was relaxed, encouraging, and fun, so when the first idea occurred to me, I wasn't afraid to put it into words.

For fanon, Ron. Hands down. Fun to write, fun to read, fun to shag. In particular, delving into power issues with Ron is fascinating. Repressed by family and poverty, but bursting with passion and courage, he's a fun and unpredictable top. Mm-hm. For canon, Luna's my homegirl. Really not much more to it than that. XD

Don't be afraid to write crap, because you absolutely mustn't be afraid to edit. Save eighteen versions if you're attached to something, but don't let it stay stagnant if you know in your gut it's not working.

Create a file called 'Goddess Box', and put all your lovely but unusable gems in it. Then look at it once in a while and revel in your own brilliance.

Oh, and also-don't be afraid to Mary Sue. Meaning, don't be afraid to use what you know from your life experiences. If you've been in a love-hate relationship, if you've been without family, or grown up in a huge one, if you've been tempted by the dark side, everything, anything. Use it. The basics of the human experience don't change, and their presence differentiates good writing from moving writing. Fiction should be a white lie, not a complete lie.

[Most shocking moment]: The aforementioned slaying of Cedric. He was a normal, likeable character, with good aspects and bad, and for goodness' sake, he was a child. In a children's book. Who was offed for no reason, in a horrible way. That's a line, and she crossed it flagrantly. The second he died, I knew we weren't in Kansas anymore.

Ugh, Harry. He's so-Well, I don't know what he is, but he's not somebody I can write worth a damn. Some would say it's because he's complex, being that he's our narrator therefor we know the most about him. And sure, that might be the reason. But moreso I think I'm nothing like him. I'm a girl with fairly girly tendencies, I'm a Ravenclaw, I have loads of family, I have the hardest time breaking the rules...etc. And I firmly believe we write what we know. Harry, James, and Sirius are characters I try not to write, because I don't feel I have anything to offer their narratives.