Sisters in Smut Interview with The Emu
| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Sisters in Smut Interview with The Emu |
| Interviewer: | Sisters in Smut |
| Interviewee: | The Emu |
| Date(s): | 2001 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | The X-Files |
| External Links: | Interview with The Emu |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Sisters in Smut Interview with The Emu was conducted in 2001.
It was part of a large project conducted by members of the Sisters in Smut archive, an X-Files archive with a focus on the character Walter Skinner. See Sisters in Smut Interview Project.
Excerpts
What was your first experience with fanfic?:
X-Files. The Goolog, in fact: I started with the cream of Livengoo and Youkneek.
How long have you been a fan of the show?:
I came in halfway through 'Our Town' and was impressed, so a friend demanded that I watch all her tapes before season three premiered. Never mind that I was in the middle of some fairly major exams.
I wouldn't count myself as a fan anymore. I gave up somewhere through fifth season. I'm watching again occasionally now that Doggett's arrived and the writing standard seems to have improved, but I've still got a big chip on my shoulder about the dumbing down.
What is your favorite X-Files episode and why?:
The Anasazi trilogy. Fabulous writing, directing, acting, and as near to a faultless plot as you'll find. Never mind that a certain broad-chested character who truly came into his own at that point.
When did you start writing?:
I've written all my life, but I only actually started finishing things when I found the X-Files chaos list in 1996. With all that support and the potential to be read, I found the drive to push myself.
Where do your ideas come from? What inspires you?:
Nothing drives me like thinking "Nobody's doing it right!" Any time I can't find a character being written the way I see them, or a big potential plot point being neglected, my fingers itch. I've also become rather fond of stupid ideas, taking things that should never work and writing them seriously.
Do you write for other fandoms? Which ones?:
I did a short run in Voyager and I have a Velvet Goldmine underway, but I'm now happily devoted to The Phantom Menace. Movie sucked, but those are two fine men, and the universe has freedom for writing that doesn't carry in RL-ish universes.
How do you feel about fanfic in general?:
All goopy and sentimental. I learned more about writing and my own philosophies from being among fan writers than I ever learned at university, and it was a hell of a lot more fun. I've made friends; I've travelled and met many of them and there's a whole different standard than with 'normal' people. There's pride in being outcasts, pride in our sexuality.
Of course we have the same factioning and sniping that the real world has, but I find general attitudes of fans incredibly affirming.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?:
Send thoughtful feedback: you'll learn more than you can imagine by trying to articulate what you liked or didn't, and there are few better ways to make friends and find support in fandom.