The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive Interview with Catlin O'Connor

Interviews by Fans
Title:	The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive Interview with Catlin O'Connor
Interviewer:	The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Interviewee:	Catlin O'Connor
Date(s):	May 20, 2004
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	X-Men
External Links:	interview is here, Archived version
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The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive Interview with Catlin O'Connor was conducted in 2004.

Other Interviews in the Series

See The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive Interview Series.

Some Excerpts

Ever since I was old enough to realize that if people weren't writing the stories I wanted to read, I'd have to do it myself (well, there was that minor flirtation with becoming a brain surgeon, but sadly, it didn't work out – too squeamish). Of course, I wasn't necessarily thinking of fanfiction, but it really is much easier to write than original fiction, because the characters are ready-made and, unless you're seriously deviating from canon, very few explanations as to who they are and how they came to be where they are, are needed.

Generally, my editing process goes as follows: When the fic is finished (and spell-checked, of course), I'll send it to one of my betas for a preliminary opinion and, if the fic gets a thumbs up, I'll (breathe a sigh of relief) sit on it for a few days before looking at it again. Then, in the hopes that I'll have a clearer perspective after having distanced myself from it a little, I'll go over it several times, correcting first minor, then major, errors and altering wording that's perhaps a little clumsy. When that's done, I'll once again hold the fic to me for a (couple of months) while, smoothing and soothing and perhaps rocking it a little, before sending it off to be beta-d. That's usually pretty quick, and when I receive my beta's suggestions back, I'll further edit the fic according to the suggestions I agree with. Later – which can be a month, or two, or even a year, or more – I'll post. It's quite a lengthy process, though that's due more to my need to coddle my fics than anything else *g*

To some extent yes; I've – unwittingly - incorporated parts of myself into both Logan and Rogue, and as I'm an incurable romantic, often one or both of the characters will say or do something unabashedly sappy, or will find themselves in a situation that has more to do with hearts and flowers than powers and guns. The way they react to those situations – both romantic and sexual – is, however, all them; I claim no responsibility in that regard ;)

I write [sex scenes] pretty much the same way I do the others, only with more grunting (of the characters, people. The *characters*). The need to write a sex scene is usually, for me, generated by my desire to see the couple together and happy, and nothing says happy more than a naked, screaming couple. I can't say I've ever been embarrassed by writing – or posting, for that matter – sex scenes, because I don't think there's anything to be embarrassed about (unless you're using words like 'womanly flower' and 'scalding cum', cause that's just *wrong*). The intimacy of it, of peeling away the layers, exposing yourself both physically and emotionally is something complex and beautiful, and nothing to be ashamed of (and if you are, perhaps you shouldn't be writing it). Plus, if you've written it right, it's just plain hot.