The Xena E-Zine Interview with LJ Maas
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| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Xena E-Zine Interview with LJ Maas |
| Interviewer: | ArdentTly |
| Interviewee: | LJ Maas |
| Date(s): | June 9, 2001 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | Xena: Warrior Princess |
| External Links: | interview is here; reference link |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
LJ Maas was interviewed in 2001 for The Xena E-Zine at the Pasadena Con.
Also see: The Xena E-Zine Interview with Rooks.
Some Excerpts
I like to imbue my characters with part of myself. I'm a very visual writer who sees my novels/characterizations as movies. In that context, I can picture a scene and then write it.
I still love the characters of Xena & Gabrielle, and simply can't stop writing them right now. Maybe in the future, if folks lose their interest, I might concentrate solely on my original works. At present, however, I will continue with the Queen & Conqueror series in between my novels,
I find it so easy to write in first-person. The funny thing is that every writing class I've ever taken, the teachers have tried to convince me how much more difficult it is to write that way! LOL The best example is the Conqueror series. Having Xena tell the story from her perspective gives me freedom to just ramble at times, or reminisce, which is the scary way my brain works anyway. I like folks to think that they really are privy to Xena's thoughts and perceptions of events. So, sometimes I go off on a tangent, like someone would do when they're musing about things. It's sort of a controlled ramble. The down side to first person is that you have to be creative and use your imagination a bit more. You need to still tell the "whole" story, but at the same time, you are limited by what your main character sees & thinks.
I had a fan recently write me and tell me that I have either a great sex life, or a fantastic imagination! I admit to both, I suppose. <g> I'm glad that folks still refer to it as erotica, and not just sex. I think I try to stress that's it not just about that. I'm not even sure what goes through my brain when I start writing a love scene. It must be equal parts, what you've done, what you want to do, and what you think you can talk your partner into! In reality, my scenes have only touched the tip of the iceberg. All I can hope is the freshness & the ideas never end.