Winterfest Interview with Joan Stephens

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Winterfest Interview with Joan Stephens
Interviewer:	Winterfest
Interviewee:	Joan Stephens
Date(s):	2005
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	Beauty and the Beast
External Links:	Joan Stephens interview, Archived version
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In 2005, Joan Stephens was interviewed for Winterfest.

See Winterfest Interview Series.

Some Excerpts

I loved the romance of the series, and the fact that they weren't averse to treating the viewers as if they had a bit of intelligence by using classical music, poetry, and classical literature. Another big factor was the fact that V&C were in their 30's, not a couple of teenagers. It was very refreshing; I could relate to them. B&B is an adult fairy tale.

I had never written a thing before I watched the third season and then was impelled to right what I felt was a terrible wrong. B&B inspired me to write. And I still seem to be righting that wrong . . . a lot.

I knew I'd never make a fanzine; so, [posting my work online] seemed the best way to make my stories available to B&B fans. Besides, other writers had done it and given me a great deal of pleasure. So, I thought I'd return the favor.

Hope I can be clear about this. Somehow I am able to separate my writing from my personal feelings about the resolution of the series. What I write – to me the stories are only ‘what ifs’– is in no way how I feel about the third season. I hated it; even though, it had some of the best writing and acting. I had trouble watching it and I still do. I thought Ron Perlman was excellent in his portrayal of a man who had lost the center of his life. My stomach would knot up every time there was even a hint of something going on between V&D. I would sit there and holler at the TV, "No way! He wouldn't do that." Naturally they didn't hear me, and I suffered through the whole thing but now only watch those parts that I needed refreshing on as part of my research. But after writing 'But Turned Aside to Sleep,' I realized that there were all kinds of permutations to the ending that the show's writers had written. In my third season universe and my own private V&C universe, Vincent is always in love with Catherine. Diana may love him, but it will be an unrequited love. In the few stories where Vincent and Diana are together, she loses him when Catherine comes back. After all, a man that pledges that he will love you forever and carry you with him in his heart always isn't much of a man if he immediately falls for another woman. I hope I've explained it so you understand where I'm coming from. Someone once told me that basically I had it in for Diana; she may be right.

All I really want is a story that someone would like to read, and I'm not ashamed to have posted to the Internet.