Winterfest Interview with Lea

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Winterfest Interview with Lea
Interviewer:	Winterfest
Interviewee:	Lea
Date(s):	2006
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	Beauty and the Beast
External Links:	Lea Interview, Archived version
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In 2006, Lea was interviewed for Winterfest.

See Winterfest Interview Series.

Some Excerpts

It's the love story that drew me, like it did many people, I guess. Yet unlike many people, I wasn't hooked from the start. When B&B was first aired here I was too busy (my two youngest kids were born in '88 and '89) to really "enter" the B&B world. But it had touched me, stayed in my heart, and when it was aired again in '99, I decided to watch it from the start, without missing a single ep, and got drawn into the magic. We'd had the internet for a year, then, so I naturally went surfing for info about the show...and found out about S3! It nearly broke my heart. Fortunately I also found out about fandom, and fanfiction. Finding out about fanfic was a revelation. Not only had people found a way to give V&C the happiness they deserved, but I also discovered that the solitary, compulsive, almost shameful writing I'd been indulging in years before about a couple of my favorite TV shows had a name, and lots of other people did it! I read, and read, and read, and finally felt the urge to write something too.

I wrote my first fic (without even knowing such a thing existed!) in the 60's, about "Man From Uncle". I never shared it with anyone, would have died of shame if anyone had known what I was doing. I finally burned it, to be sure it wouldn't be found.

Well, I always have the same ending in mind: V&C happy ever after. <g> But I do have my self-imposed rules for endings. I think it's important to close a story at the right moment, leaving the reader satisfied, but not "overfed". The angst must be solved, the various issues addressed, and no doubt remain about V&C's happiness, but some should be left to the reader's imagination, too. Also I like an ending to "sound like an ending". The last sentence should have a closure feeling to it.

Sigh...I hate angst! When reading a story I often skim through the "hurt" parts to go straight to the "comfort" ones. But much as I hate it, I use it. Have to! I didn't at the beginning. My very first stories either have no hurt part at all (Lion Pride) or just solve the angst already lavishly provided in the Trilogy. Then as I began exploring further I realized I'd have to throw my own angst in, too. Not especially to hook the reader, but rather to provide a dramatic trigger to a change in V& C's relationship. That was in "Take Me Home", and I put in all the angst I deemed necessary to make the story believable, but I still don't enjoy doing that. I'm much more at ease with scenes that solve or heal.

One comment really touches me. I've heard quite a few times, about several of my stories. It's when people tell me that my work warms their heart, makes them feel happy in a warm, safe B&B world, because that's exactly what I mean to achieve, for our beloved characters, for myself, and for the readers. Some people even told me that when they've inadvertently stumbled on something that hurts their classic heart they go and re-read one of my stories, to "wash the taste off" <g> and reassure themselves that V&C are well and happy together. I consider that the greatest possible compliment my work could receive. It means I've succeeded in making V& C's happiness "Real" enough to offset the 3S anguish.