X-Files Fanfic Addiction Site Interview with Lydia Bower

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Interviews by Fans
Title: X-Files Fanfic Addiction Site Interview with Lydia Bower
Interviewer:
Interviewee: Lydia Bower
Date(s): August 1999
Medium: online
Fandom(s): The X-files
External Links: Interview with Lydia Bower, Archived version
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X-Files Fanfic Addiction Site Interview with Lydia Bower took place in 1999.

It was for the website X-Files Fanfic Addiction Site.

Other Interviews in the Series

Excerpts

XFFFA- First of all, welcome back!! You have recently returned after a writing hiatus. Why did you stop writing, and what have you been doing while you were away?

LB- I was abducted in the dead of night several months ago and taken aboard a shapeship filled with Mulder clones. I was only recently returned and I'm really, really tired. But happy. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

What??

Okay, not really. I went back to work after ten years as a stay-at-home mom. That was in December. Then in March my beloved soulmate/husband was badly injured in a snowmobile accident. He's fine now, back to 100%, but the combination of events seriously cut into my free time. I'm only now finding time to write again.

XFFFA- Did you continue reading fanfiction, or did you take a complete break?

LB- I don't think I could quit reading fanfic if my life depended on it. Addicted much? Not me.

XFFFA- What do you like best about writing fanfic, and what made you decide to start writing again? You will be writing again, won't you??

LB- There are two primary reasons I love writing fanfic. The first is the sheer joy of it. There's no greater high then sitting down in front of the keyboard and looking up hours later to find words on the screen. And they make sense. And you don't know where they came from, but you sure are glad you found 'em.

The second reason is frustration. Whether it be a line of dialogue, a scene, a look, an unanswered question; something will piss off or intrigue the muse and she'll start chattering in my ear. Which leads back to the first reason I love writing.

And yes, I'm writing again. A sequel to Pass You By. Look for it sometime this century at a mailing list near you.

XFFFA- You've come back with a very controversial story called Pass You By. It starts out with a warning to Scullyists. What sort of response have you received from the fanfic community in general?

LB- Surprisingly positive. I'm amazed at the number of folks who've written me (many of them self-proclaimed Scullyists) and said something along the lines of "Thank God! I thought I was the only one." Seems I touched a nerve. I've also heard from several folks who are as tired of reading fics starring "Mulder As Worthless, Undeserving Punk" as I am.

To be fair, I've also received a few notes from readers concerned with the way I drew Scully in this one. Again, I seem to have touched a nerve. I understand the concerns of those folks, I just don't see the same Scully they do. I don't apologize for that, anymore than I would ask those who disagree with me to apologize for the Scully they see. It's all a matter of perspective. And isn't creative expression supposed to cause some degree of controversy? Besides, they do say that notoriety is better than obscurity. ;-)

XFFFA- Dance Without Sleeping, one of your best known stories, is considered to be 'classic fanfiction. Most people recommend this as standard reading, sort of like Fanfic 101. What are your personal feelings about this story, and do people still write to you about it after all this time?

LB- Oh yeah, I still get feedback on DWS. I think it's kinda neat that people are still discovering it. I'm very proud of my work on that one. I'll go back and read it every once and awhile and I still wonder who the hell wrote it. Much of it was done while I was down the rabbit hole. I remember very little of the actual writing process. I think I was channeling Mulder and Scully.

XFFFA- Most people within the X-Files Fanfiction community know who you are and are familiar with your stories. How does it feel to be regarded as one of the great fanfic writers, to be a sort of legend in your own time? ; )

LB- You're kidding, right? How about a legend in my own mind?

Seriously, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't flattered by my "reputation." It's a nice ego boost, but it doesn't really mean that much in the grand scheme of things. I'd rather be known as a great wife, mother and friend. It's nice to know that I have a gift and I'm able to use it to touch people, but that's not what really matters. The people in my life are more important to me than any sort of claim to fame.

XFFFA- What issues would you like to see addressed or resolved in season 7? LB- I want the Samantha issue dealt with once and for all. No more "Is she or isn't she?" teases. I want Scully to stop being so afraid of believing and admit to herself and to Mulder that science doesn't have the answers to everything. I want to see and hear the Scully equivalent of Mulder's hallway declaration. And I want Chris Carter to shit or get off the pot when it comes to the quasi-romance between Mulder and Scully. The first four years of the tease were nice. The fifth and sixth were just frustrating. One way or the other, Chris, just make up your mind and stop allowing your characters to stagnate.

References

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