I have to admit that when I was trying to think of who to interview for this month, I felt a little silly when I realized I hadn’t yet put the spotlight on Renee C. Her stories were some of the first I read when I returned to hanfic last year, and together with Renee P, she’s been at the helm of several fun projects that have energized the fandom.
Renee C. is a pretty prolific author, as well. You can check out her stories on her domain, Broken Smile, and read some of her works, including the wonderful Beautiful Liar. She’s also part of the Hanfic Genre Challenge and WTF?! Hanfic Roast.
Why did you start writing hanfic? How long have you been writing?
I began reading Hanfic in 1998, and I think reading the works of others is what inspired me to start writing my own stories. I absolutely loved the creativity of Hanfic, and thought it looked like a lot of fun. I have been writing Hanfic off and on for close to twelve years now.
I asked Renee P this question, too.I know you’re involved in the Moffatts fandom. How is it different from or similar to the Hanson fandom?
The main difference between Hanfic and Moffic is the fact that Moffic is practically non-existant now. Even the tons of stories that were posted back when the Moffatts were popular are no longer online or very hard to track down. When I write Hanfic, I know I will have people who will read my work and give me their feedback. It’s very easy to stay inspired in the Hanfic world because there is still a large interest in it. With Moffic, there isn’t much of a fanbase left, so it’s hard to keep motivated without much involvement. In fact, a Moffic revival is something that Renee P. and I are working on right now.
What are your favorite hanfic stories and authors?
As others have mentioned, I have my favorites from back in the day and also I have some favorite current stories. One of my favorites from the beginning of Hanfic was Tulsa 74132. Even now I can re-read it and enjoy it just the same as I did when I was younger. I have a ton of current authors that I love, and way too many favorite stories to name. Most of the wonderful current fics I’ve read or that I’m currently reading, are by some of the great Hanfic writers I have met through the JSOR forums.
What is your writing process like?
To be honest, I almost never outline and plan my stories ahead of time. Usually I get a sudden idea and I just start writing. I guess I’m not a very patient writer, because once I have an idea, I just like to see where it goes rather than sit down and plan it out. I’ve noticed that when I do have a plot outlined for a story, it usually turns out completely different than what I had originally planned anyway. When I write, I am more successful just going with an idea and seeing where it goes!
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
A lot of times I get my story ideas through music. I always listen closely to lyrics and sometimes I am able to use them to create a plot to a story. Music is definitely an inspiration to me when it comes to writing. I have a long ride to and from work each day and this is where I usually listen to the radio and gather all my Hanfic plots and ideas. Also, I use YouTube as an inspiration if I am having trouble writing or thinking of ideas. If I watch Hanson videos that I love or other music videos I enjoy, it usually helps give me the motivation to write.
Which stories are you most proud of having written?
The two stories I am most proud of writing are Drive and Beautiful Liar. Drive is important to me because it is the first story I’ve ever finished and was actually sad for it to be over. Usually it is a relief to finally complete a story, but this one was extremely fun to write and I didn’t want it to end! Beautiful Liar was the story that had the most readers and got the most feedback. It is a lot different than my usual fics so I was nervous to write it, but I’m happy with the way it turned out and I truly appreciated that others read and enjoyed it.
Favorite songs to listen to while you write or which inspire your writing?
It really just depends on what I am writing at that moment. I usually base my song choices on the moods of my characters or the type of scene I will be writing.
Thank you Renee C., for being the June spotlight! Can you guys believe I’ve done seven months of spotlights already?