Thus far, I’ve had a very bad habit of spotlighting authors I already knew. This time, I decided to try something a little different and reach out to an author I didn’t know very well at all.
Abby is the author of last month’s spotlight story, Guilt. She’s definitely causing a stir in the hanfic (and in particular, hancest) community right now, so I thought it was a perfect time to ask her a few questions.
You can read a few of her oneshots on her LiveJournal. She is also reposting some of her older stories to LJ comms, including In Praise of the Vulnerable Man and Untying the Gordian Knot.
Why did you start writing hanfic? How long have you been writing?
Well “Guilt” is my first hanfic and I believe I started writing that about two or three months ago. I never really considered writing Hanson fan fiction until that time because I really only got into writing sometime last year when I suddenly decided I wanted to write a book. A few months ago I was at a Hanson forum and ran across a thread with a link to a really good hanfic and then from there I rediscovered my love of Taylor/Zac slash, which I haven’t read in at least 8 years. I forced my friend into reading some of them and after a few conversations of me telling him what I thought a Zaylor fic should consist of, he suggested that I write one to see if I could come up anything worth reading. And here I am a few months later in the monthly spotlight so I guess I am doing something right.
The genre you write is rather controversial. What draws you to it?
I think it’s the taboo aspect of it. It’s so wrong, it’s right. It’s a situation so naughty that these two people would be shunned by a large percentage of the population were this secret to be real and become public. I think that mixed with the fact that they’re both painfully attractive, doing with one another all the things we (Zaylor fans) would enjoy doing with them, is what draws me, or anyone, to this genre.
Do you write (or have you written in the past) for any other fandoms?
No, other than the stories on my LiveJournal and a few other short stories I’m working on, I haven’t ever really written anything besides the book I mentioned (which is not a fan fiction).
What are your favorite hanfic stories and authors?
I can’t remember the names of most of the stories I read like ten years ago, but I do know the first fic I ever read was “Zac Says Tay Still Wets the Bed” which is a classic. Walls/Roads are good too. The story that got me back into Zaylor and hanfic was “And With Each Mile” by Honor “beyondthethorns”. I’m also in love with “The Cave” by Amanda “psychoknot” (along with everything else she writes). It’s short, but incredibly powerful. And of course your oneshots are driving me insane. I’ve been trying to figure out how to write the second part to “The World Won’t Wait,” which I loved. Honestly it’s fairly hard to find well-written Zaylor and I’m still searching around the Internet for gems, but I read all the stories my LJ pals write and I love them. I recommend looking at my friend’s page and reading what they’ve written (the public journals anyway).
What is your writing process like?
I have a two main ways. With “Guilt” I have a main plot line that I write around, but at the same time I’m trying to stretch it out so aside from the main plot its just me sitting there remembering ideas OR making it up as I write it, which brings me to the other way: completely making it up as I go along and having no idea where I’m going with it. This usually happens only with shorter stories though, which are normally inspired by random, insignificant thoughts. Like right now I’m working on two new stories that were just brought on by words passing through my head (like JD narrating on Scrubs) and now I’m writing them but I’m not completely sure where I’m going with them. One thing I do though, is think about my plots right when I’m about to fall asleep, when my head is completely clear, then if I come up with something worth using I’ll write it down in a notebook to save until I turn my computer back on. For instance, the intro scene to the love scene in chapter 6 was written messily on an envelope and looked like this: “Cold, stands long, neither, your turn to stop, fing first, promise tell me, Can you?, sound so perverted but innocent, very carefully” …and I went from there. There’s also a third way which I shy away from because it’s so difficult to do. I start from end of the story and work my way backwards. I don’t recommend trying this though.
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
Everything comes from either my distorted perception of what I think reality should be, or a subject I find so intense or interesting that I can’t possibly not write about it. Also, my best friend constantly inspires me. He and I will be writing a comedy Zaylor fic at some point in the near future, though I caution that it will be a tad bit more controversial and offensive than what I normally write, but funny nonetheless.
Favorite songs to listen to while you write or which inspire your writing?
Actually, for my hanfic, I’m mainly inspired by Hanson songs. Songs like I Am, When You’re Gone, Take My Time, and Go. I’m doing a short series right now based Runaway Run/Even When You’re Gone/Stand Up Stand Up Ep called “Door Light”. Other inspiration comes from songs like: The Sky Is Broken – Moby, Closer – Kings of Leon, When The Levee Breaks – remake by A Perfect Circle, Ice Box remake by There for Tomorrow, If it means a lot to you – Day to Remember, A modern Myth – 30 Seconds to Mars, and I Alone – Live.
Thank you Abby, for being the April spotlight and letting us all get a little more insight into your writing process.