If there are such things as Big Name Fans in the Hanson fandom these days, I think there’s no question that Brittney is one of them.
She runs the other largest hanfic site on the web, Alone In The Pretense, along with moderating a hanfic message board, Just Shy of Reality, and the newsletter of the same name. She does it all, including writing some fantastic stories. Enjoy getting to know her a little better in this interview.
Why did you start writing hanfic? How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for a very long time. I’m not entirely sure when I started, but I was pretty young – probably around ten or so. I’d always sort of narrated stories in my head. Then I started jotting them down. However, I don’t think it even really crossed my mind to write Hanfic until after I stumbled across it online while trying to find out more about Hanson. I started reading and just got sucked into it. At some point, I thought to myself, “Hey, I could do this too!” That was in early summer 1997, and I’ve been writing ever since.
How do you think hanfic has changed since you began writing it?
As far as content goes, I think the initial appeal of writing hanfic for most was the idea of inserting some form of yourself into Hanson’s life. Many of those early stories were Mary Sues. Of course, there were some really good pieces as well, but I think over time the writers have grown up as people, which, in turn, has influenced the way and what they write. As for the fanbase of writers and readers go, I think it’s shrunk significantly, and it also seems to come in waves. Whenever there’s a new Hanson album, readers and writers tend to come out of the woodwork for a while, but the amount of people who are consistently active in the fandom has dwindled a lot, I think.
What are your favorite hanfic stories and authors?
I have to preface this by saying that I haven’t been very good about keeping up to date with a lot of the current stories, so I’m not ignoring them. I just haven’t had the pleasure of reading them yet. Unfortunately, a lot of my favorites aren’t available online anymore, but they are Deep Blue Heart by Barbara, Perfect Girl by Kaylee, Comfort Zone by Nikki, Angels Would Fall by Morgan, The Quiet One by Krystal, The Places You Have Come To Fear the Most by Kristin and Tulsa 74132.
What has it been like running Alone In The Pretense?
Honestly, I’m still kind of surprised by the way it’s grown over the years. But I really love it. It’s been really awesome because it’s been a good way for me to get to know other authors – either by hosting them or meeting them at the Just Shy of Reality forums. I’ve had it for the last 5 years, and during that time, I’ve never once considered closing down shop, so I must really love it, right?
What is your writing process like?
It usually works one of two ways. The first is I just start writing and go with whatever comes to mind. I used to write this way a lot more when I was younger. The second process, and the more common one, is I’ll get some idea in my head – either a general premise, a single scene of a story or just a vague idea for a character. Usually, I tend to let the idea kind of permeate in my head for a bit and see if I can imagine what would happen or where things would go. Sometimes I’ll write the scenes that get stuck in my head or jot down the ideas I’ve had, but it’s usually not until I have some basic idea of the overall story that I’ll really sit down and write. Sometimes I’ll write a really loose outline of key plot points or moments and other times I’ll write a really detailed outline of things, but, either way, I tend to do better with writing a story if I have some sort of game plan in place.
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
The simply answer is everywhere. Music, movies, television, friends, family, etc. Sometimes it can be something just really basic that I hear or think of. A lot of times those ideas just sort of sit there until I have some sort of epiphany and realize how to use it to create something I think is worth writing.
Favorite songs to listen to while you write or which inspire your writing?
In general, I really like rock stuff like Breaking Benjamin, Trapt, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, 30 Seconds To Mars, Jimmy Eat World, Kings of Leon, Anberlin, Three Days Grace, Shinedown, Coheed & Cambria and Slipknot. I think it’s something about the energy of the music that I find appealing. Even though I tend to turn it to the back of my mind while I’m writing, it kind of just keeps me pumped up and focused. But if I’m writing something really mood specific I’ll try to create some sort of playlist that will help get me into the right mindset to write it.
Thank you Brittney, for being the March spotlight, even if once again I waited until the last minute.