When a new Hanson album comes up, it has a certain effect on the fanbase. Old fans start coming out of the woodwork, rejoining the flock, etc.
One of those fans is Aimster. My friend Aeryn had mentioned a fellow Aussie writer who was planning to start writing again, so when I saw that she had, I decided I needed to give her an interview. Right now, you can check out her stories, including Casey and the Going Bush series, here on AO3, but they’ve been posted many places online over the years.
Why did you start writing hanfic? How long have you been writing?
I started writing Hanfic straight off the bat in 1997, so practically since day one. Why is harder. I’d been writing stories practically since I learned how to (I still remember stories I wrote in first grade at the age of six) and I’d dabbled in other fanfiction in a very minor way, but when Hanson came onto the scene they just started appearing in the scenes playing out in my head and they became the perfect characters to base most – if not all – of my stories around. I also love writing around the sibling dynamic, which is odd because I grew up an only child.
Do you write any other types of fanfic or original fic? If so, how is that different from hanfic?
I’ve tried my hand at both and I tend to fail miserably. I shortly went on a Supernatural tangent but nothing really took off. I’ve often thought of converting a Hanfic into an original fic, but then I don’t really see the point. You either like it or you don’t, and I ultimately write for myself and not to please other people.
What are your favorite hanfic stories and authors?
I don’t tend to read much as the genres I stick with are a dying breed, and the stories tend to distract me from writing my own. However back in the day there were quite a few. The old school ones I remember loving were ‘Weeping Willow’ and ‘The Quiet One’, but then I really got into the Anomalies series by Chelle (link). As a result of becoming a fan of hers I ended up in an RPG called HansonRoswell (link) with a few other writers (taking on the Taylor character) and subsequently became a bridesmaid at her wedding. She’s probably had the biggest influence on my writing as far as grammar and layout go (I began writing shorter chapters for one). My beta Angie has the biggest influence as far as subject matter goes, and we tend to help each other out when writer’s block hits (link).
What is your writing process like?
There’s no particular process which I really need to follow. I usually tend to get a visual of a certain scene (usually an action sequence or something intense) that I feel the express need to get down, and sometimes whole stories have been written around one small scene. A prime example of that would be ‘In One Night’ which was written around the visual of Taylor running in the street with headlights behind him. The larger stories tend to be an accumulation of many of these scenes that I eventually work together. I’ll make a note of these ideas somewhere so that I don’t lose them before coming up with a minor backstory to get myself going and then I just start from chapter one. Lately I’ve been beginning to pay a greater attention to the characters I bring in as my stories have been taking on more of a psychological edge rather than purely good guy versus bad guy.
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
Back in the day I used to find constant inspiration from MacGyver, to be frank. Then when I got into writing the darker stuff around the early noughties the inspiration came from horror movies and thrillers – in particular the Hannibal movies. These days anything fast paced with a good guy/bad guy scenario and some humour thrown in (such as Chill Factor or Cellular) can get me in the mood. So mostly it is movies and television that will set me off. Often I’ll see a particular scene and think “but why didn’t they do it this way instead?” or “that’s not realistic enough” and go off on that tangent.
Which stories are you most proud of having written?
‘Casey’ and ‘Dream Doctor’ instantly come to mind, as I was proud of those for a long time. Looking back I’m still pretty proud of Casey, but Dream Doctor was one of the darkest things I’d ever written (on par with The Tenth). October was also good, and a fun one to write. That was another example of how a story centres around one small idea, as that’s exactly how it was written. More recently I’m inclined to go with Going Bush 2: Suburbia. I liked the direction it took – mainly inspired by the story of Colleen Stan – and I never get bored re-reading it. I’m glad I was talked into reviving the series.
Favorite songs to listen to while you write or which inspire your writing?
Hanson – Make It Out Alive
Hanson – These Walls
The Republic Tigers – Fight Song
Linkin Park – Iridescent
3 Doors Down – Time Of My Life
3 Doors Down – Dangerous Game
Foreigner – Long, Long Way From Home
Shinedown – I Own You
UFO – Rock Bottom
Sasquatch – Nikki
Scorpions – Rock You Like A Hurricane
12 Stones – Welcome To The End
Thank you, Aimi, for being my April spotlight! It’s great to see someone writing hanfic that isn’t all about romance!