If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I love welcoming new writers to the fandom! And what better way to welcome them than giving them a spotlight here?
You might know Crystal from her popular tumblr, where she posts great Hanson gifs, but she also writes fic. You can find her brand new stories (one of them was just posted today!) Antigen and Ride or Die on her LiveJournal, here.
Why did you start writing hanfic? How long have you been writing?
I wrote fanfic for The Walking Dead fandom and it was something that I really enjoyed. Once I joined the Hanson fandom, I found myself looking for the fanfic. I noticed a special bond between the fic writers in this fandom and I want to be a part of that. I’m still fairly knew to the Hanfic scene having started writing in June, but I have always enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember.
I know you’ve written for other, non-RPF fandoms. Aside from the obvious, how is that different from hanfic?
RPF is a little more can difficult to write because you’re always thinking ‘Am I portraying this person correctly?’ or ‘Gosh, how would they react in that situation?’ Fictional characters give you pretty much free reign on how they act or what they do. I also take into account that I’m writing about a real person so I make sure that I am being respectful too. RPF offers a different challenge then writing fictional characters but it’s one that I am definitely enjoying.
What are your favorite hanfic stories and authors?
The Innocents by Malfunkshon is one of my favorites. I normally don’t read much slash/cest fiction but the way she writes it is so artistic and the plot is amazing. It’s kept me on the edge of my sit waiting for the next chapter. I can’t wait to see what other stories she has up her shelve when The Innocents series is done. Withasmile87 has started a Hanson/TWD crossover, Radioactive, and it is really interesting and of course TWD is close to my heart. There is so much good fanfic out there it’s hard to list them all.
What is your writing process like?
My writing process is a balance between a structured and more organic method. I have adult ADD so I find this mixture of styles works best for me. I will normally write an outline that will have a few key things I want to hit in each chapter. Then I write scenes or chapter as they come to me. It gives me enough direction to keep me focused but plenty of room to let loose and see were my creativity takes me.
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
My ideas come from a lot of places, but my two biggest influences would have to be music and my love of reading. My current story, Ride or Die, was inspired by Hanson’s ‘Too Young to Kill’. I have a few other stories cooking on the back burner that will be crossovers inspired by some of my favorite books too.
Which stories are you most proud of having written?
I wrote a mini-series that was really popular of the TWD fandom. It was my first step towards writing longer fiction so that has a special place in my heart. It may be too soon to say this about Ride or Die but I think it is shaping up to be a great story with a lot of heart and depth, and when I’m finished I think I will be extremely proud.
Favorite songs to listen to while you write or which inspire your writing?
I love to make soundtracks for my fanfic that I listen to while I write. It helps me really get into the story. They’re compiled of whatever songs or artists fit the feel of my story. A lot of times I’ll share them during or after I have finished my fic.
Thank you, Crystal for being the July spotlight! Your fic and gif contributions to the fandom are very, very welcome 😉