Have I mentioned that I love how diverse and international this fandom is? Ellen Van Looy is a great example of that and is a wonderfully creative author and fan who I am so happy to be able to feature here.
You can read her first completed hanfic, Blue M&M’s Forever, on my sister site HansonFanfics.net, here. It’s one of the only English language fics to be originally posted to that site, which generally focuses on Brazilian authors and fics translated to Portuguese. In addition to that, you just might enjoy her Cookbook for the Hanson Fan, which you can checkout on its Facebook page.
Why did you start writing hanfic? How long have you been writing?
Oh gosh, it’s hard to explain why without giving you the full details of my life, which are boring, so I won’t. Like a lot of people I think I have been writing all my life, little things, to have an escape, an out. If you read the first part of my hanfic you get a little peak into the kind of things I was trying to get away from and writing about anything allowed me to do just that. It wasn’t until I was 10 yrs old in 1997 when I discovered Hanson I started to write fanfictions, but never anything I wanted to be read until now.
What’s your favorite genre/pairing to write and why?
I’m a sucker for a good love story and I find it hard sometimes to shy away from that. If you read Blue M&M’s forever you will notice I used my own name for the main character and that has a very simple explanation. Being that it is supposed to be symbolic for the strength their music lends me. So there is usually something personal in there, coupled with a love story.
What are your favorite hanfic stories and authors?
Oddly enough I haven’t been reading hanfic stories for that long yet. The very first one I read was Catapult which I adored because of the great humor in there and I love everything by Madden, Especially Panic in the Street.
What is your writing process like?
Usually I take a few weeks to think over what I want to get down on paper and then for some odd reason I can’t start typing it out, I have to write it down with pen and paper first. I like the feeling and smell of paper and the sound of a pen scratching over it. Then I take a few all nighters to down as much coffee as I possibly can and try to free what’s trying to get out. How long it takes me depends on whether I get stuck or not.
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
That depends really. Sometimes it’s something I dreamed, sometimes it’s wishful thinking and sometimes it’s something I’ve seen, done, like,… in real life.
Which stories are you most proud of having written?
This is going to sound weird, but the story I am most proud of having written is not a fanfiction. Actually it is the exact opposite of it. I’ve mentioned before there is some truth to the fic I’ve written and that means especially the first part. (Up until Hanson gets involved obviously.) A few years ago I started to write the real story of how Hanson’s music helped me get my life on track and I gave it to them on the first concert I’ve seen them play. That’s definitely the story that was the hardest to write down, but also the one I’m most proud of.
Favorite songs to listen to while you write or which inspire your writing?
Obviously anything Hanson gets me going, but especially the EP songs get that writing spark going for me. I don’t know why but they feel to me like there is this secluded almost secret vibe to them that reminds me of finding an open spot in a forest where nobody ever came before you. Not that the EP songs are never listened to, on the contrary even I know that, but if you are not seriously into this fandom you miss out on these gems. I am also a big AC/DC fan, so anything from them is also on my playlist.
Thank you, Ellen, for being the September spotlight! I look forward to whatever new bit of creativity you come up with next.