After a few months of dwindling output and fans wondering if hanfic was on its last legs again, new stories are finally being posted and new (and old) authors are coming out of the woodworks! This month’s spotlight just so happens to be one of those authors.
I’m shining this month’s spotlight on Amber. You can read all of her stories at her LiveJournal. She’s updating several stories regularly, including Letting Go is the Hardest Part, a sequel to a little story called Devil Angel.
Why did you start writing hanfic? How long have you been writing?
Hm… It’s funny, I can’t really remember exactly when I started writing hanfic, but I know it was when I was in high school, probably around 98 or so… As for why, I’d been reading stories for a while, and so I guess I just wanted to try writing my own. It’s funny, I honestly can’t remember when I started, or what my first fic was; it probably wasn’t any good, lol.
Hanson was definitely was started my love of writing, but I didn’t stop there. I’ve written fanfics for Labyrinth, Drop Dead Fred, Naruto, The Santa Clause series, and a bunch more. I definitely have Hanson to thank for starting it all, though. I actually hadn’t written any hanfics in a while, until I recently re-read Devil Angel. I found the old Yahoo group (which is all but defunct), and saw that a couple people had tried to write sequels, but no one really got very far. Which leads to question #2…
You’re writing a sequel to the hugely popular story Devil Angel. What’s that like and why did you decide to do it?
I decided to write Letting Go is the Hardest Part (which was actually called Carry You There at first) because… well, we all love this story. It’s legendary and it was so sad to never see it completed. I totally understand, these things happen, but still; it always bugged me that we would never find out what happened. I guess I decided to do it because I I wanted to know what happened.
It was pretty daunting at first, trying to get into these characters that someone else had created. I re-read the original over and over, looking for clues to personality, how they would react, how thye thought, etc. I also did research into what actually happened to the guys; Aspen had based hers on reality, and I wanted to do the same. So things like Dave coming out, his family’s reaction, the band splitting, etc. That all really happened; this story just puts a different spin on why.
Another major challenge was trying to match the style of DA, so that the two stories flow together. This was difficult at first, because DA is written in 1st person (I, me, my), and I was used to writing in 3rd (he, she, they). It may seem like a small thing, but trust me, it’s not. It affects how things are described, how you have to display the world. It took a lot of getting used to. But I have to say, now that I’ve tried it, I’m never going back. It’s so much easier to get into the character’s head this way. Thank you, Aspen! lol
I did decide to veer from reality, though, in that Zac and Taylor aren’t married, don’t have kids, etc. I debated whether to include their families, but didn’t for two reasons. A) It would complicate things WAY more than I had energy for (and this story was already going to be a huge challenge), and B) Writing about their families always makes me feel a bit, well, ick. At least it did before; now I’m including Kate in another story, but a verry different version than we’re used to.
Anywho, back to DA. So I used bits of reality, and bits of the original story, and began to piece together in my head what might’ve happened. In Letting Go is the Hardest Part, we actually have two timelines — the current one, which takes place now, twelve years after the events of DA, and through flashbacks, we see what happened directly picking up where DA left off. I don’t know what Aspen had in mind, but I hope if she’s reading it, she’s pleased.
What are your favorite hanfic stories and authors?
DA has to make the list, obviously lol. Another fave of mine is Zac Says Tay Still Wets The Bed by Nick. It’s an amazingly moving story, one that I think would totally work as a novel (if it weren’t for those damn copyright laws, lol). The very first story I remember reading, another amazing one, was called Torn by Chloe and Kris. Two authors I’m really enjoying right now are Abby and Rachel. Their stories are both amazing, especially Abby’s Guilt and In Praise of the Vulnerable Man, and Rachel’s Homecoming series is great, as well as some oneshots by both of them; be warned a lot of Rachel’s stuff will have you sobbing! There are so many great authors out there though, I know I’m forgetting someone. Oh yea, Diamond! Her stuff is amazing, too, plus she’s my super-mega-awesome beta for LGitHP.
Oh yea! There are a couple other stories I have to mention. In Like A Substitute by Bethany is sexy and sad, Things To Do To Make Zac’s Birthday Perfect (And Maybe Get Laid Later) by Jayde is HILARIOUS and sooo sweet, and Nine Crimes by Veronica makes me cry every time. Also, City of Angels by Bethany. Not written as a sequel to DA, but could be seen as such. Sexy and sad and sweet, all at the same time.
What is your writing process like?
My writing process… is crazy, lol. Seriously, the way I write, it’s not like I’m writing a story. It’s like the events really did happen, and the characters are relaying the events to me. Told ya it’s crazy. Usually, I’ll brainstorm in the shower, or when I’m in bed, or while I’m working. I don’t usually do outlines, which may be why I tend to write myself into corners, lol. LGitHP is the frst story where I know how it’s going to end. I know it sounds weird, but I think my problem for years has been that I don’t like spoilers, so I don’t want myself to know how it ends. Told ya. Crazy.
Sometimes I’ll write in a notebook on my lunch breaks at work, and then transfer it to the computer, always changing it a bit. Other times I’ll just sit down and let it flow. I don’t usually completely change when I’ve written; it’s like, once it’s out there, it’s canon in my mind. I have a hard time re-writing; theres only been a few times where I’ve scrapped an entire chapter.
When I’m writing, it’s like I’m watching a movie in my head, and describing what I see. It’s not uncommon for me to write with my eyes closed. I’ve always had a super-visual vivid imagination, and so when I picture the events of the story unfolding, I can really see it happening, hear their voices, etc. Maybe I should be a director, lol.
Another part of it is getting into the character’s head, especially when writing in 1st person. An interesting thing I’ve noticed, is that tense (like past vs. present) makes a big difference. In LGitHP, the story is written in past tense, as the characters are re-telling the events. We see their thoughts, but it’s almost more like their recollection of their thoughts. If They Only Knew, however, drops us directly into Zac Hanson’s current stream of consciousness. And I have to admit, it’s a bit scary. LOL
My writing process for that story is something really new to me. I really have to get in touch with my inner Zac. It usually starts with a drink, lol, just to loosen me up. Zac’s head is… not… normal. We all know this; just watch him for five minutes. Anywhere. So getting into his head for me is something that at first took some time; now I can switch it on pretty easily. Switching it off, however… that usually takes a while, lol.
The process for ITOK is very much like free-writing, where I just sit and write. Hardly any notes are being taken for this one; I just put him in a situation, and see how he reacts. There is a definite plot in mind, of course, but I’m trying to get his initial reactions as they happen, randomness and all. And believe, it is random. The fourth wall is broken pretty commonly; he’s a little like Deadpool, I think. LOL
So I guess my writing process differs a bit for each story, but basically I don’t over-think things too much. I can’t sit down and outline and plan out every little detail. I usually don’t think about a chapter until I finish the previous one. So I’ll write a chapter, give myself some time (anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 days lol), and then say, “ok, now what.” It’s a very natural, organic process, I guess (to use technical fancy terms).
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
Ideas and inspiration… well, in the case of hanfic, I guess my ideas come mostly from the guys. Lately, I’ll be watching an interview, or a FUTY, or a concert video, and something happen that makes me wonder. Questions. Questions are the absolute best story inspirations, the basic six. Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. And of course, What If. Sometimes I’ll take inspiration from another story, like I did with DA, although not always that directly. And music; music is another huge source of ideas, especially with Hanson. Sometimes all it takes is a single line to inspire an entire plot. I have a few ideas running around my head that came from their songs, either the lyrics, or just the mood.
When it comes to non-Hanson fanfics, it again comes back to questions. What happened after the movie ended? Were these two characters in love? Why did that character say that? Why wasn’t Bernard in the third Santa Clause movie? (I actually do have a story that answers that, lol). So yea, I guess for me, my biggest inspiration comes from asking questions.
Which stories are you most proud of having written?
Hmm… well, as sad as it is, I don’t have a whole lot of finished stories, lol. But, I guess… hmm. Well, I’m pretty proud of how LGitHP is coming along. I have a couple of one-shots that got good reviews, one for Alice in Wonderland (2010), and one for The Santa Clause. And there’s one hanfic I’m currently posting, that me and a friend co-wrote back in high school, called Secrets. It starts off totally stupid, I’ll admit, but the plot goes really dark and soap opera-ish; it’s one of the only stories I ever really finished, but I still like it. I think LGitHP might end up being one of my prouder moments. So far, I’ve gotten a really positive response for it, and what matters most to me, is it feels right, it feels true to the original.
Favorite songs to listen to while you write or which inspire your writing?
I wouldn’t say I have favorites, per se… it depends what I’m writing. I tend to listen to/watch the source material a lot, so for hanfic, obviously it’s all Hanson. I tend to have youtube open in another window as I write, so I’ll have my favorite videos playing on there; it’s a mix of concert videos, FUTYs, and a few random non-Hanson things thrown in, like Daft Hands lol. If I’m writing a movie fanfic, I’ll have the movie playing, or listen to the soundtrack. Or sometimes music related to the mood, if I know it needs to be a really emotional chapter. But usually the source material is best, since I draw ideas and inspiration from it.
For example, the latest couple chapters of LGitHP (as I’m writing this) are really emotional, depressing, heart-wrenching. So I was listening to a lot of Hanson’s more depressing songs; Breaktown is practically on repeat, lol. If I need a good angry fight chapter, I might put on some metal. For sexy scenes, I’d listen to really sultry, sexy songs, like Voodoo by Godsmack, or Closer by NIN. It’s all about setting the mood, getting yourself into the proper mind set.
Thank you, Amber, for being the October spotlight. And don’t worry about being too wordy — I don’t think it’s even possible, especially when you’re talking about hanfic 😉