20 replies to this topic

[shadowycorner]

Hi! So I have finally created this thread. Ooh, I can't wait to be asked some questions.

A little bit about me, my name is Elizabeth, I'm from Slovakia and I love Harry Potter, naturally. I'm still in highschool, which, currently, is a pain. Perhaps it's time to realize that my Hogwarts owl didn't get strangled on the way to deliver me my letter and i may be, after all, a Muggle. Oh but life goes on.

I love English and writing, and this page is simply amazing. Fanfiction is fun and thanks to it I don't miss HP too much. That's all I can think of right now, so bye for now and have a wonderful day!

[Girldetective85]

Hey Elizabeth! I would never have guessed that you were from Slovakia, I think your English is perfect!

I've just read your story "Memory Dust" and I've really enjoyed the first two chapters. You've got a really unique story plot there and I think you can take it to so many levels. Some questions for you:

1) How did you come up with the idea for your story? Do you usually sit down and brainstorm a bunch of story ideas, or do they just come to you at random times?

2) Your characters were all very canon in their personalities, which I love! Did you find that you had to go back to the books to refresh your memory about them?

3) How long are you planning on making the story? Do you write all of the chapters at once and post slowly, or do you post them as you write?

Looking forward to seeing your answers!

- Jules

[pottergirl17]

I just read your story, Memory Dust, as well, and I have a few questions (by the way, I love your opening message, because I always thought the same thing to myself over the years).

Does anything help inspire you to write your stories?

Is Memory Dust based around your favorite ship? If not, what is your favorite ship?

How did you come up with the idea for Barganing with the Devil? Are you going to update it soon?

What do you do when you get writers block?


Good luck as you continue to write!

[shadowycorner]

Two replies already! Oh I love you!

1) How did you come up with the idea for your story? Do you usually sit down and brainstorm a bunch of story ideas, or do they just come to you at random times?

2) Your characters were all very canon in their personalities, which I love! Did you find that you had to go back to the books to refresh your memory about them?

3) How long are you planning on making the story? Do you write all of the chapters at once and post slowly, or do you post them as you write?

1) To tell the truth, I can't remember. It came to me a long time ago, but I guess that one day a scene popped into my mind (which i won't specify as to not give anything away) with two people that have been separated, and it was full of confusion and heartache, lots of drama and all that, and somehow I've been fascinated by the idea that someone forgets everything, but the feelings never go away. It's a story of the heart that fights with the mind and the heart's quest for the truth and fulfillment.

2) I'm so relieved you think so. I am absolutely terrified I will damage the characters in some ways. No, I don't usually go back to reading the books (I don't really need to since I re-read them every once in a while ), I just try to write from what I know of them and how I feel about them. I really consider the things they do and say, and think hard about whether they would really do this and that.

3) I don't know how long it will turn out, I have a general outline, but I always stray from outlines, so one enver knows. About the writing process it depends. I usually don't post a story before I have some chapters written and am sure that yes, I am going to work on this. But then it's more like I'm writing as I post. The fixing is the worst part, because even though I'm flattered you think my English is good, I still hate it sometimes. My grammar is absolutely horrid.

Does anything help inspire you to write your stories?

Is Memory Dust based around your favorite ship? If not, what is your favorite ship?

How did you come up with the idea for Barganing with the Devil? Are you going to update it soon?

What do you do when you get writers block?

1) Music helps me, watching films helps me (because I always get very emotional, and when I get emotional, I think a lot, which leads to incomprehensible writing and from there bloom phrases and thoughts that later turn to solid and pretty decent ideas) and, ironically, school does. Especially Maths and Physics, because in those classes I usually don't pay attention and scribble away at the end of my notebook and that way i randomly think of many things.

2) I adore Ron/Hermione and even though I don't know why, when the idea came to me, it wasn't first clear as to who the main characters would be, but then i felt that it just had to be them. As for other ships, I really like Harry/Ginny, James/Lily (which I don't read and just write, in order to not lose my enthusiasm in it, I've heard the horrible cliche rumors) and then it depends on my mood. I'm likely to read anything, really, from Draco/Hermione to Narcissa/Remus.

3) I first thought of the title. And then everything else came to me, though it's been ages ago and now I see a lot of inconsistencies in that stories, and also things that perhaps might not work. But still, I'm planning on making it an AU and continue, because it's my abandoned baby and I don't have the heart to dispose of it forever. We'll see. I need time for that one.

4) Writer's Block? I cry, I rant, I write vulgar poems about my muse and things like that. But I found out that the best way to battle writer's block is to just sit down and write, even though you don't know what. Sometimes you end up writing crap, and sometimes you don't even know how and you write something really nice. I adore free writing. When you don't think about what you write at all, you dispose of every barrier within your mind and just write down everything that comes to mind, from the color of your roof through the guilt you feel because of lost love all the way to the way the clouds make shapes in the sky.

Ah, thanks you! I've had a blast answering this!

[shadowycorner]

Aw, thank you ron.weasleyxo! I sure don't mind you asking questions, I love answering them after all.

1. when, and where...how? where Ron and Hermione affected by the dust? Or is it in a later chapter and you don't want to spoil it for me by telling me on here? lol.

2. what inspired you to write the story? did you just have a knack for writing and just started to write without being able to stop? (that's what happened to me on my current one, lol)

3. what's your favorite ship?

4. your favorite HP book would be....

1. Unfortunately, this one I can't asnwer as it is a part of the whole Mystery plot.

2. A simple idea sprang to my mind. It was a test of love. Whether it is strong enough to surpass things like losing memories of all that made the love alive. If that makes sense at all. I guess this was the initial idea that started it, and also one scene, which will come later in the story.

3. Ron/Hermione and James/Lily. The former one, i guess, because they're so great both of them and throughout the series I've grown attached. The latter one is gorgeously tragic.

4. Prisoner of Azkaban, Golbet of Fire and Deathly Hallows. I know, that's three, but I really couldn't pick just one.

[KaraBlack]

Liz!

I thought I'd be the first to ask you a list of random questions!

Fred or George?

Sirius Black or James Potter?

'tortured soul' or 'inner strength'

Hogwarts or Durmstrang?

Quidditch or Gobstones?

DADA or Tranfiguration?

Snape or Dumbledore?

Whose your fav. next generation character?

Why do you like them?

What character do you hate (aside from Death eaters)?

What's your favorite Hogwarts ghost? Why?

Favorite Genre?

Ship that you hate?

Wow. I talk WAYYY to much have fun answering all these questions! lol Keep up the great writing!

Edited by KaraBlack, 25 May 2008 - 08:25 PM.

[shadowycorner]

yay, kara! How sweet of you to drop by. And you can never talk too much, dear! Anyway, these are some tricky questions.

Fred or George? This is so difficult, but I will say Fred, because the poor guy died. Otherwise I love them both equally.

Sirius Black or James Potter? Depends on the context, but I'll say James. He's my favorite Marauder, because even though he was an arrogant bully in some phases, he was still brave, loyal and the strongest part of the Marauders. I always pictured him being the one that held them intact. And once he has fallen down, the Marauders crumbled as well.

'tortured soul' or 'inner strength' Inner strength, because tortured soul can either fail and become corrupted or fight and have a lot of inner strength.

Hogwarts or Durmstrang? Howgwarts most definitely. Who wants to wear ugly fur caps and slide down icebergs?

Quidditch or Gobstones? Quidditch. I mean, you can fly and knock people off their brooms. That's amazing enough.

DADA or Tranfiguration? This would depend on the time I was living in. If it was, let's say, the time of war, I would certainly appreciate the DADA more, but if life was quiet and okay, I'd go with Transfiguration much more, because it's just such a cool class, turning everything into anything.

Snape or Dumbledore? Snape was the secret hero, and one of the bravest people we've met throughout the series, but I'll go with Dumbledore, because he was just this great figure in everyhting. And I, unlike many others, loved the fact that he was human and made mistakes.

Whose your fav. next generation character? I haven't explored the next generation too much as of yet (though I am preparing two short fics), but I guess that after reading The Road Home it's definitely Hugo.

Why do you like them? Because he's like little Ron.

What character do you hate (aside from Death eaters)? Hate? I think i hated umbridge a lot.

What's your favorite Hogwarts ghost? Why? Sir Nicholas. He's hilarious and I adore the nearly headless thing.

Favorite Genre? I write mostly romance, because I'm pathetic, but i love adventure, mystery and young adult.

Ship that you hate? Harry/Hermione. I was once challenged to write it and make it believable. i couldn't stand it and just dropped it (something I never do). There is just absolutely no way.

[Varda]

Hello, darling!

I feel that it's a bit ironic that those from non-English speaking countries often have better grammar than those who have been speaking it all their lives. For instance, one of my best friends is from the Netherlands, and is known for being a grammar 'freak', so to speak.

Alright, so I'm STILL in awe of your amazing story 'Thresholds of Heartbeat', and I'd be very appreciative if you'd tell me where you got the idea to write that story! It's a very original concept, which I find surprising because it seems like something many people would write about!

I also have a few more simple questions, and then two more that I've been asking around to some of my 'buddies' on the board, because they get excellent responses.

1) If you had to list the Marauders and Lily in order from first favourite to least favourite, what would your list look like, and why?

2) What's your favourite era?

3) What do you feel is your favourite of your work, and which of your stories do you think is the most popular (so I can better decide on which to read next. )?

4) Which actor/actress/model do you choose to portray the Marauders? (since we all have different versions)

Mkay, on to the harder ones:

5) Write a semi-long summary of one story you would HATE to have to write, and then explain why.

6) Which story on this archive would you love to 'take over the reins' for a chapter or so, and why? It could be to finish the story in a way you liked, to just have the honour of writing a chapter in a certain collaboration, to go back and re-write a chapter you were unhappy with, etc.

Take care, and keep writing!!
Varda

[shadowycorner]

Hey Varda! I'm so glad you stopped by!

Lol, thanks for your comment on my grammar, but I really think it could be so much better, so I'm in the process of getting better at it.

Ah, Thresholds of Heartbeat...possible the favorite thing I have ever written, so I am always so happy to hear people like it. I mean, like I said, your review litterally made me skip around my room with joy. So, the idea...it was a present for my birthday from my muse. I was in my bed after a tough day and a lousy birthday. I was staring blankly into my Biology notebook, attempting to study when all of a sudden my thoughts wandered off (my attention span is ridiculously short) and I wondered for a moment what did it feel like to die. (Yeah, I can get morbid, I admit. This is not the only story that deals with death and its aftermath ) That's how the first paragraph came to life. The words just poured out of the pen. Then I wondered, well...this could be more and somehow, immediately, Lily and James sprung to my mind. The tragic end of them always moved me in some way and writing this provided some sort of closure for me. That's how, I guess. And aw, thanks for asking...I've been dying to say this, actually.

1) If you had to list the Marauders and Lily in order from first favourite to least favourite, what would your list look like, and why? This is such a tough question!! Well...

1. James
2. Sirius
3. Remus
4. Lily
5. Peter

Peter is on the last place simply because he's a disgusting traitor, but I have to admit I like to write him and delve into his complex character. Lily is on the fourth place because even though I like her a lot, the Marauders and their strong friendship always left me in awe the most.

2) What's your favourite era? In fanfiction, I like to write Marauder Era and read Post-Hogwarts. I mean, I like reading Marauder Era as well, but only the stories that focus on the Marauders alone rather than all those Sirius and Remus with an OC stories. (Though I am guilty of having two of my own of this kind ) And currently, I'm delving more into the Next Generation, which i find very enjoyable too.

3) What do you feel is your favourite of your work, and which of your stories do you think is the most popular (so I can better decide on which to read next. )? Currently it is definitely Thresholds. That story simply means an awful lot to me. But, I have other stories in works. Quite a lot of them with various themes and characters and they're only waiting to be posted. If you want to read something of my currently posted works, perhaps Memory Dust, my post-Hogwarts Ronmione. And if you don't like it, than maybe Deeper Than I Thought, a Sirius/OC that focuses more on friendship, self-discovery and inner growth than the romance itself, but the first chapter is very unrealistic and shaky and now I'm hesitant about posting more. But I probably will since I've got ten chapters already written and the story itself was in the brewing for a long time. Giving up on it would be stupid. Oh, and then there's my abandoned Dramione, which hasn't been updated for more than a year. If I'm ever to continue with it, it will have to go through major plot editing.

4) Which actor/actress/model do you choose to portray the Marauders? (since we all have different versions) I've never used a James/Lily banner, but my Lily is Kate Winslet and James would have to be Orlando Bloom or Rodrigo Santoro from Love, Actually (the glasses!) For Sirius I have another pic of Rodrigo Santoro, but Billy Crudub from Sleepers looks like my Sirius as well. Then I have one pic of Johnny Depp I will so use once for Sirius. And another one of Ralph Fiennes.

For Remus, I have to say I just like to use David Thewlis in the younger versions. I really like the actor and was a bit disappointed by his evil-guy mustache in Prisoner of Azkaban, because he could've pulled off a much better Remus than that. And Peter...on one banner I've seen him portrayed Edward Norton, so if I were to use him while young, I would probably go for him.

Mkay, on to the harder ones:

5) Write a semi-long summary of one story you would HATE to have to write, and then explain why. Pfft!

Something along the lines of Ron being a blubbering abusive idiot that can't have a decent conversation with hermione, which makes her run either to Harry (*cringes*) or Draco. i understand some people don't like Ron/Hermione, but I don't think he's all that stupid and idiotic as many people claim him to me. Oh and I'd have to have to write something about a perfect-looking, bitchy OC that has all the Marauders falling in love with her or something remotely like that. So, a summary?

"Ron is getting weirder and weirder day by day, begins to abuse Hermione, but she soon finds refuge as she comes for ehr seventh year at Hogwarts, where she's appointed Head Girl. But someone she would never expect to be Head Boy now has to share a dormitory with her. Will sparks fly? Even more so now that Hermione has a deadly secret? And how will things get complicated now that Harry is not all that oblivious to her either?"

6) Which story on this archive would you love to 'take over the reins' for a chapter or so, and why? It could be to finish the story in a way you liked, to just have the honour of writing a chapter in a certain collaboration, to go back and re-write a chapter you were unhappy with, etc.

For my favorite stories, i don't think I'd like to 'take over the reins' because the original authors are doing such a marvellous job I don't think I could ever pull off. Sometimes I just go thinking, "oh man, why didn't I think of this at first." But there was this one story I read that I enjoyed very much, only to be terribly disappointed by the ending that basically made the entire story before that worthless.

Wow, these were some amazing questions and answering them has really been the highlight of my day! Thank you! *huggles*

[Labby]

Hello Elizabeth!

I'm enjoying Memory Dust a lot, and I just thought I'd stop by and ask some questions.

1. Of all of your stories, which has been/is your favorite one to write?

2. Who are your favorite characters?

3. What inspires you to write?

4. What's your favorite non-HP book? Any favorite authors?

5. What got you into writing HP fanfiction?

[shadowycorner]

Hey Jamie! I'm really happy you like Memory Dust. I mean, Of Dogs and Dragons is one of my favorite stories, so of course it is like an honour.

1. Of all of your stories, which has been/is your favorite one to write?
Thresholds of Heartbeat so far. It's short, brief and very quick, but I love it to bits. But now I'm writing other stories and enjoy them very much, so it might change as I will post more.

2. Who are your favorite characters?
Basically Harry, Ron and Hermione. I mean, I adore James and Lily. I love Sirius and I just want to huggle Remus most of the time, along with Bill, Fleur, Neville, Luna, McGonagall and Dumbledore, but I will list the trio, because I feel connected to them mostly and I grew up with them and their adventures.

3. What inspires you to write?
Depends on the story. One is inspired by what happened to me in my life (not posted yet), but that's about it. I usually take inspiration from songs, poems, imagination, dreams and such.

4. What's your favorite non-HP book? Any favorite authors?
I Capture the Castle, Inkheart, Inkspell, Pride and Prejudice, The Effects of Light, Little Women....these are basically the first that came to mind, there is so many more. As for author, I don't have specific authors, since there are many authors I still have to discover, but I do love Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Peter S. Beagle etc.

5. What got you into writing HP fanfiction?
My crush on Remus was the first pull. Then I suddenly switched into a crush on Sirius. That spun off one of the wors fanfictions the earth has seen, loaded with self-inserts, Mary Sues and rather horrible portrayal of the canon characters. But I guess and hope I've grown since then.

Thanks for the questions, dear!

[Padfoot36]

Hi Elizabeth

Its kind of late where I'm at so I decided to post some questions on your author's page because I always do it eventually on my favorite stories. Anyways here we go! (I promise I tried to keep them orginial so you weren't a question you already didn't answer above).

What do you think is the most important thing about writing romance?
Do you have Memory Dust completely written out or are you writing it more chapter by chapter?
What do you think is the key to capturing canon characters well without ruining what JK already gave us?

Thank you in advance, and I'm really excited for the answers.

[shadowycorner]

Hello dear! I'm so glad you stopped by.

What do you think is the most important thing about writing romance?
I guess you have to make it believable. Romance is an every day thing and quite an important issue in most people's lives. Usually i find the ordinary stories gone special the most enticing. The stories you can sort of relate to and believe in. Forbidden love and too many spurs of passion lose its appeal in a while, but the stories that can really happen and leave a trace...I guess that's the kind of romance I'd like to write and read. It's also very important how the characters respond to each other in given circumstances.

Do you have Memory Dust completely written out or are you writing it more chapter by chapter?
I have some future scenes written, but no, it's not completely done, I'm moving more chapter by chapter.

What do you think is the key to capturing canon characters well without ruining what JK already gave us?
You have to understand them. That's all really. It's crucial to understand a character if you want to give it justice. That's why smart authors do research on canon characters they're not sure about. By recognizing their past, reactions, etc...we can find a way to connect with them and understand them. Once that is done, i think it's fairly easy with most characters to write them if you can get inside their head. Sometimes characters are terribly misunderstood and that's what initially leads to people writing them out of character.

Thanks for the awesomastic questions!!!

[tell_me_what_the_truth_is]

Hello

I just LOVED your one-shot, Thresholds of Heartbeat! I had no idea you weren't english, and your english is completely perfect! for that alone i admire you...

Anyway, questions time:

1. Where did the idea for Thresholds of Hearbeat come from?
2. What's your favourite ship?
3. Favourite HPFF author?
4. Favourite era?
5. What made you choose Lily/James for your one-shot?

thanks for an awesome fic