Time Gadget FAQ: AKA Twenty (give or take 1) Questions!
This is a place where I can explain how where the stories came from,
and such. By the way this is in the style of an interview, I ask and I reply!
1. Where did the characters come from?
A: I wanted to write my own Monkee fic so I thought of two girls. One
fun, which is Chea, and the other who is a little more serious, who is
Karen. The stories originally just started off with the two,
but I soon added Brianna, who is kind of a balance beween Karen and
Chea. The newest addition is Livvie (Olivia) a literal fish out of
water.
2. Ok, what about the idea?
A. The first fics I read were about time travel or magic
somehow bringing the characters into the lives of the
Monkees. I decided to try my own way, instead of using
something that was already done. Since they were going on
tv, why not a tv time gadget?
3. Okay, whats the origin of the gadget?
A.Cheas Uncle Jessup created it in his mad scientist
basement. Karen and Chea found it, the rest is history.
4. What kind of name is Chea?
A. I wanted to do it with a girl with a normal name and
a girl with a weird name. I thought of Cher first, then
changed r to an a. You say it Chay-a though.
5. Why does Karen like Friends and Matthew Perry?
A. Because I do. Also any bands are people or songs
or music mentioned in the fics are things I really do
like.
So you like all the shows? There is a big dis of "Daves
World".
A. Well most stuff I threw in, truthfully I mention some shows
that I have not seen long enougb or not at all, so I can't really have
an opinion of it. It's easier to say that its Cheas dislike, not my own.
Okay.
6. How come Chea suddenly has a mother in the the millineum story?
A. I didnt want the girls to look totally orphaned after
Jessup died. Plus after a while I realized that four
girls who just happened to have no relatives would be
a little strange.
7. That brings up a good point, in the first part Jessup
said he went to tv land cause no one ever got hurt, or
died. Yet he did.
A. What can I say? I guess he was wrong.
8. Enough depressing stuff, do you know anyone like the
girls? Are you like any of them?
A. I think it depends on the day. Chea is my sense of fun, Karen is me becoming
an adult sorta. Brianna is in between. Olivia? We'll have to
wait and see. Hopefully she wont be just another girl just so Peter
can date.
9. I read a similiar time travel story, yet almost all
the characters were married or going to be married or had children at
the end of it (as it stands). But in your story it wasnt until
Scavenger Hunt and Circle Sky that someome got engaged. What took so
long?
A. I wanted the guys to have a little fun first. At first getting them married wasnt my goal. Then it just fell into place.
10. So if Karen and Mike marry, then Chea and Micky are next right?
A. I can't tell you that.
Why not?
A. I just cant.
Please? I'll give you money!!!
A. Just wait and see.
All right.
11. Story titles - where did they come from?
A. I named the first one the time gadget, cause lets
face it, thats what its about. The second one is Time
Warp (ok im a deep closeted Rocky Horror fan, and I like
the song) One bored saturday is called that cause I
wrote it on a boring saturday. Scavenger hunt? They
went looking for stuff. Circle sky was a darker one,
cause they saw their future altered in an icky way. Monkee Millenium
is inspired by the event and the whole hoopla about y2k and what year the millenium really started. These Are Days, is from my favorite
10,000 maniacs song, is the current one.
12. Speaking of Circle Sky, why did you kill Chea off?
A. In the original idea she gave birth to twins and
lived. Also Mike was harder to convince to do the
reunion tour, and there was to be a climatic crying,
raining, your classic oscar winning fight at Videoranch!
As in all my ideas, this changed before I typed it in.
13. In "Millenium" there are a bunch Beatle song titles used. Is this some kind of hint for the next part?
A. Could be.
More secrets?
A. Yep.
You are very VERY irritating.
A. Uh-huh.
Okay next question....
A. All right.
14. You mention quite a lot of different names, Heidi,
Cassidy, Jean, Tippy...are these people you know?
A. Most of the girls names are from the monkee mailing
list I am on, the Sidewalk Chalkies I call them. Cassidy
is the writer of the Daydream Believer fanfics. So is
Juliana. I think, I may be wrong.
15. Whatever happened to the landlord?
A. Hes in reality. He was more like comic relief than
anything else.
16. Okay, what about Jonny and Bonny?
A. They wont be heard from again either, we needed
a villian, and what better than two people who have names that rhyme?
Are you sure? We always need a good villian
A. Hmm.
17. Greg? Briannas ex?
A. What about him? He was never in it, just a passing mention. In fact,
in the circle sky series he was going to make an appearance at the
hospital, but got nixed.
18. Ok, in the Scavenger Hunt, what made you pick the shows you did?
A. I sent out a survey to my list, and asked what shows they liked. In
the end I used those and some that are universally known like Cheers
and All in the family. What was harder was thinking of stuff for them
to take.
19. Back to the original story, why did Karen break up
with Chandler?
A. Back then she was just beginning to see how she felt about Mike. Once the secret about the gadget was found out she thought he might not want her anymore. So as you saw in the story she went back to Chandler, but it was too late.
20. In the original story it looked like there might have been a potential love triangle between Chea-Micky-Peter. What went on there?
A. At first I wanted to see if Chea was sure about her
feelings for Micky. But then I decided not to overcomplicate it with soap opera weirdness and decided that Chea chose Micky. I think she did after he came to
her in her room when she was crying. If she had any doubt about who she wanted, it was gone after that.
21. How were the girls able to find a place so close to
the guys?
A. Its tv, anything is possible. They lucked out, and found an empty house.
22. Will the girls get jobs?
A. Chea has a job at the record store. Karen and Brianna
will have to find one.
And Livvie?
A. Believe me, she will be suffering enough culture
shock that finding a job wont be first on her mind.
23. Whatever happened to the objects from the Scavenger
Hunt?
A. Most items went back to their rightful owners except
the creamer and the coffee cup from Central Perk and
the pictures of Frasier Crane were sold on ebay.
24. How many stories do you think you will do?
A.I dunno, as long as I can think of good ones. I once considered bringing them "home" but now I don't think they will, especially since they gave up their apartment in the finale of Circle Sky.
25. Have you had any other ideas?
A. Yes, I had at one time thought of having the gang
meet two pop stars from our time. The idea had two versions, with/without the girls.
26. So who are the pop stars?
A. I'm not telling. I may actually still do it.
Oh! Do Meatloaf! And Art Garfunkel!
A. Okkkaaayyy.
27. So now you are working on a story about the kids, will this be the last one?
A. It might be. I havent decided. Everytime I decide to end it, I get a new idea.
All right, thats acceptable.
28. It's been months since I asked but will there be any more?
No, I have them at the clone site but not much is going on with that.
29. So how come no more stories about the kids?
a. Simple, I liked doing the original characters better than the kids. Besides the events in the clone stories pretty much make that future non existant anyway, at least I think so. I last left Karen pregnant so you might never know. But I don't think I will do anymore "Time Gadget" kid stories.
So there you have it, some questions that may, or may not be, on your mind about the Time Gadget stories. If there is anything I missed please let me know!
