Tell us a little bit about yourself. How long have you been a writer?

When I was a kid, I used to write Space: 1999 stories (didn't know it was fanfic back then) and then I would MST them (only I didn't know about that back then either) because even I knew they were that bad. Once school started, I pretty much only wrote stories to satisfy class requirements. In college, I started to write poetry, and stayed with that for years.

How long have you been a Trek fan?

I can remember when the Original Series was first on in reruns in the early 70's. I used to watch them over and over and over. They came on at dinner time and, unfortunately, it was the news or nothing during meals. So for a long time, there were a lot of eps I only caught the first half of. When they started coming on at all hours, I made up for lost time.

What is your favorite series to watch? To write for?

That'd be a tie between the Original Series and the last few seasons of Deep Space Nine. I love to watch Deep Space Nine--it has such wonderfully complex arcs! I probably like writing the Original Series the best. Although, my muse likes to swim in all the ponds. Not so much Enterprise anymore though. The mind meld as AIDS ep pretty much did me in. But I liked the show a lot when it started and have quite a few stories to prove that.

What is your favorite episode?

Probably the Next Generation episode "Darmok." Patrick Stewart was brilliant in that, but it also brought home to me the power of language, and of shared references. How important they are, and how lost we are when we fail to communicate. The Deep Space Nine ep "The Siege of AR-558" is a close second though. I thought the intensity of that episode was just amazing. The tension is so well-done, and the battle scene is chilling. I don't tend to cry at Trek stuff, but that battle scene made me cry. They did a great job of building up to it.

What type of fanfic do you like to write? Character-driven? Plot?

I started out pretty much character-driven, and relationship-driven. I lived for doing dialogue. But now I'm trying to get better at description, giving the story texture. I'd like to be better at really creating and controlling the world I'm writing about, not just the relationships. And I'm focusing more on plot. The Carter Series has made me focus more on that. All those original characters and some old favorites need places to go and reasons to go there.

You can't always focus on the relationships, although those do seem to try to take over.

Which is your favorite character to write?

Well, if I don't answer Christine Chapel, she'll kill me. God knows, I've written enough of her and enough versions of her. Valeris has commandeered a number of my stories, so she would be right up there. I'm very fond of Saavik, love Kirk, and Vic stole my heart in the show--I found him a blast to write. I find the Next Generation characters challenging to write. "Collateral Damage" was an interesting story because I was trying to hit the voices for some characters I'd never written before. That's very fun...and a little scary.

Have you done any other type of writing?

I actually started writing X-Files fanfic. And I've done some Buffy and M*A*S*H stories. But the fanfic is a pretty new phenomenon, really only since the end of 1999. I've written some original stories for myself. But for the long spell between college and the first fanfic, I didn't write many stories, focused on poetry. It's only in the last few years that I've done this kind of prolonged writing. And it feels great.

What does your "writing space" look like?

Well it used to be the dining room table and my laptop (then a desktop when that died, then another laptop when that died). But I moved recently and now I have a proper study with a desk and everything. And I can use my dining room table for more traditional things, like reading magazines.

How did you get started writing fanfic?

I quit writing poetry after my mom died in 1998. Without that outlet, I guess the muse got antsy. The X-Files episode "Millennium" shook something loose, and I wrote a very fluffy piece and posted it that night before I could lose my nerve. And I got feedback...almost immediately. I was hooked. It took a bit longer to work up the nerve to try Star Trek. Even though Trekfic was the reason I started reading fanfic--first for Voyager Janeway/Chakotay stories, later for Original Series Spock/Chapel stuff. For some reason, it took longer to get into writing Trek. But now it's pretty much the only fandom I write in.

Out of all the stories you've written, which is your favorite and why?

That's a tough one. There are several stories that took a chunk of me with them when I finally finished them. But I think that my favorite story is "Like We Never Had a Broken Heart." It's the one I probably reread the most for fun. It's an unlikely pairing that works for me. It's dark and sad and hot too. I get a lot of interesting feedback from it--for some reason, this pairing seems to please some folks a great deal. It was a risk to write, and it paid off.

You can't ask for more than that from a story.

When you're reading fanfic, what are you looking for?

I like something different. I like when an author takes risks. I read a lot of fanfic and the ones that stick with me the most are the ones that are sort of odd or different in some way. It needs a strong opening, to keep me going, and a strong ending, to make me happy. And good grammar, minimal to no typos, and spot-on characterizations are all key. I like the story to move me in some way. There are some stories that are technically very good, but seem to lack any real spark or magic. I guess I look for the magic.

Every author has a "must read" fanfic list. What does your list look like?

Oh god, I don't have a links or recs page on my sites, because I know I'll leave someone out. But I'd have to say that if I did have a page of "must read" fic, it would be for those stories that weeks/months/years later, I can still remember vividly. They are all stories that took a chance and, as a result, really packed a wallop. Like (to name just a few) Ventura33's "The Relevance of Hope" and its sequel, "Imperfection"; Rabble Rouser's "Sympathy for the Devil" and "A Good Look in the Mirror"; Your Cruise Director's "Drowning"; VoyWriter's "New River"; Seema's "Act of War" in Rocky and Seema's Glory Days series; Penny Proctor's "Seska's Lullaby"; Lori's "One Leave on Risa" or "Sometimes Sunshine"; or DebbieB's "Chapel to the Village." And I'd include those stories that were so funny I still grin just thinking of them. Stories like Jungle Kitty's "Kirk and Spock Go Ice Fishing"; Trekki's "Blast from the Past"; and Alan Decker's "It's Good to be King."

Is there someone who inspires your writing, maybe a famous person, one of the actors, or another fic writer?

Joss Whedon. The man is brilliant in the way he can combine humor and pathos nearly in the same moment. There are moments of Buffy and Angel that are sheer genius, and they are usually his moments. Amazing talent. He is one of my heroes. Alan Ball, the screenwriter of American Beauty, is also inspiring. Kevin Smith just because he is so damned funny. And the amazing talent that is Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer and Michael McKean and Eugene Levy and...well the whole group that have brought us "Spinal Tap," "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show," and "A Mighty Wind." Now there's a group of folks who know how to trust their characters.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. It's wacky, it's fun, it has serious moments, and every time I read it, I notice something different. It's the best of Tom Robbins but, although I love this book, I wouldn't consider him my favorite author. Connie Willis is my favorite writer. It would be difficult to find two stronger or more different books than "Dooms Day Book" and its sequel "To Say Nothing of the Dog."

Do you have any advice for other fanfic writers?

Never stop writing. Keep at it, keep trying new things--there is always something new to learn. Read other people's stories and be generous with the feedback. Listen to your muse, trust her/him. Get a beta you trust, who will challenge you to get better. Who won't let you or your muse get away with anything sloppy or cutesy. And then get another beta for another opinion. Don't be afraid of crit. It can be the thing that changes everything, even if it hurts a little at first. But above all, trust yourself. In the end, it's your story.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Just that it's an honor (and very fun) to be part of this community. And a great asset for any writer. So many talented people here to emulate, ask advice of, and read! And some very good friends, who will actually understand what it is you do when you disappear online.

 

Djinn's Fanfic

Note: Each story opens in a separate window. Close the window to return to this page.

Another Bad Night (PG, VOY) A romantic Endgame coda with several special guest stars.
2001 ASC Awards - 1st Place Best Voyager Endgame Coda Story

Blood Debt (PG-13, TOS) A sequel to "Blood Ties" set during the TNG era (after the ep "Unification"). Warning: some f/f slash
2002 ASC Awards - 1st Place Best Original Series General Pairing

Collateral Damage (PG-13, TNG) A post-Nemesis companion piece to "Echoes and Voices" exploring the aftermath for the rest of the characters.
2002 ASC Awards - 3rd Place Best Next Generation General Story

Just One (G, ENT) A "Carbon Creek" coda starring Mestral.
2002 ASC Awards - 3rd Place Best Enterprise General Pairing

It Wouldn't Be Make-Believe (PG-13, DS9) A Section 31 story in which Vic Fontaine falls in love.
2002 ASC Awards - 1st Place Best Deep Space Nine General Pairing

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