#annansmith

A: What can I tell you about myself? I'm turning 29 soon-ish and not quite ready for my last year in my twenties. Though I've heard the 30s is where it's all about now, so I'm also looking forward to it. I'm from Germany, born in Berlin, but living close to Frankfurt for many years now. I work in the video game industry and have been stuck in home office throughout the past year like many others. I gotta say though, I'm a fairly patient person and I was able to take a lot of positives from this quarantine experience, specifically I got back into writing which is probably the reason why I'm still sane. Other than that, maybe to paint a better picture for you, I'm half Filipina, so I got a bit of an exotic look. I like making people laugh. And I hate exercising. There, some of the random bits that describe me.

GT: That's all very interesting, actually! Thank you for sharing. Do you have any real life friends who are fans of Gallavich or Shameless too?

A: I got into Shameless actually because of my best friend! She's been watching Shameless for a couple of years I think and last year after lockdown started I decided to binge Shameless and like always I overtook her and am further ahead than she is now. She likes gallavich, but she is definitely not obsessed like me. So I have to rein in my enthusiasm when I talk to her about it as to not sound like a crazy person to the normals out there.

GT: Hahaha, I totally understand that! What attracted you to Gallavich? What do you think it's the best thing about the ship ?

A: After being first introduced to Ian and the fact that he's gay, I kept telling myself "keep chill, you're not gonna obsess over yet another gay couple!". So in the beginning when the idea of that couple started being portrayed, I was trying not to get sucked in. Actually I really loved the overall Shameless show, so I wanted to watch it "normally" and not concentrate so much on Ian/Mickey. That resolution came crumbling down by the end of s3 I believe when we saw the hard-ass thug sniff and cry after Ian said good-bye to him. I think what I love the most about this couple is that their love is so pure and so beautiful in its essence that when you see it in juxtaposition to their gritty environment, to the truly ugly and awful that is being constantly thrown at them, it just pulls on your heartstrings. Their love couldn't be stamped out, even at times when they both tried to let go, because their love was just purely good at its core and so real that nothing could snuff it out. Also I love how rough and tough kinda guys they are, but are so soft for each other. I've truly lost my heart to this ship.

GT: The things they had to overcome, it's really an amazing love story when you think about it. It's impossible not to root for them when you see that they really care for each other, despite all the odds.

Why another gay couple though? What are your other gay ships?

A: I had just come from the Teen Wolf fandom. They weren't canon but I shipped Sterek. I wrote a couple Suits fanfic too (also another non-canon couple). I watched Shadowhunters and on there was a gay ship as well. And well my favorite show is Sense8 which is basically a multi-ship gay lovefest. I don't exclusively ship gay couples, but it's evidently a trend.

GT: Did you write fics for all these fandoms or just Suits?

A: Suits and Teen Wolf.

GT: And what made you want to write for Shameless too?

A: I started writing after s10 and I guess I felt the need to fill in some blanks for me. After the break-up, the years apart, and the border good-bye, I felt like so many things were left unresolved. S10 immediately started off as them bickering and Ian wanting a break. I needed to get a little bit more from Ian in terms of how he felt about Mickey being back in his life, how he envisioned his future, how it included Mickey, how serious it was, etc. What about the reason for their break-up? Are they just not talking about it? Does it not matter anymore? We knew how Mickey felt. He had thrown himself back into prison for a failed relationship, had given up his freedom for Ian. I needed a bit more insight into how Ian felt about all of this. Throughout s10 we didn't get much in my opinion and even with the promise ring debacle, his concerns were just slightly thrown out there and never really worked through. It wasn't enough for me and I guess that's how the desire to write something to fill in the blanks arose. Starting from my first bigger fic, I really enjoyed engaging with the fandom. I was usually always the silently lurking fan type. Maybe checking out what was going on in the fandom, but staying under the radar mostly, not talking to anybody. I really came out of my shell here in this fandom! It's a really lovely size with great people!

GT: Awn, that's so nice. You've made some friends in the fandom, haven't you?

A: I made one very good and special friend. I am positive a lifetime friend! And beyond that I have been talking to others here and there, commenting on posts, leaving more fic comments, that kind of fandom engagement. Which is about a hundred percent more than I did before.

GT: That is the best thing about fandoms, in my opinion. I'm glad you had this experience.

What's the best thing about writing Ian and Mickey?

A: Writing in character is important to me, whether I hit that mark or not I leave up to my readers, and I love how much range we're given with these characters. Over the many years we've seen how they react and behave in various different situations. We know what they like and what they dislike, canon contradictions aside. We have a lot of history we can draw from. I especially love how we can go from absolutely deep rooted internalized homophobia to incredible love declarations. Because it's happened! It's not unrealistic at all. We can write them so soft at times and be incredibly self-sacrificing without making them seem OOC. I think that is what I love most about them. In my recent behemoth of a fic My Whiskey Smells of Oranges they meet in a canon divergent beginning set in a soulmate universe and in this slow-burn they have all these moments pinging from trauma and hurt to absolute love and comfort, equally as intense. And I enjoyed having these incredibly tender and loving moments, those big love confessions after the many hardships they had to face together without it, hopefully, feeling out of character.

Also, I prefer writing established relationship mixed in with a healthy dose of comedy and those two have a chaotic energy to them, I absolutely love it.

GT: Is that the kind of fics you write the most, established relationship?

A: Yes, definitely! I love domestic bliss, writing in all these sweet little romantic moments. But still keeping their rough edges. Showcasing their chemistry and why they work so well as a couple... It's my favorite. And if I can make the reader also laugh at the same time, it's the best!

GT: Is that your favorite to read as well?

A: Hmm good question. Tentatively, I would say yes. I prefer reading canon compliant stories for gallavich and since they are together for most of their history, it's established relationship by default. I haven't come across that many comedy fics I think. But for sure there are a lot of soft ones out there. I don't mind reading a getting together or back together fic though. As long as the pacing and the characterization is right.

GT: Which fics do you avoid then?

A: I feel like a lot. This is not a statement on the offer this fandom has. It is about what I am not in the mood for reading. As I said I prefer canon compliant which excludes a whole bunch of fics that live in the AU realm. I have a few AUs I'm up for, such as organized crime and soulmates, but mostly I can't get behind a too strongly divergent background story for them. Especially when the motivation behind writing a certain AU is more about writing that trope than it is writing about Ian and Mickey in that trope. That's where characterization comes into play again. It is definitely a challenge to combine these. A challenge which I myself also struggle with when writing AU. The fics that I cannot get into whatsoever are with Svetlana and Yevgeny. The way the canon storyline was handled just hits a nerve with me that makes me unable to read those fics.

GT: Fair enough.

What are some challenges of writing them?

A: I'd say one of my personal biggest weaknesses is diving into characters' introspective emotional states. Or at least writing extensively about it. I do it enough where it is necessary and where pacing demands it, but there are so many wonderful fics out there who give you a beautiful introspective in-depth look into how the boys are feeling from the very first word to the last word and I admire that, maybe especially so because I can only do short bursts throughout the story.

GT: I am the exact same, so I totally understand what you're talking about.

What are your other favorite characters from the show? Do you include them in your fics?

A: I'm glad I'm not the only one struggling with this!

Fiona and Carl hands down I'd say. Most of my fics are post s9 and, therefore, are lacking Fiona, so when I was able to write Fiona in for the first time I got so giddy! I loved early seasons Fiona. She was my favorite character back then. And Carl is just a really funny character to write. In recent seasons he's become a favorite of mine. I also like writing the dynamic between Ian/Mickey and Liam/Franny. I'm not ready yet for Ian and Mickey to have kids, but taking care of the youngest I really enjoy writing in!

GT: Do you have your own OCs?

A: Yes. In My Whiskey Smells of Oranges I have created, in my eyes, a delightful school principal for my story. He's sort of functioned as the secret guardian fairytale grandmother to Mickey and if I had it in me, I would have loved to add a little oneshot of his POV to my story. I'm also working on a mafia AU, I say that but it's on ice for the time being, and that one is written from an outside POV. That OC is having a bit of a culture shock witnessing Ian and Mickey's unique dynamic. I love how we get to showcase the crazy that comes with the Gallaghers through outside POV.

GT: How do you come up with your OCs then? Do you base them on real people?

A: From a physical appearance standpoint, yes. I often tend to picture an actor I know from another show for my OCs. But they are never based on people I know. Actually, there doesn't go much forethought into my OCs now that I think about it. They usually fit to what I need them to be in my story. Now that you ask I feel like I should put more thought into it? Haha, well, maybe next time.

GT: Hahah, sorry, didn't mean to make you second guess yourself.

Tell me about your writing process then.

A: No worries, I love talking about writing with others! Which leads me to your next question. My so called writing process is a bit of a mess. My muse is very moody, an entitled little thing really... So first I would have an idea I like and can't shake. Then I would daydream a fair amount about it. Once there are a few scenes in my head I really like, I would write something resembling an outline down. Which looks worse than Swiss cheese. Sometimes it would say: family dinner - Ian out of job ---> Freddie blue paint ---> slow dance under moonlight ---> smut ---> bank robbery??

Somehow that equals my preparation and after providing a fair amount of offerings to my muse, setting mood fitting music in the background, and staring at a blank document for hours, I painstakingly try to write down my first few sentences which I always hate. After days of mini existential life crises and self-pity have passed, I dust myself off and keep on writing. At a certain point I will have gotten into it and it's a bit easier to keep at it. I usually fill out these poorly outlined scenes in the moment when I write them. I write other scenes in so I land where I want to end up. It works for some reason. I get really into these spontaneous ideas that make my story come to life. But I do wish I could just outline my story to its last detail. It's just I don't think I would ever start writing, if I had to come up with every scene immediately. When I write and let spontaneous ideas take me through the story, let characters show me how they would deal with a certain plotline, it usually worked really well for me. I guess every writer is different and you just gotta go with what works for you!

I have to write everything down first though, since I don't have everything planned out which is why I need to go back at times to rewrite something. I also lay out bread crumbs throughout the story and I want to make sure it's coherent at the end. So I am not usually a posting chapter by chapter author. I actually like giving my readers the full experience at once. I like to read about their impressions after they've read everything, when it all came together to paint that one big picture for them.

GT: Lol this made me laugh

Where do you usually find inspiration for your fics?

A: Usually from canon. I thought about this before and I noticed nowadays we are so used to binge watching a show that the individual episodes don't sit with me anymore. Having to wait week by week for the last Shameless season really gave me the opportunity to ruminate about the characters' motivation and reasoning. Trying to fill in blanks. Imagining ways to fix certain plotlines. It was really great and I even wrote two oneshots between the episodes. I'm going to really miss that. Especially having to sit with an episode together with the fandom, wondering how the heck to interpret what happened. I'm less inclined to pick something up from past episodes when the moment has already passed. Other than that I really enjoy my talks with @livinginsunnyhell​. We have probably already written entire theses on gallavich and I really cherish those long winded discussions. She's definitely another inspiration to my writing.

GT: Awn, I'm sure she'll enjoy knowing that.

What did you think of the finale?

A: I actually liked it. I wasn't a fan of the pacing, that one gallavich furniture scene, Debbie's weirdo gf, and that floating chair bit, but all in all I liked the open-endedness of it. I love that we have always accompanied this show, these characters over the years as a slice of life type of story. We got to witness their lives through a certain period of time. But they had their moments before the pilot and they will have their crazy rest of their lives after the finale. I like how they will simply continue how we've always accompanied them. Also I'm a terrible emotional mess after I've stuck with a very long story and got attached to the characters. So for me that really made it easier to let go. It's not over, they continue on. And we get to write fanfic about it!

GT: Exactly! It's our world now. 😁

What do you headcanon for Ian and Mickey after the finale?

A: First of all, they'll never break up. They'll get Bazooka the dog and live on the West Side for a bit. They will make a decent amount of money with their business until these knuckleheads realize they can't keep driving around a stolen ambulance modified to hold a bunch of heavy weaponry in it. Maybe a close call will make them look for an alternative job. Still working for themselves and together, but legal now. They might move back to the South Side, buy a little house, and years down the road they will start taking care of a kid that kinda fell in their lap. But in five years earliest! I want them to live solely for each other for now. I think they are not ready yet to be parents. For now let them focus on each other, get their irresponsible craziness out of their systems (to a degree), and cement their relationship even more. I want them to bask in their love for each other and their married life a bit more, before they split their attention between that and kids. In between a lot of crazy shit will happen par for the course, but they are solid and they will conquer everything!

GT: Sounds lovely.

What's your favorite Shameless season?

A: Since I like established relationship and the domestic bliss that comes with it, I'm gonna go with s11. Ian has come into the role as husband so beautifully. I adored him! We got a lot of sweet moments. Of course I don't like everything about the season, but when did I ever with Shameless? But a very close second is s4. I got so hooked on gallavich back then. It was such a great season! Judging from an overall perspective though, I loved the first three seasons of Shameless. I loved how it was all about that family unity in the beginning. How these six siblings tried to make ends meet together with Fiona at the helm. It warmed my heart and I wish we had kept a little more to that theme in later seasons.

GT: Yes, I think they lost that unity along the way. I have the feeling they were so worried about owing up to their name and having shameless plots that were more and more bizarre that they didn't realize that was not what people enjoyed more about their show.

A: Yes, I wondered about that. Did people watch the show for the bizarre stories or for the characters and their family bond? The latter came first to me.

GT: What about a favorite episode?

A: Favorite episode, that is so hard! Gallavich had so many great moments. I'm going with 11x06. I loved Mickey working through some of his past demons there. I loved how Ian was by his side and knew exactly how to be there for him. I absolutely loved loved that talk on the couch.

Seeing them finally happy and there for each other is heart-warming.

GT: If you could go back and change one thing in canon, what would it be?

A: The moment in 5x12 where Ian simply strolls back into the house while the guy he loved gets chased down the street and shot at. Not gonna lie, dark times, dark dark times...

GT: Agreed. Out of your own fics, which one are you the proudest of?

A: It's between Moonlight Sonata and My Whiskey Smells of Oranges. Moonlight Sonata is a post s10 fic very much in line with my usual writing style. It's a fic in which Ian figures out for himself what it means to be a husband. It has a lot of light-hearted, sweet moments and many funny bits in it. There are a couple dashes of angst, but mostly it's a tender fic. The feedback has been great and it's just a sweet fic I think very fondly of.

Whiskey couldn't be more different. It's a friends to lovers slow burn with a heavy amount of hurt/comfort. Writing it was far out of my comfort zone. It's 169k and the longest thing I ever wrote. I never thought I'd be able to write such a monster. The journey I sent those boys on though, it was so heartbreaking and heartwarming. I wanted to showcase that no matter how these two met, they were always meant for each other. Unlike canon they start off as friends and study partners, but they gradually build that same deeply tied connection with each other and while as teenagers they don't have much to give, they give everything to each other. Having been able to explore that kind of wholesome, devoted love between them, has just been very special to me. That fic helped me embrace the parts I tended to think I was weak at and it made me a better writer for sure.

GT: You mentioned the feedback had been great. What kind of comments are you favorite to get?

A: I love the ones that seem to come from an emotional state in the moment it was written. When someone tells you they are so emotional right now, having laughed and cried along with your story, those are really precious. And I really cherish those who comment on things you didn't think the readers would necessarily pick up on, on parts of your story that you might have agonized over for a long time and they validate your efforts by noticing.

GT: What are some of your favorite fics and/or writers in the fandom?

A: I feel like I am repeating myself about this, I already shared my favorite fic recs in the past a couple of times, but I can't help still liking those the best. I absolutely adore @captainjowl​'s fics! Wish she would write more (hint hint). My canon compliant heart goes to @livinginsunnyhell​ (ao3: ProstheticLoVe). I really loved You make me feel human by Dragona. Also a fan of ColdReign and IanRightsOnly!

GT: Hahah, I'll pass the message along lol. 

Ok, finally, tell us about your next fic projects. Do you have anything planned?

A: I just started writing on a Moonlight Sonata sequel which will continue where MS left off, only this time it's going to be about Mickey trying to figure out what kind of husband he wants and needs to be for Ian, including all the series typical shenanigans and love confessions. I am also tackling a season 12 fic which is more gen than gallavich focused. If I can get my muse behind it, it will be in the Shameless typical twelve episode format. I hope I will finish the mafia AU fic soon and lastly I am working on a PWP series, because I feel like we have way too little smut in our fandom!

GT: I love that you're writing a S12 Gen fic!

That's all, thank you so much for participating. A final message?

A: Thank you for having me! It's lovely that you're doing this and I hope we can keep the fandom engaged with fun activities such as this even after the show has come to an end now. I want to encourage all the artists, writers, bloggers, and all the fans to keep the gallavich content coming and circulating! I know first hand it's not always easy to put your art out there, so I really hope we can be as supportive and positive toward all the content creators out there! We do this for free and for everyone to enjoy! We know our works might not be perfect, we know it might not be to everyone's taste, but it's a ton of fun expressing ourselves and sharing it with you! So let's stay kind and encouraging and remember there is always a real human being behind a gif set, a meta, or a 10k fic.