Find Afrocurl’s work // AO3 // LJ
interview from vmfictitious // originally posted Mar. 20th, 2011
How did you get into Veronica Mars fandom?
Somewhere in the middle of S2, a friend of mine from high school started to talk about this show and how much I’d like it. At the general description of a high school detective, I borrowed her S1 DVDs and devoured the show in three days. After that I started to discover fandom, mostly because I used Inigo’s transcripts to keep myself up with what the show was doing before I could watch live.
Shortly after starting the show, I had this job where I spent too much time in an office and was easily bored. I used a bunch of downtime to read fic and post in a message board (FanForum for anyone curious.) When that job ended (thankfully) I had all of this spare time and just sort of fell into writing.
Were you an experienced writer when you started writing for VM? If so, what kind of writing had you done, and/or what fandoms had you written for? If not, was it really intimidating to post your first story?
I’m a little fuzzy on these details right now, but I wasn’t that experienced when I started writing in VM. I think I had a story or two written in The OC before I posted here, but I had some great support from a few friends (sarah_p // Sarah's Crack ) for one was a big support) when I did post my first story.
What was it about Veronica Mars that interested you? Why did you feel compelled to write for this particular show?
I really fell for the characters when I started to watch. Veronica was such a compelling character, and as I kept watching I fell more in love with Logan, too. I felt compelled in that post-S2 summer to see the relationship between Logan and Veronica explored (as so many other people did.)
Are you creative in other media for fandom (vidding, icons, etc.)?
I pick up making icons here and there, but I don’t think I have the same skill as many other people do. It’s a different creative medium, and one that I think stretches a different part of my brain.
What was the best moment for you, in fandom? (Not necessarily a moment in the show, but fandom itself.)
I think it was the moment when I found myself in a position to go to all of these events around LA and San Diego. I found that people around LJ were interested as a result because there was something for people to enjoy that I had been able to capture.
If you had a magic wand, and could change VM fandom in any way, past or present, what would you do?
I wish S3 hadn’t been so divisive—it’s spoiled so many people on the show, and when you still love parts of it, but not all of it, it’s hard to stay positive around other people.
Of your accomplishments in fandom/cyberspace, which are you most proud of?
Weirdly, I think it’s little things I’ve done that bring a smile to my face. Sharing my time with the cast with others in any way. That’s not just the picspams when I went to an event, but these moments where I could get autographs or phone calls to other people. At different times, I’ve been able to make a friend’s birthday just a little brighter with a message from the cast (Sarah and another friend M.)
What’s your favorite VM episode and why?
I go back and forth on this answer all of the time, but I think it’s Ain’t No Magic Mountain High Enough. In part because it was the first episode I remember watching live, and also because I’m a sucker for banter between Logan and Veronica. That whole episode is filled with it, even if they aren’t together as a couple.
What’s your least favorite episode and why?
Blast from the Past—I just can’t get behind the mystery of the week, or what Jackie does to Veronica as a way to keep Wallace to herself.
How do you feel about season 3?
I’m a mixed bag on the subject. I think that the first arc has promise, though it didn’t do much to satisfy my need for Logan and Veronica in a healthy relationship. I’m not a fan of how Piz was introduced, or what his purpose was in the long run.
The Dean O’Dell arc lacks heart (and the Hearst rapist does too when I look at it), and the last five are just all over the place.
In total, I haven’t brought myself to rewatch the whole season since it aired, but I made a promise to myself at some point I would (I plan to live-blog all of the episodes, but I only managed to finish the first three.)
If you met Rob Thomas, what would you say to him? (Assume that you have taken magical drugs that enable you to not be tongue-tied and you can completely speak your mind.)
I briefly met him and talked to him during season three, but if I could have a longer conversation, I’d really want to understand what his motives were for Logan and Veronica in that season. It seemed that the show always had Logan and Veronica together off screen so that the audience had no real reason to understand those later break-ups.
If you could talk to the writing staff, what question(s) would you have for them?
I’m always interested in some of the specifics of the room—are there any writers who cater to writing for certain characters? What characters do you like to write more than others? I think I’m just interested in their process more than anything else.
Which story of yours is your favorite, and why?
I’m really a fan of “The Black Hole” because I think it was a different sort of writing exercise for me. I also think I was really into the moment when I wrote it, and it shows. I can’t remember how long it took me to write, but I think it was a pretty quick write once I had the idea solidified in my head.
Are there any stories of yours that are (to your surprise) fan favorites?
Not really a surprise, but I love the reaction I had to Rational Thought. My Piz issues just got one big escape in that piece and everyone who read it had a similar reaction.
Do you (or did you at first) feel uncomfortable posting R or NC17 rated stories?
I think I was a bit apprehensive the first time (especially since it was my first fic in the fandom), but as I’ve written more and more of those fics, I’m more comfortable with the ways of writing it. I also love all of my betas who help me through the mechanics of writing it.
If you could start over and rewrite any of your stories (assume unlimited time and you would be paid for your efforts, because this is a fantasy), which story would you choose, and what changes would you make?
I’m not proud of Compulsion as it was written in the end, so I’d work there and really craft the narrative more than it is now. It’s not that it’s not beta-ed, but that it wasn’t really planned or structured beyond what is written. I think there was promise in the beginning and it floundered.
Do you write for any other fandoms?
I write here and there in a few other fandoms, but most of my work is in VM. Some of the other shows are harder to get a feel for, so much that I don’t know if I have the character voices down.
Do you write any original works, and if so, can we see any of them? Have you ever taken any writing classes? Have you ever published anything? Won any competitions?
I wrote a few pieces of original fic, which are at my writing community. I haven’t been one to take a writing course, but in high school I had an award-winning poem at the local county fair.
That piece, I wrote was in my junior year of high school, spring semester (so let’s call is March 2000.) We had to write an emulation of Langston Hughes’s “I Am”, and I went all out—confused kid to the max. My teacher ate most of it up, and had me submit it to the Fair. It went on to win the best poem for high schoolers, the best high school piece and Best in Show for all student work. I have three lovely ribbons, a paper weight to show for it.
What other VM author influenced you the most? Do you have a favorite VM story (by another author)?
I spent most of my time reading things from Loveathons and Fic From Mars when I was reading, so I guess any of those authors. I really love dark_roast’s ( dark_roast) style. I think mutiousmuse and truemyth (TrueMyth) each have some amazing pieces, too. What’s great about being part of fandom is learning how much else you have in common with authors you love. I’m still friends with Musey and Truemyth after I met them at Comic Con in 2006.
Overall, I think my favorite story is Finite Erasure (TW), which puts me in the camp of loving angst. I worked with Trixx (Trixx) as she wrote it and I think I fell for the story she was telling and how much it hurt along the way.
What fanfic do you wish you’d had the idea for and written yourself?
If I had a mind for her particular brand of crazy, I’d have love to have written One True Pair, because the creativity and perspective amaze me.
Who are your favorite traditional authors? Do you have a favorite book or series?
I love Oscar Wilde’s wit; I love Fitzgerald’s use of flawed characters. When I was in college I became a huge fan of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Sadly I’m not a huge book fan, though I do love words and compelling stories. Persuasion is one of my favorite stories, along with The Alchemist. I found myself more easily distracted by television as a kid and when I do get a book, I tend to read some fluffy chick-lit.
To which character in VM do you feel you are the most similar, or what situation in VM reminds you of your own life?
Even though I don’t write her enough, I feel like I’m a slightly less tech-savvy version of Mac. I wasn’t one to have boyfriends in high school, and I think that just influences my outlook now.
Share a fun memory with us, something related to fandom.
This moment at an event in San Diego where my friends and I spent a good five minutes trying to remember the Eleanor Roosevelt quote from Logan’s voicemail.
Or the time I had Jason write a message to my journal without him really knowing where it was going.
Dog person, cat person, neither or both?
Cat person! My cat Auric loves everyone he meets, and wants to keep me from my computer when I leave it open in his presence. He really loves to sit on my keyboard when I’m not around.
What was the happiest day in your life (that you can share with us)?
December 12, 2000—the day I got into college. I’m pretty lame most of the time.
The apocalypse is on us. You’ve got five minutes to gather your stuff before you flee (assume that your loved ones are already safe). What do you take?
This is going to be pretty typical, but my laptop, and external hard drives, so I’m not without my pictures. Maybe a few of my autographs and old-school photos too.
What don’t we know about you, that we should know?
I’m not nearly as interesting as I sound on the internet. ;)
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing
Do you consider yourself a stickler for grammar, or do you prefer a more casual approach? Specifically, serial comma: for or against?
I’m weirdly a stickler for grammar when I’m not the one writing. I’m usually for the serial comma, which I blame on years of it being grilled into my head from school.
What grammar issue do you constantly have to struggle with?
Spelling—I’m horrible at it most of the time.
Do you have any writing reference books you can’t live without?
I have a few copies of writing guides tucked away in my garage, but I don’t regularly look at them when I’m writing.
Are you a plotter or a “pantser”? (Do you outline your stories or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?)
It really depends on the story. I have some basic idea of a fic when I start to write it, but there are times when I only know that general outline and other times when I have a better plan.
There’s one story that’s been buried on my computer that’s plotted more than anything else I write. There are notes on how each chapter should work, but I only did that because it was a true multi-chapter fic.
My other fics that have turned into WIPs are not as plotted as they should be.
What’s your favorite point-of-view to write?
I love third-person more than anything else. It gives you the flexibility to talk about more than one person in the context of the story.
What type of writing is your favorite to write (dialogue, plot, action, interior monologue, description, sex scene, etc.)? Your least favorite?
Dialogue—no questions. I love banter as much as anyone else.
My least favorite—probably sex scenes. They’re awkward to figure out, positions, how clinical but not too clinical.
Do you listen to music while you write? Do you listen to different music depending on what you’re writing?
I do, unless I’m watching TV. My music doesn’t change depending on what I write, though maybe it should. My poor iTunes has been known to be demonic when I read fic, though it doesn’t do that as often when I’m writing.
What inspires you to write?
I like motivational moments that can drive a point home—so I tend to write shorter pieces that are about emotions instead of plot driven.
What blocks you from writing?
Lack of time. The inability to express what I’m looking for.
Specifically for Afrocurl!
What surprised you the most about Jason Dohring in person (that you can share with us)?
He’s a genuinely sweet person who adores his fans and what they do for him. I’d never had too many experiences with actors before I met him and he set the stage for being kind to fans.
How is he like Logan? How is he not like Logan? Did he do anything that freaked you out after watching him on TV so much?
I think he has Logan’s physical ticks—hair rakes and the like.
He’s not as precise with language as Logan. In person he’s sort of like any other California guy I’ve met.
Which story of yours would it appall you the most to find out that Jason had read?
The Weevil and Logan story. I think he’d blush and be shocked at the subject more than anything.
Which of your celebrity encounters thrilled you to death, but the rest of world could care less?
The girl who loves politics was thrilled by meeting Justice Scalia at my college. Though I’m sure I’m the only one who can appreciate it now.
We know you do a lot for charities. Do you have anything coming up that we should know about, that you’d like us to support?
Since Sweet Charity has ended, I haven’t done much work for charity recently. I’ve been a little too busy with the rest of life to help out with the Queensland floods and the like.
Working at a high school teaching either Government or US History, maybe AP if that’s an option.
Your life seems to be going through a lot of changes right now. How do you see yourself ten years from now?...family, job, hobbies, etc., anything you want to share with us.
I’d love to have a stable job, with friends and family nearby for support. I can’t hope for much else than that right now.
Find Afrocurl’s work // AO3 // LJ
reposted from vmfictitious // originally published on Mar. 20th, 2011
