Better Know An Author (#28): ilovetoread09
Today, on our final day of Better Know An Author (brief break, it’ll come back) we get to know the delightful ilovetoread09.Â
FanFiction Name: Ilovetoread09
Twitter or other:Â ilovetoread09 (tumblr)
Why did you pick the name(s) you are using?  I couldn’t really think up anything original and I was dying to post something I had written, so I picked ilovetoread09. The 09 is there because I started writing on ff.net in 2009. But at the time, it was horribly misspelled. (I was fifteen, okay? Don’t judge me. :P)
Place of birth: New York, New York
Where do you live now? Long Island, New York.
Anything you want to share about your life or family: I’m pretty close with my family, especially with my mom. Considering what we’ve been through together, it’s not surprising.
Job: I work as a cashier at a craft store. Oh, and I’m a college student.
What do you like to do in your spare time, besides writing? I like reading (go figure) and just doing activities at school, whatever it is that’s going on.
How did you become a fan of Castle? I was channel surfing and happened to come upon it. It was the episode with the mummy curse. I was hooked! Unfortunately, I didn’t go back an watch season 1 until much later, which lead to much confusion during Sucker Punch and Knockdown. hehe
Favorite episode(s): Ugh so many, but here are some 1. The Blue Butterfly. 2. Cops&Robbers. 3. Cuffed. 4. Knockdown 5. Veritas 6 The Lives of Others.
How did you discover fan fiction? A long long time ago in galaxy far away…okay maybe not that long ago. It was probably around 2004/2005ish. I play Nancy Drew computer games and one of the things the company’s site message board has is writing alternate endings for the games. I wrote a couple, but they were awful! I haven’t written for the site in years though.
When did you start writing? see above.
Have you written anything for other fandoms? I wrote for Nancy Drew fandom. Also, Twilight on ff.net, which I deleted long ago. I do have a couple of Scorpion one-shots sitting on my laptop, but I probably won’t ever finish them.
Favorite place to write? On my couch or bed. Sometimes with music playing.
Do you have a particular writing process? Not really, no. I do outline a fic/chapter in my head or pieces of it and then just fill in the  blanks.
How do you come up with your story ideas? It’s random. I might hear a song, or have an inkling in my head of an idea and then write it out, even if i think it’s going to be a disaster. But no real firm thing for me.
Which is your favorite story that you’ve written and why? The Price of Protection hands down. It shows how far I’ve come as a writer (I hope). Also, it’s just so much fun to write! I kind of created a different world, but with Castle elements in it. (No pun intended ;)).
What have you learned or improved on in your writing? A lot. However, description mainly. I’m a lot more into dialogue, but I’ve learned to utilize description more than I did.
What resources, if any, do you find helpful when writing? Episodes and google. Google is my best friend.
Is there something you wished you’d known when you first started? Hmm. Probably that there will be critics? I have no issue accepting constructive criticism, but I came from a fandom that never said anything was bad, no matter how horrible it actually was. So, yeah, there will be people who critique your work. Which isn’t really surprising since ff.net is accessed by millions of people.
How long does it take you to write a typical chapter? It depends. Even if I did create my own world, it can take me a while to do a chapter since I’m researching to get some things about medieval times correct for PoP. But it can take me 45 minutes to three months (oops).
Which of your fics has been the most popular? Just based on feedback, Price of Protection. However, I don’t obsess over stats usually, so I would just base it on if readers are happy with it.
Which of your fics are you most proud of, and why? Price Protection. See above for reason.
Last story you wrote, or current if publishing? The Parting Glass, which is a one-shot. it’s based on an old Irish tune that I adore and I totally recommend people listen to it.
Who are some of your favorite authors in fanfic? I have too many to name.
Top 5 favorite stories, other than your own? Same answer as above.
Any stories that you feel deserve more attention? hmm, I thought about not answering this, but I’ll bite. A Tale of Two Spies by AfroSamurai98. It’s intense and great if you’re looking for a different type of story.
Advice to new authors or people thinking about writing? Just do it. Don’t worry about stats, popularity, reviews and all that. Write because you want to. If it makes people happy, then that’s an added bonus.
Something you think will surprise most people about you? I’m not that social in real life. Okay, I just did orientation for the freshmen, but still. I’m pretty quiet, both voluntary and involuntary. (I have a husky voice, which I have gotten several different descriptions of from sexy to sounding like I smoke a pack a day. Which is ironic because reasons). I’m more of an observer.
Anything else you’d like people to know? I’m open to people talking to me,even if I don’t know you that well. Seriously, if you ever need to rant my inboxes on tumblr and ff.net are always open.
Finally, please name a few authors you’d nominate to be interviewed.  hmm. I have a few…
msmorg
darkhours
Polly Lynn
ipreferwestside
weightofmywords
InkyCoffee
drdit92 (whistles innocently)
End of interview
Thank you, ilovetoread09! And thank you to everyone who’s been reading.  I’m taking a break from publishing these, due to the new season starting TOMORROW (whoo!), but Better Know An Author will be back!  The next interview will be with dappledshadows, followed by kimmiesjoy.  Look for them at the next program break!
