#jilyinterview

1. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don’t know how interesting this is (she says, getting that quick qualifier out of the way, because that’s otherwise how she’d answer legitimately every question), but I don’t plan out my fics in any sort of concrete form. When I first start writing, I typically have the beginning of an idea or trope or scene, and then things kind of blossom from there. The more I write, the clearer the direction of the fic becomes, and I keep all my notes for potential plot lines/pieces of dialogue/questions and answers in a chaotic pile at the end of the doc. I envy people who can plot things out clearly and concisely from the beginning, but I love discovering where things will go right along with readers!

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your stories?

Honestly, it surprised the hell out of me—and still surprises me daily—that people want to read my stories. That’s not some attempt to fish for compliments or to fake modesty or something, so I hope it doesn’t come off that way! There’s just so much talent in the Harry Potter fandom generally, and in the Jily fandom specifically, that I genuinely thought I might end up with a few readers if I was lucky. To see the same people pop up with commentary with each update, and then to watch those people follow me from fic to fic, still astounds me every day.

3. Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Get out of your own head! It’s easier said than done, I know, but I put off writing Voyeur for the longest time because I was embarrassed to write something that started off, literally, with such a crazy bang. I ended up waiting until I was too exhausted from insomnia to let doubt creep into my mind, and then I sat down and wrote the entire first chapter. After that, things flowed so much easier, and now? I can’t remember the last time I wrote something that embarrassed me. It’s super freeing. Also, never delete anything! I’ve had to take away entire chapters of content before due to plotlines moving in a different direction. (This is my own fault and comes from a lack of planning for sure, but I haven’t learned my lesson!) I have a doc for each fic called “outtakes,” and I migrate everything there. I’ve been able to recycle sentences or paragraphs or even full scenes before, and it keeps me from feeling like I “wasted” time writing something I didn’t use (although no writing is ever wasted!).

4. What do you think makes a good story?

That’s hard! There are about 3,000 possible ways I could answer this, but I’ll go with something basic: tension is key, as is a satisfying resolution to the tension. The latter is what keeps me up at night.

5. What is the first book that made you cry?

I have a very vivid memory of crying around the age of 8 or 9 because I realized that the characters in The Babysitter’s Club weren’t real and I would never meet them, so I’m going with that. I know a lot of people are like, “I was so upset when I didn’t get my Hogwarts letter at 11,” but I’d already had my own what-is-fiction-and-what-is-reality crisis, so I never went through that.

6. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It depends on the type of writing! Academic writing? That shit is exhausting. Fiction writing? I can’t get enough of it, and it energizes me more than almost anything else.

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block? If so, what are your tips to overcome it?

Reader’s block is a new one for me! It’s a term I’ve never heard before. Honestly, I have a hard time reading when I’m also writing, and I’m nearly always writing, so maybe I have a certain amount of chronic reader’s block? For me, it’s difficult to read Jily when I’m also writing Jily, because I’m constantly worried that I’ll end up absorbing someone else’s ideas or end up comparing my work to theirs in a demotivating way. What I’ve found works for me is reading non-Jily fics, and published work as well, when I get that hankering to read but don’t want to interrupt the flow of my own thoughts.

8. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

I think so! I write about a lot of emotions I’ve never personally felt and a lot of situations I’ve never been in. To me, writing is definitely about emotion, but imagination plays an even stronger role.

9. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

You’re way stronger than you think, and you need to give yourself more credit for it. I’m still working on this, tbh.

10. What was your hardest scene to write?

Nothing really comes to mind. Writing a lot of Eighteen Again was difficult personally, because the fic deals with the theme of loss throughout, and I wrote it in part to cope with my own losses. In one way, that made it an easy fic to write, but it’s also been a difficult fic to write in for that very reason.

11. What is your favorite childhood book?

I read legitimately everything I could get my hands on. Prisoner of Azkaban was probably my most-read book, because I reread it over and over again while waiting for Goblet of Fire, to the point that I could basically quote whole sections of it. We’re talking over 20 times. I was a fiend. But I also really enjoyed The Babysitter’s Club (obviously, because WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY AREN’T REAL PEOPLE), The Chronicles of Narnia, and anything by Roald Dahl.

12. How long on average does it take you to write a one shot or a chapter of a fic?

Obviously it depends on the length, but I can bang out a shitty first draft in a day or two if I’m feeling especially motivated or inspired. The editing process takes longer, because I like to give it at least a couple hard edits (for content, continuity, etc. ) and then at least a couple soft edits (for word choice, sentence structure, etc.) before I post, and I like to sit on those edits for at least 24 hours between each one, although the longer the better. Without that time in between each read, I tend to miss slippery things like typos, although I’m sure a few make it into each chapter.

13. A fic that inspires you?

The Bet by sleepinghookah / @smileyjily is my comfort fic, and the fic that inspired me to start writing my own after over a decade away from the fandom.

14. How do you edit your work?

I answered this a little above, but I’ll also add this: I highlight each sentence I change after each edit. It helps me look over those sentences in particular to make sure that the sleepy edits I do on my phone at 1 AM actually make sense, and that I don’t gloss over any repeated words / typos / whatever when I get into the flow of rereading the story again.

15. Where does inspiration come from?

…can I say insomnia? Besides that, other media, conversations with friends in and out of the fandom, and daydreaming has been where most of my ideas come from.

16. Who has been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?

Oh gosh, so many people! I’m reluctant to name names because I don’t want to miss anyone, but @tumbledfreckles was my first fanfic friend by a long shot, and she’s become an actual friend since. @relyingonoldships might just be me from another life, and you can blame/thank her encouragement for me foisting Bought upon the world, because I don’t think I would have posted it without her. She also makes me laugh out loud on the regular. @tiffanytoms can also share much of the blame/credit for Bought, since her Enemy Within sparked my interest in dark!James, and she’s another one of my fav people to talk to. @maraudersftw constantly lights up my life with positivity, and her fics are bomb. Besides being a phenomenally talented writer, @clare-with-no-i discourse makes me ~think~, y’all, and she’s hilarious. There are also like 15 other people who I owe responses to in DMs who have taken time out of their days just to offer kindness, and that’s on top of all the lovely people who share their thoughts in reviews and edits and playlists and reblogs and likes and other things. Honestly, a better question might be “who HASN’T been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?” The answer is always going to be “people who leave hateful reviews because what I write isn’t their cup of tea,” but it’s so few and far between that I really can’t complain. I love this corner of the internet.

17. What is your fav POV to write from?

I started out writing James exclusively, and so much so that I had a lot of anxiety about writing from Lily’s POV. Now that I’ve tackled her a bunch? I think I’m starting to enjoy writing from her more than James, although it’s tough! I think it depends on the scene and the fic, honestly.

18. What is a fic you would love to write but are worried you won’t be able to accomplish it/nervous it wouldn’t work out?

I have no chill, so if I have an idea, I write it. Of the fics I’ve published, I’ve been most nervous about how Voyeur and Bought would be received, but people have been overwhelmingly lovely with only a few flames here and there. I’m still sitting on my Sirius/Lily/James throuple fic, mainly because even just the idea received quite a bit of criticism in my ask box. It fostered a lot of anxiety on my part, although people have been excited about it too. Still, I’ve written it even if I haven’t worked up the nerve to publish it, mainly because I truly don’t have the chill to let an idea sit dormant in my brain.

19. Do you ever self insert in fics?

I tend to empathize with every character I can, and I’m sure there are bits of me in most of the characters I write, but I’ve never done it on purpose that I can recall.

20. What is the story you are proudest of?

Notes and Magic are my two current favs. Writing both of them just made me feel good, because they’re almost entirely fluff and pining and love and lust with very little drama or angst or sadness, so they’re the ones I reread the most.

21. Do you prefer writing canon jily or muggle au?

Canon, although canon divergent is my favorite place to frolic! I’ve never done a muggle AU, but @mppmaraudergirl muggle AUs are some of my absolute favs.

22. Did the new dark!James fic had any inspiration from James and Lily going undercover in Eighteen Again or did that plot bunny came from elsewhere?

Love this! Honestly, the connection between undercover!James and dark!James wasn’t one I consciously made when I first came up with the idea of Bought. I give credit to @tiffanytoms’ Enemy Within for the initial idea of dark!James, and then credit my academic reading and research on sex work for the rest of the plot, but I’m sure there was some cross-contamination in my brain between EA and Bought.

1. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Maybe it's that I perform all of my scenes to myself as I'm writing (also before and after) because it helps me to feel immersed and figure out how natural the dialogue sounds? I do the voices and all. I have different mannerisms for different people. It's a bizarre and tragic disaster.

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your stories?

That I actually can tackle serious subjects and write less-than-happy if I want to, and that I'm good for more than just comedy and witty banter, but also that it's okay for me to write exactly what I want and not what I think my readers want.

3. Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?

I always say this, but the best tip I can offer is to read your dialogue aloud to ensure it sounds like something that an actual human being would say. There's nothing more off-putting than stiff, stilted or unnatural dialogue, especially if you're writing a romance because relationship-building is one of the most (possibly the most) vital aspects of the story, and dialogue is a huge component of that. Also that a little bit of research into what you're writing (example, you're not from the UK but James and Lily are, or you're writing one of them into a job that you're not familiar with) can go a long way towards establishing your own sense of comfort within the world you're inventing, and in bringing your readers into that world.

4. What do you think makes a good story?

For me, and to put it simply, stories are about people, and a good story is a story with characters that I can get a strong sense of and feel invested in. Obviously there's a lot more that goes into a good story, but just sayin', I can forgive a lot of plot nonsense if the characters are holding my attention.

5. What is the first book that made you cry?

I read Little Women when I was too young to fully understand it, and I vaguely remember having a cry when Beth came down with scarlet fever, then spending several months living in fear of getting it and dying because I had no comprehension of the fact that medical science has advanced pretty significantly since the 1860s.

6. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Both in equal measure, depending on the day. Writing is fun, but it's still work, at the end of the day. After about sixteen years of doing this regularly I still haven't mastered giving myself permission to get up and walk away on the days that it does exhaust me, even though those are the days when I can only churn out about 100 words in three hours.

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block? If so, what are your tips to overcome it?

I feel like I've had reader's block for about a decade, although it's less of a "block" for me, more "being so busy with work and my house and my kid and my partner and various health issues and the never-ending drama of my family that something had to go to keep me from mental burnout and that something was reading." I really miss curling up on the sofa with a good book, but there always seems to be something more pressing to do, so it rarely occurs to me. If anyone else has tips to overcome it, send them my way by all means, I'd be very grateful.

8. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

I think that anyone can be a writer if they have the desire and the will for it. How strongly you feel emotions has very little to do with how effectively you can communicate your observations and ideas, in fact I think it would be pretty gatekeepy of me to suggest otherwise.

9. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Don't start so many new stories without finishing the ones you're already working on! You do not have limitless time!

10. What was your hardest scene to write?

It's difficult to pinpoint one, so I'll have to say all of chapter 3 of The Fight Before Christmas because I was about 5000 words into it when I decided to delete and rewrite the entire thing. That whole fic was so impossible to write that I'm still a bit amazed that I finished it in the first place.

11. What is your favorite childhood book?

Not a single book, but it's a dead tie between the Adrian Mole series and the Anne of Green Gables series, and honestly I think my love for both shows in my own writing.

12. How long on average does it take you to write a one shot or a chapter of a fic?

Anything between a couple of hours to several years, I am not a reliable updater. I'm on form maybe 15% of the time, so most of what you see me post is something that I rustled up very quickly after an exceptionally long dry spell.

13. A fic that inspires you?

The fact that you're asking me to name just one is cruel, so I'm naming two specific fics because both are examples of masterful storytelling. The first is @fetchalgernon ‘s The Art of Self Defence, which is an immensely complex story about forgiveness, family and what we owe to each other, but handled with Kristina's usual humour, and this uniquely beautiful brevity that I really adore about her writing. James starts that story in an unfavourable position that is entirely his fault, but he wins his way back into Lily's (and our) good favour by making genuine efforts to be a better person, which really speaks to Kristina's values, as well as her skill. The second fic is Elevator Love Song by @bcdaily which I was obviously going to name, not only because she wrote it as a gift for me but because it is a gorgeous self-contained story in which two people meet as strangers and end, mere hours later, so open to being honest and vulnerable with each other that they've already sidled into a healthy, communicative partnership, and at no point is it even a little bit hard to believe, nor is there ever a worry that their attachment to each other is based solely on physical attraction, because the relationship is so wonderfully established and developed.

14. How do you edit your work?

In the worst possible way, as I go, which hinders me greatly because I am compulsively going back and picking at what I've already written instead of writing anything new. I do not recommend it.

15. Where does inspiration come from?

The supermarket. I've had most of my best ideas in the supermarket. That's not me being facetious either, I genuinely have a lot of ideas while I'm strolling around there in search of avocados.

16. Who has been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?

Kristina ( @fetchalgernon ) was the first person I ever co-wrote fic with. We spent hundreds of hours practicing dialogue and aiming to make each other laugh, back in the day, and I look back on those times with so much fondness and warmth, because not only was it utterly essential in my own development as a writer, it was a whole lot of fun to improve my skills with one of my all-time favourite people. I started writing with my beloved @bcdaily years later and of course she is phenomenal and I was an admirer of hers for a literal decade before we became besties and I thrive under her influence, but she also empowered me to advocate for myself when faced with anons and reviewers that are entitled or unkind. Aside from that, my readers in general are so lovely and enthusiastic and generous, and some of the feedback I've gotten from certain readers who have turned to my fic during low points in their own lives have given me such a sense of purpose and accomplishment. This fandom is such a cosy, comforting part of my life, even though I don't have as much time to give to it as I did ten years ago.

17. What is your fav POV to write from?

James when they're teenagers, Lily if I'm writing them as adults.

18. What is a fic you would love to write but are worried you won’t be able to accomplish it/nervous it wouldn’t work out?

I have an idea for a soulmate AU (SO not my thing, I know) that involves parallel universes and certain amounts of tragedy, and in my head it plays out as a beautiful, romantic story, but it's also incredibly sad at points, so I don't think I'd actually have the will to carry it out because I don't like writing sad for too long.

19. Do you ever self insert in fics?

I post a lot of little tributes to friends in my fics, and I definitely draw inspiration from people I've known in my real life for the more unsavoury characters like Helena Hodge, or Lily's crappy co-worker Ed in An October of Unconventional Courtships, but I don't self-insert. I find that pretty weird. Every writer leaves a bit of themselves in their writing because it's impossible not to, for example, I'm pretty sure that some people who have read all of my fics could give you an accurate rundown of what my values are, but I've never inserted myself as a character. There are clearly defined differences between all of my characters and me.

20. What is the story you are proudest of?

I can't pick one! They're my babies! I'm proud of An October of Unconventional Courtships because I actually managed to write that beast in under a month and managed to talk a lot about unhealthy family dynamics in a way that resonated with people even though it's just a text fic. I'm proud of Careless Texter because, for me, it made me feel like I had properly returned to the fandom after a hiatus of idk how many years. I'm proud of Shelf Awareness because it was tough to write in places but I stuck with it and finished it, proud of Wherefore Art Thou because it's my favourite… honestly I could name a few others but I'll stop for the sake of my own ego.

21. Do you prefer writing canon jily or muggle au?

AU by miles. Hogwarts is super antiquated (even by 1970s standards) and canon is restrictive, even when I'm trying to write something completely mundane, like gifts, for example. Whenever I had to write something that involved a character getting a gift, I'd struggle for ages to think of something that wasn't Honeydukes chocolate, or whatever. Plus, that whole "devastating war that killed them far too young" thing really doesn't jibe with this light, happy, comedic world I'm trying to cultivate over here.

1. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don't know that I'd necessarily call them quirks, but I think I am highly fixated on alliterative phrases, and it is tremendously difficult for me not to open a story or chapter with a pithy one-liner. They are my happy place. Oh! Actually, maybe a real quirk is also that I absolutely can not write un-chronologically. It always leads to disaster when I try. I write so based on the feeling and pace of what came before that if I try to jump the gun and skip scenes, I inevitably mess myself up. It can be really frustrating when I'm stuck on one bit and would rather jump ahead, but it never works for me. Sigh.

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That I'm funny. I know this seems IMPOSSIBLE to some because literally all I write is funny & kissing, but I am not funny in real life. Or, at least, not quick funny. Give me a good ten minutes (or a week) and I can whip you up a pithy lol, but just in moment by moment? No. I am so underwhelming. I'm so sorry. But writing taught me that I am funny...just at my own pace.

3. Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Read incessantly. Reading is the best tool available to you other than writing itself. When you read, you soak up so much--on a fundamentals level, you soak up vocabulary and grammar, but when you're consistently reading the types of books you want to be writing, you're also helping build your larger toolbox. You learn what characters appeal to you. What dynamics. What kind of pacing and plot works. The tropes you like. The conflicts you don't. There's so much to take in during the intrinsic research of reading. And it's fun. So do it.

4. What do you think makes a good story?

Anything that makes you feel something. Or see something in a new way. Storytelling is so complex, and "good" is so relative. I would probably say what makes a good story is whatever you enjoyed writing, though that seems trite. But as a writer, that's true. It's good if you enjoyed it.

5. What is the first book that made you cry?

I honestly had to think about this because I don't know?? Strangely, the first book that came to mind was that Molly American Girl book, where at the end she had to stay home from her victory pageant but then her dad came back from war...but I don't know that I actually cried at that?? Maybe I just remember it vividly as something heartwarming that maybe I ought to have cried at if I wasn't eight. But if not that, probably The Giver, which I read in 7th grade. That seems late, but then again, I am almost never reading a book that will make me cry. I am a light and jovial gal.

6. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Both? I think the two go hand in hand. Writing is work. But if we didn't enjoy it, we wouldn't keep doing it. So I think everyone would say both.

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block? If so, what are your tips to overcome it?

Reader's block? No. Writer's block? Yes. And really the only thing you can do in my opinion is give yourself enough space from your writing to quit being in your head about it--however long that might take--and then launch back on that horse. Even if you're only writing a sentence a day, that's still something. But you have to be able to find the joy again, and you can't force yourself into that.

8. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

Well, I don't know exactly what "feel emotions strongly" even means, because all of that is so arbitrary. I'm sure most people feel certain things more keenly or prominently than others. But I also think writing isn't just about emotion. It's about observation. It's about relaying the way you see the world, a character, a moment. And you don't need to feel anything strongly yourself for you to describe something in a way that can make other people feel. That's the magic thing about words. They can do a million different things for a million different people, and not a single one of those is wrong.

9. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

My quite young self? Absolutely nothing. Preteen Bee wrote like a demon and thought she was a genius. It didn't matter if she sucked. She didn't know what that meant, and bless her. Teenage+ Bee? Chill the fuck out, gurl. It literally doesn't matter. Write what you want.

10. What was your hardest scene to write?

It's difficult to pinpoint one. I think maybe that ending scene in the most recent chapter of Commentarius? Mostly because it was something I had living in my head for literal years, and then suddenly I was writing it...and it was so much smaller of an exchange than I thought it would be? In my head it always seemed liked such a LONG row, a lot of back and forth, but actually trying to write it out, that just couldn't be the reality. Because people can't fight for that long without going in circles or deviating wildly, and going in circles or deviating in fiction is dead space. So that took me awhile to really accept and quit trying to fit my square peg in the round hole.

11. What is your favorite childhood book?

Ella Enchanted. It's still one of my favorite books of all time.

12. How long on average does it take you to write a one shot or a chapter of a fic?

It depends? I am a slow writer in general, and some of my chapters and oneshots are quite long. They have taken at times literal years. But I am also the sort of person that if I start a shorter drabble or oneshot and I don't finish it either that day or in a matter of a few days? Then there's an 80% chance I don't finish it at all. I have approximately 9 million documents of 500 word things I've started and never picked up again. It's my way. So I'm basically a woman of extremes: it either takes me hours or years. XD

13. A fic that inspires you?

I don't think anyone will be surprised if I pick one of Sarah's ( @ghostofbambifanfiction )...and maybe I'll go with Shelf Awareness on that. It's just such a lovely fic and it's so dynamic and the trope is so strong and Sarah's writing is next to none. I've also always always loved Buried Treasure and Transmogrify by RiennaHawkes. It's the perfect mix of plot and smut and just brilliant characterization.

14. How do you edit your work?

I edit as I go. Basically every time I open a doc, I'm skimming back a certain percentage and editing through before I start writing anything new. Generally, once I finish something, I only read it over once or twice before posting because I've already edited so much as I went. If there's a larger problem with the story or chapter, I generally catch it before I get to the end (usually because I can't get to the end without fixing it. It will trip me up).

15. Where does inspiration come from?

Everywhere? Anywhere? The space between and the tears we cry?

16. Who has been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?

I've always said that the reason I have stayed in this fandom for decades (!!!???!!!) is because of the people. The community as a whole is just so lovely and supportive and sticks with you even when you don't update the things they want (lol sry). There have been dozens of people throughout the years that have helped me and been my friend and kept writing and fandom fresh. And there have been hundreds more who have never even spoken to me, but still read my stuff and lurk around, and that's amazing too. So, all of them. Also, you know, Sarah. Who is my light and love and everyone knows it, so she has to get her special call-out otherwise everyone would just call me a liar and they'd be right. ;)

17. What is your fav POV to write from?

Close third person, for sure. I've done first, and it has its moments, but I just find close third so much steadier and still really gives you a look inside the character's head. If you're asking me to choose between Lily or James's POV, though...I literally couldn't. It just depends on my day, honestly

18. What is a fic you would love to write but are worried you won’t be able to accomplish it/nervous it wouldn’t work out?

How long do you have??? There have been a MILLION over the years. I still have a half dozen in my head brewing at any given moment. I guess maybe the longest lasting one would be that I've always looooved delving into this idea of James growing up and what pushes him there and how that plays out with the people around him. And for a long time, I really wanted to write a chaptered fic about James trying to give up being Head Boy. Because he just didn't trust himself with it. And the dynamic of how other people see him vs. how he sees himself and him properly growing into a leader who would join a war effort at eighteen. But I could never make myself launch into yet another WIP, so I ended up sort of squeezing the concept out in a one-shot (Realising) because I wanted to do it in some way, but I do regret a bit never properly tackling it. I think that would have been a really cool story to delve into James as a character. But time is my enemy.

19. Do you ever self insert in fics?

No. I honestly rarely pull anything from people I know in real life, myself included. At most I'll drop in pop culture references to things I enjoy, but that's basically it.

20. What is the story you are proudest of?

I'm proudest of different stories for different things. Commentarius is my baby, and I can never not love it and what it's become to so many. Scenes from a Hogsmeade Pub is special. Elevator Love Song was my first Muggle AU that launched a thousand ships. Eight Days is such a fun world. Auror Training is really really fun smut. And so many more. Truly. I am a proud mama.

21. Do you prefer writing canon jily or muggle au?

Lately? Muggle AU. Just because it lets me flex my muscles more. And I like that. But canon will always hold a place in my heart.

22. How do you go about planning a fic and which of your ocs is your favorite and why

I hate outlines with every fiber of my being, so I don't do outlines. When I have a fic idea, my planning process is usually to have a beginning, certain middle points, and generally an end point, and then to let myself roam free as I write to connect those and fill in the gaps. Sometimes it's a hot mess that way, but I feel instantly claustrophobic if I set things down too firmly. Because then I feel beholden to the things written down, and half the fun of writing is coming up with the freshest ideas as you go.

My favorite OC is MJ Rosier from Commentarius. If you know, you know.

1. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’d say that writing out the endings/later chapters before the earlier ones of my multi-chapters, probably. Except for New Age Romancing, I have the endings and a bit of the last few chapters written for my WIPs. I also have a 24-page document that is just pieces of future Bond and Free chapters that, if it were to somehow ever ~leak to the public~ (she says, thinking she’s a celebrity) would ruin SO many important moments for the characters and the plot LOL.

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your stories?

I think learning that I have really concrete ideas about how my characters act was really surprising to me - it was also the part I was the most scared about when endeavoring to write a canon fic. I worried a lot that my James would be flimsy or that my Lily would have inconsistencies in her outlook, but the more I thought about it and the more I put down on paper, the more solidified their personalities became. I think that’s partially because I spent so much time writing one-shots before ever doing a longform story; I was able to flesh out different parts of the characters in different settings, and really focus on pieces of their personality almost one-by-one. I think it really helped me grow as a writer, because when I finally put (figurative) pen down to paper for Bond and Free, I knew how I wanted these characters to come across, and I felt extremely acquainted with them.

3. Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?

I think my main one--which has been pretty consistent since I started writing--is to read a lot. I felt really insecure about my fics when I started, because I would look at all of this wall-of-text I had laid out and compare it to, for example, The Life and Times, which 1) is a masterpiece that I should not have been comparing myself to and 2) is really centered around quick, snappy dialogue and not a crazy amount of description. Then I spent a good amount of time reading and trying to understand how different books worked in their descriptions: are there big blocks of text? Do actions happen in between dialogue? That kind of thing. There has been nothing so helpful for me to figure out my own style as reading, reading, reading.

Otherwise, I’d say: just put something down on paper. Speak aloud to yourself and write down what you say as dialogue. Try to imagine how an emotion feels (grief, joy, love, etc) and really focus on how it sits in your body: where do you feel it? What does it feel like? And put that down in whatever words you can muster! It is ALL about practice. My early stories look nothing like my current WIPs - and that’s ok! It’s all about growth!

4. What do you think makes a good story?

I think being invested in the characters is the main thing for me. Without it, you have no desire to watch them grow, or to even tag along for their journeys. Even if they’re the antagonist, they have to be interesting at least. And especially for protagonists or romantic leads, you have to really, really want them together - or else there won’t be any payoff! And I know that we all already want Jily together, but writing fic is the best way to ask the question: why? What makes them so appealing as romantic leads?

5. What is the first book that made you cry?

Oh, man. I don’t know if I remember the first, but I do know that Deathly Hallows did, because it meant the whole series was over. I also remember crying at Esmerelda Santiago’s When I was Puerto Rican when it was assigned reading for me in eighth grade. I’m a sporadic book-crier, to be fair; I can never predict what’s going to set me off. Since then it’s been a slew of books, I’m sure.

6. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

A bit of both! When I’m inspired, it’s absolutely electrifying. I can do pretty much nothing but think about my next chance to write. Other times, when I’m stressed about a plotline or feel like I’ve put myself on a deadline, it can be really exhausting. Bond and Free is definitely a mix of both - I go through waxing and waning periods with it. But for the most part it’s exciting, because I feel so privileged to get to write my own canon for these characters, no matter how convoluted it may be.

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block? If so, what are your tips to overcome it?

Oh, a thousand percent. With both fic and books, honestly. When I got really into writing early this year, I had a lot of trouble reading other peoples’ fics because I would just constantly compare my stuff, or I worried I was accidentally going to steal a plot point or piece of character work. With books, it’s been hard for me to really focus on reading since I got to college - but I find that rereading a favorite book is really helpful to get me back into the headspace.

In terms of fic, I always go for something short and trope-y that will make me feel whatever emotion I’m craving at the time, and move from there!

8. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

I think the fact that we all feel emotions differently is a benefit, not a detriment! It contributes to your unique narrative voice. I absolutely think you can be a writer without feeling emotions ‘strongly’ - whatever that may mean. Take me for example: I’ve never been in a long-term relationship. I’ve only been in love once, fleetingly, and it did not go well HA. But I still write a ton of established relationship fluff, and I’ve devoted a lot of my time to, essentially, writing a long love story. I can’t relate to the feeling; but I can imagine how it might feel to me.

Or, if you’re someone who really feels disconnected from the emotions you want to write, read passages from books or other fics that describe that emotion! To put it bluntly: steal! (but not, like, actual sentences. Just vibes.) Figuring out how other writers do things and emulating them is nothing to be ashamed of.

9. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Maybe cool it on the em dashes and the long, run-on sentences.

Also, keep writing. Don’t disparage the process or yourself. Be kind about your writing, and for the love of god, stop comparing yourself to everyone.

10. What was your hardest scene to write?

I’m caught between a few.

Foreigner’s God is overall the most complex piece I’ve written, because it deals with so many moving parts: the modern love story, the flashback love story, the enemies-to-lovers element, the incorporation of canon, the sheer physicality of giving the main character audiovisual hallucinations triggered by touch. There were so many times when I just thought: alright, Clare, you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. Bow out now and write something less complicated. But the biggest one would have been the Halloween sequence, when they both realize everything. That was an absolute monster. It was nerve-wracking to try and write the payoff to nearly 15k of buildup.

The Great Hall sequence in Bond and Free chapter 3 was also really difficult. It was a huge undertaking for such an early chapter (fully aware of this, trust me) and I really needed to get into James’s head and try and see the world from his POV to write it in a way that felt emotionally honest for his character.

New Age Romancing never ceases to provide me with trip-ups and obstacles, but I think the entirety of chapter 5 was the most difficult. It was just…so convoluted. And it was the first time I wrote something that I knew readers wouldn’t like - plot-wise, at least - so I had an actual panic attack that night because I was worried no one would stick with the story. I was used to writing fluff pieces and one-shots where everything resolves immediately! And then all subsequent chapters have been tough because the story turned into a bit of a stressor for me in April. So it has multiple “hard scenes,” so to speak lol

11. What is your favorite childhood book?

Probably Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or The Mysterious Benedict Society. They’re both SO good.

12. How long on average does it take you to write a one shot or a chapter of a fic?

Oh, god. It really depends. I used to crank out multiple 3-5k one-shots almost daily when I first started writing, but I’ve since slowed way down. I tend to take my time a lot more with WIP chapters than I used to; so I’d say it could take anywhere from a few days to multiple weeks.

13. A fic that inspires you?

You want me to pick just one?!?! IMPOSSIBLE.

Well. I’d have to say “Bindings, Bindings” by quietlemonhush is such an inspirational fic for me. It’s an AU in which Jily (and Regulus Black) come back to life a few months after Halloween 1981. It’s Jily and Wolfstar and my god, it is just so well-written and so moving. I also adore the prose style SO much. I know people have said before that I write ‘poetically’ (and thank you to everyone who does), but that story...God. It just sings.

Also, and I think we all knew I was going to mention this, but “Come Together” by TheQuibblah. Suze is just such a technically skilled and beautiful writer. It’s one thing to have really great prose work (which she does), but it’s another entirely to understand so intrinsically the mechanics of storytelling that you build up a romance like she has for 50 chapters and still have your audience ridiculously invested. And I KNOW you’re all like “ok clare stop talking about suze you’re a broken record” but SORRY the fic is just too good

14. How do you edit your work?

By panicking, mostly

15. Where does inspiration come from?

Left, right, and center! It comes from everywhere. I get a lot of it from reading, but also just walking around and talking to people! Seeing clips on youtube or watching tv! It comes from everywhere. It bore repeating, so I said it twice.

16. Who has been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?

So many people!! SO many people. I must, of course, shout-out to Suze and Senem ( @thequibblah and @keepingupwithpotters ) because they are just…my babes. Suze and I bounce writing off of each other and it is just the biggest help and inspiration. But generally just readers and the discord! @emerqldv ‘s reviews of Bond and Free and dedication to it is just...what keeps that story going for me. @figg-anon ’s kindness is overwhelming. @sunshine-marauders ’s enthusiasm and bright energy is something I admire so much. And then I wouldn’t be nearly so involved in the fandom without @mppmaraudergirl , @maraudersftw ...the list goes on!

Any time someone comments or talks to me about writing is something that helps. I just love engaging with everyone - even if I’ve been limited in my ability to do it lately because of grad school.

17. What is your fav POV to write from?

Probably any one of my big 4: James, Lily, Sirius, Remus. But I also love Mary’s POV in Bond and Free?? God I just love them all so much for different reasons. But I think I relate the most to Lily, so I’d say her as a go-to. But this was a DIFFICULT and UNFAIR QUESTION hahahaha

18. What is a fic you would love to write but are worried you won’t be able to accomplish it/nervous it wouldn’t work out?

Hm. I’d say I just really want to make sure I finish Bond and Free and my other WIPs, but I don’t have anything on the table right now that I don’t think I could accomplish.

19. Do you ever self insert in fics?

HA! So, I don’t think anyone would be shocked to hear that Magdalena and Evangeline Abbott from Bond and Free started off that way, because my sister and I thought it would be fun to play around with the ever-elusive mythos that surrounds twins in the HP universe, but the more I got into their characters and wanted to engage them with the plot of the story, the less appealing it was as to project myself and my sister onto them. They’re their own people now, with their own craziness and flaws and attributes, and I love them dearly. My disaster twins <3

20. What is the story you are proudest of?

Probably either Bond and Free or foreigner’s god. BaF is a massive undertaking and I know it will take me a while to get through, but I’m so committed to fleshing out the canon in a way that feels authentic to me. And foreigner’s god made a bunch of people cry, which I weirdly wasn’t expecting? So that was an accomplishment, I suppose. LOL.

21. Do you prefer writing canon jily or muggle au?

I don’t really have a preference! When I first started, it was all canon, all the time - because that’s what I had been so sorely missing when I read HP again. But now it’s a hodge-podge of both! I think canon still has a special place in my heart, because I just really wish that we all got more time with these characters, but I do love a good AU because then I can see them live happily ever after and not, like...die.

Thank you so much for these questions!

1. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Don’t know about interesting, but I can’t write with zero distractions. I constantly need to be shifting tabs, listening to music, checking Tumblr, talking to friends, or reading bits of someone else’s fic if I want to get a good amount of writing done in one day. If you switch off my WiFi and give me a blank document, it’s unlikely that I’ll get a lot written in one go, simply because my brain tires of being forced into one world, one scene, one situation for too long.

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your stories?

Oh man, too many. I think the most gradual learning over the years has been that I can actually write, and be good at it, despite English not being my first language. Even more than that, I’ve learned that I can always improve. Right now, I’ve come to a point where I can say that writing is easily a skill I’m confident about.

In terms of particularly learning something from my stories, the most recent and surprising discovery has been that my penchant for describing details and movements and expressing emotions allows me to write pain and angst well. Before I realized this, I’d always considered myself to be better at writing fluff, which is why you’ll find most (if not all) of my initial fics to be more on the fluffier side.

3. Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?

This is not really a suggestion, but more of a truth: no one becomes amazing or perfect overnight. You have to keep writing over weeks and months and years to get where you want to. And even then, the growth never stops. The more you write, the better you’ll get. It’s really as simple as that. I’d suggest experimenting with different tropes, POVs, tenses and situations to really discover what works best for you. And the most important thing: don’t forget to have fun!

4. What do you think makes a good story?

Logic, consistency, and characterization. If any fic has all these three things, you know I’m sold on it. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than seeing pieces of a plot click into place, to see characters undergo development, but in a way that makes sense, that shows logical progression, that doesn’t make me go “what the hell?” when they do something. Good quality writing and fun dialogues are always a bonus, but if a story just mashes together a bunch of scenes without any of it leading anywhere, I’m likely to lose interest very quickly.

5. What is the first book that made you cry?

Not to be a total cliché, but The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

6. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It energizes me until it exhausts me, which is when I know I need to take a step back and breathe, do something else, and return to it once it no longer makes me want to pull my hair out. I try to keep reminding myself that this is supposed to be fun for me, too, and generally that helps.

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block? If so, what are your tips to overcome it?

Oh, loads of times. Best way to overcome reader’s block is to re-read a comfort book/fic. It allows you to return to a world you already know, a story you already love, and there’s no extra energy required to fall in love with the characters or the plot. At the same time, it allows you to reuse your reading muscles, so that by the time you’re done, you’re craving for more of that feeling!

8. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

This is an extremely subjective question. What might be “strong emotions” for one, may not necessarily be so for another. That being said, I think it is still possible to write things without empathizing with the character in your story. I’ve seen some really good authors write antagonist/villain POVs brilliantly, but I know for a fact that they don’t condone or feel those things themselves. It’s not always about experiencing those emotions yourself when you’re writing, but more about presenting a flow of thoughts and feelings that the character is likely to go through in their journey. Beyond that, I believe anyone who loves writing can become a writer. There are no rules!

9. If you could tell your younger writer self anything, what would it be?

“Keep doing what you’re doing, lovely. You’ll learn and grow so much!” and “maybe chill out on the cliffhangers a bit.”

10. What was your hardest scene to write?

I’m taking ‘hardest’ here to mean the one that made me the most nervous, and not the one that took me the longest to write because I was undergoing a writer’s block.

The answer would be Chapter 7 of Retribution, basically everything from the moment the action scenes begin. There was so much pressure (that I put on myself) to get that whole sequence of events right. I didn’t want it to feel messy even though things were happening too fast. And of course, there was also that massive reveal which had to be the right amount of dramatic to be satisfactory. So yeah, lots of nerves with that one.

11. What is your favorite childhood book?

Alice in Wonderland. I read that picture book like a million times.

12. How long on average does it take you to write a one shot or a chapter of a fic?

This really depends on the length/genre of what I’m writing. Like, a chapter of Retribution takes me ages to finish because it tends to be relatively lengthy and dark. But a chapter of, say, Disgraceful can be done much quicker because the words range around ~4K-5K in length, and the tone is much lighter there. But, I think once I get in the flow of writing something, it takes me five days or so to finish a chapter. Getting into that flow initially is the issue XD

13. A fic that inspires you?

How does one answer this question with just one fic? Asking for a friend. I think Boyfriend by Molly Raesly and Commentarius by bcdaily have been fics that have impacted me the most in that they pushed me to start writing myself.

But then there are fics like The Last Enemy by CH_Darling, Earthquake Drills by efk_girldetective, and Football, Calculus, and Cappuccinos by xMagicalMystery that I know I’ll remember forever for their brilliance.

14. How do you edit your work?

Mostly I edit as I write. I’m not a very fast writer; I take a lot of pauses, I let my mind wander a lot, I dive deeply into the emotions and images in my mind, and so I also form my sentences carefully. Of course, when I’m done with the chapter, I go back and read through it once more before posting (and still somehow miss out on fixing some typos), but most of the editing happens during the actual writing.

15. Where does inspiration come from?

God, literally anywhere? Movies and TV shows are fairly common, as are other books and fics. But most of them are pulled from my mind, sometimes with the help of prompts or ideas I see floating around in different platforms. And when I’m stuck while writing, I shift to other fics to refresh my mind, and then let inspiration guide me where it will.

16. Who has been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?

Very few people IRL know that I write, so I’ll talk about people in the fandom.

Obviously, my loveliest readers are the biggest motivators, without whom I wouldn’t want to keep writing as much as I do. But sometimes, you also need people to just rant to/bounce ideas off of/fangirl with. For me, I thankfully have a few of those: Nina (all-things-jily), Dylan (the-dream-team), and Lexi (shehatedhimnahshedidn’t) amongst others! I also bug Cer (cesays) a lot when I need to British-ify my fics.

17. What is your fav POV to write from?

Lily Lily Lily! I put a lot of my own thoughts, actions (and aspirations) into her when I write, so her voice comes the easiest to me. Also helps that I love thirsting after James through her.

18. What is a fic you would love to write but are worried you won’t be able to accomplish it/nervous it wouldn’t work out?

A canon-compliant multi-chapter. Apart from just the extremely unacceptable ending (which I’d definitely change if I ever got to writing this), I find the idea of writing an EpicTM very intimidating. I’ve seen and read so many versions of canon Jily that I’m afraid mine won’t be unique/new, or I’ll accidentally steal ideas from fics I’ve read before. I know there’s a LOT of planning I’ll have to do before I attempt to pull this off.

Another one is a Jily wedding fic, which just feels insanely difficult to do justice to.

19. Do you ever self insert in fics?

Not… a lot? I only self-insert in the sense that I often make Lily behave and think things in a way that quite resembles my own. So, there is a good amount of me in her, but I won’t say we’re exactly alike.

20. What is the story you are proudest of?

Retribution

21. Do you prefer writing canon jily or muggle au?

Muggle AUs for multichapters, Canon for one-shots. At least that’s been the preference so far. I don’t know if this needs an explanation, but it’s mostly because I have very strong feelings about canon (as discussed in q18). But since it’s a world that’s already established and needs very little background, it works perfectly for shorter stories.

22. What's your favourite line or paragraph from a story you've written and why?

I feel like I’ve quoted this over a hundred times already, but:

My hands shake as I lean forward to rest my palms on his knees. I don’t understand why I’ve done it until I feel the solid sturdiness push comfortingly against my skin. Even in my subconscious, I’m aware of this unsettling assessment: he is stability, I am disorder.

- Retribution, Chapter 3, Do You Know Me?

Beyond just the neat use of metaphors here, there is a lot that this comparison tells you about Lily’s relationship with James at this point (and for several more chapters) in the story. When she’s in such a vulnerable state, with barely any sense of who/what/why she is, her head literally scrambled into “disorder”, she leans on James more than just physically. She sees him as the stability that grounds her, keeps her from going insane. And I love that all of this comes across from this one panic attack scene.

1. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

All of my writing quirks are insane, not interesting, and one of the ones I hate (and love to mention) the most is that I am super, super neurotic about numbers and love keeping track of my timed sessions. I have been known to have Excel spreadsheets for my writing…

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your stories?

Hmm...probably the exact balance I strike between juggling things in my head vs. being super organised. I think when I came back to fic I thought I could handle a lot with minimal organisation, but I have proven myself very, very wrong.

3. Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Read. A lot! I know people dish out that advice a ton, but it can’t be understated — and read widely. Try to read published books as well as fanfiction. You’ll learn a lot about developing your own style by sampling the breadth that’s out there. And read about writing, not because everyone’s methods will work for you, but because it’s both interesting and helpful to see what other writers find helpful. Plenty of well-known authors have blog posts or even memoirs about writing, so go find what your faves say about their approach!Everything else, I think, is subjective. But these two are essential.

4. What do you think makes a good story?

For me personally, a good story is immersive. It sucks me into its world totally, and makes me feel along with the characters. It makes me not want to put it down — and when I do put it down, I feel like the world around me has changed with the experience I’ve had in reading.

5. What is the first book that made you cry?

Oh, geez. Charlotte’s Web for sure, ha, but I basically spent all my teen years crying into my pillow over young adult fiction, so there’s a long, long list after that.

6. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Energise, for the most part. I won’t lie and say i’ve never been stressed or tired even writing the most exciting parts of my fic, but by and large the experience of writing is cathartic.

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block? If so, what are your tips to overcome it?

Oh, often! I usually change format or genre when I'm bored of reading — or I watch something or listen to a podcast instead. Usually it’s just that I'm forcing myself to read something I'm not that excited by, or not in the right headspace for. So taking a step back is what helps best.

8. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

Honestly, I think anyone could be a writer. All it takes is reading, and practising expressing yourself — a.k.a., practising writing. It has less to do with actually feeling emotions yourself, and more to do with being able to imagine and express emotions. So, yeah, that might be easier if you feel things strongly, but it’s not a requirement. You could be the most repressed person in the world (LOL) and be a successful writer.

9. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Oooh — I think to stick to my guns and treasure every idea. In young-me’s defence, I do still have tons and tons of notes with discarded plots and concepts, but there’s no such thing as hearing that piece of advice too much. Being able to tap into creativity — and being able to come up with concepts that are uniquely you — is special!

10. What was your hardest scene to write?

Like, ever? I think, keeping things vague in the interest of avoiding spoilers, there’s always a lot riding on big relationship beats — fights, shippy moments, etc. — that stresses me out as much as it excites me, ha. And the fights tend to be the harder ones for me, because it’s hard to parse the emotion I feel the characters are feeling and sell it so that the reader can believe an argument would escalate the way it does. (I love writing arguments, though, so it’s totally a love-hate scenario!)

11. What is your favorite childhood book?

Ah, I have about nine million answers to this, but I’m going to pick a maybe lesser-known answer — I adore the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, and haven’t found anything that makes me feel the same way those books did.

12. How long on average does it take you to write a one shot or a chapter of a fic?

I’m a pretty fast drafter once I sit down to write, and I usually manage about 1000 words every 30 minutes, but it takes weeks of pre-planning to get there. Maybe it’s just that I'm a fast typist, lol.

13. A fic that inspires you?

Gosh, what fic doesn’t? I feel like if i answered this honestly i’d list out dozens, and Joy would be furious at me for exceeding the character limit or something. But I'll choose one at random — I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Burn Easy”by efk_girldetective since I first read it. Warning, it’s mature, but what I love about it is that it’s a Muggle AU that still manages to immerse me in the magic of its setting. I feel just as transported reading it as I would reading something set in Hogwarts — and I want all my fics to feel like they’re their own little universes!

14. How do you edit your work?

Bold of you to assume I “edit”... No, haha, seriously, I just reread my own writing a lot. Like… I can’t overstate how much. I tend not to do big-picture edits, because usually (with a multichap like Come Together at least) I’ve done enough planning before I draft that I don’t need to do massive restructuring once words are already on the page. So I just line-edit my way to posting, and miss plenty of typos in the process.

15. Where does inspiration come from?

Art of all kinds! I read and watch a lot of things that I cherry-pick fic ideas from, and of course music factors into my writing process so heavily, playlist-making is a step of its own.

16. Who has been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?

Well. WELL. I think it is a well-known fact that I would languish without the support and friendship of Clare ( @clare-with-no-i ) and Senem ( @keepingupwithpotters ). I worry that I’ll miss someone if I continue to name names, but there have been loads of people sprinting with me on Discord of late or just direct-messaging me on Tumblr and I appreciate all of them so, so much!

17. What is your fav POV to write from?

I said recently that while I find it easier to write from Lily’s POV, James is fun because he surprises me more!

18. What is a fic you would love to write but are worried you won’t be able to accomplish it/nervous it wouldn’t work out?

I’m not necessarily nervous it won’t work out...but I’m writing a loose Edwardian era AU with magic that is...basically a novel and I’m not entirely sure there’s a target audience for this...but there’s ME and I know I can’t wait to read it LOL.

19. Do you ever self insert in fics?

Well, I think there’s a little of me in pretty much every main character in my stories — it makes it easier to grapple with their emotions, their quirks, and their flaws when I have a direct reference point. And there are other characters who are, say, aggressive Jily shippers who exist in the background that I relate to for obvious reasons LOL. But I’ve never straight-up dropped myself into a story — though I could do it and find a way to make it hilarious, I think.

20. What is the story you are proudest of?

This is so hard because my answer changes so often! But I will give the easiest one here: Come Together has taken so much of my time and has been such a labour of love, and I sometimes forget how far I’ve come with it. And I’m really proud at having done that.

21. Do you prefer writing canon jily or muggle au?

I wouldn’t say Muggle AU, but I think I like canon vs. AU for different reasons — the former because the wartime pressure offers the kind of stakes you can’t really get in other universes, the latter because of the flexibility and range. Which I know is such a non-answer, but I do like both equally and I just switch between my WIPs when I get tired of one or the other, ha.

1. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I will save dialogue that I come up with, or prompts, or even just snippets of a scene in a Google doc if I don’t use it right away, and for it into another story later.

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Formatting is a bitch.

3. Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?

I always tell people to write what they want to read, always be open to constructive feedback, and just have FUN. If you want to write a fic about a stupid hufflepuff vegan cupcake than do it. You might think no one wants to read it, but you’re wrong. I promise. Someone out there is thinking about what you’re writing.

4. What do you think makes a good story?

A healthy dose of humor, angst, and love!

5. What is the first book that made you cry?

Tuck Everlasting, I think, but also coulda been Holes. Both of them are my childhood favs tho!

6. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It unfortunately fuels me. I’m writing this at 2am, after I just spent six straight hours writing Evermore. And I’m still not tired. I’m gonna end up crashing around 4am at this point. Thanks endorphins.

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block? If so, what are your tips to overcome it?

Is this suppose to be writers block? If so, I usually take a walk. If it’s readers block, I’m not sure what that entirely means but if I can’t read a book, I normally put it down haha

8. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

This is a hard question for me to answer. Technically anyone can write. I think it’s what you’re writing about…like I can write a 600 page novel about two idiots falling in love, but I could never write a 600 page novel about true crime. If you don’t feel a lot of the time it might be harder for you to grasp emotions and place them into characters BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CANT WRITE. You would literally just be writing as you personally see the world and interact with it.

9. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Don’t DELETE YOUR FICS BECAUSE YOU DEEMED THEM TOO SHITTY. One day you’re going to be 30 years old and still bitter that you don’t still have a copy of the fic where you made Lily go back in time and be a stand in for Queen Elizabeth because Voldemort was trying to kill the queen for the sorcerers stone. STILL BITTER.

10. What was your hardest scene to write?

Every scene of my Anastasia AU. Jk.There’s a death scene in Waterlogged that was really hard for me to write. I also HATE writing Fade. But I also love Fade? I have a very complicated relationship with her because she was supposed to only be a one shot.

11. What is your favorite childhood book?

It’s a three way tie between Holes, Tuck Everlasting, and Narnia

12. How long on average does it take you to write a one shot or a chapter of a fic?

I can typically knock out a one shot in an hour or two. A chapter can take me anywhere from five to six hours. A book or multi chapter Fic typically takes me about 8 months.

13. A fic that inspires you?

Ugh, hands down Wind and Waves. My first ever fanfic I ever read and reviews religiously. Will love that one until my dying day.

14. How do you edit your work?

LMAFO (I don’t)

15. Where does inspiration come from?

Little things here and there. The way a person stands in line at the grocery store carrying flowers and half off chocolates. Hearing conversations around me. Going out with my friends and laughing about everything and nothing. If I’m ever stuck writing, I just go do something, and normally that triggers some part of my writing brain to be like “what if James was wearing suspenders, but Lily couldn’t stay to snog the living daylights outta him because she got magically velcro’d to a fourth year?” And then I’m normally like “damn brain, I should pay you for this”

16. Who has been helpful for you as you write for the fandom?

SO MANY PEOPLE. @hiddenpolkadots was my first real friend back then! And she really gave me the confidence I needed! Levins gave me my first ever prompt! Melina was my constant cheerleader from day. And @gryffindormischief is my writing soulmate. I write my best when I write with her.

17. What is your fav POV to write from?

Lily!

18. What is a fic you would love to write but are worried you won’t be able to accomplish it/nervous it wouldn’t work out?

Not nervous it wouldn’t work out, but I know I don’t have time to write the entire Fade universe into being.

19. Do you ever self insert in fics?

Nope, I do love to insert you all into them though haha

20. What is the story you are proudest of?

I love Waterlogged as my own and I’m really excited for it to be published on Christmas Day. My favorite jily fic that I’ve ever written is fearlessly red!

21. Do you prefer writing canon jily or muggle au?

I LOVE BOTH but lean to muggle a lot

22. what is your creative process?

Me: *triggered by something/someone/movie/song/life event*

Me five seconds later: *types nonsensical notes into my Google docs before the idea leaves me completely*

Me later: *warps my frantic idea paragraphs into a solid outline*

Me even later: *fills in blanks, checks it over once, then posts it all over the Internet*

1. What would you say is your interesting drawing quirk?

I have an eye for proportion, even if sometimes when I spend hours on a sketch you’re going blind to its qualities or default

2. What was one of the most surprising things you learned from drawing?

That I can be very patient and very fussy

3. Do you have any suggestions to help #others become a better artist? If so, what are they?

There’s no secret tool to draw… it’s just practise, practises and a little of practise

4. What do you think makes a good artwork?

This is so much to each one appreciation… but I love to see a beautiful light

5. Does drawing energize or exhaust you?

It puts me in peace

6. How do you know when a work is finished?

Sometimes it’s easy because I achieved to draw what I had in head and sometimes I

know I’ll never be satisfied so I stop at some point to not lose more time on it.

7. Do you think someone could be an artist if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

Is there people who never feels any emotions strongly?

8. If you could tell your younger artist self anything, what would it be?

Be patient! Things come in time

9. What was your hardest art to draw?

I took a long but quality time to draw the art nouveau mermaids I drew for Instagram

10. Do you have a favourite artwork? If so, what is(are) they?

I love my Potter family

11. How long on average does it take you to draw something?

When I’m quick 3 hours, but I can sometimes spend 6 or 8 hours on a sketch

12. An art that inspires you?

In general? Eugène Delacroix or Sandro Botticeli

In fanart ? the classics @blvnk-art or @atalienart

13. What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?

To not spend too much time drawing! If I don’t pay attention I could forget to work or eat just for the love of James’ smile

14. Where do you get inspiration from for your artwork?

I feed my imagination with all the fantastic jily fic I read here and there and Pinterest of course for the image bank

15. Who has been helpful for you as you draw for the fandom?

There’s many! At first I’ll say @petalstofish who was the first to follow me and interacting with the messy new tumblrist I was.

@magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world and @blitheringmcgonagall who are always so supportive of my art and listen patiently all my struggles and doubts

16. Why art?

Because I know a little how to draw?

17. What do you like most about your work?

To fall in love with jily and the Marauders again and again

18. How did you start making art?

I’ve always drawn, sometimes a lot and sometimes I let it on the side. But it has become a sort of drug now… even if posting it is always a great stress and sometimes a big frustration.

19. What is the artwork you are proudest of?

I love my Sirius picture! It’s the first time I managed to draw a realistic portrait

20. What are your favourite fic(s) ?

Where Dwell the Brave at Heart by quwertybob . The best canon multi chapter I’ve read! It was really like coming back to Hogwarts.

Girl crush by @petalstofish

Scenes from a hogsmeade pub by @bcdaily