#mdganswers

7. Favorite author.

I have a big, ole’ writing crush on Stephen King. Honestly, I talk about him too much (see below). He’s also hilarious on twitter. But also JK. Rowling because, in addition to being a captivating writer who has been incredibly influential on children and adults everywhere, she is an incredible person and I admire her greatly for everything she has done. 

23.  Single or multi POV, and why?

Oh, great question. For the most part, single. Most of my work follows a single character and their interactions with others, so it’s generally told from that person’s POV. But when necessary, I do switch. June is told entirely from June’s POV, Motville is told mainly from Juliet’s point of view but her brother Tristan does get two scenes when he’s in a different area. Why? I’m not sure. I think it’s easier for me, personally, to keep track of one person’s feelings and reactions and thoughts in their head and tell the story that way than to keep switching. I have thought of pulling a page from George R. R. Martin, though, and devote different chapters to different characters but I haven’t found the story for that yet. 

43.  Are you an avid reader?

Absolutely! Some authors feel very, very strongly about fanfiction and in a negative way. Authors such as Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Orson Scott Card all consider it illegal and some have even threatened legal action in the past (I do believe Card has since changed his position). This is due to the fact that some consider it a form of copyright infringement since their characters and settings are their creation and are under their copyright. Some authors specifically feel that it infringes upon their livelihood and their ability to make a living from their writing.

Not all authors feel this way. Some actively encourage it, some welcome and feel flattered by it, but for some authors, it simply makes them uncomfortable, especially if they find that fanfiction based on their works head out of the PG territory. J.K. Rowling has specifically said that she feels flattered that people love her characters that much, but has requested that fanfiction based on her characters remain innocent and PG because the Harry Potter books are ultimately children’s books. 

Some authors feel very “meh” about fanfiction and don’t really care one way or another. Neil Gaiman has gone on record saying that he doesn’t really care if people use his characters for fanfiction so long as they aren’t using them for commercial gain, which is a stance that many authors hold. Here’s a link to Neil’s official tumblr which has a collection of his opinions on it. He has said, “I do understand that there are grey areas, and I think of fan fiction as existing in them. I know authors who love fan fiction based on their stuff. I know authors who have formally attempted to stamp it out. I’m just sort of [shrug] about it.”

Many authors recognize that fanfiction is just fanfiction and that most people use it for their own enjoyment because they truly love the characters and want to see more of them. Lots of authors realize that there isn’t any stopping it, so they welcome it, since writing fanfiction can be a very healthy writing exercise. However, it’s important to recognize that many authors do not feel comfortable with it and have requested that A) it does not happen and B) that they are specifically not sent fanfiction by their fans. 

As Neil Gaiman says, it’s very much a grey area and I think it’s important to recognize that different authors feel very differently about it. If you’re interested in learning more about the positions of some of your favorite authors, I have a few resources I can send your way. 

“This, too, was Death.”