Itās actually shameful how long it took me to get around to this. @savvylark tagged me half an eon ago to answer several Everlark related questions, so here we go.
1. Ā Ā What inspired you to start writing Everlark fanfiction?
After blazing through reading the entire trilogy in a matter of days way back in 2012, I couldnāt let the stories go and needed more. I started with your traditional āgrowing back togetherā fics that filled in the hole between the Peeta planting the primroses, āReal,ā and the epilogue. That led me to @promptsinpanem and I thought, āHey, I could do this too!ā And promptly chickened out, lol. Took me two years of reading, expanding my horizons into canon divergent and AU stories, lurking, and secretly writing my own fics before I worked up the courage to post something. Basically, nothing out of the ordinary.
2. Ā Ā How did you choose your handle name (tumblr, ao3, ff)?
Ugh. I should dig the post out of my archive, but thereās about six and a half years worth of posts and I canāt remember the last time I reblogged it, lol. Anyways! This is actually my second name, first one was not fandom related and based off a line in a song I was low key obsessed with at the time, and I wasnāt too thrilled with it. Then someone was asked the question āIf Katniss and Peeta had tumblrs, what would they blog about?ā and the answer was sheer brilliance, so I wish I could find it again to share with you! Alas, not tonight. Their answer contained the phrase āAnd Katniss never follows back.ā I about died laughing and eventually decided to change my name to katnissdoesnotfollowback. I just got lucky it was available on all three sites and literally nobody knew who I was yet. ;)
3. Ā Ā Any other THG pairings you ship?
I do love me some Odesta, but my ship that I will sail into the sunset even if they never meet in canon, I donāt care you canāt talk me out of it, is Madge and Johanna. Also @savvylark, I saw you put them in your answer to this question. ;) Iāll bring more of you aboard or sink trying!
4. Ā Ā Ā Favorite character to write?
Katniss usually comes easiest for me. I feel like I struggle with Peetaās brand of witty and it often comes out cheesy. Johanna is always a blast, and Iāll be honest, I like writing Prim as an adult because thereās just so many directions to take her. But Iāve sort of started to fall in love with writing Peetaās brothers... does it show?
5. Ā Ā Weird habits while writing?
Does playing songs on repeat and sort of dancing while writing to their rhythm count? Maybe itās my post-it covered walls... Also gummy bears.
6. Ā Ā Any advice for other Everlark writers?
This fandom has been around long enough that a lot of things have already been written. Weāve about covered every trope imaginable. And guess what? People. Are. Still. Reading. It. So donāt be too concerned with originality. Just give it your own spin and itāll be original enough. This group is mostly very welcoming and open to new writers, to new fan created content. āHoly shit! Two cakes!ā (whereās that comic when I need it????) is kind of the mentality here. There arenāt as many of them around anymore, but events like the @everlarkficexchange or @thgseasonofhope are really good platforms for either launching for fanfic career or gaining new readership. Recognition for your work may take time, but someone out there will read it. Most importantly...do you love it? Then write it.
7. Favorite thing about our fandom?
Iām borrowing @savvylarkās answer for this one. āThe overall message that we need āthe dandelion in the springā seems to be deeply ingrained in the fandom. It seems many have been dealt a poor hand, the odds werenāt in our favor and life was very hard at one point or another, yet that message of hope, that resilience seems to be in every person in the fandom, some of the most talented writers have amazing stories themselves. THAT is inspiring and beautiful!!ā
Iām so late to this game that I have no idea whoās been tagged and who hasnāt. So please ignore if youāve already played. @deinde-prandium, @notanislander, @drivebyanon. If you do decide to play, be sure to tag it with #everlarkauthor. <3
