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electricshoebox · 2 months

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writer interview ✍️

Tagged by @junemermaid, thank you so much my friend!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

42 apparently!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

662,511 😳

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

All of these are Dorian/Iron Bull from Dragon Age: Inquisition.

How to Share a Bed Without Killing Each Other: a Love Story (5 chapters, Rated T)

Rivers in the Sand (Oneshot, Rated E)

a soft place to land (Oneshot, Rated E)

Always Good at Bad Ideas (Oneshot, Rated T)

Flashpoint (Oneshot, Rated E)

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Oh definitely I do! I know that it can be really difficult and intimidating to find the words to leave a comment and I just really want people to know how much they're appreciated. I also love getting to share thoughts and excitement and little behind the scenes things. It may take me a little time sometimes, but it's really important to me to respond.

I heard somewhere once that people think authors respond to artificially inflate their comment numbers. I don't know where that came from, or if there are authors out there that may do that, but I honestly don't even pay attention to that? I don't even really look at that number as a reader either. I just want commenters to know how much they've made my day!

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Man, I really had to think about this. I don't really have nearly any that are solely angst.

But I do have one that's left open-ended in a pretty angsty place. My Dragon Age 2 rarepair fic for Merrill/Orana, Counting the Cost. It's set right after the final confrontation with Merrill's clan, with Orana having to learn via that news that Merrill uses blood magic.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Honestly, most of my fics have "happy" endings, or at least hopeful ones. I just have a hard time not leaving things on a good note. It's hard to pick one that stands out more than others. I think, though, that The Eye of the Storm will have this honor once I finish it (if that's encouraging to anyone 😊).

7. Do you write crossovers?

Echoing June here, I've written a fusion fic before. I basically took the plot of the movie Inception and adapted it to a version of Dragon Age: Inquisition set in a future version of Thedas (In the Shadow of Dreams).

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I think I remember getting a weirdly critical comment once but I don't think I've ever gotten direct hate. I mostly write in quiet fandom corners these days, I'd be pretty surprised if someone bothered.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Oh definitely! I've written all kinds. I've written some centered on specific kinks (like waxplay in a soft place to land), and some that were hinted at in canon that I wanted to explore (like Flashpoint). But the majority of the time, it's really just a part of the larger story, a vehicle for character analysis or communication. In A Line in the Sand, for example, it was a major character turning point. Sex is just such an interesting way to explore a character or a relationship. It's a level of intimacy and vulnerability that can really reveal so much.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, but I have had some ideas taken in the past. Nothing I'd make a big deal about, and I don't always mind when things like that kind of blossom into fanon, but I do wish people would ask first. I don't always think it's intentional or conscious, though, so again, no reason to say anything.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Still blows me away someone wanted to. Both Wishing Stars and No Patron Saint of Silent Restraint (both Dorian/Bull) were translated to Mandarin.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. My writing process just isn't very conducive to collaboration. It's unpredictable and scattered as to when I get writing done and get motivation. I'm also extremely particular about how my writing sounds and fits together, and I think I would just have a lot of trouble trying to mesh that with another writer.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

That's such a hard question. I think it's always going to be whatever pair I'm currently writing for. I just have phases with ships where they're all-consuming for awhile, and then I finally sort of move on, even if they still have a special place in my heart.

That being said, Deacon/MacCready has meant so much to me because it's not only the first pair I finished a novel for, I'm now finishing the second one. This pair inspired me again after a long desert of writing despair, and it just brought so much good into my life. It's really hard to top that.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

There are two that come to mind. One was for Red Dead Redemption 2, a meditation on grief set in the epilogue, from Charles' perspective. I really had a lot of ideas for it and a lot of things I wanted to explore.

The other is Uprising. This was my retelling of Dragon Age 2 inspired by David Gaider's comment that Velanna was initially considered as Justice's vehicle instead of Anders. I wanted to re-imagine the story that way. So Velanna is the Justice character and Anders stays with the Grey Wardens. I just wanted to explore what could change, and what ways the story would have been different. I got through Act 1, but lost steam. It was also my first attempt at a novel-length fic, and I think it had potential.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think I do a pretty decent job of setting a scene. I see a lot of scenes in my head play out like they're movie scenes, so I try to describe them in kind, and make them fairly easy to visualize. I'm also really aware of a character's physicality. Like what they're doing with their hands, posture, where they're looking, how they're shifting their feet, etc. And I do feel like I have a good handle on character voice, or at least I work really hard to make the characters not just sound like but feel like themselves, and make decisions or take actions that still feel like things they would do in canon. I feel pretty confident in my character banter, too. I feel most at home writing dialogue where people are bantering and teasing and sniping at each other.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have so many crutch words and phrases. I have to make such a conscious effort not to use them over and over, and even then I'll go back later and find where I've used the same term or word back to back. I also struggle a lot with action scenes. Writing ALITS and TEOTS has done a lot to work that muscle and I think I've improved, but it's not at all second nature. Trying to make them interesting and tense while still making sense is a real challenge for me and it takes me a long time. And I don't feel very confident in creating my own characters. I like writing for established characters because all the interesting and cool bits are already there. Making my own original characters equally as exciting and unique and intriguing is so much harder for me.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Going to just quote June directly here: "it can be used to good effect but it's best used sparingly. I would generally always prefer that plot-relevant or important dialogue were simply, 'This is the murder weapon,' she said in French. Don't withhold information or emotional impact for the sake of showing off."

She said it perfectly. And I'll add that it's often very jarring and even pulls me out of the story a lot of the time, unless it's written by someone fluent. It's very difficult to pull it off naturally otherwise, and that is very obvious to your readers.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Technically, Sailor Moon, though I only shared it with my friends. The first things I put on the internet were for Lord of the Rings.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Hmm. It would be fun to write something for Baldur's Gate 3, but I'm not sure I can get past some of my mental blocks with fandom there. I would like to play around with Barbara/Lucy for Fallout 4.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

It's hard not to say A Line in the Sand. It's just very, very special to me for so many reasons. I've talked about it a lot so I won't go on, but yeah. It's hard to believe I'll have another experience with writing quite like that one.

Tagging (no pressure as always) — @bardic-inspo, @totally-not-deacon, @mercurymiscellany, @amanitajack, @just-another-wasteland-merc

#writing memes #writer interview #about me

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jrooc · 4 months

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Writer Interview

Tagged by @mybrainismelted and @creepkinginc 🥰

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

8 (1 is a collab)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

175K

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Actually I recently passed 1000 kudos on Ao3 which was a pretty exciting milestone.

1 - Drunk Text 2 - Prosthetic Love. 3 - Redemption Tale 4 - In My Veins Like Lightning 5 - Staring at the Sun

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! It takes me a couple of days 'cause I'm freaking out in excitement and therefore can't put together a coherent response that doesn't sound idiotic. I used to get so nervous about saying the right thing I sometimes wouldnt when I started writing but I soooo appreciate comments I try to respond.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Confessions But I'm a happy ending kinda lady usually 😉

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Staring at the Sun probably

7. Do you write crossovers?

I don't but love those who do. Special mention to @loftec's MIB/Gallavich collab

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No, but I've seen other people get it and it kills me. People have questioned my character's choices, and that's fair.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do! It's pretty vanilla but I'm trying to get better. Shoutout to those who write amazing smut (Looking at you @whatthebodygraspsnot)

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! I have a collab with the hilarious @mybrainismelted on Weed Dreams (Although it's mostly Kat hilarity with me assisting here and there). It's the funnest project I've done 'cause we're just being silly and having a good time.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Gallavich, all day.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Maybe some Weed Dreams chapters floating in my head

15. What are your writing strengths?

Ummm unclear. Some days I feel like I am great at dialogue. Some days I'm awful. I'd like to think I can convey emotion?

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

A lot of them. Explaining environments and what people are wearing without losing the story flow. (So much respect for writers like @ian-galagher can write that so well, it's very impressive!)

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

It's very cool. If you can make it work in a way that flows. If I spoke another language I'd definitely give it a shot.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Shameless

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Not sure!

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

In My Veins Like Lightning although its still a WIP. Just love these idiot bike boys! And the response to it has been so lovely. Also writing about Ian drooling over Mickey's thighs in Lycra is my happy brain rot.

Tagging anyone mentioned above! And @mmmichyyy @juliakayyy @notherenewjersey @ms-moonlight-inn @crestfallercanyon @ifallonblackdays @sgtmickeyslaughter @stocious @spoonfulstar @dancermk

#fanfic writers #tag game #writer interview #I'm a few days late lol

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renmackree · 6 months

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20 Questions for fic writers

I was tagged by the writing goddess @dear-massacre

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

23 works, one WIP (and another coming soon)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

563,018 - I took a hiatus for about 10 years and now coming back

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Only Teen Wolf right now, but previously - Harry Potter, Avengers/Marvel, Legend of Zelda, and back in the day a Battle Royale one

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I'm only going to use the fics from this year because my 2013 stuff is best left there.

part-time soulmate, full-time problem (Sterek, 27k. Explicit. Fake Relationships & Derek in a Kilt)

Behind the Screen (Sterek, 23k. Explicit. Derek is a CEO who watches Camboys. Stiles is that Camboy.)

Werewolves at Twilight (Sterek, 50k. Explicit. Twilight but Teen Wolf.)

The Itch (Sterek, 36k. Explicit. WIP. Stiles solves a murder mystery while being Dominated by someone online)

Full Moon (Sterek, 60k. Explicit. New Moon but Teen Wolf.)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to as much as possible, but I always just don't know how to respond because if you leave a comment on my fic, I run to show my husband and just giggle the whole day.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Honestly, way back, I wrote Under my Skin, and that one originally had an unhappy ending with an epilogue, but I changed it mid-way. The Itch is probably because it's a WIP I have no idea when I'll get to finish it.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Either Eclipse of the Dawn or Part-time soulmate.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yup 👍🏻

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

All sorts of smut, but Knotting non-ABO is my favorite.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Eclipse of the Dawn is a major crossover, but I have always liked to do Buffy/Teen Wolf in some capacity.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, oh absolutely yes. but it was like, back in the Fanfiction.net era of life

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I believe someone did, but once more fanfiction.net era

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I did a sister fic for someone, but co-writing fics haven't been on my radar. I would LOVE to, though, especially now that I'm getting into my art again.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Sterek's up there in the forever column so check that box

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I will finish my only WIP soon, I have feelings that it will take time, but it will be done. I don't post unless I'm committed.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told my banter and character dialogue make people laugh, so I think I am strong in that. Honestly, I write for myself, and if everyone likes it, I'm here for it!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Keeping things short. Also, I would say I'm a bit simplistic in my word choices so if y'all are looking for Purple prose with gratuitous romanticism, that's not me

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I write languages I know and languages I speak - I try to keep it contained to terms of endearment or spells in Latin. My next fic coming does have Icelandic in it, but I try to keep it to a minimum.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Chronicles of Narnia, but first published fandom was Harry Potter

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

I wrote them all to my tastes, but I think I'm really proud of the Moonlight Saga. It was three months of intense writing, and it proved that I could write over 180K in a summer while my life was falling apart. It means a lot to me that I had the gumption.

low pressure, not required, only if you're feeling it: @quackquackcey, @arver7, @leodabinchy, @handsofred

#ren liveblogs life #tumblr mutual games #writer interview #thank you for the tag!!!

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popentertainment-interviews · 2 months

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Tony McNamara

The Provocative Poor Things Starring Emma Stone has Racked up Multiple Award wins and Noms Due to a Great Script

by Brad Balfour

It may have taken a while, but director Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things ultimately rose to the Awards season challenge, winning several Golden Globes and garnering 11 Oscar nominations: Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Cinematography. In this fractured tale inspired by the Frankenstein creation story, actress/producer Emma Stone plays a re-animated Bella Baxter as a fully grown body woman with the brain of a rapidly maturing child.

Bella doesn't hold back as she discovers the joys of masturbation and, further on, energetic sex – which she calls "furious jumping" – with Mark Ruffalo's domineering, and equally unclothed, paramour. Then she explores the inner-workings of a Paris whorehouse engaging with many men in many ways – but on her terms.

The movie's sexual candor is only some of the trappings to this extraordinary story of a woman – though born of men – comes into her own. In exposing herself aesthetically and physically, the seemingly fearless Stone is one of the rare A-list actresses willing to risk such exposure for her art.

Poor Things is a no-holds-barred re-imagining of female empowerment displayed in a thoroughly fantastical environment of striking colors, costumes and landscapes. As a result, the movie is rated R for strong and pervasive sexual content, graphic nudity, disturbing material, gore and language.

Though the cinematic vision is Lanthimos, the essential story comes from veteran scriptwriter Tony McNamara, an Australian playwright, screenwriter, and television producer. Born in 1967, he worked on the script for The Favourite in 2018, the historical comedy-drama film directed by Lanthimos, also starring Stone. Originally a screenplay by Deborah Davis, written 20 years prior to the film's release, Lanthimos and McNamara worked together to refashion it into a final script resulting in it winning, or being nominated for, many various awards at the time.

McNamara also created The Great, a series revolving around the life of Catherine the Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, which premiered on Hulu in May 2020. It's based on his period play about Catherine, which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2008. McNamara also wrote a film adaptation of it as well.

This Q&A is based on an appearance by McNamara shortly before Poor Things began its run as an award nominee and cinematic phenomenon.

Talk about the process of adapting this from the book by Alasdair Gray. That Poor Things is very much written from the male perspective in terms of people discussing and describing their experiences with Bella. The film switched that into [a story] from a female view of the world. What did it take to adapt and shift the perspective?

The book is a big Scottish classic – it's wild and has hundreds of pages about Scottish nationalism which, you might notice, is not in the movie. Bella's story was told by the men like Duncan and Max; they all tell you what happened to her. You never get her experience of it. Yorgos read it and we both felt the same – she was the character he was interested in. That's an interesting story and it seemed like a great thing to do. The point of the novel was that the men controlled her narrative. While keeping that idea, I wanted to flip it so that film-wise, it was her story.

This is the first time that you've done an adaptation from a book. What were the unique aspects of doing that?

Yes, it was the first time. When I read it, I thought the first one should be the baby's brain in the woman's head [chuckles]. But Yorgos is amazing, and we had such a good time on The Favourite that the biggest thing was to work out what to tell from the book. We could just depart from the book because I adapted material from history and stuff. I'm always a bit like, "Well, a book, that's one thing and a movie is a whole other thing. How do we make a movie that has a relationship to the book but isn't really about the book."

That started with the Bella thing, which let me invent a lot because the men told her story [in the novel]. I could invent her story because we didn't really know... There was nothing there when she went to Portugal, we knew she went, but we didn't know what happened there. I was creating this sort of internal story when she went on her journey, Yorgos kept saying it was a fantasy. We're both Fellini fans so we thought it should be a big European style, old school stage movie.

How do I create a language that's going to be big enough for what he's going to do? I had to create this sort of dialogue that felt baroque but was also contemporary enough that you could feel it emotionally. That was my main thing. You've got to feel her journey.

You adapted from history before. What you do with language is take elements of period language, but then you really look at it from the perspective of a modern audience's lens into it. You created this unique amalgamation. So for this one, in particular, how did you find the way to make the language work in that regard?

I knew the scale of this story and also, I love language. Half the time, I'm not serving the audience, I'm serving myself [chuckles]. I think it's fun to create a particular language for a movie, which is why I was really drawn to doing this. Bella had a particular language, and it was a character where you had to evolve her language, which you never get to do. Usually the person just talks the way they talk. But with her, part of telling the story was changing the language throughout the narrative. So it's how to do that and make it fun.

It's interesting how her language changed, even [if it's] just with the grammar. It's the same way when you learn another language, you learn the present tense first. She's speaking specifically in the present tense in the beginning of the movie but that evolves. How did you find those different layers and textures of grammar and language for her?

It was like knowing where to start. We had this geographic journey, so I used the geography to change her language through each geographic point. She would change a little bit through it, and I knew where I wanted to start. She talked like my four-year-old. He was a real inspiration. He's very proud now. When Yorgos and I were developing it, we were having lunch one day and I was telling Yorgos about my son and I said, "He's kind of a sociopath and he's only four years old.” We were in a restaurant, and it was really loud. This baby was crying, and my son looked at me and went “punch that baby." I went to Yorgos, and he said that we should put that in! So when she's in the restaurant, she goes, "I'm just going to punch that baby." My son feels like he should get a credit now.

We should see if – in the DVD version – he's given credit. Bella changes so much throughout the script. You talked about thinking from different specifications. At the beginning, she started out pretty much a toddler and then we reached a point where this is when she's 16. When she's leaving home for the first time, she's like in her early '20s at first, then her mid '20s. How did you set about creating those different stages?

In my head it was just to create. Basically at its core. In a way, this is a coming-of-age story. It was as simple as that. It's like watching someone grow up and discover their sexuality and then their intellectual life and they come to terms with being mature and emotional. There's a point – on the boat – where she's so self-regarding and then realizes there's a world out there and she has to be part of it. I felt like there were certain points where… I think the contemporary thing for me was things like, "Oh, you go to college and discover books” and you're like "Oh books and ideas!" There were all these steps where you get a boyfriend and you think he's great and then you realize at some point, "Oh my God, he's the worst." There were simple things I was always thinking of but not to take it away from the bigness of it. I had to ask, what are the basics of it in terms of us, in terms of just a human experience?

That idea for Bella was to be like, "Oh, I've got a boyfriend but he's the worst." That's the arc of Duncan [Mark Ruffalo], where it's so great because he's such an audacious character. We understand that he's full of shit from the get-go. But she takes everything quite literally. So when he says, "I bedded over 100 women," she believes that to be true. What was it like writing the dynamic between those two characters with that in mind?

It was really fun to write because he is such a classic trope and yet I felt sorry for him because she doesn't have any of society's ideas which he owns. He has them all in his head and it's like a paradigm he lives through. She doesn't have any of that. So he can't even get the traction that he would normally get from a person. He sort of dissolves. I enjoyed writing it, but I didn't have as much fun as I did watching those two do it. They were so freakin' right.

How did you shape the tension that starts to fester in Duncan because the less that he succeeds with her, the more frustrated he becomes. He's also watching her with the idea of who he wants to be in a world with no care.

I think that was what the irony was. He sees himself as a free spirit and he's outside society like all the men who have their view of themselves. Everyone in the movie had a view of society that she doesn't ascribe to. Even when they try hard, she either resists it or is oblivious to it. It was constructing that, and some people understood that ... like Max [Ramy Youssef] who went on a sort of positive journey in that respect. Duncan just dissolved more and more because he didn't know what to do. I liked the idea of that.

It's great the way that you have other characters start to use elements of her language. Suddenly another character uses the phrase "serious jumping." How did you find those moments when you wanted other characters to step into her world like that?

She's such a powerful character as she goes through life and gathers agency, I think she's so charismatic because she doesn't [back down]. Beat to beat [it's] just a pure response that isn't shaded by anything. How she feels in that moment without judgment of herself, I think that's attractive. I felt like [with the] other characters, [it] starts to rub off on them a little bit.

What's the difference in writing a character who is so innately reactionary but in such a positive way?

I was talking to Emma about it. It's great for you as a person. I think she felt the same, playing Bella. I think for her and me, and I'm sure for Yorgos, writing that character and her playing that character, you're aware of how much you're shaped by everything. For her, playing a character who is just shaped by a really pure response, and we don't get that. I think that's why she's a character people can respond to because it's a bit of a wish fulfillment of like, "that would be good if you could just live life like that."

We get an opportunity to watch her learning in real time and developing her back story as a character. How did you set about making sure that you are always cognizant of what she has already learned in the space of a scene to make sure that it comes into play here?

I have a really strong process. I guess I've always thought about what she learns. Yorgos and I were very meticulous as it goes. We didn't do that many drafts. But what we did at the end is, we just went line by line over three or four days separately. There's always time between it and as there's a three-week rehearsal. Then we tweak that a little bit if we hear things that aren't quite right or Emma would say, "Oh, that word seems too sophisticated for her at that point." We're very meticulous about her verbal journey as well as Emma and Yorgos creating the physicality of that.

It sounds like with that process as well in the way that you talk about the film previously that you really aren't doing rewrites during production and that even during rehearsal, it's right mental.

It's joyful. I'd just hang out and drink coffee and watch them do their thing. No one sees the script for a long time. The first person to see the script was Emma. I think the producers didn't see it for years and then when they see it, he's ready to make it. I think his view of it is that we spent four years on this by making it because I think it's right. He is a very strong individual about how he feels artistically. He's like, "That's what we decided; it is what it is!" He never really made changes on The Favourite. He rang me once [to make a change] because they literally couldn't do something physically. Through the couple of films we worked together, he's never changed anything.

This was a project that Yorgos had been trying to make since before The Favourite. What was the chronology of when you two started working on the script?

He'd moved to London and started on The Favourite and knew he wasn't... He'd only made Dogtooth and Alps, so he was like, no one's going to give me the money to make The Favourite. It's going to cost a little bit because of the period. So he went off with his Greek co-writer, Efthimis Filippouand they wrote The Lobster so they could try and make something cheap. While he was doing it, he rang me and said he'd read this book [Poor Things]. Even when he was making The Lobster no one would give him any money to develop Poor Things. Everyone was saying, "We like you but we're not doing the baby brain!” Once he made The Lobster and there was some buzz, Film4 came in with some money and he was like, "Do you want to do it?" So we started it. We were in pre-production for The Favourite, and I started writing Poor Things.

Going back to Bella as well, one of the things that's so refreshing about her as a character is she's not necessarily carrying this internal dialogue. Everything that she thinks and feels throughout the movie is said out loud. How is that a totally different approach to writing a character for you?

When I write, I'm just asking myself, "Where is she coming from? What does she want and what's in her way?" I knew she didn't question herself much and that was the joy of her as a character because she wasn't super conflicted about anything. Except towards the end, when she has to confront her feelings for Godwin [Willem Dafoe], but even then, she has clarity in the two different feelings she has. I think that was why she was a really refreshing character to write. She manages to be very simple and very complex at the same time.

How did you find what you wanted to be the essence of the relationship between her and Godwin? It's such a fascinating dynamic. He's had the experience of her being an experiment and now he's kind of carrying it out with a lot of love and heart.

Yeah, I think for us it was one of the most interesting relationships we explored in a way because he was an experiment as well. In the book, he's not an experiment. I made that up so that we could understand him a bit better. His father made him an experiment, so it makes sense. He thinks everything is science and everything's an experiment. But deep down, he's a guy who wants someone to see him and not think he's ugly – someone to "get" him. He's someone that's never had that and he doesn't quite know how to deal with feelings.

That's why he rebels, but it's not in the book. There's the Margaret Qualley character where they just make another one [like Bella] but not quite. That was our idea of how we can show him go through a journey. I was like, "Oh, he makes another one." He'd go with his feelings; by the end of the movie, he realizes his feelings matter.

What was the difference that you wanted to show with Godwin and Margaret Qualley's character when that comes up? It's such a different experience for him.

I think because rather than replace [Bella], it was supposed to show the idiocy of what he did by trying to do that to himself. Then he understood it wasn't the experiment he loved, but it was her.

With the narrative up to where Bella goes back to her ex-husband to learn to visit her old life and learn about that. Initially the idea was that it was sort of a kidnapping, and it was against her will. But then you realize that it was important for it to be her choice to go there. How did that change for you?

Yeah, I think we've done it. We've done a couple of years, and we were having lunch, and everyone really liked the script at that point. We had long periods of silence. That's our process. We just sit there not talking for long periods. We all thought there was something wrong with the third act, so I said I'll go think of something and then I'll text Yorgos. What if she chooses it because she's choosing everything else? So why wouldn't she? She's fearless and that broke it open for us because the other way – when she was kidnapped, and then there was a shooting and that's how it ended – he was kind of like, I think they shot him or something and he died. It didn't feel totally right because it wasn't weird enough for the rest of it. So we brought in Christopher Abbott's character. I was always nervous about that because it's hard to bring in a character in two hours and have them hold their own in a big crazy movie like this. But Chris was terrific [as a bad guy].

How did you deal with the sexuality of the whole film? Decisions you made and didn't make, where it would and wouldn't be?

It was always part of that coming-of-age thing. She's at a certain age and starts to discover it. A man comes into her life and she's like, "What adventure do I want to go on?" For me, it was all like, every beat wasn't so much a sex scene. It was the evolution of the character and of the general story. How it's shot and how it's managed was really Yorgos and Emma working together. For us, it was always going to be a movie that was like those '70s European films where it's very... Emma Stone was very unapologetic. It made no sense for it not to be very unapologetic. Yorgos was really devoted to that '70s European aesthetic.

The way you write with layers of comedy which stem from a place of truthfulness. There's so much comedy and attention that's created from Bella's perspective in the world. The way that she refuses to be tied down to other people's ideas of her – how did you write that in a way that feels so grounded – and then find the layers of comedy that can stem from that?

I always go for whatever's real, I think I read that someone famous once said, "To make it real, make it funny." I always try to go from the emotional place of what they want, so I never just go for the joke.

Yorgos and I love comedy, but I think it's all built from the ground up and it's built into the structure – it's a satire. She's a fish out of water. Here's the basics. They're all trying to control her and can't, the poor things. They're idiots. There's a certain element of comedy that I built into the whole structure. I love funny dialogue.

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#Tony McNamara #2024 #Writer Interview #Poor Things #oscar nominee #Brad Balfour #Youtube

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writeblrcafe · 11 months

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Digital Interview with @peoplecallitpoetry

Lucifer orders a tea and sits down in the corner of Writeblrcafé. They write poetry and poetic prose. Their genres include fantasy and nonfiction. We start chatting about their writing.

What got you into writing?

I liked to write poems as a kid, but school ruined that for me. then I flopped into a community of artist over on tapas and it kinda rekindled my love for writing.

What inspires you to write?

I really don't know. Things that I saw, random thoughts that I had, writing prompts.

Which are recurring themes in your writing?

Incoherent introspection, sometimes fantasy.

How would you describe your writing style?

Dependent on my mood, mostly free verse but not exclusively.

How do you deal with writer's block?

Do twenty squats or something of the sort, and maybe write a haiku. Haikus are short and considering their rules they get me into the right head spaces for the future. They also get me over that itch to write when I'm not able to. And a small workout just feels great.

Do you have a wip? Tell us about it:

Lucifer declined to answer this.

Have you already published your writing? Include a link to your published work so we can share it.

One of my poems got published in a small magazine: https://wildlitmag.wordpress.com/cant-go-mad-twice-by-nikola-druzeta/ and I have an E-book: https://poetrycorner.creator-spring.com/listing/things-i-think-and-do?product=1227

You can tell us more interesting stuff about you here:

I graduated from university last year with a degree in IT. I have a black belt in Judo. I live on a farm, and I love folk metal.

Get interviewed by Writeblr Café!

Any writer can participate. Just fill in this form by clicking on the link below. Maybe we will host interviews in an audio format if you are more interested in listening to an interview than reading it.

#wc.interview #digital interview #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writer interview

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depressedstressedlemonzest · 2 years

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Fanfic Writer Interview

I was tagged by the lovely @suzy-queued @imikhailotakeyouian @energievie

I haven't had a chance til now to do it but I'm here for it!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 124

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 1,038,187

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Oh shit I just saw that these hit over 400 and I wanna cry!

Cuts and Confessions with 415 kudos

The Marks We Share Upon Our Skin with 409 kudos

Knight In A Shining Youber with 400 kudos

Mark My Skin I'm Falling In with 385 kudos

Still Magical with 345 kudos

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! When people comment on my work, it makes me so very happy, and validated that there are other people that enjoy what I write. Makes me feel like I'm not just shouting into the void, and especially when someone leaves me a long comment about like how the fic made them feel, or what they noticed I took from the media the fic is based on, or even how it helped them with something, I've genuinely cried at a few comments. Even if someone takes the time to just leave an emoji or a keysmash I want to acknowledge that they took the time to read and comment.

There's only been one or two comments that I haven't replied to and it's because they were mean and rude as fuck. I didn't want to waste the energy with that user so I just deleted the comments.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm, it's a toss up. Generally I write happy endings because angst makes me sad. I've done several dealing with depression and mental illness and they are kinda angsty, but the ones that I've written that made me physically ache were Blackbird and Time to Yank The Skeletons Out

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Happiest ending... that ones hard too because the majority have happy endings. I wanna say Soulmate Shellgame it gave me the giddy feelings when I finished writing it.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I write more AUs than crossovers, I can't think of any.

Heaven's Light Hell's Fire it's a Good Omens/Hunchback of Notre Dame with a dash of GoT crossover with the settings of HoND and characters of Good Omens.

Aziraphale is an apprentice/deacon and has been transferred from Tadfield to Notre Dame in Paris. Crowley lives in the bell tower, hidden away from the world. A skin disease called greyscale has turned his skin thick grey and black and scale-like. He is the bellringer for the cathedral.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yup, all the hate I've gotten on fics were the same troll that was also doing the same to other writers. After I found that out I just started deleting them.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes.

The smutty kind.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a full fledged fic, I'll drabble back and forth with @witchboywitchboywitchboy and @flamingbluepanda sometimes.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Gallavich with Shameless, hands down. They have just been through EVERYTHING together and always weather the storm. Finding one another again and again after they're forced apart again and again. They're dedicated and crazy about one another, and ten years together they still have a fire that can't be dampened down. I want to say that's the first ship I've seen/watched enough that show a looooong stretch with one another and they learn and grow together on being better people as individuals and as a couple.

Aziracrow with Good Omens is what got me into writing and reading fanfic as well as what got me on tumblr, so they always have a spot in my hear too.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

UGH there's one I just left in my Good Omens stint once I started watching Shameless.

Heaven's Light Hell's Fire it's a Good Omens/Hunchback of Notre Dame crossover (AH I knew I had written one!)

I think about it all the time and I do have an ending for it, I just haven't gotten off the Gallavich train long enough to write it out. I want to do a filler chapter with like the bare bones of "xyz happens so you aren't left wondering what happens, but also I haven't written it yet"

I want to go back to it, but don't know if I will.

There's also Big Top Beloveds which I don't have an ending for, it was just an idea that wouldn't get the fuck out of my head. I might pick it up again sometime, but for now it was just getting it out.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I have endless ideas on what to write, My Gallavich fic note has... a shitton of bullets and blurbs. Same for my Eddie Munson/Stranger Things note.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I tend to write several short sentences ending in periods instead of continuing it with a comma. It drives me nuts.

I also feel like my words are diluted in how I want them to come across. I want the reader to have this

going on in their minds when they read what I write. But I feel like I come off more of

Like I'm only partially there with what I want to convay.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I'm always afraid I'm going to fuck something up. I usually go to google translate, but I also happen to be friends with a kick ass linguist so I ask @witchboywitchboywitchboy for help too.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Good Omens

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

I've been toying with the idea of writing a Steddie or JArgyle or even Jopper fic, but I'm on the fence on all of them. Not dedicated enough to them to write for them.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

For Good Omens I still get really fond feelings over The Sweetest Thing in Life is Love it was really fun writing and researching the baked goods.

For Gallavich I wanna say Mark My Skin I'm Falling In or Can We Skip To The Good Stuff both have more real life being put into it than the others and it makes the writing of those parts super fun.

I taaaaaaaag

@witchboywitchboywitchboy @doodlevich @dodgerbear84 @howlinchickhowl @celestialmickey @heyheyusedtobemynickname @heymrspatel and @sickness-health-all-that-shit

#writer interview #fics #gallavich #aziracrow #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #good omens #shameless #gallavich fanfic #stranger things #ian gallagher loves mickey milkovich #mickey milkovich loves ian gallagher

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authoraesthetic · 1 year

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A little bit of Space with Ruth Fox

Today I spoke with the award-winning author of several published books and more upcoming, Ruth Fox, all about her upcoming books, space, and the sci-fi genre! Ruth writes sci-fi and fantasy books mainly for younger readers and received a Bachelor of Arts/Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing and Editing. She currently lives with her husband, two cats, and three very adventurous sons (who also…

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#author #author interview #authors #fantasy #interview #interviews #sci fi #space #writer #writer interview #writers #writing #ya #young adult

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gosiksmallspace · 1 year

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fic writer interview

name/nicknames: GoSik, Go, G

fandoms: A LOT. I’m writing for two: The Merciless (my heart) and D.P.

But some fandoms I’m in and like to talk about: KinnPorsche, Beyond Evil, The Devil Judge, Money Heist Korea, Alice in the Borderland, One Piece, Gintama, some Tokusatsu series, The A-Team (the tv series), Star Trek, James Bond Movies, BatFamily and more (that’s all I remember now).

two shots?: yeah, not yet. I have soooo many plans to add an extra chapter to something I already posted but it had never come to it 😅

most popular multi-chapter fic: Waiting For Love. It’s my only posted multi-chapter fic.

But I’m working on the other one. It’s the longest thing I wrote for now and I hope I will finish it in 2023.

actual worst part of writing: Not being able to clone myself to write. Finding time. Joining words into sentences. Time once again. Finishing started ideas. AND TITLES.

how you choose your titles: it’s honestly the worst part for me. Even worse than finishing fic. Usually, it’s something I will randomly think about, song lyrics or friend suggestions. But it never just comes easily and I hate to do it the most.

do you outline?: mostly yes, it helps me to finish the fic. If it’s longer than 1K is necessary. It’s mostly some points I think are important and I want to write but I still change them during writing.

ideas you probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice?: When I have an idea I try to follow it but there are some things I’m not feeling too confident to write about (yet). Mostly smut stuff, like threesome or bdsm. And abo au. Maybe one day.

callouts @ me: “you could write more if you didn't watch so much youtube and netflix, you know?”

best writing traits: overall in fics I like funny dialogues and when characters feel like in the source material. I have no idea if my works have it. That should be asked to people who read my stuff 😅

spicy tangential opinion: If you tag it as ‘slow burn’, make it longer than 5K words.

Tagging (no pressure): @daxianme @bobafvcks @yardmargs @godotismissingx @fridayvelvet @igonecrazy @stanaclown @katierosefun @raelle-writing

#tag game #game #tag #fic writer interview #writer interview #fanfic #fanfiction

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onepageofmisery · 15 days

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Author Interview - CJ Embers

Hey ink demons. I am proud to present the first author interview on the One Page of Misery site! Here, I talk with independent fantasy author CJ Embers about her latest book, Insurgent, which is a sequel to Emergent and also part of a shared urban fantasy universe. CJ Embers Auctor Trevel: Can you tell the readers who you are? CJ Embers: I’m CJ Embers, a Canadian fantasy author. I reside in…

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#Auctor Trevel #author interview #CJ Embers #Desolation #Dragons&039; Myth #Emergent #fantasy #independent author #independent writer #indie author #indie writer #Insurgent #interview #One Page of Misery #The Ascension Trial #writer interview

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acronymking4tdp · 2 months

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Of Possible Interest to Writers...

I had a two hour drive today, and turned on Public Radio to help pass the time. I caught the last several minutes of this interview with romance writers Ali Hazelwood, Beverly Jenkins and Jasmine Guillory, and was entertained enough to want to share it. (Full disclosure, I haven't gone back to listen to the part that I missed ... yet.) The clip is only about 10 minutes long.

#here and now #Writers #romance writers #writer interview

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csbtv · 10 months

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youtube

#youtube #podcasts #csbtv #writer interview

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emptinesstomelodyao3 · 1 year

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It's always

"When will fanfic writers update their stories?"

And never

"Does this fanfic writer have adequate enrichment to engage in writing behaviours?"

Fanfiction writers (Scriptor fictus) are intelligent animals who need plenty of enrichment as well as encouragement! If they're stuck in poor conditions (e.g. have studies, work, have to actually write to have something written) then they require the proper enrichment to engage in more healthy behaviours, like writing. Remember, due to poor breeding and socialisation, over half of all fanfic writers suffer from low self confidence and executive dysfunction so take care of them!

Give your fanfic writers proper care. Fanfiction writers are a life long commitment.

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bookschharming · 1 year

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#authors #writers #book bloggers #book blogging #author interview #writer interview

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popentertainment-interviews · 5 months

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Phil Traill, Kevin Kopelow & Heath Seifert

Serve Up 90s Nostalgia With Good Burger 2

By Kayla Marra

The 90s were a time of iconic fashion trends, formative moments in pop culture history, unforgettable music, and timeless sitcoms. One of the most memorable films to stem from this era is Good Burger – starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. Though the movie was released nearly 27 years ago, it is still a cultural phenomenon.

Director Phil Traill, alongside writers Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, joined forces again in 2023 to bring back everyone’s favorite fast-food coworkers in an all-new feature film: Good Burger 2. The sequel includes an incredible cast, comprised of Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Kamaia Fairburn, Alex R. Hibbert, Fabrizio Guido, Elizabeth Hinkler, Emily Hinkler, Anabel Graetz, Josh Server, Lori Beth Denberg, and Carmen Electra.

We were lucky enough to chat with Phil Traill, Kevin Kopelow, Heath Seifert in a virtual press conference about the newly released sequel.

On the inspiration behind reviving the iconic 90s story as a sequel 26 years later:

Heath Seifert: Good Burger is a project that is near and dear to our hearts. We did the original 27 years ago, and we worked with Kenan and Kel starting All That 30 years ago. That’s when we did the first sketches. We’ve always been thinking Good Burger. It’s always at the front of our brains. When the time was right, we had a story that felt really relevant to tell now about technology and evil corporations trying to exploit workers. It felt like the right time to tell that tale, and everybody involved with the original film looks back on it fondly and wanting to do it again and wanting to do it right. So, it was really just a matter of getting everybody’s schedules to line up.

Phil Traill: (laughs)I just wanted some money!

Heath Seifert: Other people did it for the money. It’s a paycheck.

On handling the continuity and coherence of a film’s narrative years after its initial release:

Kevin Kopelow: We had written a lot of “Good Burger” sketches on All That, so we always had this voice down. Then we rebooted it, did the sketches again and it was just natural. It’s always in our heads, we’re always thinking Good Burger bits and, “Oh, you know what would be funny in Good Burger?” and we got to do it! It wasn’t too difficult to get back into it.

On if Good Burger 2 is a continuation of Good Burger or the sequel was created from a different angle:

Heath Seifert: I think we looked at the first film as a template of what we enjoyed and what worked. I love what Phil likes to say, “Then we emulate and elevate.” We kind of took that blueprint and tried to build a bigger burger, so to speak.

On if there was a moment on set that encapsulated the experience of making the film:

Phil Traill: When Kenan and Kel got into the burger mobile for the first time and drove out onto the real street, and people just stopped, screaming. It was slightly annoying because we were trying to film! Everyone just seemed so happy to be there – from Kenan and Kel in the burger mobile, in their outfits, and then us filming it, and then all the people lining the streets. It was just people smiling.

Kevin Kopelow: The people that knew who they were, were so excited and the people that didn’t we’re going, “Woah, who are these two guys riding around in a burger?!” That’s the movie in a nutshell.

Phil Traill: I heard lots of dads telling their kids, “You’ve never seen it! We have to go home and watch it straight away!” They were explaining the world of it so quickly if the kids hadn’t seen it before. They’re going to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade driving the burger mobile – Kenan and Kel!

Kevin Kopelow: No one knows they’re doing it; they’re just driving. (laughs)

On what it was like seeing the film in its entirety after putting years of work into it:

Phil Traill: I’ve seen it a lot. Each time’s a joy. We actually have our premier tonight. I’m really happy and satisfied because when we set it up to make a film, you don’t completely know what you’ll end up with. The target is quite small to hit for nostalgic fans, new fans, young people, old people. It’s quite a small target. It seems to hit that, so I’m really pleased that it seems to be hitting that target. I’m really happy each time we show it to people.

Heath Seifert: Phil did an amazing job. It’s really fun to watch it. It’s really exciting to see it. I think people are going to be really happy.

youtube

#Phil Traill #Kevin Kapelow #Heath Seifert #2023 #Director interview #Writer interview #Good Burger 2 #Kayla Marra #Youtube

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