And on we go with the interviews. Another one of the
wonderful authors we know so little about is Jessica S. Did you
know she writes fanfic for 7th heaven as well as Shirley? (Silence) No?
Read this interview and find out more about her.
INTERVIEW
WITH JESSICA S.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I really hate talking about myself, but nevertheless...I'm
15 at the moment, but I will soon be turning 16 on August 28th. That means
I can drive soon, and that makes me one happy girl. I live in Canada, and
I really do love it here. I would say a few jokes about Canada, but I'm
running dry on the funny at the moment. I love to write -- screenplays
and fanfiction mostly. I enjoy webdesign, and I tend to fire up my Adobe
Photoshop when I need a canvas, though I also enjoy sketching on a "real"
canvas (like my sketchbook). I also play the piano, the guitar and the
clarinet. Music is something close to my heart. My favourite artists at
the moment are The Verve Pipe, Lifehouse and Michael W Smith. My favourite
television shows are The West Wing, and CSI.
That's just a rough sketch of who I am, but I really
do think that I'm just your regular girl.
What was it in the Shirley Holmes TV show that attracted
you to it?
It was definitely the mystery element. Back in 5th grade
(and even currently) I loved reading mysteries. I think that perhaps only
Courtney and Leslie remembers this, but my first website was a Shirley
Holmes and Nancy Drew website. It was a pathetic thing, but it shows how
much I loved mysteries. The second element was Shirley. She was such a
strong character, even back then. She was gutsy and she simply didn't care
about what others thought of her. She was driven, and she was intelligent.
I loved the fact that she had so much freedom, something I didn't have
back then. The trailers were also good. Hehe. I'm easily influenced.
Who is your favorite character in the show?
Honestly? It's difficult for me to say. Right now, my
favourite character is Bo. I really, honestly don't know why. However,
I've always been fascinated by the sidekick. Bo's loyalty was astounding,
and I always found myself wishing that I would have a friend as loyal as
Bo. Shirley was always the brains of the situation, but Bo was highly a
part of them as well. I just always loved the way he treated Shirley, save
just a few, rare times.
Do you feel that the Shirley/ Molly plot has been neglected
in the show?
Absolutely. I must say that Molly and Shirley acted beyond
their years though. Molly was a sadly underused character. I didn't like
her much back then, but when I look at her now, I see something there.
The character was simply so full of layers. Shirley and Molly were alike
in some ways. They were both extremely intelligent for one thing. The ongoing
tension...I wish we could have seen some closure to that.
What was it that made you start writing SH fanfiction?
Because all the cool kids were doing it. No really, I
was a follower. Hehe. The Shirley fandom was relatively small back then,
and many people had started to write fanfiction. I didn't even know what
fanfiction was back then. I suppose that after awhile, I wrote because
I wanted to explore the characters. The characters always fascinate me.
Even now. I have this fandom to thank for my addiction to fanfiction. I've
written for many fandoms (CSI, Gilmore Girls, Alias, Angel, Buffy, 7th
Heaven -- I don't even watch half the shows anymore), but Shirley Holmes
was where it started.
What is your favorite genre to write?
Angst. Hands down. If any of you have read any of my fanfiction
(you can find it here),
one element sticks out. It's always angst. I love to explore the characters,
but I find that stories are hardly enjoyable without tension or conflict.
I write vignettes mostly, and inner turmoil is always so fascinating.
Do you prefer planning stories out in advance or are
do you go where the story takes you?
I think that I mentally map out a story in my head, but
I rarely sit down and plot things out. See, I usually write vignettes,
and they don't really require much of a plot. It's all inside. I've written
a few non-vignettes, and I have run into trouble because of my lack of
plotting. I think I'm improving in the area though, and it's my advice
to plot. It helps *a lot*, especially if you're writing a mystery.
How far do you go in researching your story?
I don't spend all my time at Google if that's what you're
asking. I try to write things that I know about, and that's vignettes.
I try to stay as canon as possible though. I hate loopholes in fanfiction,
so I often read transcripts or recaps. On my current story (which I'm writing
with a friend of mine), and Alias fic, I've researched different restaurants
and places, and that helps contribute a kind of veracity to it.
Do you feel there is a recurring theme or a deeper
meaning to your work?
Honestly? I don't think there is ever something that deep.
I imply things frequently, try to create an undercurrent between two characters
that I like if it's a general story, but that's it. Recurring theme, I
write too much angst. I re-use plot element (for instance, Nick from CSI
was sexually abused, that is a recurring theme in my fics because I feel
it's very vital to his character), but I like to experiment, to try new
things. I stay in the same genre though. Hehe. I find that writing fluff
these days is much harder then writing angst.
What is your favorite SH author?
It's a tie between Boo Rogue Amazon and Courtney. I'm
sure many of you have seen my fanfic recommendations, and Boo has dominated
that list by a landslide. I like the way she writes because it's all so
real. Her characters have depth. They are not Mary Sues (or whatever you
call a flawless male character). Her style is very, very enjoyable to read.
Her mysteries don't have plot holes. Overall, she is an excellent writer.
Damon doesn't have Courtney's writings on file anymore, at her request
they were erased, but to those who have read them? They all should know
that she is an excellent writer. I especially enjoyed "Redington Beauty"
(which was cowritten with Damon, himself). That was a gem. It really was.
Damon said he just did some editing, Courtney did the
actual writing. Anyway, the second fanfic awards are coming up. What do
you think of them?
Let's say that I was extremely thrilled to win an award
for the first one. I was shocked, and very flattered. So to those who voted
for me. Thank you so much. It's given me a boost of confidence when it
comes to writing. I think these awards are an excellent idea. Recognizing
authors (even if it's just for fanfiction) is a chance to make someone
feel good about themselves. I think that's very important.
What are your plans for writing in the future?
I would love to pursue a career in writing -- television
to be exact. Aaron Sorkin is my role model for that one. As for the near
future though. I think I'll stick with writing fanfiction. I write scripts
from time to time, but fanfiction gives me a chance to flex my writing
muscles. I have a Shirley Holmes fanfiction in the works (Shirley/Bo angst),
but who knows when that will be finished? Writing flows well sometimes,
other times it doesn't. It's hell when it doesn't work, but you just feel
so good when it does. There are many times when I just don't want to write
anymore because it's just so frustrating, but I will continue to do so.
Why? Because I love it.
Any tips for your fellow authors?
Read a book on writing. I've only tried this once, but
the book I read helped me so much. My personal recommendation is "The Elements
of Style by Strunk and White" (E.B. White? Also known as the guy who wrote
Charlotte's Web). Writing books help, they really do. And lastly, get someone
to beta read (or edit, if it's not fanfiction). Beta readers help so much.
I only started using a beta reader on a few of my pieces of fanfiction,
and I curse myself for not doing it earlier. Beta readers look at things
with a fresh eye. Pick someone who's a better writer then you are. It may
flatten your ego, but it will help you improve. Lastly, keep writing. Practice
makes perfect. When I look at my first attempts at Shirley Holmes fanfiction,
and it makes me cringe. The only piece that is "worthy" to be read was
'Second Best' and that...I don't want to talk about it. But practice helps
a lot. My writing has improved greatly. I'm not perfect, far from it, but
I am taking baby steps forward. You will too.
Thanks for talking to me Jessica. If anyone wants to
check out her site. It's called Fanfic.txt and you can find it at http://ever-lasting.net/fanfiction.
Thanks to Jessica
again for answering all those questions. Got an author you want to
see questioned? Let me know and send a question along in the message. You
can send me an e-mail
or use the contact page.
