#HAFH25daysofchristmas

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the twenty-second day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Thewaterfalcon! Find her stories on fanficiton.net, check her out on tumblr @thewaterfalcon, and read her interview below!

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter    

TWF: I’ve been a fan right from the start, I was introduced to Philosopher’s Stone when I was about 8 (1998), I was always a bit reader, especially as a child, but from that moment not many books have ever come close.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?      

TWF: Ron, he gets such a hard time in ff but he’s my favourite. I think he’s the one I always connected to the most, he felt the most real to me, I like that he made the mistakes that he did, and that he didn’t particularly have a lot of love for his classes, but I think mostly, I just relate to how he frequently didn’t feel good enough. And then, of course, he still helped save the world! My favourite book is a toss up between PoA, and OotP, they’re the ones that I’ve gone back and read the most times. PoA because I love how we were introduced to the Marauders, and how you can re-read and see that there is so much more depth to the story than you first thought (Remus seeing Harry, the spitting image of his old best friend on the train, for example). OotP because it made me laugh the most, some of my favourite chapters in the entire series are the ones in Grimmauld Place, I love that even despite the frightening state of affairs (Voldemort having just returned, etc), there was this sort of community/family feel during those parts.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?    

TWF: The Lord of the Rings series, I’ve read them close to the amount of times I’ve read HP. I absolutely adore the world Tolkien gave us, the scope of the history, characters, and story are just incredible in my eyes.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?      

TWF: Crafts, baking, decorating, etc are all staples. We go to Christmas Markets when we can, oh, and our tree topper is a penguin called Chris, who sits on top of a bookcase all year until Christmas!

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?      

TWF: Yes! I’m such a typical mum at Christmas, it’s all about the kids, and I love it all!

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!      

TWF: My ability to overcome is the strength I pride myself on the most. One weakness is that I can be incredibly oversensitive.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?      

TWF: I’m a watercolour painter, and fan artist, and I spend copious amounts of my time perfecting my bullet journal.

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?    

TWF: Yes, one day I would like to release an original work, I write bits and pieces of non-ff, but I haven’t got enough of an idea in mind yet.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?    

TWF: Adulting, or bullet journalling.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.    

TWF: I’ll take angst over fluff any day, I prefer rarer pairings, and a little bit of some smutty goodness wouldn’t go amiss.

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?    

TWF: Oh my gosh, this is a really hard question! Can I alter it a teeny bit? I’d finish avis1756’s Unintentional Magic.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?      

TWF: The History of Magic, because I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to watch Hogwarts come to life for the first time. My fancasts for Rowena and Salazar are Katie McGrath (she plays Morgan le Fay in ‘Merlin’), and Michael Fassbender.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?      

TWF: If I *had* to choose, I think I’d pick Ronsy.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?    

TWF: Primarily music; a lot of my stories are inspired by songs.

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?      

TWF: I don’t read it as much as I would like, but I try to write different things, that I haven’t seen before..

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.    

TWF: Clementine Mack; because I adore how she takes lesser known characters and gives them so much life, particularly her Millicent Bulstrode, she does for Millicent what I try to do for Pansy, she gives her this normality, and likeability, but with an unapologetic realness.      

dulce.de.leche.go ; because I find myself so drawn into the words she writes, there’s such a depth and beauty to her words that I just lap her stories up.        

@shayalonnie, because in my eyes she’s the best at what we do! Her stories aren’t simply stories, they’re epics.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.     

TWF: Savage Heart - Clementine Mack, because somehow, despite werewolf fics being fairly popular, she has managed to weave such an originality in the story and characters that it doesn’t even feel like a fanfiction now.        

The Debt of Time - ShayaLonnie, for the same reasons that everyone adores DoT! It made me feel everything, fall in love with the Marauders and feel even more connected to the canon story.       

His Little Bird - thewanderer’swanderingdaughter, this one is rough, there’s no getting around that, it’s one of the darkest I’ve read, but I was beyond pulled into it, the writing is incredible and, even though I found it hard to read due to its content, I really, really liked how the author dealt with various issues.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?      

TWF: I would say so, yes. I guess in a similar vein to how a musician often finds it difficult to just listen to music without scrutinising it, I do the same when I’m reading now, I’m constantly analysing how sentences flow, or whether the writer has done something grammatically different than I would have. If I really love a particular sentence, or passage, I often save it in my phone.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?      

TWF: I’ve read ff on and off for quite a few years, I’ve only been writing since May, so I’m a relative baby compared to lots of other authors!

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?      

TWF: I have not.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

TWF: This is from Darkened Skies, one of the things I really wanted to address in this story is how Neville went from the accident prone target of bullies, to absolute bad ass. In canon we don’t really see this fully, because obviously the trio aren’t at Hogwarts during 7th year, and so it was fun to really dig deep with Neville in this way, also, DS has the slowest burn and this is right before Neville and Pansy finally kiss, so it was just great to get to this moment:

‘She smiled up at him. His face, which she had began to see as rather physically appealing from the minute he entered the carriage on the train, now had a whole new effect on her. She still marvelled at how good looking he had become, of course, but now there was more; he had a perfected rigidity to his jaw, and a deep sorrow in his eyes that she was certain, or perhaps she merely hoped that, nobody else could see. There was real pain and sadness in Neville Longbottom and knowing, and seeing, that, broke Pansy’s heart almost every day. And yet, despite the hurt, she knew there was also hope, and light. She saw it mostly in Herbology, an ambition in his eyes when Professor Sprout engaged him, or when Professor Flitwick commended his impressive spellwork. His Gryffindor fire was sometimes so close to the surface, she half expected his eyes to burn a deep red.

Their peers no longer regarded him in the way they once did, with mockery and pity. His abilities as a wizard had increased tenfold and his blatant defiance in the face of the Carrows’ proved he was no longer one to be trifled with. In fact, Pansy highly doubted whether Neville Longbottom would ever give anyone reason to truly make fun of him again.

Pansy smiled at his words, but said nothing. Instead,she let her head fall to the side, feeling comfortable enough, yet still nervous at first, to rest her head on his shoulder. She felt him altogether stiffen at her advance and then, all of a sudden, his whole body relaxed entirely, and she felt his head flop to the side, to rest against hers. His hand then reached for hers, and he grasped it in his own as their fingers interlaced.’

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

TWF: This is from The History of Magic, I tried hard to really capture the Founder’s personalities, and I wanted to inject a bit of humour into the scene, and I hope I did a good job:

“And what if, at eleven years old they do not quite show the bravery of an ox-”

“I prefer lion, the lion is an animal of absolute grandeur.”

Helga narrowed her eyes at Godric. “Fine, the courage of a lion.”

“Much better!” Godric responded, this time earning him a most uncharacteristic, actual glare from Helga.

“Hush, Godric! Or, the intellect of a...a…”

“I’ve always admired the eagle, most intelligent creature,” Rowena interjected.

“...an eagle, then. Or the resourcefulness, and cunning, of...” this time Helga did not attempt to think of the relevant creature herself, instead simply gazing at Salazar, who replied without hesitation.

“A snake.”

“Of course,” Helga snapped, her arms now flailing in annoyance, much to the amusement of the other three. “a snake, so what happens? What if these children are not particularly brave, intelligent, or cunning? When their greatest attributes are kindness, or dedication, or patience, what then?”

“Well, one would assume, they would be in your House,” Godric answered the question Rowena was sure Helga had actually not wished for an answer to.

“Yes, yes they will! I shall take all the rest. And shame on all of you for not having the same attitude!” The small woman ended haughtily into a pregnant silence.

“Well, that is very kind of you, Helga,” Rowena said after a while, unable to bear the awkward quiet that had befallen the four friends. “What creature do you feel you would like to represent the House of Hufflepuff?”

Helga was taking deep breaths, and the reddening of her cheeks told Rowena that Helga was probably feeling a sense of embarrassment over her outburst.

“A badger.”

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

TWF: More than Life, it came from this tiny idea, and I started it with virtually nothing, it’s one I should have planned out properly, first. It’s an entirely canon-compliant Hinny, and has none of my usual elements involved. It is however, my most popular!

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

TWF: Need You Now; my filthy Ronsy smut-fest . I wrote that bad boy basically in one go, it came to me super easily.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

TWF: Darkened Skies, it’s my baby. It started me on the journey of a writer and gave me this incredible outlet. I owe DS a lot.

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

TWF: Write to express, not to impress.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

TWF: Work on only one thing at a time. Now, please don’t think I mean that this is bad advice overall, as I’m sure for many others it isn’t, but for me, and the way my inspiration comes to me, I tend to work on one fic for a while, and then not touch it for a while, whilst I concentrate on another, this helps me immensely as I know how easily I lose heart in a project, this way keeps all my work fresh.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

TWF: A pristine desk, a view that involved water in some capacity, and tea on demand! (typical Brit here!)

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

TWF: I outline my big fics, yes. Nothing too fancy, but I like to have a timeline, and bullet point what plot points are going to happen roughly in each part of the story.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

TWF: If a later scene comes to me, I will write it, but mostly start to finish.

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.*

TWF: I sometimes jot down some bullet points of what I’m including. I’ll try to finish writing a chapter in a few days. I then add it to the file in my drive, and let my beta know it’s there. Once it’s beta’d, I will publish.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

TWF: I have two plunnies hopping about, one is a Ronsy heavily inspired by Outlander, it’s a Voldemort wins!AU, the other is a prompt I actually entered in the Q&P mistletoe comp, claimed it myself and then decided to delete it because I want to write it later, and longer, and do it justice. It’s a George/Daphne set after the war and deals with George losing Fred, which will be coupled with what has happened to Daphne (but I’m not going to give that away yet!), and how these two unlikely souls find each other, and something to cling to.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

TWF: I try not to, but, I mean, sometimes it calls for it, I killed Harry, Molly, and Arthur in The Whole World without batting an eyelid. On the whole though, I tend not to.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

TWF: I usually write things that *could be* feasible in canon.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?*

TWF: It’s actually a film scene, where they’re preparing for the final battle, oh it just gives me all the tingles! It’s one of the things I really feel they got right in the films.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

TWF: Time turner, I’ve never really had much of a plunny for one though, but I do like them! I’ll probably send Pansy back in time at some point. I don’t think I’d ever write a marriage law.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

TWF: I’ve only been writing for seven months, so I’d say fun hobby that is becoming my passion.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

TWF: I don’t really have any older fics, but I guess once I’m at that point it will be Darkened Skies, because I want it to be perfect.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

TWF: I’d never collaborate, I know i’d end up falling out with my partner. I think they’re often great in theory, but I know a few people who have had bad experiences with them.

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

TWF: Someone I feel comfortable with, and someone who will be my cheerleader, not all the time, but I need it, every now and again.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

TWF: I do, currently for two writers, and I’ll look over my friends’ work if they ask.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

TWF: Darkened Skies is a Pansy/Neville story that takes place during 7th year when the trio are away. ‘He was her one and only chance to feel sane, she was his nights spent chasing a hurricane.’ Fire & Ice...and Everything Nice takes place after the war, and involves Pansy and Daphne taking a trip to Romania (no prizes for guessing who one of their love interests is!), it is primarily light hearted and fun, but deals with PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic attacks as a big underlying theme. “The aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts has left Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass alone; torn apart from their once-friends and shunned by the whole of Wizarding Britain. As Pansy is plagued by the worst of memories and left broken, Daphne realises that something needs to change and sets herself a mission, which, once in motion, might just alter both girls' lives forever.”

The Edge of Tonight is a Scorpius/Rose story where I make a pretty dramatic U-turn from how the next-gen are usually portrayed, it’s influenced a lot by how reckless I was as a teenager. “Baby, you are my horizon... Being sixteen is hard; between the endless expectations from being the daughter of not one, but two, war heroes, mediocre school grades and struggling to find her sense of self-worth, Rose Weasley must lean on the three people she trusts above everything, now more than ever. A coming of age story about friendship, love, late nights & poor judgement.”

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

TWF: I’m not sure, nobody has ever given me a prompt!

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

TWF: FFN, but I am slowly posting all my work to A03 also.

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

I love it, to a point, I don’t overly like PWP, it has to feel natural to me, and be believable in my eyes, for me to enjoy it.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?*

TWF: I put them in A/N when they’re required, in fact I’m planning something pretty rough for DS, and I’m going to write a fairly hefty A/N which stipulates that if anyone feels they don’t want to read the chapter in question, then they can message me and I can give them the gist without details, so they can still follow the story, but hopefully avoid being triggered.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

TWF: Positive, haha! I’m not going to lie, I don’t like criticism, but I do my best to take it on the chin when I do get it.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

TWF: Well, I once got told my main pairing ‘would work better as Draco.Hermione’, that didn’t go down very well. I really like it when someone quotes one of my lines, or states that they think I’ve wrote something well.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

TWF: I honestly love getting pretty much any reviews! There were a couple that touched upon how I was handling Pansy’s PTSD in Fire & Ice, and it was really nice to read that they felt I was doing such a difficult and personal issue justice.

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

TWF: I’ve had a few, most I ignore and/or vent to friends about, I have given a couple of snarky replies though!

Thanks again to Thewaterfalcon for taking the time to answer all of our questions! We’ve so enjoyed getting to know you a little better! Be sure to check out her fics and find her on tumblr! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the twenty-first day of christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Starrnobella! Read her work on Fanfiction.net, find her on tumblr @starrnobella, and read her interview below! 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter

S: I fell in love with Harry Potter after reading the books. I love reading stories that are outside of the norm. Give me magic, witches, wizards, werewolves, vampires, and the like any day over a sappy romance novel. (Which I’m still a sucker for anyways lol)

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

S: My favorite character is Hermione. She is a brainiac who is devoted to perfection or as close to it as she can get, just like me.

My favorite book is Half-Blood Prince because potions is my favorite class at Hogwarts and the focus on that class is very much present in that book.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

S: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

S: Waking up early, drinking coffee and opening the presents in our stockings by the light of the Christmas Tree

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

S: I do enjoy them!

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

S: Strength: My odd ability to remember some of the weirdest little things

S: Weakness: I strive too hard for perfection to the point of becoming overly stressed out.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

S: Photography, Singing, and Reading

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

S: I write for the Once Upon A Time fandom! :)

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

S: Obsessing about Once Upon A Time

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

S: Start with a prompt/idea/song - set a little of the scene - flashback to explain a relationship or finish setting the scene - conflict usually caused by the flashback -another flashback - resolution

Basically I use flashback to really get the reader in the mindset of the scene/character

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

S: I’d love to see a prequel to Getting Personal by Oracle Obscured because I’d like to see more about how Hermione got to the point she was before the story began. I’m all for finding out all the little details lol.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

S: Either Nothing More than Who I Am (AU - Hermione and Draco are in school with Tom Riddle and Slughorn teaches Potions) or Say Something (Once Upon A Time/Harry Potter Crossover). Both of them have so much potential. My Hermione will always be Emma Watson, my Draco is Tom Felton, and my Neal Cassidy|Baelfire will always be Micheal Raymond.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

S: Only One? It’s a toss up between Captain Swan and Dramione. I love them both and I can see similarities between them.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

S: Music, prompts (both my own and xxDustNight88’s pop up prompts), and random life events or things that happen in the show/movie

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

S: Yes I read, not as much as I’d like, but I do read. Some of it is similar to my work, some not. I tend to read the work of authors that I’m friends with.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

S: xxDustNight88 - She can make you feel exactly how the character is feeling in a scene just through the words she writes. It’s amazing.

S: Dramione84 - Her stories catch your attention and make you want so much more and have you pining for the next update.

S: Oracle Obscured - I just love their writing style and seeing an update email makes me excited!

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

S: Teardrops and Teacups by xxDustNight88 - You can feel exactly how Hermione feels and the story makes your heart ache for her.

S: Teaching Miss Granger by Oracle Obscured - HOT and makes me dream of detentions with Snape

S: Sex Ed by MrBenzedrine - I love a good teacher/teacher fic and this Dramione relationship is perfect!

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

S: Absolutely. It shows me a new light to write characters in. I never would have written Snape as a person who cares about another’s mental well-being had I not read Getting Personal by Oracle Obscured.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

S: Since July of this year.

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

S: Yes, but it went back up shortly after. Apparently I had doubles of some of my edits all through a fic.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

S: “Dirty dishes sat on the edge of the sink in the kitchen. Piles of books, clothes, and papers were scattered over the drawing room. Late into the afternoon, the heavy curtains were still pulled shut. The dusty, old look to the inside of the house would lead one to believe the house itself was suffering from a grim depression. There was a bleakness wrapped around the whole house as a shawl wrapped around a person’s shoulders on a rough wintery morning.

The once pretty wallpaper was shredded and faded. There were wilted flowers in the expensive crystal vases on the counters. The house had lost its beauty that once reigned supreme when it was home to some of the greatest minds ever known. There was a mutual understanding between its history and those who inhabited the house. That understanding was that no matter the problem, the weather, or what is considered to be mainstream at the time this house would bring the troubled mind solitude.

Hermione Granger had been living in this house for some time now.”

I love this piece because it sets the scene quite nicely. You really get the feeling of how run down the house was.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

S:  ““How long?” were the only words she spoke while staring intently at the paper when he walked up to the table where she was seated and spied the note.

“How long what?” he asked trying to play it off.

“Have you been fucking  Astoria?” she sobbed looking up at him as the tears started to fall once again. His heart dropped.

“How did you find out?” he mumbled, afraid to look her in the eyes as he started fidgeting with his fingers.

“This,” she spat as she pointed to the note on the table. He picked it up and read it.

It was a note from Astoria. He had never seen it before. He couldn’t figure out how it had gotten to their flat. The note was from the first night they had slept together, telling him how happy she was that he had finally chosen her, even if he was still going home to the “Princess” every time he left her flat. She hoped that he would chose her in the end.

“It fell out of your trouser pockets when I gathered laundry earlier,” she told him spying the confusion on his face.

As the tears continued, she yelled again, “How long have you been fucking her behind my back?”

“I’m going out,” he answered and walked back out the door that he had walked in moments before. Once he closed the door he leaned back and sunk to the ground. His heart broken into a million pieces. He heard the loud crash of something being thrown at the door in his wake, and the tears started to fall from his own eyes. He needed to make this right. “

This from a fic coming soon, or already published by the time this goes up. You can really feel the heartbreak in Hermione’s voice when she confronts him. (I know this is a little more of a prose, rather than dialogue, but I love this too much. )

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

S: When Books Meet the Sea (Once Upon A Time/Harry Potter Crossover) because it really hits close to home

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

S: Lost Letters of Love because it is a collection of letters, so there is no set plot to build.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

S: Earn Your Hot Cocoa, it’s part of starrnobella’s Christmas Countdown

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

S: If you get stuck, set it aside and come back. Bashing your head against a wall is pointless, and will cause harm. The story will get there eventually, it’s okay if it takes a while.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

S: That after awhile you should force yourself to leave your comfort zone, no matter if you want to or not. I will always stick to what I’m comfortable with. I may try something different, but I am not likely to share it for all to see.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

S: If music isn’t blasting, then a movie or tv show is playing on my tv. I have a cup of coffee or tea by my side and am curled up under my Chemistry No Sew blanket with my Vanilla Frosting Yankee Candle lit.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

S: You know, I probably should, but I don’t lol. Typically if I’m working on my WIPs I have the previous chapters nearby.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

S: A mix of both. My letters are written start to finish, but most of my other fics are written in the order the muse strikes and then I will go through and reorganize it.

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.*

S: Sits open on my screen a while - start writing slowly - muse hits - finishes writing rather quickly - prints off for edits by hand - digital edits made - posted!

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

S: Anywhere from 5 ideas to 25 haha. Most of them are based on prompts I’ve read in the different groups I’m a member of. One of them is an actual story for Lost Letters of Love that goes along with the letters.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

S: If the muse led me to it, then yes I would.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

S: Nothing I write is canon compliant. Some of it may run parallel to a pieces of it, but are still divergent from what is actually there. I love J. K. Rowling’s work, but my ships don’t all exist in her world, so they need a home.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?*

S: Hermione. She is such a complex character that can be written from so many different angles that every story is unique and special in it’s own light.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

S: I’d like to try my hand in a few tropes. Fake dating being one of them, but the muse just hasn’t struck.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

S: A passion, hands down no questions asked.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

S: Lost Letters of Love - I’d actually give it a plot and make it more than just the letters.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

S: I love them. I have worked with Dramione84 on a few stories. Also k-lynne317 and I are a planning something fun as well.

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

S: Someone I trust and I can use as a sounding board when I have an idea. My fics are my babies, so I don’t want to just have any random person do the first read for me. I honestly think I have the best team of betas/alpha readers a person can get.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

S: I do. I check for grammar and spelling. I also make a great sounding board for ideas when the author gets stuck and we can find a way to pull all the ideas together. I am currently working with Rowena Hill on Leather and Lace.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

S: Forever and Always (OUAT) is what I wanted to see happen in season 6. So far it’s been completely divergent from what’s going on.

Lost Letters of Love is Future Dramione and it is the letters that they send back and forth when they are separated for work, with newspaper articles written by Theo just for an added bonus.

starrnobella’s Christmas Countdown is my 25 days of Christmas. Every day a new story with a new pairing and a new prompt.

I also have two running drabble collections: Interstellar Novella is for Harry Potter and Written in the Stars is for Once Upon a Time.

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

S: Absolutely! I take them on tumblr, ffn, ao3, and my fanpage on facebook!

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

S: Tumblr! I think I can reach more people on there, but I’m still relatively new, so who knows what the future holds!

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

S: I enjoy it. Still struggling to write it, but that’s because I won’t get out of my own head.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?*

S: I try to put them in the author’s note if I know they are there. I have been known to miss them occasionally, but not all the time.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

S: I prefer praise, especially if you are going to post it for all to see in the reviews. I also like getting questions from readers that have read the fic. Some I answer in the next chapter and some remain unanswered for a while.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

S: I love hearing things that the reader likes, especially when they are from different points in the fic. I don’t like concrit in reviews. Send the concrit in a pm to the author so that it is not out for the whole world to see when they go to review the fic.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

S: This came to Lost Letters of Love the other day: “I've stumbled upon this fic last night and I couldn't stop reading it. I particularly love the concept of Draco and Hermione writing love letters to each others. I must say, it's a very unique style and looking forward to every letter they write.” I’m not used to people stumbling upon my work, so this made me really happy.

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

S: I don’t get many. Usually I ignore them, but if it’s one that really bothers me like they reviewed without reading, then I will message them and kinda ask for an explanation, just because I’m curious.

Thanks again to Starrnobella for taking the time to answer all of our questions! Make sure to check out her stories and find her on tumblr! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the twenty-third day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me Throughhiseyes! Find her work on fanfiction.net and find her here on tumblr @throughhiseyeswriter! Read her interview below, and then check out her stories! 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter.

THE: It was so long ago lol I really loved being able to get lost in a world where I always thought it was real.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

THE:  My favorite character is Hermione. My favorite book is the prisoner of Azkaban because I have an unhealthy attachment to Sirius

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

THE: I think my favorite book is the Percy Jackson

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

THE: My favorite holiday tradition is very year around Christmas we would go get an ornament and write the year in the bottom of it. It is so fun to look back at the past years and see what I was interested in

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

THE: I LOVE the holidays, any holiday

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related! I love listening to people speak, I love to help them understand what they are feeling. My weakness is that I don't let much people in, I would rather listen to other people problem than discuss my own

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

THE: I love to read, of course and I love to dance

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

THE: I am currently in the beginning stages of writing my own book with my best friend. I am writing everything where she is just helping my get my thoughts across and polishing it up.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

THE: Taking care of my son but I'm never obsessing about Harry Potter lol

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

THE: Where two people eventually fall in love. I am all about fluff but love some angst

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

THE: I would have to say Tying the Nott.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

THE: Since my ongoing fic is Viktor and Hermione I would love to see the original characters play them

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

THE: Definitely Viktor and Hermione

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

THE:  I don't have a muse I just sit down and the ideas pop out of my head at random times lol

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

THE: Yes I read fanfiction, I read similar to what I write. I have read mysteries and I loved them

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

THE: I have so many but ShayaLonnie because she is queen, Corvusdraconis because she wrote an amazing Viktor and Hermione fiction and then canimal because I am crashing right into the Kingsley and Hermione ship.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

THE: Debt of time, Looks Can Be Deceiving, and Minister's secret. This was hard I had so many that I LOVED

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

THE: Yes, some days I don't write because what I read has heartbroken me and other times I get inspired to write

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

THE:  I have been ready for almost a year I think and writing for about 4 months?

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

THE:  No, I have not

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

THE: (I hope this is what you mean) “Letting out a content sigh Viktor wrapped his arms around his girls and went to sleep.” I love it because it shows the love that he has for them.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

THE:  “She doesn’t like other women,” Viktor spoke quietly with a soft smile on his face. “Dora, time for bed.” He spoke louder as he walked towards his daughter, but Teodora did not want to let go of Hermione. She screamed, “NO!” and began to cry. Viktor stopped dead in his tracks while Hermione smiled at him sheepishly, “It’s really fine. I can hold her.” I always imagined Hermione to be wonderful with kids and it for kids to feel so at ease around her

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

THE: My marriage law with Ron, Viktor, and Hermione

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

THE: My Umbridge and Snape fiction because it came to me in a dream lol I wrote it in an hour

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

THE: My Viktor and Hermione one that is a work in progress

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

THE: Write everyday

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

THE: I haven't come across one yet

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

THE: Sitting down in bed with a cup of coffee and no distractions

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

THE: I normally write about half of the chapter on paper then finish it on the computer or my phone. I tried an outline but my story went a different way

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

THE: I write from start to finish unless I'm doing a one-shot

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.

THE: I write and read over it then sent it to my Beta for her thoughts and the post it when I can

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

THE: I am in the beginning stages of one and where it is Ginny and Theo are the main pairing, also a Hermione and Kingsley marriage law

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

THE: If necessary for my story yes I would

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

THE: I try to stay true to canon as I can

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?

THE: Sirius and Harry speak in Grimmauld place about the darkness inside everyone

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

THE: Draco and Hermione and Sirius and Hermione because I have read so many good works and then DoT

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

It started out as a hobby and now a passion

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

THE: I don't have an older fic but the one-shots that I already posted I would go back and make the descriptions longer

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

THE: I would like to try out a collaboration

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

THE: I look for one that can help with spelling, grammar, plot points, and helping with describing things

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

THE: No I don't beta myself I am not good at that lol I do help someone by being a sounding board for ideas

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

THE: I have my Viktor and Hermione one (can you tell that I'm excited about it?)

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

THE: I do now

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

THE: Fanfiction.net but I am trying AO3

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

THE: I love smut but I don't think I can write it

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?

THE: I try to let my readers know ahead of time just to be polite

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

THE: I enjoy Constructive criticism

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

THE: I don't like when people are rude about a fic because they don't like the pairing

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

THE: All of my reviews have made my day, I can't single out just one

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

THE: No I have not gotten any rude reviews yet

Thanks again to Throughiseyes for taking the time to answer all of our questions! Make sure to look her up here and on fanfiction.net! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the twentieth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Snapeslittleblackbuttons! Check her out here on fanfiction.net, on Tumblr @snapeslittleblackbuttons, and read her interview below! 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter

SLBB: It was gradual. With each book, I fell in love a little more. I’m not sure I remember a time before HP.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

SLBB: Severus Snape. Truthfully, there are so many brilliant characters in the books, it’s as if all the rest of them come in a very close second. Draco, Hermione, Remus, Sirius… I suppose if I had to choose a book, it would be Half Blood Prince, followed by Prisoner of Azkaban.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

SLBB: This is one of the hardest questions anyone could ask me. There are so many I adore, I’m not sure I have a clear favorite. I love George’s Missing Joseph, J. R. Ward’s Lover Awakened, and Eco’s Unbearable Lightness of Being. I’m going to stop there. I used to work in a bookstore, and yes, I have a problem (don’t send help).

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

SLBB:Nothing in particular.

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

SLBB: Yes and no. There are things about the holidays that I like, and things I don’t.

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

SLBB: I’m the slowest writer you know, I’m balls at spelling, and I probably edit far too much. On the other side, I’m decent with mechanics like grammar and punctuation.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

SLBB: Is sitting on the beach and reading considered a hobby? I play with photography; sometimes I try to ski and ice skate.  

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

SLBB: I’ve written poetry; I have an original work planned.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

SLBB: Usually, I’m driving my kids somewhere, most likely my daughter to ballet.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

SLBB: My favorite fanfics feature Sevmione and are well-written, have little or no angst, and always have an HEA. I’ve suffered too much heartbreak in real life to want to read about it.

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

SLBB: Second Life by Lariope. It’s a 230K post-DH Sevmione. Here’s how it ends:

“He stroked a hand over her hair, and she tipped her head back to look at him. His eyes closed as he exhaled the last of his resistance and lowered his mouth to hers. For her, for this, he would try.”

I mean, holy shite, this just begs for a sequel, don’t you think?

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

SLBB: I have no idea. I guess it would probably be Watch Over Me since it’s my most popular fic. As for the actors, I can see Adrien Brody or Trent Reznor as Sev, but truthfully it’s hard to imagine anyone but Alan in that role.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

SLBB: Only one pairing? You know, based on the the tons of encouragement and love I’ve gotten from A Promise Kept, Pansy and Harry. Just kidding! It would be Sevmione, of course. You might have been able to guess that already, though.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

SLBB: Well, my Muse works nights. I’ll often wake up and the next scene for my WIP has been mapped out. Or, while I’m asleep, she’ll fix wording that wasn’t flowing. I guess I have too much on my mind during waking hours!

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

SLBB: I read a ton of fanfic, and I read a variety of things, both similar and very different than my own stuff.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

SLBB: ishouldbe (on ao3) / IShouldBeWritingSomethingElse (on ff): She writes the Sev that I have always been in love with.

Aurette: Well, it’s because she’s Aurette and she’s brilliant.

Lariope : Besides Second Life, she penned a shorter fic called ‘Advanced Contemporary Potion Making’. It’s one of very few that I will read that does not have an HEA. If, for some sadistic reason, I need my heart torn out, this is my go-to fic.   

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

SLBB: Three? I’m only allowed *three*? *figits* Okay, here goes...

Secrets We Keep by IShouldBe (on ao3) / IShouldBeWritingSomethingElse (on ff): I remember finishing the first chapter and thought, ‘this is exactly what I was looking for but didn’t know existed’. Issy is the entire reason I was inspired to write fanfiction. When she comments on my work, I have embarrassingly uber-fangirl moments.  

Rebuilding by @colubrina: This was the first Dramoine I ever read. Her writing seems effortless. I desperately need her to give me writing lessons, since I can struggle with overdone prose. In Rebuilding, she nails plot, character, dialogue, and description with an ease I can only dream about.

The Times He Tells Her by ausland: I love this fic because it captures Sevmione in the most realistic way I can imagine. It’s my go-to happy fic.

I know I’ve already listed three, but I feel like I have to mention @olivieblake’s Not With a Bang (Chapter 15 of Amortentia). It’s the best one-shot that has ever been written. Go read it. Right now.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

SLBB: I think so. I’m inspired by gorgeous, lean prose, and since I’m always trying to improve, I try to emulate that style. I’m also inspired by the dedication of some of the authors out there (consider the length of their stories!) as well as how fast people can produce. It blows me away.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

SLBB: A few years now.

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

SLBB: No. I’ve thought about deleting my first fic, What Dumbledore Knew, but I never did. It needs revision and expansion. I never published it on ao3 (it’s just on ff), and I don’t plan to--until I revise it.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

SLBB: This piece is from Once, Now, and Forevermore, a Sevmione reincarnation story. (note: strong language)

497 AD Southwest Britain countryside

Mud.

His horse, his shield, his mail, his food, even his bloody squire were covered in thick, brown mud. The kind that felt as though it would never, ever come off. The kind that permeated the skin under his fingernails and blanketed the crack in his arse like nothing else could. The kind—should one be coated in it as often as he had been lately—that left him wondering where the mud ended and he started.

Fuck, he felt like his entire life was covered in it.

So was this what it was like to serve the mighty Pendragon? Days upon days of squire-boy errands while he and his war horse were encrusted in filth? When he was done, he was going to get clean. Very clean. And maybe indulge in some…company. Arthur wasn't going to be the only one getting warm on those bitter nights that would be upon them soon. Not that he wasn't made of stern stuff, it was simply that he had always believed he was meant for bigger things. Things more…grand than mud. More…eternal.

Lancelot huffed a dispirited sigh. Wherever did he get those notions? His latest errand was a journey to retrieve Pendragon's young bride, the eldest daughter of Leodegrance. As someone relatively new to Arthur's service, he supposed he should be pleased he had been chosen him to fetch the girl. It was an honour to do so, and while his brain knew this, his muddy arse did not.

He was tired, that was all. He'd had to travel all the way to Logres to retrieve the sweet little morsel, dammit. And he'd much, much rather be doing something else. Anything else.

Rumor was that she was pretty, Pendragon's bride, with brown curls and brown eyes; young but intelligent, desired by many a chieftain. It was a good match for Pendragon, consolidating his power. But no matter what the girl looked like, or how much the marriage solidified his position, he knew Arthur didn't want her.

There was only one woman Arthur ever wanted to bed; he wondered what Leodegrance's daughter would think of that. He also wondered if she would be enough of a beauty to change Pendragon's mind. He doubted it.

As he urged his horse over another sodden ridge, the thought of Arthur with Morgana turned his stomach sour. Brothers and sisters should never engage in…well, that was not for him to say. Besides, Cameliard had finally come view. It was the promise of a hot bath and a hot meal, in what appeared to be less than a day's ride. It was the best news his muddy arse had had in a while.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

SLBB: This snippet is from Watch Over Me.

"Trying to blend in with the furnishings, Miss Granger?"

Hermione had wandered away from the kitchen at his insistence that she not help. She had been standing near a curtained window in the sitting room looking out into the garden while he put the final touches on their meal. She turned. Severus was approaching her with two glasses of champagne in hand and a grand smirk on his face.

"Perhaps a few Gryffindor red curtains around here might help you see me better, Professor."

"I'm afraid if you believe you will ever see red in this home, you are quite mistaken. Besides," he said, handing her a glass, "I never fail to notice you."

"So you've said," she replied with a smirk of her own.

"So I've said," he echoed, coming ever closer. "Let me also say that you look stunning this evening. Green is definitely your colour."

"Perhaps it is the dress that has charmed you. Not me."

"Perhaps the thing to do is remove your dress. Then we could test your theory. I say you will still be stunning with the dress on my floor." He pulled her into a breathless kiss. "However, I do enjoy seeing you wrapped in green," he murmured as he broke the kiss.

"Perhaps you would also enjoy seeing me wrapped in something else?" she whispered.

"I would…" He bent and kissed her neck. "And I have a suggestion for what that might be."

She closed her eyes. "I'm sure you do."

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

SLBB: Technically speaking, Watch Over Me. When you write a time turner, you’re always thinking about continuity and Easter eggs. It can be exhausting. Exhausting but fun.

Emotionally speaking, however, Nightfall was the most difficult to write. There’s a scene in chapter one where Sev pulls Hermione outside and they have a short, difficult conversation on a stone bench. Let’s just say that I drew upon a real life experience to write it. And in, real life, my story didn’t turn out to be an HEA.

In general, it’s a challenge to write a Sevmione that is not a slow burn. How can you get those two together relatively quickly? What plot devices are plausible if you don’t want to write an epic? I think those are very interesting questions for Sevmione writers.

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

SLBB: As far as my multi-chapter fics, To Dwell on Dreams was by far the easiest. I find one-shots to be easier overall: Perfume (only on ao3), A Promise Kept, and Naming Her Secrets, as examples, were all finished fairly quickly.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

SLBB: That’s an incredibly hard question. I love all of them, for different reasons. I know what scenes within my stories are my favorites: the opening of Nightfall, Sev’s conversation with Myrddin (Merlin) in Once, Now, and Forevermore, and Sev’s argument with McGonagall in his kitchen in Watch Over Me. And I like how Perfume turned out, too.

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

SLBB: Don’t force yourself to write when you’re lacking inspiration. Don’t judge yourself by word count. (The story that Charles Dickens was paid by the word is a myth!) Before publishing, read your work in a different font, then read it out loud.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

SLBB: When inspiration is absent, just slug through it. Don’t use sentence fragments. Don’t start sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but’. Don’t use passive voice. Stick to the rules. *rolls eyes*

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

SLBB: Absolute quiet, or complete chaos. I can’t write if the radio is playing or if I can hear someone talking. Put me in soundproof room or at a rave, and I can write. I guess I’m just a person of extremes.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

SLBB: Depending on the story, I use MSWord or Scrivener for both outlines and copy text.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

SLBB: Most of the time, I write out of order. I start with crafting the scenes I can see, and they don’t necessarily come to me from start to finish.

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.*

SLBB: Oh, my first draft of anything is complete and utter garbage. Truly. I edit the snot out of things before sending it to my beta so she doesn’t feel the need to bang her head against a keyboard while reading it. Before posting, I’ll let it sit a day or two without looking at it, then I’ll read it out loud to see if everything flows okay. .

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

SLBB: I’m feeding plunnies for several multi-chapter fics, including a marauder-era fic focused on a relationship between Lily and Sirius (que the Howlers). I’m also planning a crack!fic called ‘Accio Soulmate’ where the crew purposely feeds Rita Skeeter false leads for the gossip section of the Prophet. My next one-shot will be a little Sevmione time travel PWP piece, and it will have all the smuts. And I mean ALL the smuts.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

SLBB: Sure--I have already. Hermione dies in the first chapter of Sickness. But there are so many flashbacks in the story that I still feel like she’s part of it.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

SLBB: I’ve been both strict and liberal with canon. I wrote What Dumbledore Knew to be canon compliant. It’s the story of Sev and Lily’s relationship during the first war. My goal was for it to be a plausible explanation for what could have happened between them. I hope it accomplishes that.

I think just that fact that I write Sevmione means that I have no qualms about veering from canon! In Once, Now, and Forevermore, they’ve been reincarnated several times. Yeah. I know.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?*

SLBB: There’s a scene in the DH movie when Severus has gathered the students is in the Great Hall and Harry shows up with the Order. As Sev and Minerva start to duel, not only does he refrain from attacking her (he only uses defensive spells), he takes out both the Carrows behind him right before he leaves. It’s a brilliant piece of story to add to the movie and gives us more of an insight into the complexities and motivations of Severus Snape.  

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

SLBB: Great question. I’d like to write a Sevmione MCL fic, and the plunnie is outlined--she’s just going to have to wait until Sickness is finished.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

SLBB: Both.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

SLBB: It would certainly be my first fic, What Dumbledore Knew. I naturally gravitate towards dialogue, and as a new writer, I’m sure I left out some descriptions that would have added depth to the story. It probably needs better scene transitions, as well.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

SLBB: I don’t think they are for me. I’m far too stubborn.

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

SLBB: Someone who won’t pull any punches--someone who will tell me where my story is boring, where it’s shite, where it’s good. Someone who will push me. I’m not afraid of good, constructive criticism from a beta.

My first beta contacted me on ff after reading What Dumbledore Knew and she pushed me--hard. She would send me links to writers blogs, suggest books to read, recommend fanfic...and we’d discuss what made the work great or not so great. She was fabulous. I guess I’m used to her method.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

SLBB: Oh, I’m the beta very few people want. Trust. If you need constcrit, I’m your beta. I will happily edit the crap outta something and push you to the next level--very kindly, positively, and with a ton of encouragement, of course. But I’m going to ask you tough, tough questions. Not many writers want that.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

SLBB: Sickness is a Dramione, where Hermione dies a few years into their marriage, leaving Draco lost and unable to cope. Astoria arrives with a plan to save his sanity. I’m also in the middle of writing the epilogue for Once, Now, and Forevermore.

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

SLBB: I haven’t yet. I have some awesome readers that tossed me ideas when Watch Over Me was in progress, and I incorporated as many of them as I thought would work with the flow of the story, but that’s the closest I’ve come to accepting one.

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

SLBB: I post most stories to both ff net and ao3, but I really like ao3. I find the readers there tend to be very interactive, and I adore that.

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

SLBB: *giggles* Oh, I love well-written smut more than anything. I love to read it. I love to write it.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?*

SLBB: I let my readers know what to expect in my a/n at the beginning of the work. Since some readers don’t look at the a/n, I’ll also warn my readers in a chapter note where the trigger appears.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

SLBB: Well, I think any writer prefers positive, encouraging feedback. I’m happy to receive conscrit, too, since sometimes my readers can see things that I can’t.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

SLBB: I don’t appreciate personal attacks. Criticize my fic if you feel the need to, but don’t attack me.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

SLBB: I have received a couple that have made me smile. One reader said Watch Over Me will be her “go to” fic from now on. That’s quite an honor.  

Here’s another one of my favorites:

“Ok. ok. Ok. I have read a lot of fanfiction- namely a lot of Snape/Hermione. This story has to be up there with my absolute favorites. Right up there with Care of Magical Creatures! I truly hope that whenever anyone, reader or writer- is on the hunt for a Severus/Hermione that story they come across this gorgeous one and take something from it they didn't have before, like I have. It was a privilege to have read this, I consider my eyes changed and my heart uplifted. Cheers!”

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

SLBB: I’ve gotten a couple. It’s the nature of putting your work out there, unfortunately. The first one I got was the worst, and it was pretty shocking...swearing and threats. Just awful. I was afraid to open emails from fanfic for a while.

Basically, the reader was angry that Severus still died in my canon-compliant story. After the shock of what he said wore off, I came to the conclusion that I had gotten the reader to fall in love with my version of Severus. I moved my reader to care, to become attached--and he got upset when the character met his fate.

Many thanks to Snapeslittleblackbuttons for taking the time out to answer all of our questions! Make sure to check her out here on tumblr, and on fanfiction.net! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

Dear Authors (and people of Tumblr), hopefully you will forgive us for taking such a long hiatus in the midst of our 25 Days of Christmas Author Spotlight. Life has been a little hectic, but we are back at it and can’t wait to celebrate the rest of our authors. So, without further ado ...

On the nineteenth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me ... ProfEvans! Find her here on fanfiction.net, on tumblr @profevans92, and read her interview below! 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter.

PE: When I was a kid, one Christmas I woke up Christmas Eve or morning with the chicken pox, so my family had to cancel our vacation to visit some family friends. That year, the first three Harry Potter books were under the Christmas trees for me! So, instead of our trip, my mom, dad, and I lounged around our living room and read the books. I had to read them in order, so I got them in order. My parents would hand over whichever book I was on if one of them was reading it. My dad though, he read them in almost backwards order I think. I was outraged and couldn’t fathom reading them that way! That was all it took, I read those three and I was hooked. I literally read them over and over again until the fourth book FINALLY came out.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

PE: My favorite character is Lily Evans Potter! I love her! But my favorite of Harry’s generation is Ginny. Both smart, passionate, hot-headed, red-headed witches ;) The last book is my favorite because it pulls everything together and is the end. I really enjoy endings for some reason, not sure why.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?PE: Divergent! I LOVE Tris! And Four, but mostly Tris!

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions? PE: Cookie baking: all my aunts and some of my cousins and I will get together to bake cookies, and we bake hundreds and hundreds. We start at like 8AM and go until around 5pm, and we listen to Christmas music while we bake and decorate.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

PE: I am a Mary Kay consultant and a gymnastics coach. I love both jobs as with one I get to empower women and make them feel beautiful and my other I get to teach 4-11 year-olds and shape them and help them grow stronger. My life pretty much boils down to make up, gymnastics, and Harry Potter!

General Fanfiction

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

PE: Jily! I am obsessed with James and Lily! I love that she’s this fiery, intelligent witch and he knew he loved her from the start and was willing to grow up for her.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

PE: I feel like I don’t have a muse. Or if I do it’s the characters themselves. Some of my ideas come from chatting with friends, but sometimes they just appear in my mind and it fits for what Hayden or Lily would do, so I have to include it. Or it’s something that’s so perfectly Sirius or James that I have to write it down.

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

PE: I do read fanfiction. I originally read stories that kind of inspired me to start writing and are very similar to my WIP multichapter story. But I’m branching out more and more with what I read and have definitely started reading things totally different from what I write!

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

PE: Definitely. It helps me figure out how I want to portray the characters in my own story. I always do research before writing about a new character!

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

PE: I started both reading and writing it in March of this year! I’m a total newb, but I find it enthralling!

Writing Process

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

PE: I do a bit of both. As a whole, I write it from start to finish. BUT, if I have a scene appear in my mind and I know what I want to happen or what people are going to say and how they’ll say it, I’ll write it whether I’m there or not. That’s part of how Fighting to Love, my main fic and WIP, ended up with an ending before I finished the first chapter!

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

PE: I’m strictly canon compliant. It makes it the most real to me!

That being said...I’m considering branching out a bit, but I’d need to have a really good story line or prompt to get me to actually do it.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?

PE: Honestly, Lily. And Lily and James. I love that she knew she was going to be targeted for being muggleborn and she fought anyway. She had intelligence and brains and could follow rules without an issue, but she was still fiery and able to fall in love with a major prankster. And I love that James was willing to grow up to earn her love.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

PE: For now at least, it’s a fun hobby. I could see it becoming a true passion eventually, but other things are still slightly more important or now

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

PE: My current WIP is Fighting to Love, which is also my only non-one shot so far. It’s marauders’ era, naturally, and features Jily (my OTP), BlacKinnon (Sirius and Marlene, whom I LOVE), and an original character!

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

PE: Yes! I’ve only received one so far, and some one-shot competition ones (that I have yet to finish on time to submit), but I’d gladly take more!

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic? PE: PE: Fanfiction.net, but that’s mostly because it’s the only site I’ve fully figured out so far!

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

PE: I like overall positive feedback, of course! But I’ll take anything!

Thanks so much to ProfEvans for taking the time to answer all of our questions! Be sure to look her up on Tumblr and check out her stories on fanfiction.net! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the seventeenth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Missandmarauder! Read her interview below and then find her work on fanfiction.net!

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter

MM: I have always been obsessed with reading, and I devoured all the books that had been published so far when I was in third grade. I have been a die-hard fan ever since, going to midnight releases (dressed up as Hermione, bushy hair and all), binge-watching all the movies when I’m sick, and finally falling into the fantastic black hole that is fanfiction this past year!

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

MM: Hermione is my favorite, since I relate to her so much. I felt like I was her growing up. I actually feel like her character helped me feel comfortable enough in my own skin that I could be myself growing up instead of feeling like being a bookworm-know-it-all-swot made me inferior in some way.

My favorite book would have to be Prisoner of Azkaban. I love seeing the Marauders back in Harry’s life! Remus and Sirius hold a special place in my heart, especially since I found fanfiction. And when Hermione punches Draco...what’s not to love?

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

MM: I stick with my old favorite, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine. I have read it countless times, and I still love it. I have all daughters so far, and I am so excited to read it to them when they get a little older.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

MM: I love putting up the Christmas tree with Christmas music blasting while my kids “help” (read: throw decorations everywhere and yell at me about my music choices). Seeing the magic light up in their eyes when we finally turn on the lights for the first time is always my favorite.

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

MM: Absolutely! Growing up, I tended to go overboard with holiday traditions and decorations. I’m a little more minimalistic in my approach now, but we still love talking about and celebrating each holiday. (Though my husband hates Halloween, so we don’t do much other than dress up and go trick-or-treating.) Christmas is by far our favorite, followed by Valentine’s Day.

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

MM: I have an active imagination and am very creative. I have way more hobbies, ideas, and projects than time to do them all!

I hate cooking. It is sad, because my husband and kids are ravenous beasts and would love having a wife/mom who actually enjoys cooking. I love baking, though! Hopefully that kind of makes up for it.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

MM: Sewing, scrapbooking, singing, playing the piano and saxophone, quilting, crocheting, photography, and baking.

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

MM: I dabble in poetry and children’s and young adult fiction, but I’ve never been published. I just enjoy having a creative outlet! I also blog here and there about my crafts and life as a young wife and mom.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

MM: I stay pretty busy with my kids! I am very pregnant with our third girl, and I am always up to my eyeballs in laundry, dishes, cooking, and playing with my sweet girls. Other than that, sewing is my favorite pastime lately. I love making clothes for my kids.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

MM: I like a lot of variety in my fics--both when I’m reading and when I’m writing. Twinfics (George/Hermione especially) make my heart happy like nothing else can, though.

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

MM: I would love to see more of the sweet world presented in one of Sara’s Girl’s fics, Helix. Do Harry and Draco take their kids back to see the phenomenon of the snails each year? Do they cuddle up in their magical tent in their old age and watch the snow fall? It’s beautiful as a standalone fic, but I wouldn’t mind exploring that world a little more and watching their future play out.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

MM: I just barely posted the first chapter, but I am really excited about The Littlest Lupin. James McAvoy would have to be Remus, but I haven’t written enough to have strong feelings about the rest! Emma Watson obviously couldn’t play young Hermione, but I’m sure we could find another cute, bushy-haired bookworm.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

MM: George and Hermione. I haven’t attempted one yet, since I don’t want to mess with perfection, but they would by my OTP if I had to pick one.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

MM: Music! So many of my ideas pop up while I’m driving in the car and listening to the radio. If I can find a song that fits the feeling of a specific scene or chapter, it is so much easier for me to write it! I also enjoy writing based on prompts or plunnies people have posted on tumblr. So many good ideas out there!

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

MM: So far I tend to write about the Marauders (plus one Drarry one-shot), but they are actually the characters I read the least. I love Sevmione, Dramione, twinfics, and a good Drarry every once in awhile. I read a huge variety, though, and often jump between ships each time I start a new one. I’ve even fallen into the new Death Eater trend...and I love it.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

MM: @justcourbeau has lots of fics with my favorite ship (George/Hermione) and my very favorite fic so far, The Injunction.

Kittenshift17 has a million amazing WIPs. I blame her for converting me to Death Eater fics. And her new Sirius/Remus/Hermione fic tears me apart with every update. SO good.

@shayalonnie has to get a spot on my list, even though I’m sure she’s many people’s favorite. I just really admire how every single detail is perfectly placed and planned. The way the past and present come together in two of her more popular fics, Debt of Time and Presque Toujours Pur, is just flawless. I admit I have to take breaks from reading her stuff after I finish one, because she really is the queen of breaking her readers’ hearts. But I mean that in the best possible way.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

MM: I already mentioned my favorite, The Injunction by Justcourbeau. It is everything I look for in a fic - George/Hermione, slowish burn, believable relationship, Marriage Law (one of my weaknesses), and just the sweetest romance ever! I love watching those two navigate life’s ups and downs.

Turn by Sara’s Girl - This one took me from “Ew, Drarry…” to “Yep, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what happened.” It is so amazing and painful and perfect to read at Christmas time. ;)

Care of Magical Creatures by Mia Madwyn - This one is my very favorite Sevmione fic, and it combines the beauty of magic and religion in a very unique way. The writing is very poetic, which I love. Plus it combines a marriage law, fluff, angst, and a HEA for the world's favorite Slytherin spy.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

MM: Yes, I think it does. Different tropes, relationships, or scenes will get an idea going (even if it's not closely related), and I'll find myself with inspiration for a new scene in one of my fics. Most of my inspiration comes from the world outside fanfic, though.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

MM: I started reading it about 6 months ago and writing a few months after that! (Though I found the very first fanfic I ever started, around age 11 or so, the other day. I must have started it while waiting for OotP to come out, because Hermione was Grandma Krum. Apparently I took next gen to the next level!

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

MM: No. I'm still too new to fanfic to have deleted anything.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

MM: This one is from Tattoos for Teddy.

Harry and Draco had both sought out positions in the Auror training program as soon as they completed their seventh year at Hogwarts following the final battle and a summer full of putting Hogwarts back to rights. A tenuous friendship had started between the boys when they were back at school, but it had taken Auror training to truly make them see how much they had both changed - and how much they cared for each other. They kept their relationship under wraps for a while, not quite ready to deal with the repercussions of revealing said relationship to the Weasleys, Hermione, Draco’s parents, and just about everyone else in the wizarding community. But time had helped them realize that their feelings weren’t going anywhere, and they had eventually decided to break it to both “sides of the family” as painlessly as possible. Draco had tagged along as Harry’s date to dinner at the Burrow, and Harry had shown up for Sunday brunch the next day at Malfoy Manor.

Everyone had taken the news surprisingly well. Harry had always been a bit oblivious in the ways of the heart, and he didn’t realize just how much he wore his feelings on his sleeve in true Gryffindor fashion. Even the Malfoys had suspected something might be going on when Draco moved out mysteriously soon after getting his Auror badge.

Now both of their worlds had merged into one, and Draco loved it. He loved getting a hideous Weasley pullover last Christmas with a large “D” worked onto the front. Molly had even seen fit to make it in Slytherin colors. He loved coming home to a man who made him crazy and bothered him to no end and made him happier than he’d ever been. He loved being able to look across the bullpen at work and watch Harry push his glasses further up his nose in concentration or brush the tangle of hair on his forehead away from his face in frustration. Really, he just loved everything about Harry.

Realizing that his sappy trip down memory lane was costing him precious work time, Draco smiled to himself and started flipping through his case folders. If he hurried he might even have time for a shower before bed.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

MM: This maybe shouldn’t count, since it’s one-sided dialogue, but I am really proud of these paragraphs with Hagrid. My beta told me that it truly sounds like Hagrid from the book, and that made all the work and research that went into this relatively small amount of talking worth it. This snippet is from The Man Inside.

The door swung open, and Hagrid blearily looked down at the bear of a dog and said, “Hello, there! Yeh look right starved, now, don’ yeh? Come on, now.” He turned, bumbling back into his one-room home, rummaging through kitchen cupboards while Padfoot sat near the hearth, enjoying the warmth, and waited. Hagrid turned to him with a large bowl of water and a huge steak.

Never one to let a beast go hungry, were you, Hagrid? Sirius thought before allowing Padfoot’s instincts to take over again, lapping zealously at the water before turning on the steak. He plopped down onto Hagrid’s wooden floor, feeling safe for the first time since everything had gone to hell.

“What’ll I call yeh, yeh big brute?” Padfoot ignored the half-giant, too hungry to stop gnawing away at the steak. He didn’t much care what Hagrid decided to call him, as long as he allowed him to stay. “Those’re some migh’y fine teeth yeh have, there. How ‘bout Fang?”

Padfoot gave a quick bark of consent before taking another enormous bite. Hagrid simply laughed, leaned down to scratch the dog’s ears, and went about getting breakfast for himself. When he was finished, he donned his Groundskeeper’s garb and pulled the front door open. “Care ter join me, Fang?” Padfoot dropped the steak bone he’d been working on and loped out the door into the sunlight, feeling content for the first time in days.

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

MM: Ironically, I am struggling the most with the one I started first, The Man Inside. I have written big chunks of the second half but am having a hard time deciding how I want to handle the storyline up to that point. It's getting there, though!

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

MM: My Drarry one-shot, Tattoos by Teddy, pretty much flew out of my fingers in one day. The Drarry relationship was surprisingly easy for me to write, and it didn't need a million plot twists and brainstorming sessions, since I didn't plan on making it anything more than a one-shot.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

MM: Since I only have one completed fic, Tattoos for Teddy, that is my favorite finished one. However, I am most in love with the storyline for The Man Inside. The whole “Fang is really Padfoot” thing is just the beginning. There is so much more in store for Sirius and a certain mystery woman down the line...

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

MM: Write a little bit everyday, and use writing prompts if you can't come up with anything on your own.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

MM: This isn't exactly writing advice, but it's what keeps coming to mind when I read this question. I once had a teacher (not English) tell me that he expected more from me when he saw a grade I got in my honors English class. The idea that writing needs to always be perfect really hurt my desire to write and my confidence in something I had previously enjoyed so much. Everything you write serves a purpose and is a learning experience, even if it's awful. All writing is worthwhile, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

MM: In a perfect world, my children would be asleep, I would have a hot mug of herbal tea steeping, and I would be listening to music for inspiration while I type away. A little bit of chocolate wouldn’t go amiss, either.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

MM: I do a pretty thorough outline of the events and scenes I want to cover for each of my longer stories. It may change, here and there, but it is nice to have a general idea of how the story is going to play out.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

MM: I seem to exclusively write out of order, which makes me a little crazy! I just write when the ideas come to me and put the chunks of the story that I’ve written in the right order. When I realize how many scenes I’ve written for the second half of The Man Inside, sometimes that helps motivate me to work on the current chapters!

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.*

MM: Usually the idea or a chunk of the chapter hits me like lightning, and I write it down with pencil and paper. When I have time, I transfer whatever I wrote to the Google Doc that I have going for that story. Usually that is enough inspiration to finish a complete chapter, so I write while the idea is still fresh in my mind. After that, I let it rest for a day or two and do my own editing. This usually includes adding a few more paragraphs where something is missing and fixing basic spelling and grammar mistakes. When I am satisfied with how the chapter looks, it usually goes to a beta for editing. I prefer to post after someone else has looked it over, but I will post a chapter that has only been edited by me if my betas are busy and make changes later, if necessary.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

MM: Too many! I am working on three or four that haven’t been shared at all yet. One of them is based very loosely on Beauty and the Beast. Harry and Voldemort both die in the final battle, but love saves the day once again...just not in the way anyone would have expected. Harry comes back to Hogwarts as a ghost with the knowledge that he can potentially be brought back to life by true love’s kiss. How will things work out when he falls for a certain Slytherin? (Inspired by Jon Bellion’s All Time Low)

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

MM: Yes, if it was necessary in the story. Death is a big part of life (and of the Harry Potter books, themselves), and it makes characters go through things in a way that nothing else can.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

MM: You know the whole EWE (Epilogue, what epilogue?) saying? Mine has largely become, CWC (Canon, what canon?). I love the Harry Potter books exactly the way they are, but fanfiction is all about exploring what could have happened. I don’t care if the fics I read are compliant or not, but most of mine are not compliant.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?*

MM: Sirius’ death has always been a sore point for me, and I think that is largely the reason my first fic is all about Sirius finally being able to get a happy ending.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

MM: I adore reading marriage law fics, so I definitely want to try one of those at some point when I have less fics in the works.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

MM: A little bit of both. It has been a dream of mine to be a published author since I was very young. However, at this point in life I am content to have it just be a fun hobby. My family is my main focus, and this is what I get to do in my free time.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

MM: I don’t really have older fics yet! I am still just a baby when it comes to fanfiction.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

MM: I am not good at group projects, since I am such a perfectionist. However, I love the idea of working on a story with someone who is like-minded and willing to put in the time and effort!

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

MM: Honesty, most importantly. The beta I have worked with the most, MammaWeasley27, is great at telling me every single thing she thinks would make the chapter better. She also tells me which parts are already working well. Other than that, I look for help with grammar and the general flow of the story.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

MM: I have done some beta work. I help with whatever the author needs from me! I am quite the grammar and spelling perfectionist, so that kind of editing comes easily to me. I also read for general flow and continuity of storyline, help come up with title ideas, etc. I’m willing to help with anything!

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

MM: The Man Inside - I am partway into writing Chapter 2 (the third chapter, including the prologue), and I already have so much written down the line. Moony is going to do something he promised he’d never do, Padfoot is going to fall in love, Wormtail is going to get caught (and escape later on), and there may or may not be other good!werewolves involved in Voldemort’s eventual demise. I don’t want to give away too much...is that vague enough for you? ;)

The Littlest Lupin - I just started this, and I am still deciding where I want to take it. The second chapter is about halfway done, and the Grangers are dealing with some bad news. When they realize picking a sperm donor (*cough* Remus *cough*) might be the easiest option for having the baby they’ve always dreamed of, they start the process right away. How will they cope when they realize their daughter seems gifted with something that looks an awful lot like magic? Will they ever tell her Mr Granger isn’t her biological father? And most importantly, how will Hermione react when she runs into a certain werewolf professor during her third year and puts all the puzzle pieces together?

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

MM: I adore prompts! Yes, yes, yes. I may be picky about which ones actually get written, but I am always game for new ideas!

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

MM: As of now, I only have my fics posted on fanfic.net. However, I am participating in the Q&P Christmas one-shot competition on Ao3, so it is likely my fics will start being posted there soon, too.

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

MM: I don’t really ever plan on writing it! Hopefully I don’t lose readers over that. There will still be plenty of romance, don’t worry.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?*

MM: I don’t have any big triggers so far, but I plan on putting them in an author’s note at the top of the first chapter and possibly at the top of affected chapters if it’s especially bad. So far my stories are pretty light.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

MM: PMs are great! Or if you found me on Facebook, message me there. I love making my work better, but finding a review that is only editing advice makes me sad.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

MM: As I said, if it’s only critique, I’d prefer to see that in a PM. I haven’t been flamed yet, but I imagine that would also not be fun to see! Other than that, I enjoy all ideas for future chapters (within reason), reactions to the chapter posted, how the person feels about the story in general...go wild! I love it all.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

MM: Yesterday one of my favorite authors reviewed The Littlest Lupin! It was a real review, too, not just, “Cool idea,” or whatever. I definitely grinned from ear to ear and fan-girled for a moment.

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

MM: The only “rude” reviews have been about perceived grammar/storyline issues, and I’m okay with that. If it ever gets to the point where they are attacking me or my writing (not just my editing skills), I will probably remove the review (if it’s a guest review) or PM the person to try to deal with the issue. I honestly haven’t thought about it too much, since it hasn’t been an issue yet. Hopefully people will continue to be kind or not say anything at all!

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the sixteenth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Olivie Blake! Find her work on fanfiction.net, find her on tumblr @olivieblake and read her interview below! 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter

OB: I was fond of fantasy books as a child (Tamora Pierce, Piers Anthony, etc.) and read voraciously (my stepdad and I had a lovely routine where he would take the batteries from my flashlight that I used to read at night and then I would steal them from some other electronic item in the house because I am Crafty Like That, and it would repeat like some ridiculous Groundhog Day scenario) and someone gave me the first book as a gift when I was probably 10 years old. I distinctly remember sniffing disdainfully - “What kind of name is Harry Potter? It’s a diminutive, not a name” - but I was hooked with shameful immediacy and I’ve never looked back.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

OB: I have a bizarre love for Draco Malfoy, though because it is so difficult for me to choose a favorite, I usually say Peeves the Poltergeist. While the series was in progress, Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite (honestly, probably because it has the least conflict, and Voldemort’s not even in it) but I reread the series every year or so and now I have to say Order of the Phoenix. At the time, I was just so furious on Harry’s behalf (and Umbridge, my god, what a monster) that it was unbearable, but now that I know things turn out well, it really does have some of the most memorable moments, i.e. the immortal line, “Give her hell from us, Peeves!”

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

OB: I really love short story collections, which is probably why I have one of my own; my favorites are “Fragile Things” by Neil Gaiman, “One More Thing” by B.J. Novak, and “How We Are Hungry” by Dave Eggers.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

OB: Now that I’m older, cooking. I make some deliciously indulgent holiday dishes.

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

OB: I love them. Halloween to Christmas is magnificent for me. I live in L.A. now, though, which is not much of a conducive place for the holidays. I used to live in Chicago, which was marvelous in terms of being Fantastically Aware that it was Christmas. Now I walk by the beach and think “ah, alas, what day is it?”

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

OB: I am steadfastly immovable when it comes to my principles. It is both a valuable strength and a paralyzing weakness; ask some of my employers.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

OB: I run and take TRX classes; I find exercise to be a good way to get my brain moving. I get my best story ideas in class, so, luckily, the instructor doesn’t mind when I run to scribble them down (he doesn’t mind because he can’t, because he’s married to me). I’m also a graphic designer.

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

OB: YES, THANK YOU FOR ASKING! I have a graphic novel coming out next week in conjunction with Little Chmura (@littlechmura) called Alpha (check it out at www.enter-alpha.com) and I also write an ongoing fiction piece for Witch Way Magazine (@witchwaymagazine) called ���A.U.” Lastly, I have two novels in the works. One is complete and undergoing editing, and the other is in the beginning stages.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

OB: Writing. Always writing. It keeps me sane. Or, more accurately, it serves as a platform for my crippling insanity.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

OB: Background political unrest. Underestimated heroine who nurtures a hidden dark side. Unexpected murder. Two people who hate each other fall in love. Plot twists punctuated by more plot twists, and unreliable narrators all around.

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

OB: I sort of did already - Youth, my Marauder fic, is meant to be a prequel to the Harry Potter series. But dear god, would the author of “The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Practical Magic” please write that damn sequel? If she doesn’t, I will. It’s been nearly four years! Get it together.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

OB: Tough. So very tough. Oddly, I find Nightmares and Nocturnes to be the most visually appealing in my head (the soundtrack! I die, imagine the soundtrack), but I doubt it would translate well to the screen. I’m going to go with Marked, and I have no idea who should play them. They’re sort of vaguely faceless in my head.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

OB: Oh god, Dramione, probably - though I write Jily so similarly to Dramione that it’s basically the same thing.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

OB: I think of my muse in the abstract; sort of a voice in my head who gives me a sharp poke every now and then, or when she’s feeling friendly, hands me ideas on a delicate silver platter and lures me to them. I daydream a lot. I find that if I can enter my own head for even a few minutes, something will almost always occur to me.

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

OB: I don’t read a lot of fanfiction. I do love one shots! I don’t have a lot of patience for long fics, so I love WIPs, also. I don’t sit and binge very often because I don’t usually have time for it. I have a very deep appreciation for things that are different from what I write, particularly different styles. I love to look at something and feel that rush of “this is someone’s very unique creation that I could never replicate.”

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

OB: Dr. Sally (@drsallysparrow) has the most breathtaking gift when it comes to prose. I want to slap her on a daily basis. She’s far and away my favorite author, and it helps that I snuck in and procured her as a best friend, volchitsa, sex knives associate, soup critic, etc. She’s mine now. But really, aside from who she is as a human (which is perfection), she’s an extremely talented writer. She’s exactly what I mean when I say I can appreciate someone who can craft something I can’t. It’s not meant to be self-deprecating - she is just that aware of her voice.

Galfoy (@heymanticore) is Dramione perfection. She can turn a phrase in such a magnificent way, and I envy it endlessly.

Elleaeterna, author of Revival, is an incredible writer. She’s on hiatus at the moment, but her writing has this incredible depth to it, and the characters are just flawless. As with all writers I admire, I hate her a bit. She’s spectacularly talented, and she is the closest thing to the magic of the books (the delicate balance of whimsy with seriousness) that I have ever encountered.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

OB: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Ginevra by drsallysparrow - a Gin’n’Tonic AU. It is the most unique fic on this wretched set of interwebs and it is stunningly poetic. Stupidly beautiful.

Same Old Love by midnightweeds is the Tomione I keep BEGGING PEOPLE TO READ. Seriously, read it. It’s outstanding. My favorite line of all time is from chapter 5: “She tried to imagine waking up to his face and knowing how he took his eggs or just how he liked his cock sucked.” It’s the perfect brush of vulgarity against a sentimental thought, and I treasure this fic.

Twice Marked by WL.Erkling, and its companion OS, Taming the Dragon. She does first person better than I’ve ever seen it, and I love the concept. The creativity. If you can’t tell, I love things that venture outside the norm while staying true to the canon qualities. But truly, I love these two, and they are so very underappreciated. It’s criminal. Read them. Love them. Join me!

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

OB: Oh, of course. I’m a human being, my brain processes things and spits them out in weird ways. My graphic novel plot was actually inspired by Jurassic World, of all things (hint, it has nothing to do with that - at all. Seriously. Not at all.)

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

OB: Almost a year! I discovered Isolation at Christmas last year, and started writing Clean the first week of January. Happy anniversary to me!

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

OB: Nope because they’re great. Just kidding! But I’ve only been writing for a year, so, nothing I need to delete yet. I don’t anticipate it at the moment.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

OB: The following is from chapter 10 of Nightmares and Nocturnes. I can’t explain why I’m proud of it, really? I just like it. It’s my favorite first kiss I’ve written.

Out of everything he had endured, she was the purest form of torture, and he felt himself shatter, twisted and contorted in the delicateness of her grasp, the moment her lips meant his.

I want this, he thought, take me, lay me to waste, confine me to rubble, let me amount to nothing but this -

There was a sureness about her, a certainty that belied the exquisite fragility of her movements; she leaned into him as naturally as she breathed and he drew her in, and she was in his arms, and he held her like he could draw time to a close - like he could force it, kicking and screaming in its petulance, to trap him in its clutches and pull the shades around them, so that he'd never have to fucking feel anything else but her lips against his.

It was slow melancholy, syrupy sweetness; between the pounding in his chest and rushing in his ears he abandoned his capacity to think, her hands traveling slowly up his arms and over his shoulders, coming to rest around the carved edge of his cheek. There was a thoughtfulness to their placement, a spirit of intention, like she'd looked at his face before and wondered what would it be like to touch him? and finally given in, shivering as the pads of her fingers brushed against the strike of his jaw.

He pulled her against him. Lay me to waste.

She pulsed and shimmered in his arms. Confine me to rubble.

Every touch an apology, every breath a request - let me amount to nothing but this - and he yearned, and he ached, and for every kiss in his life that had been born of greed and selfishness and petty craving, each one was left a laughing sin in the wake of this. Of her.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

OB: This was tough. I love dialogue. I settled on this bit, from Youth:

"So anyway, the name," Remus said loudly. "Surely you should call it something other than your 'mismanaged rebellion,' seeing as that's not exactly a favorable description - "

"The accuracy, though," James pressed, and Sirius nodded.

"Maybe something more accurate?" he suggested. "The Disorder of the Morally Right but Hopelessly Deluded - "

"How about the opposite?" Remus prodded, shaking his head. "The Order, maybe, of - "

"The Order," James cut in approvingly, his eyes widening. "The Order of - " he snapped his fingers, gesturing to Sirius. "What's an animal that represents us?"

"Octopus," Sirius replied solemnly. "Gloopy, and with tentacles."

"A lion?" Remus suggested. "The Order of the Lion?"

"Seems exclusionary in a way," James said, humming thoughtfully. "As if it's a Gryffindor-specific rebellion, you know?"

"True," Remus permitted, thinking. "What's something that would eat a snake?"

"A bird of prey," Sirius said instantly. "The Order of the Osprey."

Remus frowned at him. "You're really invested in alliteration, aren't you?"

"A phoenix," James interrupted, suddenly bolting upright. "The Order of the Phoenix, because - "

"Because we rise," Remus realized aloud, and then an awe-filled silence settled around them as they took in the meaning of the words.

"Because we rise," James agreed, and beside him, Sirius nodded.

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

OB: In terms of content? Nightmares and Nocturnes. I have to be in the right mood for it. But in terms of difficulty regarding feedback? Youth. It was deeply unpopular due to its pairings, which many people felt the need to inform me. In the end, though, it is far and away one of my favorites.

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

OB: Marked was emotionally very straining, but it came to me more naturally than I breathed, honestly. God, what a douche canoe thing to say, but I mean it. I wrote a nearly 200k word fic in three months. That damn thing wanted to be written and it clawed its way out.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

OB: Impossible to choose. I mean that. They’ve all taken something from my soul (again, I am such an utter wastebasket, I apologize for literally all the things I say) but in terms of what is the most personal to me: Marked.

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

OB: “Was this the simplest way you could have said this?” - to which the answer is sadly always “ack, no. Damn it.”

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

OB: I don’t think there is bad writing advice. Some things work. Some things don’t.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

OB: I go for a run or a walk first, listen to a carefully curated playlist, and then sit down at my computer for several hours, uninterrupted.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

OB: Not really. I make notes of dialogue that help me direct the chapter I’m working on. I also like to decide on the chapter title before I start writing, as it’s usually the theme of the chapter. Keeps me on track.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

OB: All the occasions I have written out of order have come back to bite me, furiously, and with venom. I will write snippets of future scene, but I write in order, having paid the price (i.e. spending twice as long to make a scene fit than I would have if I’d just written it in the right order).

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.

OB: Write in Google Docs, comb through and edit (I usually add anywhere from 500-1,000 words during this process), edit one more time, transfer to FFN editor, read a third time for grammar/punctuation, then post. Then I usually read it again after it’s been posted, just to make sure.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

OB: Someone asked me for a Nottgrass-centric long fic, which I am hesitant about (my Theo is really better as a side character) but if I do it, it will be based on the plot of the Swan Princess, wherein Theo and Daphne are engaged from an early age and hate each other as children only for them to fall in love later and he has to rescue her from a curse. Specifically, a swan curse. But other than that, I am currently writing all my ideas.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

OB: I have, and I would again. Where necessary, of course.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

OB: I’m either canon compliant or wayyyy AU. For reference, see: Ride or Die (Draco is in a bike gang) and Nobility (the Tudors, basically, only with HP characters).

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?

OB: I love Draco, and he’s never complete for me without Theo. Those two - I can write a dialogue scene between them at any given time.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

OB: Mm, none come to mind.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

OB: As I’ve said, it’s something I do to stay sane. I try not to harp on this but I was diagnosed with bipolar 5 years ago and for 4 of those years I was pretty heavily medicated. I wrote a book during that time (that I didn’t do anything with) so I suppose I have always felt compelled to write in a passion-driven sort of way, but that novel is nothing compared to what I’ve written since stopping all prescription drugs. I can’t imagine how I would survive without writing. It’s the creative outlet that helps me channel the absolutely unparalleled disaster that is my brain into something that other people can appreciate, and that makes me feel like I have a purpose. Fanfiction saved my life in January. I hate to make light of that, but, you know, if other people will gain something from it, so be it. I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t function and I was feeling vaguely Devoid of Meaning, and I started writing to soothe my twitchy little demons. The people who read my work - who gave me a reason to keep writing, and thus gifted me a purpose, and a calling - saved me. So, is it passion or hobby? Neither concept is quite enough.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

OB: Clean. It’s a good story, but I’ve come a long way since then. It finds its footing about 10 or so chapters in.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

OB: Sally and I collaborate often, and we’re great at it. But it’s usually epistolary format, so it’s more a plot collaboration than a writing one.

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

OB: I don’t. Writing is a craft. It’s my job to perfect it, and while I do need help every now and then if I’m low on time, I would not deign to call myself a writer if I did not consider myself to be fully responsible for the quality of my output. Alpha readers, though - good lord, I’d die without Sally. But it’s my job to police the quality of the construction of my writing.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

OB: When asked, yes. And I’m a picky one.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

OB: Nightmares and Nocturnes - a dystopian, Voldemort Wins Dramione AU in which Draco happens upon a nearly incoherent Hermione, held captive seven years after losing the Battle of Hogwarts. He takes her in, but due to psychological trauma (not physical - nobody who has her knows who she is, and this is important to the plot), she can really only speak to him in retold fairytales. It’s a dense read, highly allegorical, sort of an archaic style, but one of the more beautiful things I’ve crafted.

Nobility - set in a Tudor-esque world where Pansy and Hermione are rivals for both the throne and the attention of the king, Tom Riddle - that is, until Pansy takes up with the roguish Duke of Grimmauld, one Harry Potter, whose very presence threatens to rip the kingdom in two. Hansy, Tomione, though will end (a long way down the road) in Dramione.

Ride or Die - Dramione Muggle AU. Draco is a Death Eater, a biker gang, and Hermione is a surgical intern. There’s some outside forces at play that keep both of them in constant danger. Forbidden love, forbidden love, forbidden love, amen.

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

OB: Technically, no? But sometimes people ask me for things and I am compelled to give them. So I lied. The answer is yes.

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

OB: Visually I prefer FFN, but I use both that and AO3.

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

OB: That’s what I’m here for, bitches. Just kidding. No, I’m kind of serious. I’m all for great writing, but if it comes down to fanfiction or a long list of the books I still want to read, I’m going to pick the one with sex. And if there’s no sex, then the book. You know what I mean?

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?

OB: I give one upfront warning, and I’ll usually mark a chapter if it’s NSFW, but otherwise I think they can get in the way of the story.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

OB: I really love reviews that take the time to reflect on what’s happening. Even something like “this was really sad” or “I liked this relationship” helps me figure out how to set the mood of the next chapter, and helps me identify what people are enjoying or what they’re tired of. Doesn’t mean I’ll necessarily listen, but in terms of helpfulness, knowing the mood of the reader at the end of the chapter is key.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

OB: I don’t love it when people soften criticism with “lol,” (lol) and I do find it a bit difficult to stomach when people argue with a listed pairing (“please don’t make this Dramione” on a story that is clearly tagged Dramione). It is bothersome when people don’t read author’s notes as well, particularly when the review asks a question that is answered in the a/n. But, in general, I’m just happy people are reading. I’m never going to complain (out loud, anyway).

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

OB: I’ve got a bunch of them. Check out my Review Hall of Fame on my FFN bio page. Seriously, they’re hysterical. My favorite one recently, though, requires some backstory: I’ve already mentioned that Youth was unpopular (it had approximately 1% of the readership of its Dramione sequels, Clean and Marked) and many people have been very (unsettlingly, and disappointingly) open about the fact that they won’t read it because of their feelings on the pairings. However, I got this review, and I about died of happiness:

"I've never been one to read Marauder era fics, but I think EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS PLANET needs to read this story. I don't give one single iota of a fuck if this isn't your ship or your era. IT'S OFF-THE-FUCKING-CHARTS INCREDIBLE." - BeanerWeasley

So yeah. Youth Redemption Tour 2016!

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

OB: I’ll vent to a friend if I need to get it off my chest, but mostly ignore them. I didn’t write it for them. I didn’t even really write it for me - I wrote it because the story evidently wanted to be told, and I’m just the unlucky conduit. So what’s a negative review, in the end? A bummer, I guess - but at the end of the day, I’m lucky to have people who will read my silly stories, and I never, ever forget that.

Thanks again to Olivie Blake for taking the time to answer all of our questions and give us a glimpse into her writing style! Make sure to check out her writing and find her on tumblr! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the thirteenth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... MammaWeasley27! Read her interview below, look her up on fanfiction.net and then find her on tumblr @mammaweasley27! 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter

MW: So, when I was little (for reference I was 7 when the first book came out in America) I had a best friend named Jessica who lived down the street. One day, she came over after school and she had this brand spankin’ new book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. We both laid down on my bed and she read one page while I read the one facing it. I was hooked -partly off the sheer magic, party because my best friend liked it. Of course, I ended up more obsessed with it than she did, so I think it was mostly JKR’s writing. ;)

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

MW: I can't say I have a favorite character - I have favorite characteristics from many characters. However, I adore Luna - she’s probably as close to a favorite as I can get. She's unique, forgiving, loyal, brave, smart, funny (although unintentionally), and always treats others with dignity and respect.

My favorite book is probably Prisoner of Azkaban, because who doesn't love Time Turners and Sirius Black? Plus there's human to animal transformation and werewolves.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

MW: You might as well ask which of my kids is my favorite. Honestly, it depends on the day. But I'll love Romeo and Juliet (no, not it's not technically a book) forever and a day.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

MW: Baking. Eating good food. Watching movies with my mom and sisters (one of my daughters is named after a character in Elf, if that tells you anything). New Christmas pj's the night before. Basically anything that has to do with spending time with my family.

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

MW: Like isn't a strong enough word. From October through January the second is my favorite time of the year: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and basically my whole family has birthdays then (except the baby who shares one with Fred and George).

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

MW: Hmm. One of my strengths - according to my best friend - is being able to speak my mind; I'm pretty blatantly honest about what I'm thinking. It's probably also my weakness, though, because sometimes I don't have the necessary delicacy in my deliverance that is required for a specific situation/person. I really try to be aware of this, though.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

MW: Obviously I write, but I also bake/cook, sketch/draw/paint, play piano and guitar, and sing. I used to write music and poetry. I also have a passion for all things pregnancy/birth/postpartum related; I’d love to become a midwife one day.

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

MW: I'm working on a book right now, but it's on the side - my main focus is the fanfic writing. The book is sort of a “future” thing. Kinda intangible at present. My mom and I have talked/joked about writing children’s books together with me illustrating.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

MW: I chase after my three little girls, cook an inordinate amount of pasta, and drink cup after cup of hot tea. And window shop at Target.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

MW: Apparently I write fluff - who knew? I certainly didn't, but there you have it! It would have a strong lead female character, a dashing - yet thoughtful - leading man, witty dialogue, a dash of drama, and a realistically happy ending. And probably some tasteful smut. It's not all I write, but it's what tends to come out 80-90% of the time.

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

MW: I don’t know if there is one I would want more of, at least in that capacity. However, there are quite a few fics - abandoned or WIP - that I would love to see finished so I could binge read them. Lol

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

MW: I thought I knew what I would answer for this, but it's changed. I would want my Tale of the Beetle Jar to be filmed, but not just what's written - everything I have in my head and in many various Google docs.

Obviously Scarlett Byrne would play Pansy, Emma Watson would play Hermione, Julie Walters would be Molly Weasley, Bonnie Wright would be Ginny (probablymaybe), and Daniel Radcliffe would be Harry. Everyone else I'm still figuring out.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

MW: I can't pick! This is a horrible question. My favorite OTP changes all the time. Like right now I'm really digging Jacobeenie, but I don't know if I'd want to write that for the rest of forever, despite how adorable they are together. I need variety. It’s the spice of life, after all.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

MW: Music. Real life situations. Relaxing. A good road trip by myself with loud music almost always helps me along if I've got writer’s block.

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

MW: I almost think it's a requirement to read fanfiction as well as write it, because I’ve found it's almost impossible to do one without the other. My reading selection is - at least I like to think - pretty varied. There are people out there who can create whole worlds that I would never be able to breach, and I'm comfortable enough in my own skin to just sit back and appreciate someone else’s genius.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

MW: It's so hard to just pick three, but I did it.

Kittenshift17 (@captain-kittenwolf17)- I. Am. Obsessed. Or possessed, depending on how you choose to look at it. I had heard the name thrown around, seen her post previews on some of the pages I’m on, but I didn’t really sit down and read anything until recently. That one choice got me started down the road of binge-reading everything she’s ever written. Too bad life gets in the way.

@shayalonnie - I forget exact what fic lead me to her in the first place - it was either PTP or DoT. I was hooked. I love her characterizations. Especially Sirius and Remus.

@freya-ishtar - My Death Eater fic habit was started because of something she wrote. So I guess this shout out goes to @canimallow as well, as she was the original creator of the Mage series of fics. Also, I'm kinda in love with Orias.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

MW: Blindness by AngelaStarCat - The writing. Holy shit. The descriptions of how Harry experiences the world are just… awe-inspiring. I just discovered this gem the other day, and I’m obsessed. I’m not even halfway through and I’m sad it’s almost over.

Just One of the Guys by remuslives - This was my first ever Fremione, and I haven’t looked back since. It actually helped inspire Tale of the Beetle Jar. I love the way they interact, and watching their relationship bloom was the best.

Get Busy Living by @bluecurls8 - I love the whole “series” of this fic. Show Me is just as good, and utterly delectable, just like the parent fic. I can't get enough of either, despite them being finished.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

MW: Yes. Absolutely. I have this horrible habit of getting too invested in fics and when you add my weird empathetic gift, it can get ugly quick. I have to be careful reading angsty fics or really dark ones because it affects me so much.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

MW: I just started reading it in the beginning of 2016. Up to that point I was a canon snob, and I looked down on fan fiction (sorry!). I HAVE SEEN THE ERROR OF MY WAYS! Please forgive me, and for Merlin’s sake, don't take away my membership pin! Lol

But…. I've been writing it for a while. Not really on purpose; my friends and I used to do online tag team/RPG story writing, and we would make up worlds and plots and characters. Sometimes those worlds would be Hogwarts or Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Children. So, yeah, I guess I've been writing it since about 12 years ago. There was a massive stretch in the middle, though, with no writing. It was a sad time.

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

MW: Nope! I haven't and I don't ever plan to. I know how much it sucks when an author takes down a beloved fic. Doesn't matter how valid the reason, it always hurts.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

MW: Hermione checked her lipstick in the mirror for the third time that night. She still wasn’t sure how Ginny and Luna had been able to convince her that she could pull off the deep berry color that she was currently fretting over, but they had. It kept drawing her eye, especially since she never normally wore more than mascara. And now look at her: bronze eyes and berry lips. It was too much! She felt overdone, like a child playing in her mum’s makeup, but they had sworn she looked drop-dead gorgeous when she had sampled it the other day at the new beauty shop in Diagon Alley. She had handed over her galleons before she could truly take time to consider it, and now, here she stood, panicking in her bathroom. She was terrified it was going to rub off onto her teeth or something else decidedly not sexy. Supposedly it was spelled with a twelve-hour sticking charm, but she was skeptical; magic and beauty products were two things she still wasn't completely comfortable mixing.

That's the first scene of Tale of the Beetle Jar, and it just flowed from my fingertips. I had it so cemented in my head, it was almost like reviewing the memory of a movie I'd watched. All I had to do was get the words right.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

MW: Hmmm… I'd have to say either the bit with Ginny, ‘Mione, and the muffins,  or Sirius’s innuendos in the cafe. Both from A Sirius Misunderstanding, however I'll only show one:

"Who is it?" she called, resting her aching forehead on the cool wood.

"Me, Ginny. Obviously. Who else would try to hunt you down by Muggle means when you've closed off all other options? Now open up! I brought coffee and muffins from the shop 'round the corner!"

"Gin, you know I'm trying to lose weight! Why do you tempt me so?" Hermione moaned, her tastebuds already dancing at the thought of the sweet muffin, fresh out of the oven. She'd much prefer that over the stale, quasi-cardboard that was the dry, whole wheat toast she had been planning on making herself to accompany her unsweetened grapefruit juice.

"If you don't open this door right now, I'll be forced to eat them both myself."

Hermione's shoulders dropped, but she quickly unlocked the door and stood aside for her friend to enter.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Ginny asked, thrusting a brown paper bag into Hermione's eagerly waiting hands. "You are wearing knickers under that shirt, right?"

Hermione chuckled, walking back down the short hallway towards her kitchen. "Do you honestly think I would answer the door without at least knickers on? What kind of guileless hussy do you take me for?" she asked incredulously as she set the bag on her cafe style table and pulled out the contents.

"Oh, my god. I don't know if I hate you, or love you." Hermione gasped, her eyes sparkling as they feasted upon a pair of her favorite cranberry citrus muffins with orange glaze. They were seasonal. She didn't wait for an invitation before she plucked up one of the still-warm muffins and promptly began eating.

I love this bit because of how it shows off the depth of Hermione’s relationship with Ginny. Their closeness and comfortability with each other.

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

MW: A New Normal. I got way too caught up in the school aspect and basically wrote it day to day, not wanting to ship time. Thank god only the first bit was ever posted, so I have the ability to go back and heavy edit.

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

MW: The Tale of the Beetle Jar has basically flown from my fingertips. It's been amazing (You guys have only seen the OS, but this story is an iceberg).

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

MW: It's probably a tie between A Sirius Misunderstanding and Tale of the Beetle Jar. Or that Bellatrix one that hasn't seen the light of day yet...

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

MW: Years ago I heard something along the lines of “the best writers write what they know,” and it stuck with me.

Also, write. Just write. A word, a sentence, a paragraph, a bullet point list - I don't care. But write something. If you don't make use of the gift you have, it will atrophy and die just like a muscle.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

MW: Hmm, I'm not sure. Probably something my college Comm1 professor said. Bitch hated me. Always told me I wrote too slow (I'm dyslexic and she wouldn't give me extra time for assignments). That was the only class I've ever gotten anything less than an A in; I got a D - she told us at the beginning of the semester “If I don't like you, I'll make sure you fail.” I got a worse grade than the guy who spelled “rough” as “ruff.” Not exactly advice, I know, but it definitely was a lesson that there are those out there that will come after you to tear you down, no matter what you write.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

MW: Alone. Headphones in with music turned down low. My kids sleeping or something so I don't have to worry about them wreaking havok. Sitting cross-legged in the comfy blue armchair in the living room. A mug of green tea with jasmine and lime. Just enough light in the room that I can see the keys, but not so much that there's glare on the screen.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

MW: Eh, sometimes. I try to keep up with important details (dates, ages, basic summary of each chapter) in their own document, but I find it's the minute details that I always refer back to chapters later and then I have to scour until I find the original mention. Very annoying.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

MW: I try to write start to finish, but sometimes I feel a scene with such depth that it would be stupid not to write it down, even if I don't get to use it for a while - if ever.

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.

MW: I'm anal (lol). I write the chapter, reading/editing each time I open the doc. Then I add my betas - if I have any - so they can begin editing. I edit again after the betas are done. Then I put it in the doc manager and give it a final read through and last minute edit.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?*

MW: Um, probably about 20-30, and working actively on about 10-15. I'm pretty sure I low balled those numbers, too. I find it's easier to beat the writer’s block on my main fic if I don't have anything else straining to get onto the page, so I end up writing a lot. Usually it's just a plot overview and a couple paragraphs, but still.

Which to share? Hmm… I’m working on a Newtmione, where Hermione gets sent back in time because of a creature. It’s gonna be fun. No word on when I’ll start posting, though.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

MW: Absolutely. It really just depends on if it will further the story.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

MW: I'm a bit of an oxymoron about this. I like things to be as canon as possible, but that excludes the things I feel like changing. Usually the things I take issue with are lives lost in the series. And the epilogue. And Cursed Child just doesn’t exist to me. Everything else I try to stick to canon.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?*

MW: I don’t know. I’ve never really considered that idea… I can't really say there's one thing above all others that inspires me. Maybe when they're in the Department of Mysteries. There's so much potential there.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

MW: I'd kinda sorta love to write a creature fic. There are good ones out there, but there are so many that just don't quite fit what I look for in a fic. I'm a really picky reader; if something doesn't scratch the itch I have, I’ll invariably end up writing it myself just so I can get some peace.

As for something I would never write: mpreg. Just, no.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

MW: A bit of both. It a a fun hobby and my mommy zen time, but I would also love to be able to do this for the rest of my life (and get paid for it) because I honestly can’t see my life without it. I’ve gone a few years without writing almost daily, and there’s a stark difference in my happiness between the two.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

MW: Face the Choice. I really like it, and it has so much potential, but I don't think I thought the plot out well enough. There are only a few chapters on FFN, but I've basically got it finished on my laptop.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

MW: It works for some people, but it really isn't for me. I can get kinda stubborn and bitchy, and when I have an idea I get set on it and will not back down until it's exactly as I imagined, or as near as I can get it. There’s only really ever been one person I can collaborate with, and she doesn’t write fan fiction (yet - I’m trying to convert her).

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

MW: Someone who not only helps me catch my dyslexic mistakes, but helps make sure my punctuation is correct, the plot flows, and everyone stays in character (as much as possible).

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

MW: I do! I actually do a lot more beta work than writing. I love editing. Love it. I'm slow, but thorough - at least I hope so. I try to be as helpful as possible. I'll assist with whatever the writer needs: research, read-throughs, grammar, spelling, making sure things are canon.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

MW: Hmm, well, there's a Sirimione, a Ronsy/Fremione, a Newtmione, an Artholly, a Bellatrix-centric Death Eater fic, one about a bakery, a new Dramione idea that's been niggling in the back of my brain… those are just a small handful of what I've got going on.

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

MW: If they strike my fancy, sure.

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

MW: Up until just a few days ago, the only site I'd ever posted to was FFN. But I think I'm finding I like AO3 more (I'm kinda geeking out over having to code my own format - I haven't done that in years!).

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

MW: Love smut, but tasteful smut. Some fics call for it, some don't, and that's okay - doesn't mean the smutless fic is worth any less. I like it when it furthers the story, not just for its own sake. I get bored with PWP fics because they’re just as unrealistic as actual porn. I’ve been finding I have trouble writing it, though (despite the fact that it used to be 80% of what I wrote).

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?*

MW: I don't. Yes, I know people have triggers, as I have some myself, however, I don't think it's right to spoil the fic by alerting all and sundry that “something is going to happen in this chapter, and this is roughly/exactly what it is.” That isn't real life. You don't get a warning that something bad is going to happen; it just happens. General warnings are okay. As long as a fic is labeled and tagged properly, I really don’t see the need for triggers.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

MW: Pretty much any and all. Oh, you see I missed a comma, or got the letters mixed around in “assumed,” please, let me know. I'm a perfectionist, and mistakes kill me. Especially if they've been sitting up there for the public to see for God knows how long. I know I’m human, but still. However, don't be an asshole reviewer, and don't tell me that I didn't write things the way you wanted them written; it's not your fic, and I'm not writing for you.  

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

MW: I love reviews that speak to me on a personal level - talking about themselves and how I've reached them through my writing, asking about how I've been - or reviews that call out their favorite little details of the chapter. Those are the best.

As for don't like, see everything after “still” in answer 47.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

MW: McGonagal’sCat and LadyEvora leave me the best reviews on A Sirius Misunderstanding. And recently olivieblake reviewed my Q&P competition piece. It was awesome. :D

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

MW: I've gotten exactly one bad review (remember, I'm super new), and I made an author’s note to address them since they just guest’d out on me. I tried to answer their question without getting upset and bitchy.

There was also someone who told me that since I had two fics “on hold” and the other was just a WIP, that I should “finish a fic and then [she] would read” my stuff. That made me pretty mad. Still, I just ignored her. That one hurt, though, because I very blatantly explained on my bio page why those fics are on hold, and she didn’t even care to check. Sometimes life happens, and we don’t owe our readers explanations - like in this case my granny died, and I was suffering from depression. Writing on these fics just brought up the memories.

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the twelfth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Lavonnallama! Read her interview below, check out her fics on fanfiction.net, and then find her on tumblr @lavonnallama! 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter:

LL: I was ten years old when I met and gave my heart to Harry James Potter. He was a boy of 13, with unruly hair and bright green eyes that were soulful and inimitable. When the librarian at my small community library introduced us, he was in the middle of being stalked by a murderer who turned out to be his innocent godfather. We’ve been going steady ever since. We recently celebrated our 16th anniversary.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

LL:  I love Severus Snape as a character. He’s complex and multifaceted, neither a good nor a truly evil man. He’s a bastard but ultimately serves the greater good. He’s a real joy to explore in fanfiction, full of contradictions and possibilities. I also love Hermione. She was the one I identified with growing up. The studious bookworm who had trouble making friends, who excelled in her classes and really took joy in learning. Now, as an adult, I love to explore everything else she has to offer in fanfiction. My favorite book is probably the third. It’s the first I read and it holds a very special place in my heart.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

LL: Outside of HP I love Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. Or The Graveyard Book. Really anything by Gaiman.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

LL: At Christmas? I really love setting out my nativity. It was painted by my grandmother, given to my mother, and then passed to me. I also really enjoy giving the 12 days of Christmas to a neighbor anonymously. It’s a tradition my husband brought with him from his family and it’s a lot of fun.

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

LL:  Absolutely I do.

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

LL:  I feel as if I am fairly opinionated. I argue my point beyond the call of discussion, until I’ve thoroughly irritated whoever I’m debating with, and it usually leaves a sour taste in their mouths. Sorry! And a strength… I think I’m fairly kind. At least I try to be. I love helping people, love supporting them. I’m not always awesome at it, but I try. So maybe tenacity is my strength.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

LL:  Aside from fanfiction, I dabble in photography occasionally, I read, I sometimes cross stitch, and I’ve recently taken up drawing, which I’m really bad at.  

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

LL: I once wrote a middle grade novel. Never published and needs major revamping. I rarely write original fiction anymore. Maybe one day I will again. I do write journal entries though.  

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

LL: Caring for my two little ones. Managing the house. Attending births (I’m a doula). Watching Netflix.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

LL: Romance, some darkness, lots of dialogue.

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

LL: I’d give Glitterally’s The Bespoke Witch a sequel, because I am dying for more. I’d much rather she write it though.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

LL: The Heir. It’s my baby right now. Emma as Hermione, but I’d change out the wonderful Alan Rickman for Adam Driver.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

LL: SNAMIONE. SS/HG. SEVMIONE. SEVERUS/HERMIONE. They are my OTP forever and ever Amen.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

LL: Not really. Ideas just kinda occur to me. I’ll be watching or reading something and then think, “Gosh, I really wish these two characters would screw already.” And then I’ll start imagining how they might get to that point. Or I’ll think, “OMG! Pride and Prejudice and Potter! What would that look like?” And my brain will go crazy.

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

LL:  I do, and both. I haven’t been reading as much lately, but when I do I enjoy well written non-canon pairings of many genres.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

LL: @shayalonnie, @canimallow, and Glitterally. Not only are they all incredibly kind, accessible, and insanely talented writers, they are also magnificent story-tellers. They have a way of weaving stories that suck you in and completely captivate you. I aspire to write at their levels some day.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

LL: The Debt of Time, The Bespoke Witch, Care of Magical Creatures, And Strange Love. I know that’s four, but they all have amazingly good plotting, foreshadowing, writing, vivid characters, and incredible dialogue.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

LL: I think so. I’m not sure I could pinpoint how. If something sticks out to me about what is working in another author’s fic style wise, I think I subconsciously try to emulate that. And I know that some of the thousands of fics I have read over the years have undoubtedly sunk into my soul, so I’m sure they are manifest in my writing.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?I

LL: I discovered fanfiction at about 13, and started writing at 14. And because I love you all, here is a link to my first completed fanfiction from 2004… complete with really terrible accents, 14 year old grammar and just a truly awful plot. http://hprealm.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=fan&action=display&num=1075168949

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

LL: I have. It was abandoned, and I didn’t want people stumbling onto it and being disappointed.  

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

LL: This is a really hard question. I generally don’t love my prose, but I love plotting Hermione, so here you go.  “She waited in the dark, her wand trained on the wooden door leading into their sitting room. She had exhausted her supply of tears nearly an hour before, and had focused her energies almost immediately on solutions. The problem, as she saw it, was that her husband had the unfortunate tendency to underestimate her and the heinous power to enforce his opinions. The only way to solve the predicament was by force, and Hermione knew she was quite capable of what she had planned.”

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

LL: “‘I am not a good man,’ he said when he spoke again, ‘You were not bound to some lily-white prince who abhors violence and will not stoop to defend what is his. I am a Death Eater, Hermione…’ And he could not seem to force himself to say more than that because his voice trailed off and he closed his eyes, leaning forward slightly to rest his forehead against hers.” I like it because it makes me feel something when I read it. <3

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

LL: I have really struggled with the Heir. It flows and ebbs and sometimes I just can’t look at it anymore, while other times I have to, HAVE to write. I’m sure I’ll say the same thing about When Strangers Dance once I pick that one up again though.

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

LL: Dove was so much fun. Didn’t take me too long, and I felt like it was a complete story that also made me feel things.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

LL: The Heir is definitely the one I have been most passionate about. :)

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

LL: Read it aloud after you’ve written it. :)

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

LL: Any hard and fast rules. There are no rules! Write what sounds good, what FEELS good.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

LL: Sitting on my couch, a mug of hot cocoa cooling beside me, empty house, one of the HP soundtracks playing in the background.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

LL: I use Scrivener, where I keep all my character notes, outline, research, etc.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

LL: Start to finish. I can’t bring myself to write out of order. Writing a story for me is a lot like reading one. I see it as it’s happening and just transcribe it for others to follow along.

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.

LL: I sit and write the whole thing, hopefully in one go but more likely over a week or so. I send it off to the beta and then read it aloud after she sends me back her edits, making adjustments she has suggested or adjustments that occur to me as I read.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

LL: Three off the top of my head. The one I’m really excited about is a postwar AU Dramione. It’s another pureblood!Hermione and will have her basically living with the wizarding equivalent of victorian values.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

LL: YES.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

LL: I pick a point where I want to diverge. Before that point in the series, I am strict about canon compliancy. After that point, things differ wildly. In the Heir, that point is the night Hermione casts the spell that reveals her parentage. In When Strangers Dance, it’s right before Sirius was killed. I definitely do a lot within canon though. I have my own take on it. So maybe my answer should be “Canon can bite me”?

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?

LL: Snape’s memories. <3

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

LL: Werewolf mate!

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

LL: Both. The all consuming passion has waned as I have discovered other passions, but it’s still there. <3

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

LL: This Living Hand, a Sevmione I removed from FFN for being abandoned. I would finish that sucker if I ever got inspired by it again, and then I would edit the hell out of it.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

LL: They are so fun! It’s not how I prefer to craft a story, but it’s a great hobby, and I can direct you to some Heroes collab fiction I wrote in college if you’re interested.

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

LL: Excellent grammar, kindness, an interest in the story I’m writing.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

I’ve tried. I’m a slow beta. I’m more a large picture beta. Not excellent with punctuation, but if something sounds funny I know and can give alternatives.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

LL: The Heir is so close to done, but is still a WIP. Dark Sevmione. It’s my baby at the moment. Then I have When Strangers Dance, a humorous Sirimione loosely based on Cinderella. <3

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

LL: I will gladly listen, but I can’t guarantee I’ll write them. I’m more likely to if I ask and it’s just drabbles I’m writing.

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

LL: Fanfiction.net.

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

LL: I live and breathe it.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?  

LL: I will give a blanket warning at the beginning of the fic, but am not obligated to include trigger warnings every chapter.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

LL: Positive. If there is a glaring grammatical error please PM me.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

LL: I love it when people tell me they love my story, or have been reading non stop, or when they get feelings for my characters. In other words, when they tell me why they are enjoying it.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

LL: My MOM reviewed Dove. She told me I am a talented writer. <3

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

LL: One or two. Mostly it’s the curt “more” review that annoys me, and I just ignore it. I did get one crappy one where they told me so and so was x and x and it was bad, and I responded with, “Thank you! That was actually exactly what I intended! I’m glad to know I succeeded!”

Thanks so much to Lavonnallama for answering all of our questions and giving us a glimpse into your writing process! Make sure you go check out her author profile and her tumblr! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the eleventh day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Keeptheotherone! Read her interview below and then head on over to fanfiction.net to check out her work! 

Getting to Know You HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter   KTOO: Oh, my. You realize that’s a loaded question, right? The short version is I was charmed--they were clever and funny and interesting, and my turning point was the end of GoF. I was very disturbed by Cedric’s murder, but I HAD to know what happened next. HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why? KTOO: Ginny Weasley is my favorite character. Why? I don’t know--maybe because she’s a little bit of everything. Clever, funny, passionate, talented, fierce…. My favorite book is hands down Half-Blood Prince for its comedy and romance. HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)? KTOO: I can never answer that. Never. Too many to choose just one! HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions? KTOO: Baking sugar cookies with my mom. Putting on that first Christmas record of the season (that gives you a clue how old I am!). Christmas Eve service by candlelight. HAFH:Do you like the holidays? KTOO: Yes! Christmas is my favorite. HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related! Hmm. A strength … teaching. A weakness … making snap judgements. HAFH: What other hobbies do you have? KTOO: Oh, the usual introvert ones--knitting, reading. I enjoy travel, especially Europe. HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction? KTOO: Yep! I’m a Sherlolly shipper for BBC’s Sherlock. HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction? KTOO: Working or sleeping ;)

General Fanfiction HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic. KTOO: As a writer? Canon pairings, realistic situations, slice-of-life, lots of dialogue and at least some humor. And romance. And Weasleys. HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters? KTOO: That’s an interesting question! My first thought is Misbehavior Number 101 but ...  *skims list of fics* Honestly, I think I have to go with Hidden Chambers and Unseen Monsters. I’m very fond of my OC in that one, Amy Green. HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be? KTOO: Hinny HAFH: Do you have a muse? KTOO: No! Do you have any for sale? HAFH: What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas? KTOO: A lot of my ideas start with dialogue. For example, Misbehavior 101 was inspired by a single line of Ginny’s in chapter 11: “Yes, James, because I grew up with six brothers and played professionally, but I’ve never heard a dirty Quidditch joke.” I wrote There’s This Girl just to give Harry the opportunity to say, “Counting our wedding night, that’s a grand total of four--no, five times your mother and I have had sex.” My other main source, like a lot of fic writers, I think, is the “what if” questions: What if all the Death Eaters weren’t captured after the war and someone came after Harry years and years later? (Consequences and Auror Take Two) What if Fred and George realized Remus and Sirius were the original Mauraders while they were staying at Grimmauld Place? (Mischief Managed, the first chapter of One Big Happy Weasley Family) What if Ron and Hermione really did share their feelings after HBP? (Girls Like You) What if Ginny wasn’t “perfectly happy again” after the Chamber? (Hidden Chambers and Unseen Monsters) HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? KTOO: Yes! HAFH: Do you read similar or different things than you write? KTOO: Hmm, both. I’m more varied in what I read than in what I write--pairings, style, content, genre, AU, etc. But by and large canon-compliant fic is still my favorite. HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them. KTOO: Oh, my. Um, @mydearprofessormcgonagall --she has this way of adding tiny details that fit so perfectly with the magical world you think, “why didn’t I think of that?” Or she’ll take some innocuous canon detail and spin it with a fantastic new interpretation that adds a whole new layer of meaning to the story. Northumbrian--his mastery of his own timeline has me in awe, plus his plots are interesting and well-thought-out. I especially like how he has developed the Auror department. He has a lot of OCs, and his characterizations are superb. I love his Ginny. I know that’s only two, but I’m not actually following a lot of HP authors anymore!

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so? KTOO: I dunno, but I’ve always been afraid the answer would be “yes,” so I avoid things that are similar to something I’m working on. I haven’t read any post war/eighth year fics in years because I’m working on a trilogy of it myself. HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction? KTOO: I’ve been writing fic since I was eight, I just didn’t know that’s what it was! Reading … I don’t remember. I think summer/fall 2009, after I finished the books.

Published Works HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why? KTOO: Nope. HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it. KTOO: These three non contiguous sentences from chapter 14 of OBHWF, Lily Luna and the Knight Bus: In the heart of London’s West End, on a crowded street packed with shoppers, theatre-goers, and tourists, a small ginger girl stood alone and unnoticed on the edge of the curb and stuck out her right arm. Meanwhile, in the heart of London’s magical district, on a crooked street crammed with shoppers, diners, and tourists, a small freckled girl sat in an armchair at the front of a bus. In the back of Diagon Alley’s busiest shop, over a counter filled with products, gift wrap, and sundries, a small elfin girl floated cross-legged in the center and charmed every patron with her devoted attention to a peppermint Fizzing Whizbee. I’m proud of that bit of writing because of the mood it sets for the piece and how far I was able to carry the grammatical parallelism. HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it. KTOO: This took me forever--I write a lot of dialogue! From chapter 6 of Too Friendly, a Scorose:            “So, Ron, I hear you have a problem with Rose.” George’s voice was just a little too smug. Roxanne was not having a smooth transition into adolescence, and George was obviously delighted that Rose, whom Ron always bragged on, was creating trouble. “With Malfoy, more like.” Ron lined up the shot glasses and began pouring. Bill joined them, carrying extra chairs from the tables set up in the Burrow’s garden over to their usual spot underneath the willow. “What’s he done now?” “Rose is dating Scorpius Malfoy,” Harry said. “Draco’s son?” Percy said, taking a chair from Bill and unfolding it with a hard shake. “That’s the one.” “When did this happen?” Bill said. “Six months ago, according to Rosie. You two have daughters,” Ron said, handing glasses of Firewhisky to Bill and Percy. “How do I convince her to get rid of him?” “What about me?” George demanded. “I have a daughter.” “Me too,” Harry said. “They have two. Twice the experience.” “Twice the confusion,” Bill said, tossing back his drink. “What I want to know,” Percy said, rearranging his chair to get the sun out of his eyes, “is why everyone thinks that just because I have daughters, I know what to do with them.” This scene has a lot going on: four characters--it’s not easy to keep track of that many characters in a dialogue scene, giving everyone an opportunity to speak and being clear who the speaker is, especially when they’re all the same sex (pronouns get too confusing). It has sibling rivalry between George and Ron, George trying to be the center of attention, Ron looking up to his older brothers, Percy being particular, and a little humor at the men’s expense. Plus the dialogue tags orient the reader to place and time, give the guys something to do, and are interesting (I especially like how Percy unfolds his chair). HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write? KTOO: My current WIP, In Love and War, especially the section I’m about to wrap up, which is the middle of the fic with Ron and Hermione in Australia to retrieve her parents. HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write? KTOO: Too Friendly was simple because I had such a good mental outline of that idea that when I sat down to transcribe it, I realized I had the bones of a complete fic. But Misbehavior practically wrote itself--while I had certain things I knew I wanted to include, most of the story was invented on the spot. Interestingly, they’re both Next-Gen, which I don’t write a lot of. HAFH: What is your favorite story you have ever written? KTOO: That’s a tough one--my initial list had 7 fics! Hidden Chambers and Unseen Monsters will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my first NaNo project and my first NaNo success (in that I finished it, although it was less than 50K words). I had written mostly OS at that time, and it was more than 3 times longer than my longest fic. It has my first OC and was probably my first-ever idea for fic months before I started writing anything. But the best idea I’ve ever had was OBHWF, a OS collection of random Weasleys. That’s been a great dumping grounds for ideas that were too short on their own or got cut from a longer fic, plus it has helped me write my way out of a block many times.

Writing Process HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across? KTOO: You can edit anything except a blank page. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across? I don’t know that there is bad writing advice (unless someone tells you to quit!). There’s advice that doesn’t apply to me, or doesn’t work for me, but I think you learn to recognize that ahead of time the more you know yourself as a writer. HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions. KTOO: Mid-afternoon on a day off. Clean house, laundry done, bills paid (i.e. no thoughts of “I really should be doing ___”). And knowing specifically what I’m going to work on. HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines? KTOO: Yes! I outline sometimes--well, most of the time, but the level of detail varies--but my main tool is a writing software called Scrivener. I cannot describe how much I love that thing. HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? KTOO: Both, depending on the story. I try to go chronologically, but if I get stuck I’ll jump to another scene. Some writing is better than no writing! HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted. KTOO: We’ll talk ideal scenario, how’s that? I write the whole fic, usually with several phone discussions with my beta and a handful of emails. I set it aside for at least a week, then read the whole thing from start to finish, making notes of problems/changes. Send it to beta. Enjoy life without the pressure of a WIP. Beta texts she’s ready to discuss. We make phone date. More notetaking. Unless there are major structural issues, I’ll usually start posting one chapter per week, editing two or three chapters ahead of myself. HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? KTOO: About a dozen for Sherlock and two or three for HP. Care to share one of them? KTOO: I have some drabble-y ideas for OBHWF, but my next big HP fic will be what I call “the school-year fic.” September ‘98-June ‘99, following Ginny and Hermione during their last year at Hogwarts and Harry and Ron in Auror training. It is a continuation of Faintest, Slimmest, Wildest Chance and In Love and War, so we’ll also have Bill, Charlie, and Percy in POV to show us how the Weasley family continues to recover. HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character? KTOO: *blinks* *tries to imagine* *brain stalls* *blinks again* I don’t think so. ;) HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant? KTOO: I’m generally very strict with canon. I can only think of two instances off the top of my head where I knowingly deviated, and in one of them I used movie “canon.” It’s a challenge I enjoy, especially when I’m writing within the timeline of the books. HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you? KTOO:Any missing moment or “what if.”

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby? 

Writing is a fun hobby. I’ve had people suggest I do it for pay, and while that’s flattering, I’m afraid KTOO: it would turn into work, you know? I like the freedom of choosing when or whether to write rather than having to produce something on a deadline.

Revision HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why? KTOO: At the moment, Don’t Forget. I went back and read a chunk of it when looking for a dialogue scene for this interview and did a lot of cringing. I’m definitely more of a feminist than I was then, although I still don’t completely identify with that label. HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations? KTOO: Love to read them, have never worked on one. Wouldn’t have the vaguest idea where to start but sounds like fun! HAFH: What do you look for in a beta? KTOO: First off, someone who likes my writing, closely followed by a willingness to be honest. Good English skills at both copyediting and the bigger issues of theme, plot, story structure, etc. (Not a lot of people are good at both, so I often use two betas, or go to different people for different questions.) Mixing positive feedback with constructive and urging me to make good writing better. HAFH: Do you beta yourself? KTOO: Only when specifically asked, and usually for someone I know. HAFH:If so, what kind of beta are you? KTOO: A good one, I hope! I always start by asking people what they’re looking for (a lot of times it’s not copyediting) and go from there. I try to give the feedback I would like to receive, and I always find something good to say. I usually insert comments/corrections into the fic in blue or green as they occur to me and then summarize strengths and weaknesses below. It sounds silly, but I never use red ink/font--I think it has a negative association with failure at school.

Works in Progress HAFH: Talk about your current wips. KTOO: *wails, moans, flails* In Love and War has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever written. Including my master’s thesis! It’s certainly taken me longer than my thesis. It’s a postwar Romione focusing on the summer after the war and runs concurrently with my Hinny postwar, Faintest, Slimmest, Wildest Chance, with Percy as the Weasley POV character. I realized early this year I was nowhere close to finishing the whole thing and decided to start posting it in sections. All that’s left to write is the last section, which covers the time between them returning to England and September 1. I have one more chapter to post next week and then it’s going on hiatus so I can write the third fic in my Sherlolly post-S3 trilogy. I think--I hope!--the last section of ILW will be a lot easier to write because there are several plot points to hit: their return, a Percy/George fight, Harry’s birthday, Ginny’s birthday, the family’s reaction to H/G spending the night in London, Percy’s birthday, etc. HAFH: Do you accept prompts? KTOO: No, but that doesn’t keep people from making suggestions! HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic? KTOO: FF because of its simplicity. I like to read on AO3, and the Sherlock fandom especially is more active on AO3, but the actual process of uploading and posting is a pain in the rear end! HAFH: How do you feel about smut? KTOO: *sigh* I have really mixed feelings about it. I read some, and I write some, but I go back to what I read in an interview with Diana Gabaldon years ago: just because I have a character do or say something doesn’t mean I would do or say that thing, or that I approve of it. I thought it was the biggest ever cop-out at the time, but it’s honestly how I feel about it now. HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work? KTOO: I don’t write a lot of triggers, but I do it with a) rating and b) an author’s note at the beginning of a fic, and sometimes at the beginning of the applicable chapter. I have one fic I haven’t written yet because I’m concerned it should have a TW but don’t want to add one because it will totally ruin the plot.

Feedback HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer? KTOO: Detailed! You thought it was funny? Which parts? I made you cry--how? You don’t like this story? Why not? You love the fic--because why? Details, people, details! I’m greedy :) HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review? KTOO: See above. I love when someone quotes things back to me--a sentence they thought was particularly well written, a line that made them laugh or cry, etc. What don’t I like to see? Don’t review just to tell me you didn’t like it, especially if it’s because you don’t like that pairing or genre in general. HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day. KTOO: Anytime someone compliments the way I write the Weasley siblings because I’m an only child. HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them? KTOO: Sure. Mostly I ignore them; I have occasionally called someone out, especially when I feel they’re overstepping their bounds as a reader and telling me how to write my own fic. I’ve only ever blocked one person in 5.5 years of posting online, and that was relatively recently. If I do reply to a rude reviewer, I always wait at least a day to let my own emotions cool down, and I try to be as matter-of-fact as possible, defending myself calmly with evidence from my own fic or the books, as applicable. I also usually discuss it with at least one other fandom person before I reply. Some people thrive on drama but I have no patience for it.

Thanks again to keeptheotherone for taking the time to tell us a little bit about herself and her writing! Be sure to go check out her author profile! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the tenth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... JustCourbeau! Read our interview with her below, find her on tumblr @justcourbeau, and check out her author profile and fics on fanfiction.net!

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter.

JC: My step-mum had a house-warming party to attend, and I was carted along with her (I was lucky enough to be the only kid around for miles, apart from my baby brother). The hostess knew I was going to be by myself with a bunch of stuffy adults and so she bought me Philosopher’s Stone and kindly handed it over with the mildy-hopeful comment of “It looks interesting!” and that was the beginning of everything. I had just turned nine. Seventeen years later, I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t discovered Harry Potter.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

JC: It is so so so hard to pick ONE favourite character. I love them all, even the bad people; good characters to read/write don’t have to be good people. For favourite book, it’s Order of the Phoenix. I also really like Prisoner of Azkaban, but OotP expands our knowledge of how real life in the wizarding works SO MUCH, and I just can’t pick anything else over that.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

JC: His Dark Material trilogy by Philip Pullman, hands down. I have a good chunk of other die hard favs but if you’re asking for just one, that’s my answer.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

JC: My family is huuuge, and so instead of people buying gifts for everyone and trying to stretch their pennies, we do a Secret Santa with everyone that my grandma organizes. We always meet on Christmas Eve to celebrate. Also, my own fairly recent tradition is to write Christmas cards to all my friends/followers on social media (who ask). I joined this group recently and I made a post about it and you guys took me up on it!

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

JC: Love them. Like, spread the christmas cheer as far as I can see love them.

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

JC: Strength: good at fixing things. Weakness: clumsy butterfingers 24/7. (I realize these are two sides of the same coin.)

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

JC: I love painting, general crafty things, and sewing. I draft clothing for a living so that gets out of hand even when I’m not paid to do it. 40+ hours a week isn’t enough apparently.

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

JC: In the past, I’ve written Gossip Girl and Bones Fanfiction. I also write original work.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

JC: The hobbies mentioned above. Reading things other than HP. Drinking tea. Playing Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit. Brushing the cats so they don’t furball everywhere. Hiking a mountain. Painting my nails. Drafting my future tiny house.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

JC: I like a lot of things, but dark!fics are not for me. I guess if my favourite kinds of fics were movies, they’d be rom-coms. Like a bit of fluff, smut is okay if it’s good, and some character development. That’s always a good recipe.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

JC: THIS IS HARD. It would depend on my mood. If I wanted heartbreaking, Mercury in Retrograde. If I wanted sexual tension and awkwardness, Retribution. It’s really a question of what kind of pain I would prefer.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

JC: George/Hermione.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

JC: No muse. I don’t ‘go get’ ideas. They decide when/where/how to show up.

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

JC: I do. I go through phases of reading a lot/writing little versus reading almost nothing/writing a lot.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

Craft Rose: she’s got some really bang-on concepts in her fics. Truly unique.

@provocative-envy: she’s exceptionally quick-witted and her fanfiction/original fiction is so immersive. She really makes you FEEL like you’re apart of that world. Plus she can write the shit out of an AU.

B.C Daily: I don’t read a heck of a lot of Marauder era fics but I know I like her for that.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

JC: The Request by redhead414: My fanfic love began with Dramione, as it commonly does, and this is just perfection.

A Little Flip by remuslives: Timeturner. Remione. My heart.

All There Is by Bedelia: As much as I hate to see Fred still dead in fanfiction, this is the best George After The War fic I’ve personally read.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

JC: I don’t think so. If it does, then not much. Most people have their own ‘voice’ that they write in, for the most part.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

JC: Coming up on twelve years.

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

JC: Oh hell yes. The handful of one shots I had written under a different pen name were painful. Everybody starts somewhere but those do not deserve to see the light of day now.

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

JC: Mercury of Retrograd, for a few reasons. One, no one is happy right away. It isn’t an easy path for them/her and I really love/hate it. Two, it’s the fic that has the most real-life qualities about it. Sure, it’s set into motion by magic but the results are something that is totally muggle relatable. Memory loss and finding oneself regardless of intact memories is something I think we can all relate to.

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

JC: Retribution.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written?

JC: I love them all. Hard to pick. Overall, Retribution, even though it’s not quite finished yet.

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

JC: Just write every day, even if it’s just 100 words.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

JC: You 100% must write in chronological order.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

JC: Don’t have them. Can write anywhere. Often write via emails to myself while I’m on public transit.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

JC: A good old-fashioned coil notebook and a pen I particularly like. I make a doc for notes and disconnected thoughts, so I have everything digital somewhere, but sometimes I really just need to physically write things down.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

JC: Largely start to finish but some scenes are perfect when they come to you at two thirty-seven am and who am I to say no to the thundering hoofbeats of inspiration?

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.*

JC: It gets written. I move it to my dropbox so that I can reread it on my phone when I’m on the go (I’m on the go a lot so this is the essential part or it will just sit on my computer waiting for me to make time to edit and literally no one likes to make time for editing). I make any changes I find though I know there’s plenty more editing I could do. Whoop. Add Author’s note at the end, post. Boom.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

JC: Too many. More Geomione. Some Remione. Some rare pairs.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

JC: I truly hate to do that, and haven’t kept people dead in fics so far (Fred, Sirius, etc) but yes. If that was the path a story was taking, or the plot required it to be a bit more canon-compliant, I would kill off a canon character.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

JC: I like my fics to be canon compliant to an extent. I usually keep things quite compliant with details and timelines up until OotP. That seems to be my pivotal point thus far.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?*

JC: I think with something like Harry Potter, where we all clearly love it more than a lot of other things in our lives, there are many characters that inspire me in different ways. Hermione inspires me to stick up for people who are less fortunate in some aspect and to do the right thing. To be supportive. Draco, and his lack of redemption arc, inspire me to be less judgemental and to give people a second chance; I often am a very black vs white midset type of person, and I have to remind myself that the world is indeed not separated into good people and Death Eaters. There’s a LOT of gray. Luna inspires me to be truly myself, no matter the level of acceptance from others around me. This has been a major personal theme for me in the last year-ish/two years.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

JC: I fucking love tropes. I will write them all.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

JC: Both.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

JC: The Injunction. I’ve said this before, but it started as a “this is totally just gonna be a ten chapter welcome back to writing trope exercise” thing and morphed into a lot more than I had planned one. @mammaweasley27 and I are going to give it a thorough once-over come christmas time.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

JC: What’s not to love?

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

JC: Someone who isn’t afraid to tell me a certain fact seems odd in context, that I use a certain word too much, that I need to step up my game, that I’m not meeting my words per day goals… And lastly someone who can spot minor mistakes when I’ve read over the work too many times to see anything wrong anymore.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

JC: I do. I used to beta fanfiction almost exclusively (before I left it for years tbh) and since then I’ve only beta’d my own work. I’m open to it, and I have helped Shaya sporadically but any job I take on has to be a no-deadline kind of job because real life often disrupts my plans for making time to do things like write/edit.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

JC: Got a few. Next Geomione up for major development is called Fill Your Boots.

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

JC: I totally do. Get most of them through tumblr/my ask box.

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

JC: I dunno about favourite but the one I use is fanfiction.

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

JC: I like it. I write it. I read it. As long as it’s well-written, I have no problems with it. If it’s not my cup of tea it’s not my cup of tea, but I support all writing. You do you.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?*

JC: I had never really been introduced to triggers before being more active in the fanfiction community outside of solely being a writer who didn’t really run in any circles. Now, a bit later on down the road, I know that some things can be serious triggers for people and I would never want to set someone off unintentionally. Going forward I will certainly post trigger warnings if I think it applies. That being said, when I edit through The Injunction, I need to add a few in, but I’ve already made notes for that.  

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

JC: The honest kind. Also, while “please update soon” is nice, I like to hear what parts you loved, what lines you thought were perfect, how in-character you found everyone to be.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

JC: Criticism that seems more like someone is using it to put you or your work down, as opposed to trying to point something out, don’t like that.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

JC: Most of them, tbqh. I particularly like the ones that say “I KNOW I’M YELLING NONSENSE BUT I JUST CAN’T HELP IT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE MY POOR BABIES FIX THIS AHHHHHHALSDFJKLKAWEUFHXQMEO;GJEH” or something along those lines.

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

JC: I’ve been blessed with normally very kind readers/reviewers. And I write in a not-so-well-travelled category in terms of pairing. It happens, but very occasionally. When a rude review is signed, I respond in a pm, polite but questioning. Or not at all, honestly, if I’m not in the mood. If it’s unsigned I usually respond on tumblr.

Thanks again to Justcourbeau for giving us a peek into her life and writing style! Be sure to look up her works on fanfiction.net and find her here on tumblr! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the ninth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... I Was BOTWP! Read her interview below and then find her author profile on fanfiction.net!

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter.

IWB: I didn’t discover Harry Potter until just after Goblet of Fire was published.  A friend had all four books and insisted I needed to read them.  By the time Order of the Phoenix came out, I had become the person standing in line at midnight in a costume waiting for the new book.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

IWB: I personally identify with Hermione, but my friends would tell you that I am a lot more like Luna.  Either way, I am the girl who doesn’t quite fit in, but can’t be arsed to worry about it.  My favorite book is Goblet of Fire.  I love the strong imagery in it.  

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?  

IWB: Just one?  Argh…  The Princess Bride, I guess.  It was a book before it was movie, and as always, the book is even better than the film.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

IWB: Baking cookies - I have fond childhood memories of baking thousands of cookies each year with my mother to donate to charity.  Out of habit, I still bake too many Christmas cookies, so now I always have a few sandwich baggies full of them in my car to hand out to homeless people on the street corners.  On Christmas Eve we open our house to friends who would otherwise be alone - the entry fee is an appetizer to pass; we supply the alcohol.  I am also slightly addicted to collecting vintage Japanese Christmas figurines from the 1950’s and 1960’s made by companies like Holt Howard - my collection grows every year.

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

IWB: My husband had to build storage space in our attic for the 13 storage tubs full of Christmas decorations…  I think that is enough of an answer.

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!  

IWB: Strength - I fear very little in life.  It is all an adventure and I am the only one that could hold myself back.  Weakness - overcommitting.  Yep.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

IWB: Traveling, Skiing, Fly-fishing, Camping, SCUBA diving, Gardening, Wreath-making, Card Playing (Poker, Euchre, and Cribbage are some of my favorites)

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

IWB: Nope

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

IWB: I am a den leader for my son’s cub scouts and a troop leader for my daughter’s girl scouts.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

IWB: I seem to only be able to write fairly fluffy pieces, no matter how hard I try, but I thoroughly enjoy reading anything, even the truly dark ones.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

IWB: My current WIP, Cultural Exchange, is probably the only one that could be turned into a film out of the five I currently have posted.  Adult Draco is Alexander Skarsgard. Yum.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

IWB: Dramione - the variations on how and why they end up together and the idea of the redemption of Draco is infinitely interesting to me.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

IWB: No muse.

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

IWB: I am a voracious reader and I will give anything a try.  

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

IWB: I believe we all bow at the altar erected for @shayalonnie.  If you don’t, I declare, “Heathen!”  I am going to pick three others instead, though.  Kittenshift17 -she always can satisfy my craving for darkness.  @shadu-kiam - snarky dialog like no other!  @mrbenzedrine89 - funny funny funny writing with lots of wonderful smut.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

IWB: I am going to specifically pick ones by authors I didn’t name as my favorites, just to be fair.  Le Don, by 89JadedPictures - the entire thing is such a surprise, I can’t tell you why I like it so much without kinda ruining it.  Out of the Flames, by @phoenixtwinswriting - descriptive sensory language worth dying for.  Nihil est ab omni parte beatum, by Seselt - you basically need to have a dictionary ready in order to read anything by Seselt and I dig that.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

IWB: Of course it does!  I read other people’s dialog and then strive to achieve a higher level of writing with my own conversations.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

IWB: I have been reading for a few years, but am embarrassed to admit that I was a lurker who stuck to only completed stories for longer than I should have.  I finally created usernames a year ago so I could start leaving reviews and follow WIPs.  My guilt is sometimes acute enough about how many stories I read without reviewing that I want to go back and leave them now.  But who has time for that?  I just started writing this past July.

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

IWB: No.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

IWB: “On the magic screen in front of them, she saw the handlers release their ropes and step back.  All four dragons crouched.  Hermione saw Astoria touch her flying goggles one last time, probably a nervous habit bred of wanting to make sure they were secure.  There was a loud gong, and the dragons were all air-bound.  It coincided with the first sliver of the new morning’s sun breaking the horizon.  Hermione couldn’t help the gasp from escaping her lips.

The magical video relay of the beasts lasted almost no time at all.  When the screen blinked out, the crowd as a whole turned their heads to the left, catching sight of the miniscule figures on the horizon, heading for them.  The dragons would fly directly in front of the stands, as they made their way across the sky.  The finish line was just beyond their view on the horizon to their right.  From start to finish, it would last only about 10 minutes.

When they were first ascending, the two Short-Snouts shot flames towards each other.  Otherwise, no other dragon-fire occurred as the dragons seemed to put all of their energy into flying aerodynamically and quickly.  Draco knew on an intellectual level there were differences between the four jockeys in the way they held themselves and directed their dragons.  Hell if he could see it.  He could just make out four human forms lying prone on the backs of four sleek dragons.  The dark-scaled Common Welsh Green stood out against the other three with their much lighter colored scales.  It was also the dragon in the lead at the half-way point as they passed in front of the spectators.

Hermione would later swear to Draco that the air felt slighter hotter as the beasts flew by.  Like the naturally raised temperature of the breath expelled by four dragons was enough to be felt.  Maybe it was.  They created their own wind as they went by, wings beating firmly.  Hermione could feel the thumping vibrations created by their wings run up her spine. Hermione’s hat was caught by a gust, and when it flew off her head, Charlie was the one who snagged it, quick as lightning.”

Even now, when I read this snippet from Cultural Exchange, I can see it and feel it.  I’m transported to these races and hope that my reader feels the same way.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it. I am pants at dialog!  

IWB: Ok, this snippet from Shared Thoughts is at least funny.

“[Harry] floo’ed into Molly and Arthur’s living room with James and Al.  Ginny was home on maternity leave with Lily; Molly watched the boys for a few hours every morning, returning them to Ginny after lunch.

“I have breakfast on the table, boys.  Would you like to have some milk to drink?” Molly asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Arthur sat at the table, enjoying a cup of coffee and the morning paper.

“Yes, please,” James replied.  Turning to his dad, he said, “Do you want some milk too?  I heard mommy telling you that you couldn’t keep drinking the milk in her boobies, because it’s for baby Lily.  Grandma, can daddy have some milk?”

The coffee in Arthur’s mouth ended up soaking the newspaper.  Molly looked at Harry with her mouth open, rendered speechless for one of the few times in her life.  Harry stared at his shoelaces intently.  The only sound in the room was Al beating his spoon against the bowl which held his porridge.  James looked at each of the adults in turn, his eyes wide, trying to figure out the situation.

The tap tap tap sound Al was making sounded ungodly loud.

Finally, Harry mustered enough strength to mutter, “No, Molly, I won’t be needing a glass of milk.  I’ll just be on my way now,” before jogging to the fireplace and jumping in to make his escape.”

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

IWB: Chocolate Frogs - I had to try to get inside the heads of 27 different characters

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Shared Thoughts - it’s only a one shot and some of it (not all!) is based on my life experiences

Writing Process

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

IWB: I live in a location where the climate is nice year-round and I have a courtyard full of potted plants.  I like to sit out there when it isn’t too hot.  When it is unbearably hot and humid, I retreat to my library, which has a huge window looking out to the courtyard.  It sounds pretentious to say I have a library, doesn’t it?  Well, it is supposed to be a dining room, but I have no use for a separate dining room, and I do have use for a space full of books.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

IWB: I try to outline each chapter before I start my stories.  I use the term “outline” loosely, since some of them just have a single sentence descriptor attached.

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?  

IWB: I write out of order.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

IWB: I have 4 in my head right now.  One is a nebulous idea where Hermione pulls Sirius out of the veil and he isn’t the least bit thankful.  In fact, he is livid because he was in heaven with the other Marauders and Fred.  He is stuck though, since he fears committing suicide would land him somewhere worse.  We’ll see if I ever write it.

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

IWB: Yes.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

IWB: I don’t see myself ever writing a marriage law fic.  I have more fun imagining other ways to get people together.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

IWB: Fun hobby

Revision

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

IWB: I am working on one right now, but we have yet to post any of it.

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

IWB: Someone to help me see beyond my comfort zone of carefully researched scene setting.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

IWB: Yes. I am a pushy beta.  And I like facts to line up, so don’t be surprised if I pull out some obscure reference to back up my claims that you are incorrect.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.  

IWB: Cultural Exchange…  It’s Dramione fluff with lots of smut.  I tried to imagine what it would realistically be like for the two of them to naturally fall into a relationship 10 years after the war is over and people have had plenty of time to grow and change.  Completely EWE.  Playing with Death Eaters… A place to put some one-shots featuring Death Eaters.

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

IWB: Yes, although I am currently only accepting them in relation to Death Eaters.  I want to work on my skills around writing darker material.

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

IWB: I only post on FanFiction right now, but may start to post on AO3 also.

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

IWB: I embrace smut.  The proof is in my one-shot A Business Arrangement, with Dragons.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?

IWB: I point them out in the first chapter, even if they don’t occur until later chapters and then expect people to not read any further if they will be bothered.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

IWB: Reviews are like manna from above.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

IWB: No

Big thanks to I WAS BOWTP for telling us a bit about herself and her writing style! Make sure to check out her works and her author profile! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the fifth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Dramione84! Read through her interview here, check out her author profile on fanfiction.net, and find her on Tumblr @dramione84. 

Getting to Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter.

D84:  ….okay, let’s see.  Back when I was younger, it was my youngest sister who was into the series, mum read her and my middle sister the books, and then suddenly it was really really popular and everyone was in on it and I was still pretty much meh.  Then they started making the movies and my eldest son was still little so he was watching them, and I saw Half Blood Prince at the pictures with a friend and I was like, this is actually so cool. And then life happened.  And then about 18 months ago, I rediscovered the series.  And it was like JKR said, Hogwarts is always there to welcome you home.  I was hooked.  Like, majorly hooked. And somehow I found out that fanfiction was a real thing and then I was beyond hooked.  And it’s been like that ever since.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

D84: Draco.  No Hermione. No Draco.  Do I have to choose?? Hermione is who I want to be, Draco is who I identify with.  Does that make sense?? Half Blood Prince is my favourite book because that is when you get to see that he’s not the twat we thought he was.  Can I say that??

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?  

D84: Jane Eyre.  I read it once a year, every year.  It’s a very personal journey of self discovery when I read that book. And cliche as it sounds, I do discover something new every time I read it.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?  

D84: Spending time with my family.  I took over hosting Christmas day about 15 years ago and the one thing that has remained a constant is me cooking a turkey for my parents and my elderly uncle, even when my sisters have drifted and started their traditions with their families.  Christmas eve has therefore become a bigger thing than Christmas Day, because thats when I see my nephews and my neice.   

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

D84: Yes and No.  My ex husband left me while I was still pregnant with my eldest just before Christmas and we had got together on Christmas eve.  It’s now 15 years later and a piece of me is still a little broken because of it.  But that said I love spoiling my children in the only way I can, given that we are broke so they get spoiled with affection and my time rather than with lots of presents.

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

D84: I suppose my strength is my resilience.  I’ve recently started to be more open about my battles with mental illness and people are like dude, how are you still standing? And some days I honestly do not have an answer for that question.  But the truth is some days, it’s simply because I have kids.  I can’t fall apart because I have to think of them.  As for weaknesses, probably my sense of vulnerability.  I wear my heart on my sleeve.  Sometimes that gets me burnt.

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?  

D84: Coaching youth football (soccer).  I coach an under 8s team and I have just been asked to come on my clubs sub committee for development.   

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

D84: I just completed a re-write of M for Murder/Brotherhood as an original story without any connection to Harry Potter for NaNoWriMo...does that count?

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction?

D84: I’m usually to be found at football somewhere...so either I am at a training session with one of my kids, or I am at work (I am a sports therapist for an adult football team- did you spot the OC, Lindsay in Goals? Yep, thats me.  And one year I really did get so drunk I fell flat on my face dancing the one legged dance...don’t ask!) or I am coaching my under 8s or at one of their matches...but tbf I take my laptop and my kindle everywhere, so if I have 5 minutes to myself I will be reading or writing and I did not sit reading The Revenant in the dug out at work because I couldn’t put it down...oh no...that would be unprofessional….

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.  

D84: Well my OTP is Dramione and I love crime fiction so I guess that would be it.  Them kicking ass as aurors.  The whole reason I wrote M for Murder was because I thought there just aren’t enough good Dramione crime fics.

HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

D84: I guess because it literally took over my life, I would love to see M for Murder/The Brotherhood filmed.  I mean that’s the dream isn’t it?  I’ve already turned it into something I am looking to upload to Kindle in the New Year, so to see it go the next step would be phenomenal.  Of course I’d like Emma and Tom to take the lead roles! Actually Alexander Skarsgård could probably do Dureau Mattis justice.  And Jen Nikolaisen for Emilia Grey.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

D84: DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE!! This is too hard. Okay, I shall give the answer that, if you asked my girls what the answer would be to this question would be, they would say: FLINTWOOD. Because the world needs more Flintwood. And Kilts. And garters.  Obviously.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

D84: I don’t think I have a muse as such, but I spend so much of my time in my car (I work near Gatwick airport and live right on the South coast of the UK) that I am often driving when I have my ideas and then I am like DAMNIT I NEED TO GET THIS DOWN!

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?  

D84: Yes.  It’s about all I read currently.  Hence why my parents finally got round to buying me something I have wanted for a long time: War and Peace.  Just to get me to read something, anything, but fanfiction. I’m halfway through the first chapter.  I started in March.  I couldn’t pull myself away from fanfiction.  I read similar stuff to what I write and WIPs that grab my attention or are stories my girls have written because that’s just how we roll.  We read each other’s stuff.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.  

D84: @xxdustnight88.  Not because she is one of my girls, but because her Shermione, Nights in Diagon Alley, made me want to write a sherlock crossover of my own, and Letting it all go spoke to me on a personal level and is probably the catalyst for liberosis and bittersweet athenaeum.

@olivieblake because her writing is just so poetic that it makes me want to push my own writing further and I have yet to read something of hers I didn’t like.   And Flintwoodandco for making me consider other ships.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

D84: The Revenant by Atalanta84.  Hands down, IMO, the best Auror story out there.  

Nightmares and Nocturnes by Olivie Blake.  Can honestly say I read each update with bated breath.  

The Alkahest by @shadu-kiam Has me feeling a huge array of emotions and then has me laughing out loud.  Like, properly laughing so hard my eldest is seriously wondering what drugs I am on, loud.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?  

Better fics make me want to be better, fics that make me cringe make me list in my head traps not to fall into.  So in that sense, yes.

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?  

D84: 18 months approx.

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

D84: Not yet… I am sorely tempted to delete my unfinished, very first attempt, Her Pride, His Prejudice.  Because it’s bad.  Like, SO BAD.  

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

D84: “Pansy was unable to verbalise how she was feeling or why and this left Draco feeling helpless. He hated walking into his suite and finding her lying in bed staring at nothing, her empty eyes void of all emotion, or sitting on the balcony smoking, her demeanor brooding…..

Over time he had grown to love her and it pained him to witness the self destruction wrought by her fragile and fractured psyche; a self destruction that left him feeling powerless.” Liberosis.  This wasn’t in the first draft.  I had some feedback asking for more of it from Pansy’s point of view.  I don’t like swapping POV so I put these bits in and I think this gave everyone a good insight into her state of mind and their relationship for it to work.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

D84: Ask me again at the end of Devil’s advocate…. Let’s just say, consider her testimony at the re-trial ;)

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

D84: Bittersweet Athenaeum.  Because of the theme.  I started it while struggling through a depressive cycle and then when I moved into a more manic phase I started to struggle with it.  Now I am mellowing into a more manageable phase I am able to start writing it again.

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

D84: M for Murder.  It just wouldn’t leave me alone.  Hence why it became this epic series.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have ever written?

D84: Bells.  That was just so fun.  Kilts and Garters ladies. Enough said.

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?  

D84: When editing, do not copy and paste.  Rewrite it.  Word for word.  It is a painstaking process but it’s worth it because you will think of better ways to say what you are saying, rather than copying and being satisfied that while not perfect, it works.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?  

D84: I don’t think I have, honestly.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.  

D84: My sister runs a coffee shop, and I have found I write best when when I am sat there, with a pot of Earl Grey tea.  Very British of me, I know.  It helps me channel my inner Hermione.  So long as her boss and her customers don’t distract me, that is perfect for me.  Unfortunately, her boss and her customers are a pain in the arse.  So much so, I have started writing something along the lines of Parks and Recs about it called Grounds.  You would have to witness it to believe it.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?  

D84: Lmao. As if I would be that organised.  No.  I just write what comes to me.  Is that bad?

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?   

D84: Start to finish.  With the exception of Devil’s Advocate, which was written from finish to start.

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.  

D84: Let’s see.  I write it, which will often involve me spinning the laptop round and saying to my sister, come read this, does this sound okay? And she will give it the initial edit.  Unless I’ve written it at home, then she won’t see it until after one of my girls has read it. And unless its smut.  Then she goes all Phoebe finding out about Monica and Chandler on me “Oh my eyes, my eyes,” (Unless it’s Flintwood, because that she can handle apparently).  Then I hit share and send it to my girls.  If I grow impatient I will nag Julie (sorry, love!) until she reads it.  Or more recently, I will see if Chelsea or Jaime or Krystle is free.  Or if I am already round my parents I will ask Mum.  (Unless it’s smut!).  Then once it’s been edited and I’ve had feedback, unless I need to change something that isn’t working, or Julie hasn’t sent me a message saying she snorted at something I wrote and I’ve stropped, thrown my wand out of my pram, and refused to change it, it will go up.  Unless for some reason I am holding onto it.  I may give it another read over to check it makes sense because it doesn’t matter how many times it goes to a beta, there will always be a typo.  But usually, once it’s back, it goes live.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?  

D84: Let’s see.  I have a sort of You’ve got mail type story sitting on my harddrive half written, a plunny for a Flintwood set in Hogwarts where they have a secret relationship, I have a dystopian future story where neither Voldermort or Harry survives and a plunny for Flintwood based off a picture I saw on tumblr.  Oh and then when I was picking up my youngest from school earlier, I came up with another Flintwood plunny that is a Muggle AU story, but, get this, they are in college and are members of a cosplay Quidditch team! HOW CUTE IS THAT?!

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

D84: Lmao.  This is a constant source of and inside joke between me and the girls.  And it started with Bianca positing the idea of killing off either Theo or Blaise in a fic.  And I was like HOW COULD YOU.  Then Julie killed off Draco and I said she would never get me to read it.  But she tricked me, I tell you, and I was beside myself.  Like, big fat ugly tears.  I even had a pic of a bleeding heart in someone’s hand, and it became a joke, so every time someone even suggested killing off a major character, I threatened to show them the picture again.  And I would send a pic of a box of tissues.  Because it was so sad.  And Julie literally shredded my heart with one question.  She knows which one.  (go read Wolves without Teeth!) and then, like the hypocrite I apparently am, I killed off Hermione and then Draco.  It hasn’t stopped me telling Julie off for her latest plunnies.  

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?  

D84: Depends on the plunny.  I think I am more inclined to take liberties as I have major issues with canon.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?  

D84: I guess it all comes back to Half Blood Prince in the end because to me that is how to understand Draco.  And if there is one constant in my portrayal of Draco it’s the need for understanding his complex mind.  And without spoiling things because this will be published before the trial chapter in Devil’s Advocate, I would say when that comes, look to what I wrote there for how I understand Draco.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

D84: I think I would like to give Marriage Law a go, but under the right circumstances.  I have yet to have a plunny attack for this.

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?  

D84: It’s a hobby I feel passionately about.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?  

D84: I think i’ve just done that with M for Murder/The Brotherhood.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

D84: Love them!

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

D84: Someone who get’s me.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?  

D84: Yes, mostly a brit picker for writers who speak English as a second language.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.  

D84: Devil’s Advocate is about Theo and Hermione working to get Draco out of prison after a miscarriage of justice.  It’s coming into the climax of the story so I don’t want to give to much away.  Bittersweet Athenaeum is a cursed child compliant fic that deals with life after an attempted suicide and depression.  Two of the main characters suffer from depression but the way their symptoms manifest is different.  It’s set in the seaside town of Brighton and starts in the winter, mostly because with work I spent about 3 weeks backwards and forwards along that stretch of coast in October and I kept driving along the road there thinking how much I wanted to write a story set in that part of Britain.  Rather than London, like most of the fics.

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?  

D84: I would love for people to send me prompts!

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?   

D84: FF.Net.  

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?  

D84: When I wrote my first smut in M for Murder, I was so nervous about how it would be received.  And it was okay.  So I decided to be a bit more daring, and I wrote The Venetian Affair.  And there was a small bit of backlash, but it was okay.  And then I wrote Drinking Games.  Haha.  D84: Enough said.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?  

D84: I write them in the A/N on the first chapter.

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

D84: Positive.  I get my critical feedback from people I trust.

Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review? I like to see that people are enjoying what I write.  I don’t like being asked how long til we get there.  Either wait and see or don’t read.

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.  

D84: I cried when someone reviewed Liberosis during the scandal competition to say that as a lifelong depression sufferer they were glad that Draco had stood by Pansy and that her fragility and his frustration came through for them.  That made my day because it is such a sensitive topic and the way it is portrayed in all forms of media directly influences how other people view those suffering and affects the stigma we face.  To know that I have portrayed it in a way that felt real to other people made my day.  Especially given that it was such a personal story.

HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them? 

D84: Not rude as such, and mostly I ignore them.

Big thanks to Dramione84 for taking the time to give us some insight into her life and writing style! Make sure to check out her author profile and find her on Tumblr! Dramione fans, you are in for a treat!

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the fourth day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me… DesertC! Check out her author profile https://www.fanfiction.net/u/8116163/DesertC here on fanfiction.net and read our interview with her below! Getting to Know You
HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter.
DS: So I’m pretty late to reading/watching HP. I’m going to admit something that will probably get me kicked off this site. I got stuck on the Order of the Phoenix and couldn’t move past it. I started writing fanfic after watching the movies last year (yep, always a decade or so behind). Basically I fell in love with Alan Rickman’s Snape and that’s where it all began. 
HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why? 
DS: Snape is my favourite character, though I do also love Hermione. I actually preferred JKR’s earlier writing which was a little freer IMHO. I feel like I’m being sacrilegious - arrggghhhhh! 
HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)? 
DS: I tend to like whatever I’m reading. I’ve been on a Liane Moriarty binge lately. 
HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions? 
DS: White wine in the sun (Australian Christmas) - any Tim Minchin fans out there?
HAFH: Do you like the holidays? 
DS: I sure do. I have more time to write since I work full-time the rest of the time.
HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related! 
DS: Strengths - thinking. I love complex problems and solving them with good ideas. Weaknesses - over-thinking (just ask my husband :)). 
HAFH: What other hobbies do you have? 
DS: Hanging out with my kids, walking through the bush behind our house, having interesting conversations with inspiring people, studying neuroscience.
HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction? 
DS: I’ve written some kids stories (for my kids) but not published them anywhere.
HAFH: What are you doing when you’re not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction? 
DS: That’s pretty well my entire obsession at the moment :) General Fanfiction
HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic. 
DS: SS/HG HEA - twists, smut, angst, introspection and humour. 
HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?
DS: Good question. I don’t read as much as I’d like to. One of my favourite stories is by CryingCinderella - The Last 24 Hours of Severus Snape. I’ve never cried so much reading any fic. I don’t believe I could do justice to something so masterful but I’ve never felt a greater connection with a fic. 
HAFH: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters? 
DS: LOL! I wonder who would be willing to take them on. I’m not sure which would be best suited to filming - perhaps ‘In their Hands’ or ‘Debaucery’? Actors? Well of course I would have chosen the great AR until the saddest day in Jan this year. Whomever it is, they will need to be pretty comfortable in their own skin.
HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be? 
DS: SS/HG. I don’t know if I’ll ever break out of this pairing. I just love them too much. 
HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas? 
DS: The ethereal being of my muse mystifies me. I don’t understand her whatsoever. I enter into a chapter with one intention and more often than not end up with something entirely different. When I try to direct the action, I hit roadblock after roadblock so I have no choice but to go with it. Character behaviours and plot elements drop themselves in without explanation but I have learned to trust that I’ll find out what my muse intends at the right time. I have been fortunate enough to be contacted by readers with story ideas and even content - ‘Debaucery’ and ‘An hour of Snape’ came from reader suggestions and contributions.
HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write? 
DS: I read so little, it’s shocking really. When I have free time, I tend to spend it writing. When I do read, it’s mostly SS/HG. There are so many fantastic stories in this genre, I feel I could read for years and still not get through them.
HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.
DS: Wow, so tough to answer. My favourite, for a variety of reasons, is my good friend, mentor and incredibly generous supporter, OracleObscured (O.O.Rickman). I read most of her fics before I started writing. She is one of the most free and brave writers I know and her personality absolutely comes out in her writing. Even before I knew her, I’d obsessively read her author’s notes because I felt her warmth radiating through them. Her fics gave me permission to push the boundaries with my own writing in all respects. She is clever, funny, smutty as all hell and just a brilliant person - I love her. There are so many others I could name but the ones that immediately come to mind are Teddy Radiator and IShouldBe (writing something else) - gorgeous rhythm, word choices, emotion - I just feel myself drinking them in.
HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.
DS: Again, so tough - Getting Personal by OracleObscured - this is the fic through which I got to know O.O and it is just so beautifully conceived, the meanings are deep and multi-faceted - it’s just a fantastic love story. As I mentioned previously - the last 24 hours of Severus Snape by CryingCinderella - powerful, emotive, clever and beautiful. Care of Magical Creatures by Mia Madwyn - what can I say, stunning, the author is invisible in this fic as it is so fluid and gloriously crafted - if only I had a fraction of this talent. 
HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so? 
DS: Absolutely, when I want to be sarcastic, I read a bit of David Thorne. Seriously, do yourself a favour and check out his website - http://www.27bslash6.com/ When I read good authors, it inspires me to be better. I wrote ‘Tango’ after reading IShouldBe’s ‘The ribboned witch’ - I felt that it lifted me to explore and craft in a way that I often don’t because I tend to write fairly quickly. 
HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction? 
DS: I started writing in Nov 2015 so just over a year now. I started reading about 6 months before that. I didn’t even know fanfic existed before then. What a treat! Published Works
HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why? 
DS: No
HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.
DS: From An Accidental Affair -
It might have been the hundredth time—or perhaps the thousandth—that my eyes had drifted of their own accord to the figure folded in the low-slung hammock, swinging breezily, toes tipping the grass. Tirelessly, they sought her out, a visage that enchanted anew with each unassuming sway.
The book, its pages woven through her fingers, might have revealed something of itself, imparted the surge of an adventure or something more … a ticklish fantasy, had it not been for the tell-tale tilt—the sagging inclination toward her perfect brow that betrayed the truth of their engagement. It was, of course, a forgotten bystander, or perhaps a willing caretaker over her sleeping form.
Her lips, like blossoms fallen from the woven boughs, were enough alone to captivate me—to fuel a fantasy of my own.
Planted with perfect precision, unhurried from the sensitive arc of my earlobe, their sultry graze would slip under my collar, levering me away from yet another ordinary day, drawing out tender shivers to shake the starch from my bones.
Her tongue would lap away a tide of tension in moments, the delicate shoots of her fingers penetrating, taking root in my chest, piercing with exquisite depth all that swelled within. And I would yield willingly to the seductive strains of each whispered breath, each sensuous susurration against my neck, warm and redolent with an essence that was only her. 
Then those ripe buds would gently sweep across mine, skimming, grazing, searching for the perfect place to end their fluttering descent. And I would let them explore—after all I was the beneficiary of their sensuous snooping, their punctilious prying.
This fic was really a story within a story. The characters wrote chapters of a book and this was one of Severus’ chapters, capturing the depth of his feelings toward Hermione. This was completely unlike my normal writing style but the use of prose written from the perspective of a character provided a unique opportunity to branch out. The end of this chapter is one of my favourites.
HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.
DS: From In Their Hands -
“There was once an old man walking along a beach,” she began, “and the sand was covered with starfish. As he walked, he soon encountered a young boy who was picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the water. The old man said to the boy, ‘Why are you bothering? There are so many of them, you can’t possibly make a difference. With that, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the water. ‘I bet I made a difference to that one,’ he said.”
Snape’s frown deepened. “And you think you can make a difference to me? To throw me back into the murky mire that I’ve just crawled out from?” he scoffed. “Do I look like I need saving, Dr Granger?”
She looked into his eyes. “I think you are the boy, Professor Snape,” she said quietly.
He was up in a flash, leaning so far over her desk that his contorted face was only inches from hers. “Don’t … presume to know me … Dr … Granger,” he growled.
Then he was gone.
The starfish story was originally told by a paraplegic I used to work with. It was always so profound when she related it to people in the community about the impact that could be made on the lives of individuals, especially if a problem seemed too big. 
HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write? 
DS: Probably ‘In their Hands’ - it dealt with quite a bit of psychology and neuroscience research. It also included more characters than I traditionally use. 
HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write? 
DS: GrapeJuice and The Book that Binds came very naturally. Generally, the funnier they are, the easier I find them to write as I’m pretty well just having fun. 
HAFH: What is your favorite story you have every written? 
DS: Ooh, that’s difficult too. Probably An Accidental Affair or The Book that Binds. Writing Process
HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?
DS: All the suggestions about listening to and trusting my muse have proven to be valuable.
HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across? 
DS: I’m not sure I’ve received bad advice but I think it’s really important to approach writing in the way that resonates with you. Don’t follow other people’s approaches just because they’re successful, everyone’s brains work differently. 
HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.
DS: I write on my laptop in the corner of my lounge room with the tv blaring, kids running around etc. otherwise my family get too annoyed with me locking myself away. It’s not perfect but it’s manageable. Oh and no, I don’t show my writing to anyone, especially my kids!
HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines? 
DS: No. I just write each chapter as it comes. Sometimes I’ll write brief ideas before I start but often it will just come out as is.
HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? 
DS: I write chapter by chapter, posting each as soon as they’re finished. Generally they are first drafts with a bit of editing and so it all happens pretty quickly. If I worked on them longer, I’m sure they could be far better but I write for fun and the idea of labouring over everything sounds too much like hard work. I hope readers don’t find this disrespectful. 
HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.
DS: Pretty well as above. Written from start to finish. A bit of tidying as I go. A final revision and then out the door. 
HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?
DS: My brain can’t cope with more than one at a time. I always complete a fic before starting another. The only one in my mind at the moment is my WIP, ‘Doing it for the order’.
HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character? 
DS: No. I couldn’t. 
HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant? 
DS: I take plenty of liberties. I honestly don’t know the books that well. I just love playing with the characters. And magic is a fantastic excuse/reason for anything to be possible - how lucky are we to have this world to explore?
HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?
DS: Snape, Snape, Snape, Snape, Snape …
HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write? 
DS: I’ve not found one yet. If someone could give me a good reason to write another, I might consider it. 
HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby? 
DS: Both. If it wasn’t fun, it could never be my passion. Revision
HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why? 
DS: The Quickening was the first fic I ever wrote. It needs work but I don’t really enjoy looking backwards. I’m not sure if I’ll ever do it. 
HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations? 
DS: Well, much of Debaucery was written in collaboration with a reader and friend, Marriage1988 - that was so much fun. O.O and I have talked about a collaboration for a while … you just never know :)
HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?
DS: I’ve never had a beta. I don’t think I’d ever seek one out. Writing is such a personal pursuit for me, very insular. I think I’d be very annoying to work with.
HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?
DS: I imagine I’d also be an annoying beta. I did a bit of editing for one of O.O’s fics, not sure how much help I was. Works in Progress
HAFH: Talk about your current wips. 
DS: My current WIP is ‘Doing it for the Order’ - it’s my take on the ‘marriage law’ fic. I’ve really enjoyed reading those in the past and wanted to do something that was a little more true to my style. I’ve tried to write a submissive, demure Hermione in the past and it just doesn’t work. This is close to how I’d imagine the real Hermione to be under some pretty horrific circumstances. She’s brilliant, fiery, principled and protective but also naive and emotionally vulnerable. It’s pretty angsty and awkward but I’m currently setting up the shade in preparation for the light. 
HAFH: Do you accept prompts? 
DS: Yes, as mentioned previously, Debaucery and An Hour of Snape were both written from ideas given to me by readers. Many scenes were written for Debaucery by Marraige1988.
HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic? 
DS: It’s evolved over time. I started with AFFO and moved onto AO3, Ashwinder and finally Fanfic.com. Currently my favourites are AO3 and Fanfic.com.
HAFH: How do you feel about smut? 
DS: LOL. I’m okay with it. I love reading and writing smut. It is pretty well the most difficult thing for me to write. To keep it fresh and avoid repetition is difficult - OracleObscured is the master but the opportunity to convey deeply visceral and emotional experiences is amazing. 
HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?
DS: It’s different for different sites. I think Fanfic.com is quite difficult in terms of triggers as I try to avoid explicit references in the story summary due to the fact that there are young folk on the site. I generally write the triggers in the A/N at the beginning of the fic. A reader told me I was a ‘dipshit’ the other day for an apparent lack of warnings in TQ. I disagreed. Feedback
HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer? 
DS: Any. I use it to craft the subsequent chapters in my fics. Many people will recognise words, phrases and concepts from their reviews in my writing. I try to acknowledge them in PMs.
HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review? 
DS: Calling me a ‘dipshit’ wasn’t particularly helpful. Also, people taking offence at non-con content when it has been clearly stated is annoying as it seems they are often looking for a reason to be offended and vent. Also, when people forget that it is a fictional story and judge it on their own values, there isn’t going to be a lot of common ground. 
HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day. 
DS: All reviews make my day. I just love the fact that people are willing to take time out of their own days to tell me something. I thank everyone who has been kind enough to do so.
HAFH: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them? 
DS: Sometimes. I generally try to understand their perspective and respond if I can. I’ve only deleted a couple. Mostly people are very kind and generous - I feel very fortunate. DSxx Thanks so much to DesertC for giving us a peek into her life and writing style! Make sure to take a look at her author profile and check out her stories. Sevmione fans, run, don’t walk. ;)

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

On the second day of Christmas, fanfiction gave to me... Bentnotbroken1! Find her work on fanfiction.net. Read through her interview and then find her on Tumblr @wolf-of-ravenclaw.

Getting To Know You

HAFH: Tell us how you fell in love with Harry Potter.

BNB: I suppose I started falling in love with it in fifth grade. I think by then only two books had been published. Of course my mother wouldn’t allow me to read them because “evil” but my father took me to the theatre to see the movies when they came out. I was smitten from the beginning.

HAFH: Who is your favorite Character? Which is your favorite book? Why?

BNB: I honestly can’t say I have one favorite, but I can say who I resonate most with, and that is Draco Malfoy. (let’s just say we grew up in not so fabulous households) My favorite book was probably HBP and it’s because of how dark the story became. (I mean, it was dark after GOF but HBP really drove it home) Things started coming to a head in the book and we got to see some sides of characters we’d never seen before.

HAFH: What is your favorite book (outside of HP)?

BNB: My favorite books change all the time. Right now I am hopelessly in love with Sara J Maas and her ACOTAR series.

HAFH: What are your favorite holiday traditions?

BNB: Singing Christmas Songs. I was a caroler in my youth, back up off me. :D

HAFH: Do you like the holidays?

BNB: Yes and no. I love being with my family but holidays stress me out. I hate receiving gifts and love giving them. So when I can’t give as much as I want and others give me too much I get rather flustered.

HAFH: Share one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Doesn’t have to be writing related!

BNB: My weaknesses would be my procrastination and that I’m easily frustrated at times. One of my strengths would probably be my willingness to listen and my empathetic nature. (which could also be a weakness to be honest)

HAFH: What other hobbies do you have?

BNB: I used to paint and draw but I don’t do that anymore. Wasn’t great at it anyway.

HAFH: Do you write anything outside of Harry Potter fanfiction?

BNB: Right now I am working on an Original Novel and I have written for different fandoms in the past. All fanfiction I’m working on now are Harry Potter related though.

HAFH: What are you doing when you're not obsessing about Harry Potter or fanfiction? :

BNB: Taking care of my three year old son, babysitting my friend’s son, and trying to keep my disaster of a house clean.

General Fanfiction

HAFH: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

BNB: I’m pretty comfortable writing just about any type of fic. Though I suppose I would need to be the right mindset to write some things. (such as noncon)

HAFH: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

BNB: Not that I’d do it justice, but I would choose Broken by inadaze22. That fic was just stellar and emotional and I wouldn’t mind finding out what happens with Draco and Hermione afterward.

HAHF: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose? Any actors you would hope play your characters?

BNB: Oh man. Why must you make me choose? I suppose I’d pick The Pitfall because as of now it has the most thought out plot and the best range of characters. I really wouldn’t mind who was chosen to play the characters but I do love Ed Westwick as Theo Nott, and Elle Fanning as Luna.

HAFH: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be? :

BNB: Dramione for sure.

HAFH: Do you have a muse? What is it?! If not, where do you get your ideas?

BNB: I don’t really know if I have a muse, but I get a lot of my ideas from dreams, songs, and random thoughts

HAFH: Do you read fanfiction? Do you read similar or different things than you write?

BNB: Do I read fanfiction? Is the sky blue? I read just about everything if it is well written, so there are things I read that I’d never try to write for.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fic writers and what you like about them.

BNB: Oh lord.

Olivieblake​: She is down to earth, funny, super nice, and her writing is phenomenal.

Sage/Everythursday: Her fic, The Fallout was my very first HP/Dramione fic so she holds a special place in my heart.

Racey: This last one isn’t in the HP fandom but I truly love her writing and her spunky attitude.

HAFH: Share three of your favorite fanfictions and what you like about them.

BNB: Sticking with some of the above. The Fallout is one of my favorites because it introduced me to the Dramione ship and because is was an excellent story. The descriptions of the war were amazing and the character dynamics were awesome. The other two were written by the same person, Lena Phoria. So I’m sure you all know where I’m going with this. I love The Deadline and what was formerly known as CaBW. These fics were well thought out, held the perfect amount of smut, had great character development and amazing plots. I’ve read them at least four times each. There’s nothing I really dislike about them at all.

HAFH: Does what you read affect what or how you write? If yes, how so?

BNB: It can, but it doesn’t always. If I’ve read something emotional or super intriguing I usually stay in that mindset for awhile. I may write angsty things to get through the emotional block so I can continue writing other things.  

HAFH: How long have you been reading and writing fanfiction?

BNB: Hmmmm I’m going to say since 2009. That was when I received my first laptop and had the ability to go on the internet without parental locks. (Which...I was already 18, it was a long time coming) I began writing in 2010.

Published Works

HAFH: Have you ever deleted one of your published fics? Why?

BNB: Yes, I have. I still have it on a USB somewhere but I deleted it because it was my first one and it was horrendous.  I am a coward and didn’t want anyone to go to my profile to see what else I’ve written and see that horrible excuse of a fanfic.  

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

BNB: This is extremely hard but a piece from Defected does come to mind. (He slung himself across his bed, towel still wrapped around his waist, and laid motionless, waiting for the potion to kick in. He was always anxious for it, wanted it more than he knew he should, but he couldn't help it. It was the only thing that kept the nightmares at bay and allowed him a small fracture of peace. He wasn't ready to give that up quite yet. That small moment of calm before it fully took effect. It was coming now, the warm tendrils snaking their way from his head into his limbs easing the tension out of his muscles as it went. After the warmth came the cool embrace, like silk on his naked skin. His breath came easier, his heart slowed into a rhythmic and soothing tempo and he felt the ached in his head ease as he relaxed into the sheets. This was it. What he'd longed for.

The Bliss.

Then the darkness.) I love this piece because it describes Draco’s longing for an escape during the time that Voldemort occupied his home. He can’t sleep so he relies on the draught which can turn a wizard into an addict if they aren’t careful.

HAFH: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

BNB: Again, this one is really hard. It’s honestly between Draco and Hermione’s dialogue in chapter 3 of The Pitfall and the fight between Harry and Draco in chapter 19 of the same fic.

HAFH: Which fic has been the hardest to write?

BNB: All of them at times are hard to write, but at this moment the hardest fic I’m writing is Lessons in Lycanthropy because the plot keeps wanting to change in my head so I have to nail one down before I can continue.

HAFH: Which fic has been the easiest to write?

BNB: The easiest so far would probably be An Ache So Deep if oneshots count. I wrote that one in about 2 hours, I believe.

HAFH: What is your favorite story you have ever written?

BNB: I feel like I don’t have one yet but if I had to choose one it would probably be The Pitfall because it’s my baby. It’s the first Dramione fic I’ve written and has received the most feedback. I truly love that fic.

Writing Process

HAFH: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

BNB: Just keep writing, even if it’s shit. Eventually you’ll get your groove.

HAFH: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

BNB: You know, I haven’t really haven’t come across any “bad” writing advice because there are all kinds of writers out there. What works for one may not work for another, so one person’s advice may not help me at all, but it could help someone else.

HAFH: Describe your perfect writing conditions.

BNB: A quiet place where no children would be climbing on me, a perfect writing playlist going in my headphones, a full battery and maybe a glass of wine.

HAFH: Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

BNB: Yes, and yes. I do tend to use timelines, character outlines, and excel. (I don’t always stick to them, but I do write them out)

HAFH: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

BNB: I wish I could write them start to finish but I’m not built that way. I write as things come to me because if I don’t, I may lose the idea/phrase/dialogue. So I will immediately write whatever comes to me no matter how far in the future the scene may be. I have a slew of future chapters written for all my fics right now.

HAFH: Describe the process a chapter goes through before being posted.

BNB: I want to say I send my chapters to a beta and then edit and then post, but I am an impatient person. I want to post things as soon as I’m finished, which can be bad sometimes due to my typos and such, but I usually go back and edit the next day and I do use beta’s sometimes, but it’s not something I do often. I suppose I should change that.

HAFH: How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

BNB: More than I can count, really. After writing a Scandal OS for Quills and Parchment I got the itch to do a series of different oneshots written the same way as The Contract, with articles playing a major role in them.  

HAFH: Would you ever kill off a canon character?

BNB: I have before, and I will probably do it again.

HAFH: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

BNB: I take liberties. There are a lot of things that I keep canon compliant, such as places and spells, but I will change things up with characters and situations.

HAFH: Is there a character, book, scene, etc from canon (above all others) that inspires you?

BNB: I think the fact that Neville Longbottom went from a scared and almost insignificant boy to one of the major players in The Deathly Hallows is inspiring. He took charge with Ginny and Luna to help the students left in Hogwarts and then proceeded to gain access to the sword of Gryffindor to slay Nagini. That is some awesome character development if I do say so myself.

HAFH: Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to? Or one you never would want to write?

BNB: There are so many tropes so I don’t know which one I haven’t written that I want to. (A triad maybe?) but I will NOT write the Head girl/Head boy trope. I just don’t care for it. (Iso maybe be the only exception)

HAFH: Is writing your passion or a fun hobby?

BNB: It’s a passion. Sometimes it’s a stressful one, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing completely.

Revision

HAFH: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

BNB: I have already revised The Pitfall once, and I could see doing it again in the future when my writing skills have improved.

HAFH: How do you feel about collaborations?

BNB: I think collabs are interesting and I enjoy reading them. I don’t know if I’d be any good at them, but I wouldn't mind trying sometime.

HAFH: What do you look for in a beta?

BNB: Someone I can bounce ideas off of and who isn’t scared to say, “Hey, your grammar is crap here, fix it.” I really like getting real feedback. If I’m only ever given sugarcoated words, how am I supposed to improve? Now that doesn’t mean I want someone to rip me to pieces for minor things or just for the hell of it, but constructive criticism (when done right) can be a blessing.

HAFH: Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

BNB: I beta for a few of my writer friends sometimes, but I’m not a grammar beta. I usually go for the rewording approach. What works and what doesn’t and hat would work better here or there. I give advice on plot and where things are going. I never demand anyone do what I say, but I give honest feedback.

Works in Progress

HAFH: Talk about your current wips.

BNB: Well, I’m working on three at the moment and they are all vastly different. The Unraveling is the sequel to The Pitfall and it is dealing with Auror Training right now. Defected is a darker fic that deals with Draco’s state of mind after Dumbledore’s death and throughout his seventh year. Writing about Hogwarts during the time the trio was on the run is something I’ve never seen done so I wanted to be the one to do it.  Lessons in Lycanthropy started out as a drabble but I was asked to make it a fic so I’m giving it a try. It’s been a fun one to write so far. Werewolf!Draco is my jam, ok? :)

HAFH: Do you accept prompts?

BNB: Sometimes, but not often.

HAFH: Which is your favorite site to post fic?

BNB: FFN for Dramione, if I were to post for other fandoms I’d probably say AO3

HAFH: How do you feel about smut?

BNB: Love it. Love reading it and enjoy writing it.

HAFH: How do you deal with trigger warnings in your work?

BNB:  I will always list TW’s at the beginning of chapters that may deal with things that could possibly make a reader extremely upset or uncomfortable. I don’t go into details but I will post something like, “TW: Attempted Suicide or TW: Mentions of non-con”

Feedback

HAFH: What kind of feedback do you prefer?

BNB: Any and all, apart from flames.

HAFH: Is there anything that you particularly like or don’t like to see in a review?

BNB: I love hearing what interests the reader, what they enjoyed in the chapter or their favorite dialogue or quote. I don’t particularly like the reviews that demand updates or ones that get angry at the status of the fic (WIP) It’s fine to tell me, update soon please, but don’t say something like, it’s been forever, are you ever going to update? Should i give up on this story?

HAFH: Talk about a review that made your day.

BNB: Any review I receive from a popular author in the fandom (I’m looking at you @olivieblake and RZZMG) has me riding high on cloud nine for days. But almost any review makes me extremely happy and want to hug my readers.

Thanks so much to Bentnotbroken1 for giving us a peek into both your life and writing process! Don’t forget to check out her tumblr and her work on her author profile! 

[homeawayfromhogwarts394-blog]

Hey, all! We wanted to give you a sneak peek of an event we have starting tomorrow and running through Chrismas Day. "Home Away From Hogwarts’ 25 Days of Christmas Author Spotlight" Over the next 25 days we’ll be putting the spotlight on one author a day. Each author has been kind enough to agree to tell us a little bit about themselves. We’ll be sharing some of that in the Facebook group but you’ll find the majority of the information here on Tumblr. Follow along here so you don't miss out! @goldensnitch-18 @snaqueen2005 @phoenixtwinswriting @harrysgirl614