#author spotlight: hippohead

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Hippohead Day 2

Author: @hippohead​

Share one of your strengths.

I've had people tell me that my writing can be a bit poetic sometimes, which is always a huge compliment to me as I write poetry as well. I do think I manage to make bits of my writing sound pretty occasionally so I would say that is one of my strengths!

Share one of your weaknesses.

TENSE. We don't have to talk about it but I... can't do it. It hurts my brain.

Which fic has been the hardest to write?

OKAY. "and I'll be yours for the weekend" is the answer to this question and I literally don't even have a reason why. It was just a battle. The song ('tis the damn season by tswift) was stuck in my head and the story was stuck in my head and I just wanted to GET IT OUT but it was such a struggle. I really genuinely fought that story to come out the way it did. Anyway I'm being dramatic but yes that one.

Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Definitely "I Have Guidelines." It was the first fic I wrote for the Klaine fandom and it truly just flowed out of me in about two days. I just wrote and wrote and wrote and didn't get stuck once. I love that fic with my whole entire heart, it's very special to me.

Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

It's definitely my passion, I just wish I had more time to do it.

Is there an episode or character or arc above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

Kurt Hummel! I love him so much and I see so much of myself in him.

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

Tina Fey told me (not me specifically but also me specifically) that you have to let people see what you wrote. And I know that seems fairly self-explanatory but I really struggled with letting people see what I had written, so it's something I hold close to my heart and repeat over & over. ily tfey

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

I can't really think of any bad writing advice at the moment, which I suppose is a good thing!

If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

I think probably "I Have Guidelines" for the fake dating of it all!

What’s your process? Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines? What are the perfect writing conditions for you?

I write an excessively long outline when I first have the idea just to get it out of my head and onto paper, and I try to plot it out in order as much as I can. And then I sorta just write whatever scenes I can... sometimes that ends up being in order, and sometimes it ends up being all over the place. Perfect writing conditions for me are: being very comfy, blankets if poss, snacks nearby!, & my writing playlist on. All of that helps me to feel settled enough to write.

***

Check out Hippohead’s Fics

and I'll be yours for the weekend -  Sleeping with Blaine Anderson is Kurt's favourite Christmas tradition.

Sunday to Sunday, and then After That -  Blaine is living & working at a pub in London; Kurt is in London on a week-long trip that his ex-boyfriend had booked for the two of them before they broke up. It's hard to see the magic of London when you're heartbroken, until it's not anymore because there's a devastatingly handsome and charming bartender trying to show it to you. Oh, and then after that.

were there clues i didn't see? -  Set during 'tying you to me' and afterwards, this is the story from Blaine's POV, and from his fans'.

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Hippohead Day 1

Author: @hippohead​ 

How did you get into Glee and Glee fandom?

I was very much a gleek when the show was airing but I only got into the Glee fandom last year during lockdown after I rewatched the entire show for the first time since 2015!

In general, what drew you into writing (and/or creating)?

My dream is to be a writer (film & tv specifically) - writing often feels like the only way my brain knows how to express itself & unpack things. It feels very cathartic for me! And I feel like I am always chasing that high of the words just flowing out of you like they have to - it's one of my favourite feelings in the world.

What was it about Glee that made you decide to write fanfic for it?

When I really love a show, I can't help but want to write fic for it. For Glee specifically, I just really loved Kurt & Blaine's story so much that I wanted to explore it, expand on it, and see what would happen if I put them in different situations. I just wanted more Klaine!

Have you been a part of other fandoms before? Have you written fanfiction pre-glee?

I have! My first fandom was the Parks and Recreation fandom and I did write quite a lot of fic for it, but I don't think it's very good hahaha!

Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

I haven't really tapped into Hurt/Comfort which is wild because I love that trope.

Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

There are lots but I can't think of one to single out right now. I guess just anything that I don't really know much about - things like D/s. It's not that I have a problem with it, I just don't know anything about that scene or dynamic so it's for the best that I avoid it.

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

God, I'm sitting on so many started-but-not-finished fics. I'll pick a random one to talk about: Kurt works in the costume dept. on a television show in LA and Blaine gets cast as one of the characters. But due to a complicated history with an ex, Kurt refuses to date actors. Obvious chemistry, denial and pining ensues.

***

Check out Hippohead’s Fics

I Have Guidelines -  Blaine needs Kurt to pretend to be his boyfriend for a week-long work retreat. Kurt has seen enough movies to know how that cliché ends and comes up with some guidelines to ensure they don't fall in love with each other. (yeah, they're absolutely already in love with each other don't worry)

tying you to me - It’s been five years since Blaine kissed him goodbye at the airport, and he hasn’t seen him since. Somewhere within those five years, though, Blaine became an international pop star. Which is... not exactly ideal; not when you’re trying to neatly pack away your feelings and the fact that you’re still desperately in love with him, and his face is on every billboard in Times Square.(in which there is an invisible string, tying Kurt to Blaine, and Blaine to Kurt, and isn't that just so pretty)

postcode envy -  Kurt flies to New Zealand to film an independent comedy and meets Blaine Anderson - costar, heartthrob of Aotearoa, and playing a character in the film that Kurt's character has to hate. Deeply. So it's rather inconvenient that Blaine is so lovely, and wonderful, and gorgeous, and makes Kurt want to smile 24/7.

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Hippohead Day 4

Author: @hippohead​

What other Glee Fandom authors do you enjoy? Can you recommend some of your favorite fics?

There are so, so many. Just a couple of ao3 accounts off the top of my head: coffeeorder, dizzywhiz, notarelationship (justpractising), kuhlaine, whenidance, stoney. 

I already talked about "The Hating Game" by coffeeorder but I'm bringing it up again because it's just that perfect. I also really love "True Like (or Looks Can Be Deceiving)" by DualWielding. "Hit the Switch" by dizzywhiz is perfection and it lives in my heart. OH "life is like a song (i want you to sing it to me)" is a fake dating dream. "Where There's Smoke" by Stoney OF COURSE. I wish I could sit here listing stories forever but those will have to do for now!

coffeeorder’s fics

dizzywhiz’s fics

notarelationship (justpractising)’s fics 

whenidance’s fics 

"The Hating Game" by coffeeorder

"True Like (or Looks Can Be Deceiving)" by DualWielding

"Hit the Switch" by dizzywhiz

"life is like a song (i want you to sing it to me)" by luthien82

"Where There's Smoke" by Stoney

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Hippohead Day 3

Author: @hippohead​

How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Two or three! And then I try to do another revise a day or two after I've posted it because I always pick up errors that I missed when I was just trying to get it done & posted.

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

This one is a little tricky - I feel like I haven't been writing Klaine for long enough to feel the need to do this yet. However, I want to revise almost ALL of my Parks fics. Alas. I feel like that is a feeling that comes after a fair amount of time passes and you change and your writing styles changes or adjusts. No doubt in a couple of years I will have the same feeling towards my Klaine fics.

What do you look for in a beta?

I've never used one before because I'm terrified of the whole entire thing but I really should because, as aforementioned, tense trips me up A LOT.

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

I really wish I had a cool answer to this but I just cannot think of a single fic that I could do justice. There are a million fics that I would love to have the original author write a sequel or prequel for!

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

If I go into it wanting it to be canon compliant (like "I Noticed") then I am pretty strict about it being compliant. But in general when I write, I like to have a nice balance between canon things/moments/characteristics that make it feel recognisable, and also my own additions/changes. I think having some canon stuff in a story can ground a fic that's entirely AU - even if it's just that Kurt still likes cheesecake, despite being a super spy, or whatever the story is. It gives it some roots.

Talk about a review that made your day.

Oh my gosh, there have been so many. I'm going to talk about two if that's okay because they are the two that have stuck with me the most. BushDragon commented on "I Have Guidelines" and said: "Jane Austen would be very proud of your plot dips & turns." I barely even have the words to describe how much that means to me because Austen is very, very important to me and for someone who didn't know that to tell me she would be proud of me? I couldn't ask for more!

The second was on "and I'll be yours for the weekend" and it was from rougedraconteur. They said: "Please keep writing, every chance you get, since it is your gift." That one settled in my heart and has lived there ever since. There is so much generosity in saying that to a stranger on the internet, and I didn't take it lightly. I feel very honoured!

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

I actually haven't had this happen to me yet! I think it helps that I only started writing recently; from what I've heard, it was a lot more crazy back in the day.

What advice do you have to people just starting to write?

Try and find a way to make sure this stays something fun for you; focus on the fun you have writing it, the fun you have discussing it with your internet friends, the joy of people enjoying it. Hold onto that.

Which fic do you most like to discuss with other people? Why?

Of my own? Probably "I Have Guidelines" which... well, she's gotten a lot of shout outs from me during this. I just really love that story. And in terms of fic not written by me... "The Hating Game" by the wonderful Sal (coffeeorderwrites). I will talk about that fic to anyone who will listen for the rest of my life. It's genuinely just my favourite thing to read and talk about and think about. ily to the hating game.

What's one aspect of writing fic that gets you really excited?

Getting to create scenes for Kurt and Blaine that we didn't get to see on the show. There was a big cast with a million different plots going on, so obviously we missed stuff in their story. Getting to write those moments or create new ones in different universes is so special and fun for me!

***

Check out Hippohead’s Fics

gave me no signs - Blaine has finished up his run on Broadway and is getting started on his next album, having to spend time in LA with his label despite recording the album in New York. And Kurt is handling it well, mostly, but he gives in to the missing him on Halloween because he'd had to shelve couples-costume ideas and there's wine involved in the sadness. But then he has sex with a cowboy, so it ends up being a pretty good Halloween, actually.

Cardinal Sins - "Now, very explicitly, it has become almost unbearable how much Kurt is someone Blaine wants, feels desperate about. Like something inside of him is being hollowed out and replaced with a pinprick and narrow need for him; like he’ll forget how to breathe if Kurt doesn’t put his hands on him."or: Kurt Hummel, the seven deadly sins, rules, and breaking them.

I Think They Should Date -  Kurt loves his job and he loves his boss, Isabelle. He also loves having weekends and time for his skincare regime and the ability to go on dates. So, when he sets Isabelle up with Arthur, one of their coworkers, it’s only because he’s desperate. Desperate enough to go to Blaine Anderson for help. And it was just supposed to be a fling; enough to distract Isabelle during the weekends and no more, but hearts don’t work like that. Hearts fall in love and hurt people and get broken. And sometimes, hearts start to belong to the person you really want to hate.