Interview with faithwood

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We took a bit of a hiatus from our hd_writers interviews over the holidays, but we are now back on track. We have several more interviews lined up with prolific authors in the h/d fandom coming soon and we can't wait to share them all with you!

Today, we are very pleased to welcome faithwood, author of At Your Service, Draco Malfoy, It's Your Lucky Day and Sealed with a Kiss.

Come on in and see all the wonderful things she has to share!


Approximately how many stories would you say you've written for fandom? Original work?
Counted a hundred fics a year or two ago. Some of them really short, some long. But I'm going with 43. Because that's how many I uploaded to FF.net. I probably had a reason not to share the others. Original work? Never actually finished anything. I tried, outlined, got bored. One day, perhaps.

How long on average are your stories? Do you prefer to write shorter fics or longer? Why?
Says FF.net: Average number of words per story: 10,371. Well, there you go. I adore long fics. I feel so very accomplished when I finish one. But writing long fics can be stressful. So many things can go wrong. Writing something short, on the other hand, offers instant gratification. You sit, you write, you're done. If something's wrong, it's easier to fix it. If it doesn't work at all, it's easier to throw it away. Just another way to procrastinate. And I do love to procrastinate. But, sometimes, I'm writing a longer fic and I get stuck, and I don't have the energy to start another long fic. And it feels like I only have two options: write something short or don't write at all. So I'd rather write something, anything than not write at all, or my writing muscle will go all floppy and I'll never finish that long fic. So I love short fics and find them useful, just a bit too seductive.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere. Actually, when I'm actively searching for inspiration, then nowhere. Then I have to force myself to relax and read something instead. Reading is always a source of inspiration for me. Good fics, bad fics, good books, bad books, discussions, fic searches, writing tips, grammar rules, style guides, newspapers, whatever, but good fics and books more than anything. Because ideas always present themselves eventually, but a good story puts me in a mood to write, sets the tone and gives me a goal.

What's the first thing you do when an idea comes to you?
Stare blankly ahead. Let it play out in my mind — if it's a short story, the whole thing; if it's longer, then just the key scenes. And then sometimes I'm happy with it, and if it's short, I sit down and write it, and sometimes — most of the time, really — I'm just mildly intrigued. So I might think about it for a few days, or weeks, or months (among other things, of course, not just that one idea). Maybe a part of it works, another part doesn't. Maybe a solution appears out of nowhere one day. Maybe I get another idea that fixes the original one. Maybe I conclude the idea is actually kind of crappy, but I did think of this great scene, which I then reuse for another story, where it fits better.

If it's just an idea, and I tried to imagine a few scenes in my mind and something doesn't work, I probably won't even write it down. If it's memorable enough, it will resurface one day. If it doesn't resurface, eh, must have been something senseless if I forgot all about it so easily.

Do you have to be in the zone to write or is it more about consistency and discipline?
I love the zone. But zone rarely happens for me if I don't force myself to write consistently. It's kind of like waiting to win the lottery without buying a ticket.

How many fics do you typically work on at a time?
One. Then I get stuck and start another. Then I get stuck and start another. Then I get stuck and write something short. Then I try to go back to the first WiP, then the second one, then I start another. Eventually I get excited about something, focus on it and finally finish it.

How do you like to work? Quiet? Music? Where?
Absolute silence. God help the bird that dares to sing. Unless I'm writing a short silly fic. I can write that wherever, whenever. Usually at work. That's more like stress reliever than anything. What I really love is writing longhand. Silence, sofa, notebook, a ballpoint pen, because I'm a paper-stabber. It's slow, more private, I feel like I have more time to think, because when I'm typing, it feels like I'm rushing. It's all just jsdkjfaksjkljfkl. But yes, slow, so I don't always have the time. But I love it when I do.

Do you have a writing schedule or routine? Everyday? Certain time of day? Certain number of words? Number of minutes?
Write something today. That's basically my schedule. Because if I tell myself something like, "You must write X number of words today," then I either write less than that, and I feel stressed because I failed. Or I write more words than that and I think, "Wow, so this means I don't have to write that many tomorrow. I can skip a day or something." And then I do that and eventually pay for it and I'm stressed again. But if I just tell myself to write something, then it doesn't matter if I wrote a lot or just 20 words; I'm right on schedule. And tomorrow I still have to write something, no excuses.

Do you force yourself to write even when you don't want to?
Yes and no. I can't actually force myself to write. I can force myself to sit down and stare at my screen but that's not productive. But I can always force myself to think about the scene I want to write. I go and, I don't know, do the laundry, thinking about the scene, who's in it, where are they, what are they doing, talking about. Then I try to write it mentally. And that's easy. There's no pressure, it's just in my mind, plus, at the same time, I'm doing something useful. And then I just have to sit and write down my thoughts.

Of course, sometimes I'm stuck and don't really know what to write next. I don't have a clear scene to focus on. But that doesn't mean I'll give up. Fine, I can't write fanfiction right now, but I can still pretend I'm writing. I narrate in my mind. Like: "Frustrated, Faith stood up, grabbed a pen and tried to stab herself. But then it occurred to her: if she stabs herself to death with a pen, she'll be front page news. And she was still in her pajamas." And then I do that for awhile, walk around, narrate my every action, giving every little mundane thing philosophical meaning, because that's ridiculous and fun ("Faith stared at the dirty glass in her hand. Should I wash it? she asked herself. Or do I place it on the countertop and let it stand there, feeling as empty as I feel? Faith put the glass down and poured herself some red wine. She grinned. There, she thought, my life is filled with joy again.") I can do that for hours. It's highly entertaining. Sometimes a random thought gives me an idea and a direction and I can go back to my fic. If not, well, at least my flat is all clean and tidy.

Do you plan or outline your stories in any way? Can you describe your process?
I love, love, love outlining. If I'm writing a longer story, I always outline. I, um, like it a bit too much. First, I get an idea and think about it. A lot, probably. And once the story has buildup and a twist, finale and an ending, a basic skeleton that I like, then I sit down and outline. Definitely a notebook and a pen moment. Preferably a very pretty notebook and a pretty pen, because that makes me happy. I usually, actually always, outline backwards. Because if I don't know how the story ends, what my point is, what I wanted to say about these characters, then I won't even outline yet.

It's a basic sort of outline at first. It's just there to help with the pacing and to help me decide where to start the story, because that's the most difficult part for me. And to help me figure out which structure to use. Is it a chaptered story? Do I need more PoVs or just one? Prologue, epilogue? Will I have to skip long periods where nothing happens? That sort of thing.

Once I have clear guidelines, I get to think about specific scenes, specific conversations, think about how it all comes together. If I'm writing a straightforward, romantic plot, then I'm ready to write, but if there's more to it than that, first I'll examine it from different points of view. Friends, random side-characters, bad guys. That always reveals a bunch of plot holes. Because I have this perfect plot and then when I examine it from the bad guy's point of view, I realize his plan is ridiculous.

And then I write it all down and that's my outline. Which will change as I write, of course, but that's okay. It's more than okay. If I know every little thing in advance, it's too predictable and I get bored. And if I get bored, then so will the readers.

Having an outline doesn't mean I'll actually write this fic. Especially not right that second. I do all this and I'm just no longer excited about it. I used to think this means I shouldn't outline and just let the story take me wherever it wants. But then I finish a different outline and I get so excited. I just want to write the story nownownow. So now I think that if outlining a story makes me give up on it, it's not the outline's fault. The storyline is just not as gripping as I thought it would be. Perhaps, if I hadn't outlined, but just wrote it instead, I'd realize, after writing 30K words or so, the story bores me too much to continue.

I do save all my outlines and one day I might figure out how to fix them.

What are your writing habits?
The most important part of my writing process is walking. I already mentioned it above.

See, I have an outline and, basically, I'm ready to write, but I can't just sit and do it. I'd end up staring at the blank document for hours. So first, I walk around, in circles, up and down. I might actually do some housework just to feel less insane. And I think about the scene I want to write. Who's in it, where are they? I mentally look around, see the walls, the furniture, the characters, are they standing or sitting down, are they dressed or naked. How do they feel? What do they talk about? I go through the entire conversation, their thought process. Maybe even a few times. Then I mentally write a few paragraphs, just the way I'd write them on a piece of paper. And then I sit down and actually write it. On a good day, this is enough; the rest of it flows. More often it doesn't just flow. I write for a bit and I'm stuck again. So I get up again, walk, think, imagine every detail. I do the laundry, vacuum, still thinking about that scene. And only after I mentally write a few more paragraphs and go over the rest of the scene, I sit down again and write it.

What motivates you to keep writing? How do you stay excited about your writing? How do you stay focused while working on longer fics?
The process described above is what keeps me writing. I love writing, sitting down and describing something I saw in my mind. I love it because it makes me feel like I accomplished something. But the part that I love even more, the part that is fun, is imagining it all in my head. My private little movies. Writing gives me an excuse to spend hours and hours of my life doing nothing but daydreaming, basically, without feeling like I'm actually wasting precious time. Because I'm writing, you see. And this is a part of my process.

When I'm writing a longer fic, losing focus is a definite possibility. If it happens (and even if it hasn't yet happened, I might do the following just in case) I go all the way with "my private head-movie" thing. Meaning, I pick a scene near the end, one I especially like (this scene always exists; it's probably something I thought of first and it got me all excited about my fic) I might put on some music (soundtracks, probably, because lyrics are distracting and soundtracks are so inspirational and dramatic) and I either walk around or sit down, depending on how much action there is in the scene (because if the characters are running around, then so must I, obviously). I imagine every single detail, every word the characters think and say, every feeling they feel, everything they see, and I let it all play out in my head, several times because it can't be perfect immediately. In the end, I feel like I've seen — or even lived through — an actual movie, with an inspirational score playing in the background, even.

In my head, it's the most perfect thing I've ever seen. It feels real, vivid. Afterwards, all I want to do is write it down, as faithfully as I can.

Obviously, it'll never be as fabulous as it was in my mind, not even close, but I want to write it sososo much, it will keep me going.

Do you find deadlines stressful or helpful?
Awfully stressful. Even depressing. Extremely helpful, though. But one deadline is all I can handle. I know some people write for multiple fests at a time, and I can't even imagine myself doing that.

What is your biggest challenge in writing and how do you overcome it?
Er, free time? I overcome it by being an irresponsible employee.

Do you have a system for organizing your story ideas and notes?
Well, every outlined story has its own little notebook. It's not exactly a system. And if the story never reached the outline phase, it's now somewhere in my mind, lost forever, most likely.

Do you write in a linear form, from beginning to end, or do you jump around as the muse strikes?
I can't jump around, really. Sometimes I skip a scene or two if it's just not working and I know what to write next. Then I write [porn goes here] and focus on the next bit. I'm likely to skip the sex scene and get back to it later. But when I just write in my mind (outline, plan) I skip around like crazy.

What are your tips to overcoming writer's block/slump?
Depends. If you're lacking ideas, or they all seem ridiculous and trite, and if nothing excites you, then I'd say, read. Something good, preferably. And long. If you're writing a fic about X/Y and all your ideas seem old and done, then don't read a X/Y fic. Read a book or two or three. Something wholly unrelated.

If you have all these fantastic ideas and you really want to write, but when you sit down, the words just aren't coming, then wait, get up, think. Focus on fleshing out specific scenes. When you find one you really like, work with it, build on it. Write a little outline. Write the first scene in your mind. Then sit down and write it for real.

If you want to write but feel like you can't write something good, and you really, really, really want it to be fabulous, and if you write a few paragraphs and then realize it's crap and if you post it everyone will laugh at you, then I'd recommend a day off. Or a week off. Don't check your LJ. Disconnect your internet for an hour or two. Make some coffee/tea. Ignore the computer. Try longhand writing. Let your writing be something private. Just you and your pen. No one else is there to judge you. Tell yourself you won't even post this fic. It's just for you.

What do you do if you lose interest in a fic? Especially if you are writing for a deadline?
Ouch. I try to recapture my interest (as described above). I try to change the direction of the story. I consider deleting the first 10K words and an odd scene here and there, and make it shorter. Use a different point of view.

If none of this works, then I'd write something different altogether, but that's only after I truly exhausted every other option.

What sources or websites do you find helpful for writing tips and information?
Google. Heh. I'm terrible at bookmarking so when I need something, I just type it into the search bar and it offers me articles and essays, all of them contradicting each other. It's fun and even inspirational to read them.

Oh! One site I love is OneLook Reverse Dictionary. I write something and it's clearly too wordy or it's just one of those annoying, needless verb-adverb combinations, so I paste it there and it offers me all these words that work so much better and, really, I should have thought of them myself, but I just didn't.

Do you share your writing process along the way with a support group of friends, betas or cheerleaders?
Not really. I might ask for some brainstorming if I have a prompt I should write for but it's just not happening, or maybe I have an idea but it just sounds too stupid. But I probably won't talk much about the fic I'm currently writing. Exceptions exist, but mostly no.

How have you evolved as a writer over time?
Well, sometimes I look back at some of the things I wrote and think, "Wow, that's utter crap, self!" So I guess that means I evolved and can now recognize crap better? :D

What is your favorite fic you've written and why is it your favorite?
The last fic I've written is always my favorite, so At Your Service.

But there's one scene I'd always pick as my favorite, and that's a scene from Sealed with a Kiss, when Draco jumps off the Hogwarts Express, gets on his broom and flies back to Hogwarts to get Harry. It's pretty cheesy — I fleshed it out with the Narnia soundtrack in the background. That explains it. But man, that was the best movie. Not Narnia, the Harry/Draco movie in my head. I can still see it clearly in my mind and it never fails to make my heart soar.

The scene in At Your Service, where Harry and Draco are running through the castle and to the Chamber of Secrets (and out of it later) is a close second. Doctor Who soundtrack. Obviously, with all the running. I had such strong visuals there, too.

In both cases, those two scenes were among the first I thought of, before I even started writing these stories, and they kept me inspired because I really wanted to write them. Because, in my mind, they were just so. damn. cool. And they helped to make the whole writing process incredibly fun, and that makes those two stories my favorites.



I hope you enjoyed Faith's answers and found them motivating in your own writing! If you have additional questions, feel free to ask them in the comments!

Thank you again, faithwood for taking the time to share with us her about her writing style! <3

Comments

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And thank you for reading, dear!