Featured Author: smateo
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 16 December 2010 13:54
smateo is the featured author for January. She is the author of Memories of Us, Right in Front of Your Eyes, Saving Hope and many more!
1. How did you get into fan fiction? Why Robert Pattinson fan fiction?
I started reading fanfiction several years ago in the Harry Potter fandom while waiting for the different books to be released and when a friend mentioned this Twilight fanfic called 'Wide Awake' by angstgodess003, it reminded me of how much I enjoyed the HP stuff and off I went to read it. From there, I devoured Twi fic and that led me to 'I Love LA' by feathers_mmmm, which was the first real person fic that I had ever read. It was funny and catchy and I just loved her Rob so I scouted for more Rob stories and found 'The One' by m244robp over on Twilighted, which then led me here hoping to find more chapters posted and this became my new home.
2. What made you decide to start writing fan fiction?
I have always loved to write, the more melodramatic the better when I was younger and I used to write stories with my cousin about a band we liked, Duran Duran. This was long before the Internet existed, so it was all hand written and in notebooks. It was my first attempt at fanfic, though I had no idea that that is what it was until years later. I tried to write some Twi stuff while I was reading only that and I just couldn't get finished. I have a couple just sitting on the back burner that maybe I'll go back to one day but who knows? I started writing Rob fic because I had a dream. I know it sounds corny but I did. I dreamt of him in a relationship with a production person during the filming of Twilight and I started writing it and 'Memories of Us' was born.
3. What is your writing process? Do you have a specific place you like to write, music you listen to, etc.?
I like quiet. It's funny, when I first started posting on here, I was working full time as a chemist and I would write at work between experiments! I would set up my experiments for the day, go to my desk, write while they reacted, then finish up and head home. I got a ton of writing done that way. Now that I am home, it's a little more scattered. I try to make time after the kids go to school, at least for a couple of hours and write at least one chapter per story I am writing. I either write in my bed or in my basement, on my laptop. I had to buy a new laptop last year because the 'u' key broke and I can't write without the letter u (if you read my stories, you'll know why!!) *grin* Music seems to get in the way while I'm actually writing but when I am doing anything else, music is on and I immediately relate the songs playing with the stories I am writing and I get ideas for future plot points or scenes that way.
4. How much research goes into the stories? Time spent on the internet? Personal experience?
This depends on the story I am writing. The first one I wrote relied a lot on researching points in Rob's life and making sure I captured events correctly (Twilight filming, Remember Me accident, etc), but others I've just made up my own time line. Of course, then I wrote Party Girl and Then I Met You, companion pieces, so their time lines were interwoven and not written at the same time, so I had to go back and forth, making sure that scenes occurred at the right point and things weren't out of place. I'm a little OCD like that. I like realism in my real person fic. If it's too out there, I have a problem reading it usually (there are exceptions *stares at Blood, Love and Lust by Roblove*) I am always on the Internet though, getting visuals to describe, even if I am not writing about a specific moment in Rob or Tom's lives. I am obsessed with real estate websites in London, and use them to find the flats that I pick out for Rob to live in when I give him a home. I probably have a pretty good mental image of where all the London neighborhoods are at this point and which ones are decent and which ones aren't. Personal experience is different. I always put something personal in each of my stories, but it differs from story to story, and it's usually something small. In Somewhere Along The Way, I had Sydney be from my town where I currently live since I had Rob coming to stay with her. In the Author and the Actor, the lab scene was my lab at work (not that I did that, but that was the lab I described). I like to put personal stuff in there, but not too much.
5. What is the hardest/easiest part about writing?
The hardest part is time. It's so easy to get distracted now that I don't have a block of time where I have nothing else to do and I have to remind myself that I need to write. I hate not finishing stories and 'Right In Front of Your Eyes' bugs me that it's unfinished, but I can't get back into it. I need to write while the idea is fresh and get it all out of me as quickly as possible. If I come up with another idea, that means I am close to finishing a current story.
The easiest part is probably the actual writing. I enjoy getting lost in my stories and when I am into them, the story just flows out of me. If I get to a sticking point, everything stops. It's not good. I need to write everyday to keep me happy, if that makes sense. When I skip a couple of days, I get antsy and I need to make time to write. My husband and kids seem to know this and will disappear for a while, giving me time to get the writing need out of me and get me happy again.
6. Out of the stories you've written which is your favorite? Favorite character? Why?
My favorite story is probably Waiting Forever For You. It was the first time I had written a Tom fic and I was so scared, but I love the interaction between Sylvie and the boys. I think I nailed the friendship best in that one and it's the one like to go back and read it again and again.
My favorite character is probably Payton in 'The Author and the Actor'. Out of all of my characters, she is probably the one I am most like and the one I would want to be. We share a lot of the same personality traits and to be wooed by Rob like she was, I would melt *grin*
7. What do you think makes a good story?
A good story to me needs to have a believable story line, strong characters and it needs to keep me interested. I have a problem with bad grammar and misspellings, I admit it and if there are too many of them, it turns me off a story. I tend to stick to places where I find a concentration of good quality stories, so I guess that is why I live on rpf *grin*
8. Is there any story (or book) you wish you could have written? Why?
Oh, there are tons! I wish I could have written so many books and stories. It's hard picking some out specifically.
9. Do you have any writing tips?
Write for you, not for other people. If you are writing for the rewards, you are going to get disappointed quickly. Reviews are a great thing, but don't make it the reason you write. If you need a pat on the back, get into acting or performing, because writing is a solitary thing and most people never get the book tours and millions of copies sold. There is nothing I hate more than authors who hold their updates hostage for a certain number of reviews. Why are you denying the few people who do read and review the honor of your words by making people review who will just say something just to get the next part? *steps off soapbox*
10. Who's your pick to be the next author interviewed? (This person will actually be it.)
Devilishlyperfect, I completely adore her stories and would love to know more about what goes into her writing process.
From readers:
1. Do you map out your characters personalities before the story or do you just let it come to you as the stories go? - TheRaven81
Personalities come to me as I start writing. I try not to write the same type of female in each story, otherwise what is the point in writing another story if the characters are the same. I like to think my Rob is a bit different from story to story too, but since he is real and not fictional, he tends to be similar.
2. How long does it typically take you to write a story? - TheRaven81
It depends on the story. When I start, I know my ending and write to that, but the path my characters lead me down varies. Sometimes stories end before I think they are going to, but that is where my characters tell me the main part is done. I think the longest story I have written was Party Girl and it took me two months. Generally, I write a story in a month or so, sometimes more since I tend to write more than one at a time.
3. If you could give any word of advice to somebody who has never written a fic, but would like to what would it be? - Jax
Do it because you love it. Don't worry about whether or not anyone likes it, but do it because you like it. Find a subject you feel you can do justice to and go for it. Rejection sucks, but if you are happy with the end result, that is the most important thing!
4. Once you begin the process of writing how long does it usually take you to come up with and write a chapter, or does it always differ? - Jax
I tend to keep my chapters between 1250-2000 words and if I am in a zone, I can push one out in less than an hour. However, if I have Twitter up and running in the background or a story in another tab that I am reading, I can get easily distracted and that time lengthens. If I am struggling, like I was earlier this week, it can take a couple of days.
5. How far ahead do you plan and write your stories before posting a chapter? - Jax
While I was working, I was a good two weeks ahead in my writing compared to my posting. Now, I either post once I write it or I am a day or two ahead. I LOVE posting every day. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, something I can point to and say, look, I did do something today! As far as planning, I think a little ahead and I almost always know my ending before I start. I always write to a specific ending, though Somewhere Along the Way started as a specific beginning and I had no clue what the ending looked like when I started. I knew Rob and Syd would end up together, but I didn't know what that would look like.
6. Has being a beta affected you as a writer at all? I don't mean in terms of time left available to write or anything, I mean is there anything you've learned as a beta that you've then been able to put... - Chickadee
I have learned some about how other people write. I tend to write in order, but I know others write pieces scattered throughout the story and them piece them together later. Also, I've learned to be more patient with other people's writing. I admit, I am a grammar snob, but now that I have beta'd some, I am a little less harsh when reading. I am also more quick to recommend a beta for a story that has a great premise that just needs some work on the grammar and spelling than just walking away from it like I would have before.
7. Do you prefer to work with or without a proof reader? - Chicakdee
*grin* Uhm, well, uh, it depends on the story. For something where I am completely out of my element, like writing about an Aussie girl in London (which I am neither Aussie nor have I been to London), I found a beta/proofreader to be instrumental to making the story work and it's the only one that I have used a proofreader for for the entire story. For my other fics, I tend to work alone. I will send chapters out to friends to read when I need an opinion or will Skype or have Twitter convos to work out some plot points that are sticking, but for the most part, I like the solo-ness of it. I like being inside my head, it's a fun place to be!
8. Why Tom? I know you write stories about Tom as well as Rob. Why him? *giggles quietly to self* - Chickadee
This one is almost as bad as the question I asked Jax about Tom in London! *sigh*
Seriously though, there is something about Tom that gets me, even more than Rob. I have always been the type to like the supporting characters more than the main guy. I tend to like bass players and drummers more than lead singers and Tom is always in the shadow of Rob. He is incredibly gorgeous *waves Hi Tom!!* and when I started looking into him more, I really liked what I found. He's a really good actor (*whispers* maybe better than Rob :S) and Tom needs love too! I am so happy to see other people writing Tom fic and that I have converted a few over to the Stu-side. It makes me a proud girl!
9. How conscious are you of following the timeline of Rob's real life when writing a story? Do you try to stay true to that, or do you utilize artistic license? - Chicakdee
It depends on the story. In my first story, it was all about Rob's real life timeline. The entire story involved what he was doing when and me fitting Caroline into it, so I had to make sure I had things happening in a certain order otherwise the story would fall apart. In 'Saving Hope', it's taking place in the future, when Rob is almost 27, so I have more artistic license. 'Party Girl' was a completely different kettle of fish, it was it's own timeline, but then I added 'Then I Met You' into it and I had to juggle that story to make sure it fit with Rob and Bronwyn...I don't think I will do that again, it made my head hurt.
10. Are there any people in Rob's real life that you just won't write about, that you won't put in a story? - Chickadee
I have always said that if I meet any of the guys, I won't be able to write about them anymore, and I have found that to be true. I can't write about Sam since I met him last November. I can refer to him in stories, but to write him, I don't think I can do it anymore. God I hope I don't meet Bobby in March, I like him as comic relief too much in my stories and I would hate to give that up.
11. What kinds of things inspire story ideas in you? - Chickadee
Oh, just about anything. A conversation I have with someone, a movie, pictures on the internet, a thought that runs through my head, songs I hear. Dreams have been a big one for me. I have gotten 3 or 4 story ideas from dreams of mine.
12. Do you ever begin a story not knowing what's going to happen at the end, or do you always have an ending in mind? If the answer is a mixture of both, which do you find easier writing? - Chicakdee
I almost always write with an ending in mind. Like I said before, the only one that didn't have an ending when I started was 'Somewhere Along the Way'. I knew I wanted to write a story of parallel road trips and what if Rob met a girl he just couldn't get out of his mind, even though he was with Kristen. That is what prompted me to write it. I find it much easier to know my ending ahead of time, so I know my goal at the end. If I keep that in mind, I can finish a story.
13. What is the most important thing you have learned about writing that you would like to share with the other writers here? - m244robp
Write because you want to, because you need to, but because you love to. If you don't love what you are writing, why are you writing? If it's a chore, you won't excel at it and everyone will suffer, you and your readers both.
14. How would you react if you actually had a chance to meet Rob? (this is a Rob-related site, right?) - m244robp
I am shy by nature and I would probably stare at him for a while before I got pulled into say something, my friends are like that. Then I would be polite and as anti-fan girl as I possibly could be. I would hope that I would be funny and make him laugh, then after it was over, I would die. I have no illusions of a friendship or assuming one since I DO stalk him a bit, but I would hope that when I walked away, he wouldn't turn to Tom and say 'Good lord, what the fuck what that?' but 'Fuck, I wish all my fans were like that.' ('cause in my mind, Tom is always a couple of steps behind, lingering in the background, making it look good!)
15. What made you like Robert? Do you write Robert different then every one else? and what is you favorite Robert story that you didn't write? - queens_of_pattinson
I like how real he seems to be, in interviews and pictures. He is a young man who is been thrust into this fame that he didn't ask for and yet there aren't any sex tapes of him floating around *snaps fingers* or really anything negative about him that has come out. No babymamas, no DUIs, nothing like what his contemporaries have put out into the media and I think that speaks a lot about his personality, or at least his upbringing. Mama P, you raised a good boy there!! *grin*
I think I write Rob a little differently than others. I don't write a bad boy Rob, I just can't picture it and if I can't picture it, I can't write it. I tend to imagine he has quite a potty mouth on him (or I could just be projecting that onto him from me!) but for the most part, I tend to write a sweet, adorkable Rob who is getting know himself as he gets older.
Favorite Rob story I didn't write would have to be either 'I Love LA' or 'Sophie'. Rob in 'I Love LA' is so great and Grace is the perfect compliment to him. It's such a shame it's no longer on the 'Net, but she did adapt it and its now published, so yeay!
Sophie, god, Sophie just kills me. It tears me apart inside that Rob is so in love with this woman and is so willing to take the little pieces she gives to him because he can't picture a life without her in it. It's beautifully written and I know underthestars is blushing now, but I can't help it, I just adore her story!
Favorites:
- Book: The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
- Movie: The Princess Bride, Pirate Radio/The Boat that Rocked (it's hilarious, and stars Tom, double bonus!)
- Actor/Actress: Actor-Colin Firth, Actress-Angelina Jolie (I have a girl crush!)
- Band: Duran Duran and Muse (Muse and Duran Duran) or yeah, and Rush...I LOVE music!
- Song: Time is Running Out - Muse, Time Stands Still - Rush, Nice - Duran Duran
- Cookie: Dark Chocolate Milanos by Pepperidge Farm
Last Words: Remember, this is for posterity so be honest
Is there anything else you would like to say or share with us?
Thanks for being such a great group and very open and welcoming. I love the interaction that we all seem to have on here and it's a great place to come and read and post. Thanks Christine for putting this little haven together and I hope it stays around for a while. I have met some really close friends thanks to this website, so thank you!
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