The Examination: Perspi
Fanfic can be an addictive thing sometimes. You start watching a show, get interested, start looking around for something more, something to fill in the gaps. And there’s fanfic. And the next thing you know, you start wondering about something else, and no one has written about that, so you do.
Or maybe that’s just true for some of us, some people like perspi who find themselves diving head first into the deep end with their first fanfic experience. Perspi has gone from dabbling with her first fanfic, to writing a classic like No Little Charity to the collective writing the Aftershock series in about a year-and-a-half.
We’ll forgive the script style on the first fanfic, since it’s still an interesting idea. Besides, even Perspi’s early stuff showed signs of how she could give her own twist to fic writing. Consider the prompt “You’re not allowed to make snap judgments about someone else’s pain” from a Clinic Kickstarter’s challenge. Sound like something that should come from House? Nope.
In Her Doctor it’s a comment made to House.
“Why are you here?” his question stopped her. “That overdeveloped sense of guilt? A need to punish yourself, cause yourself more pain?”
”You are not allowed to make snap judgments about someone else’s pain.” Now Cuddy was angry at him. Her most difficult doctor. She stood at the foot of his bed. She could see the cogs turning behind his eyes, knew he could see behind hers. He blinked, then nodded his head and spoke, his voice as gentle as she’d ever heard.
Or the fact that Perspi was making new challenges for herself, creating a solid portrayal of Cameron -- a character who has escaped many fic writers in Paladin of Empathy
“No, this is what makes life interesting. Come on,” Chase said, with surprising command. “Everything worth doing carries a risk.” He got out of the car without waiting for her response.
The meth hadn’t exactly been worth doing; the aftermath had truly sucked. Chase, on the other hand...well, like he said, it didn’t suck. Cameron took a deep breath and opened the car door.
You can find her fic archived here.
In real life, Perspi is a new mother who somehow is finding time to write and manage an infant.
First off, congrats on Baby Z. Care to take a moment to brag?
Oh, that's a dangerous question to ask a new mom! She is, if I may say, a perfect thirteen pounds of love. She's also a very good baby-generally content and happy, doesn't cry unless she's hungry or uncomfortable, and by 6 weeks or so, she was usually sleeping a solid 6-hour stretch at night. Now at 11 weeks, she is smiling and practicing her sounds on us and can charm the socks off anybody she meets. Well, you did ask me to brag.
I'm going to guess that it's not just pure coincidence that your first fic post-baby features House and Wilson with a baby, and all the unexpected craziness that entails. Do you find yourself wondering now how they'd handle the common domestic situations of day-to-day life?
No, it wasn't a coincidence that Hi, Dads got written after the baby. Most all of what happened there happened first with Z. I do wonder how House, especially, would handle life with a child. There are some very good kid-fics out there-and House's reactions in those fics vary wildly. Some, he's more a playmate to the kid and really enjoys having a child. Others, he backs away from fatherly responsibility for whatever reason. I think both of these reactions can be in-character for him, depending on the parts of his personality the writer brings to the forefront, whether or not the writer believes his self-destructive streak could be successfully conquered by having a child.
I wonder about Wilson, too-would his apparent inattention to his wives extend to a kid? He's not as nice as he seems (as House likes to remind us), so...
What drew you to writing House fanfiction?
I first got into the show in the spring of 2006, and caught up on reruns, so I saw the first two seasons in a very strange order. And some weeks I had three 'new to me' episodes to watch. After that glut of goodness, I needed more. So I started devouring House fic in large gulps. And I thought I'd try my hand at writing some - I've never written fanfic before, ever. The Kickstarters exercises at the Clinic really helped cement the addiction.
How does a story start for you? A specific scene? A plot? A snatch of conversation?
Often it's a prompt of some kind, either from my 100_situations table or other kinds of prompts. Several of my earliest fics came from prompts at the Clinic. Sometimes plotbunnies grow from conversations- The Longest Weekend arose out of speculation about a Wilson breakdown in the darkest days of Season 3. Often I'll 'see' a few scenes and have a general idea of a plot. The idea for No Little Charity came from a (probably mangled) memory of a children's Christmas book and pwcorgigirl’s The Necessary Angel; I saw very clearly about five big scenes before I started writing.
What's the hardest part of writing for you?
Humor. I'm never sure that what I find funny will be funny to other people, I'm never sure if I'm trying too hard to be funny, I'm never sure that I've hit the right 'House' humor. It *feels* fun and easy, but I'm always nervous about it once it's written.
What's the easiest?
Spelling. I've always been a good speller.
Seriously, though (see what I mean about humor?), I find writing easiest when I can 'see' a scene, playing in my head like a movie, and my only job is to write out what I see. Bitter and Sweet both happened like that-and I had to work all day with them playing in my head before I could get a chance to write them down.
Your first House fic dealt with a woman who suffers an infarction similar to House's case, and how he deals with her issues. And of course "No Little Charity" transfers House's disability to Wilson. Do you think we can learn more about House through these alternate views?
Good Lord, tell me you didn't actually go back and read that first fic! (Editor's note: See what you have to put up with when I ask if you're willing to do a Q&A?)
I think House's pain and disability are a huge part of his life. I've never experienced even a broken bone, but my pregnancy is the best analog I have-when your body changes so drastically, it alters your perception of yourself. And I'd imagine that being in pain on a regular basis would alter your personality-I think I'd find it difficult to be optimistic or cheerful if I had to live with even a permanent crick in my neck, let alone serious nerve pain.
No Little Charity was my exploration of House without his pain, but also an exploration of how his pain has become a third entity in his relationship with Wilson (and by proxy, his relationship with the rest of the world). It was a way to get both House and Wilson to recognize the pain as an entity to be dealt with. And a difficult part of that is figuring out what House is like without his pain-how much of him has changed because of it, and how much would stay the same? The first episode of Season 3 gave us a glimpse, but it wasn't enough, for me.
You've also taken on both Foreman and Cameron. What drew you to their stories? What do you think fic writers can do with those characters who are either ignored or misused?
At the time I wrote Foreman's story, it was the prompt "Gun" on my 100_situations table that jumped out at me. And Cameron's story kind of blindsided me-I had wanted to do three different stories, with different characters saying the same line of dialogue, so I originally wanted to include all the characters in that piece. But Cameron spoke up.
I think when characters are ignored or misused, it's a great challenge for writers to address. All the fellows were hired by House not only because they were good doctors, but also because of something House was looking for. What was it? Why does House feel he needs them all around? And why did the fellows stay with House for as long as they did?
What brings you back to House and Wilson?
Their dynamic is so fascinating. Wilson's just as messed-up as House, and sometimes it's hard to remember that. They both hide their true selves so well from the rest of the world I'm endlessly intrigued by the way they know each other. Such friendships are so rare. Add in the ways they interact on the show (the banter, the pranks, the way they silently 'talk') and I can't help but get drawn back to them.
What's been the hardest fic for you to write?
I remember A Man Should Know as being difficult to write, because I felt like Foreman was rather slippery to pin down, and I had an extra section that I really wanted but just wasn't agreeing to be shoehorned into the fic. But I think The Longest Weekend was the hardest to write because of its subject matter. I didn't want to veer into melodrama and I was worried I wouldn't do the subject justice.
What's been your favorite of your fics?
I'm very fond and very proud of No Little Charity. But I'd have to say my favorites are Scar Wars and Subconscious, because Scar Wars still makes me laugh and Subconscious was fun to write, with all the 'accidents' that Wilson had.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I wait. I sometimes start something different, or talk to my f-list, or I'll go on a fic reading binge. I don't usually feel blocked so much as I feel like no characters are talking to me at a given time, and I don't generally worry about it, because sooner or later somebody will start talking to me again.
You're part of the black_cigarette collective. What have you learned about your own writing by working with other writers?
I've learned a lot about my own writing style, and how to look more closely at the writing style of others. The collective came into being as more of a happy accident than anything. It really felt like the characters in the story were all telling different bits and pieces to each of us, so we'd write a bit and share it around. It soon became clear that we needed to start thinking about how to mesh our individual pieces and voices together.
Blackmare and Nightdog and Dee have very distinctive writing styles, and I found myself sometimes consciously trying to imitate one of them while writing a piece, and it's a great stretch to try to think about how another writer might tell the same story.
Any of your old fics you'd like to go back and re-write as a result?
I'd love to go back and rewrite my very first fic. I had no clue what I was doing. Still don't, really, but I'd like to think I could at least rewrite it so it didn't read like a goofy screenplay.
Has writing fic changed the way you watch the show?
Yes-I can't watch casually anymore. Well, actually, I do, when I watch with the Mr. But then I have to watch it at least once more before deleting it off the TiVo. And the extra viewings I watch very closely, looking for bits of character or new canon to inform fics.
Do you have any other challenges you've laid out for yourself for future writing projects?
I'm still writing on Aftershocks - I just finished a new piece today, in fact. I have a sequel to One Meal, One Evening that's two-thirds finished, with House and Wilson and sushi. I'm slowly completing my 100_situations table. And the height of insanity-the biggest challenge I've ever laid out for myself-I've signed up for the bigbang challenge.
Thanks Perspi. Anyone else out there have any questions?
Or maybe that’s just true for some of us, some people like perspi who find themselves diving head first into the deep end with their first fanfic experience. Perspi has gone from dabbling with her first fanfic, to writing a classic like No Little Charity to the collective writing the Aftershock series in about a year-and-a-half.
We’ll forgive the script style on the first fanfic, since it’s still an interesting idea. Besides, even Perspi’s early stuff showed signs of how she could give her own twist to fic writing. Consider the prompt “You’re not allowed to make snap judgments about someone else’s pain” from a Clinic Kickstarter’s challenge. Sound like something that should come from House? Nope.
In Her Doctor it’s a comment made to House.
“Why are you here?” his question stopped her. “That overdeveloped sense of guilt? A need to punish yourself, cause yourself more pain?”
”You are not allowed to make snap judgments about someone else’s pain.” Now Cuddy was angry at him. Her most difficult doctor. She stood at the foot of his bed. She could see the cogs turning behind his eyes, knew he could see behind hers. He blinked, then nodded his head and spoke, his voice as gentle as she’d ever heard.
Or the fact that Perspi was making new challenges for herself, creating a solid portrayal of Cameron -- a character who has escaped many fic writers in Paladin of Empathy
“No, this is what makes life interesting. Come on,” Chase said, with surprising command. “Everything worth doing carries a risk.” He got out of the car without waiting for her response.
The meth hadn’t exactly been worth doing; the aftermath had truly sucked. Chase, on the other hand...well, like he said, it didn’t suck. Cameron took a deep breath and opened the car door.
You can find her fic archived here.
In real life, Perspi is a new mother who somehow is finding time to write and manage an infant.
First off, congrats on Baby Z. Care to take a moment to brag?
Oh, that's a dangerous question to ask a new mom! She is, if I may say, a perfect thirteen pounds of love. She's also a very good baby-generally content and happy, doesn't cry unless she's hungry or uncomfortable, and by 6 weeks or so, she was usually sleeping a solid 6-hour stretch at night. Now at 11 weeks, she is smiling and practicing her sounds on us and can charm the socks off anybody she meets. Well, you did ask me to brag.
I'm going to guess that it's not just pure coincidence that your first fic post-baby features House and Wilson with a baby, and all the unexpected craziness that entails. Do you find yourself wondering now how they'd handle the common domestic situations of day-to-day life?
No, it wasn't a coincidence that Hi, Dads got written after the baby. Most all of what happened there happened first with Z. I do wonder how House, especially, would handle life with a child. There are some very good kid-fics out there-and House's reactions in those fics vary wildly. Some, he's more a playmate to the kid and really enjoys having a child. Others, he backs away from fatherly responsibility for whatever reason. I think both of these reactions can be in-character for him, depending on the parts of his personality the writer brings to the forefront, whether or not the writer believes his self-destructive streak could be successfully conquered by having a child.
I wonder about Wilson, too-would his apparent inattention to his wives extend to a kid? He's not as nice as he seems (as House likes to remind us), so...
What drew you to writing House fanfiction?
I first got into the show in the spring of 2006, and caught up on reruns, so I saw the first two seasons in a very strange order. And some weeks I had three 'new to me' episodes to watch. After that glut of goodness, I needed more. So I started devouring House fic in large gulps. And I thought I'd try my hand at writing some - I've never written fanfic before, ever. The Kickstarters exercises at the Clinic really helped cement the addiction.
How does a story start for you? A specific scene? A plot? A snatch of conversation?
Often it's a prompt of some kind, either from my 100_situations table or other kinds of prompts. Several of my earliest fics came from prompts at the Clinic. Sometimes plotbunnies grow from conversations- The Longest Weekend arose out of speculation about a Wilson breakdown in the darkest days of Season 3. Often I'll 'see' a few scenes and have a general idea of a plot. The idea for No Little Charity came from a (probably mangled) memory of a children's Christmas book and pwcorgigirl’s The Necessary Angel; I saw very clearly about five big scenes before I started writing.
What's the hardest part of writing for you?
Humor. I'm never sure that what I find funny will be funny to other people, I'm never sure if I'm trying too hard to be funny, I'm never sure that I've hit the right 'House' humor. It *feels* fun and easy, but I'm always nervous about it once it's written.
What's the easiest?
Spelling. I've always been a good speller.
Seriously, though (see what I mean about humor?), I find writing easiest when I can 'see' a scene, playing in my head like a movie, and my only job is to write out what I see. Bitter and Sweet both happened like that-and I had to work all day with them playing in my head before I could get a chance to write them down.
Your first House fic dealt with a woman who suffers an infarction similar to House's case, and how he deals with her issues. And of course "No Little Charity" transfers House's disability to Wilson. Do you think we can learn more about House through these alternate views?
Good Lord, tell me you didn't actually go back and read that first fic! (Editor's note: See what you have to put up with when I ask if you're willing to do a Q&A?)
I think House's pain and disability are a huge part of his life. I've never experienced even a broken bone, but my pregnancy is the best analog I have-when your body changes so drastically, it alters your perception of yourself. And I'd imagine that being in pain on a regular basis would alter your personality-I think I'd find it difficult to be optimistic or cheerful if I had to live with even a permanent crick in my neck, let alone serious nerve pain.
No Little Charity was my exploration of House without his pain, but also an exploration of how his pain has become a third entity in his relationship with Wilson (and by proxy, his relationship with the rest of the world). It was a way to get both House and Wilson to recognize the pain as an entity to be dealt with. And a difficult part of that is figuring out what House is like without his pain-how much of him has changed because of it, and how much would stay the same? The first episode of Season 3 gave us a glimpse, but it wasn't enough, for me.
You've also taken on both Foreman and Cameron. What drew you to their stories? What do you think fic writers can do with those characters who are either ignored or misused?
At the time I wrote Foreman's story, it was the prompt "Gun" on my 100_situations table that jumped out at me. And Cameron's story kind of blindsided me-I had wanted to do three different stories, with different characters saying the same line of dialogue, so I originally wanted to include all the characters in that piece. But Cameron spoke up.
I think when characters are ignored or misused, it's a great challenge for writers to address. All the fellows were hired by House not only because they were good doctors, but also because of something House was looking for. What was it? Why does House feel he needs them all around? And why did the fellows stay with House for as long as they did?
What brings you back to House and Wilson?
Their dynamic is so fascinating. Wilson's just as messed-up as House, and sometimes it's hard to remember that. They both hide their true selves so well from the rest of the world I'm endlessly intrigued by the way they know each other. Such friendships are so rare. Add in the ways they interact on the show (the banter, the pranks, the way they silently 'talk') and I can't help but get drawn back to them.
What's been the hardest fic for you to write?
I remember A Man Should Know as being difficult to write, because I felt like Foreman was rather slippery to pin down, and I had an extra section that I really wanted but just wasn't agreeing to be shoehorned into the fic. But I think The Longest Weekend was the hardest to write because of its subject matter. I didn't want to veer into melodrama and I was worried I wouldn't do the subject justice.
What's been your favorite of your fics?
I'm very fond and very proud of No Little Charity. But I'd have to say my favorites are Scar Wars and Subconscious, because Scar Wars still makes me laugh and Subconscious was fun to write, with all the 'accidents' that Wilson had.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I wait. I sometimes start something different, or talk to my f-list, or I'll go on a fic reading binge. I don't usually feel blocked so much as I feel like no characters are talking to me at a given time, and I don't generally worry about it, because sooner or later somebody will start talking to me again.
You're part of the black_cigarette collective. What have you learned about your own writing by working with other writers?
I've learned a lot about my own writing style, and how to look more closely at the writing style of others. The collective came into being as more of a happy accident than anything. It really felt like the characters in the story were all telling different bits and pieces to each of us, so we'd write a bit and share it around. It soon became clear that we needed to start thinking about how to mesh our individual pieces and voices together.
Blackmare and Nightdog and Dee have very distinctive writing styles, and I found myself sometimes consciously trying to imitate one of them while writing a piece, and it's a great stretch to try to think about how another writer might tell the same story.
Any of your old fics you'd like to go back and re-write as a result?
I'd love to go back and rewrite my very first fic. I had no clue what I was doing. Still don't, really, but I'd like to think I could at least rewrite it so it didn't read like a goofy screenplay.
Has writing fic changed the way you watch the show?
Yes-I can't watch casually anymore. Well, actually, I do, when I watch with the Mr. But then I have to watch it at least once more before deleting it off the TiVo. And the extra viewings I watch very closely, looking for bits of character or new canon to inform fics.
Do you have any other challenges you've laid out for yourself for future writing projects?
I'm still writing on Aftershocks - I just finished a new piece today, in fact. I have a sequel to One Meal, One Evening that's two-thirds finished, with House and Wilson and sushi. I'm slowly completing my 100_situations table. And the height of insanity-the biggest challenge I've ever laid out for myself-I've signed up for the bigbang challenge.
Thanks Perspi. Anyone else out there have any questions?