Who the Hell Am I Anyways?
Hey,
Since I feel like I'm starting to get more involved with the community side of fanfiction writing, I thought it was about time that I properly introduced myself and told you all a bit about me!
If you didn't know, my name is Marianne Willoughby. I'm finishing my junior year of high school, but I'm eighteen (basically, I used to live in Denmark and there I would be a junior, so when I moved back here I decided just to stay in my grade instead of being with the other kids my age). American high school is nuts. If you live in a foreign country but you're moving to the states, don't go to public school. It is one hell of a rude awakening, hahaha.
Anyways, I'm going to stop complaining, because that's not what this is about. I do want to put out there that even though I bitch and whine a lot on my blog, that's really not the kind of person I am. I originally got a livejournal account for exactly that purpose - a place to vent without anyone reading it or judging me. Anyways, I just want everyone to know that I'm really not all that bad, and hopefully you'll come to discover some of the things about me that I'm actually quite proud of. Which leads me to...
...My next point. Who is Marianne Willoughby? I ask myself that question every day. I had a really rough period last year where I just had no understanding of myself, but this year I really think I've learned a lot. I've discovered a major passion for Shakespearean acting, and I've been in two productions this year. I was cast as Juliet's understudy in the fall, and since then I was able to do two shows. Those shows were probably some of the greatest most life changing experiences I will have. Now I've been cast into a production of "As You Like It", and I'm playing Rosalind, which is fucking amazing, and completely TERRIFYING. I feel really privileged to have landed this role, considering that Stratford is doing the production right now (not that I am anywhere near as awesome as Andrea Runge). I saw one of their first preview performances and absolutely loved it, so when I saw the casting call for the show where I live, I decided on a whim to audition, and I somehow miraculously was cast. It's still mind blowing.
Other than the acting stuff, I'm really into writing (haha no shit), and I feel like I've been able to do something really ground breaking. I wrote a novel. Yeah I know, it's craziness, but I'm REALLY REALLY fucking proud of myself. I don't even know if it's good or not, but I'm going to try and get it published. We'll have to see what happens.......Anyways, other than that, I've been writing a lot of C6D stuff. I really love doing fanfiction, because it's a way that I can share my writing with other people, and get a taste of what it's like to be a published author in that people read my writing and then give me feedback. You have no idea how excited I get whenever I see that I have a new comment. It goes something like this....
*Gasp*
*Flagrant display of Paul Gross Arms* \o/
*Lots of jumping up and down*
*MFA* (Mad Fit of Answering)
*Ridiculously happy smile for several hours*
It means just that much to me.
I've written a lot. I mean, a whole lot. It's just, I tend to get really embarrassed about a lot of fanfiction, so most of it never ends up on LJ. I don't know, it's just sometimes feels like something isn't ready; like it's not resolved. Or I just get all awkward when I make a feeble attempt to write slash, and then I blush a LOT and hide behind my hands for a few hours.
Maybe my small percentage of slash fiction will someday end up on LJ. But I HIGHLY doubt it.
It's the same thing with RPF. I absolutely LOVE reading RPF (we need more Paul/Callum though), and I so greatly admire the people that write it, but I just CAN'T DO IT. I'm not really sure what it is about RPF...maybe the fact that you're like sort of nosing your way into someone's life and making stuff up about them is what gets to me. I'm not sure, but god, I WISH I COULD DO IT. That's why I put that I'll write RPF on my signup sheet for Midsummer Santa (by the way, SO EXCITED for that), because now, I'll have to do it! There'll be no way around it, and I may finally be able to get over this highly irrational fear.
Oh, I also wanted to tell you all about how I got sucked into C6D, because believe me, I am quite submerged. Like most of you I'm sure, I discovered C6D through Paul Gross. Actually, I had never even heard of either him or due South until I started watching Slings&Arrows some time last year. And then I fell in love. Completely, irrevocably, and overwhelmingly. After I finished season 3, I realized that I had lived my whole life without something I couldn't live without (wait what?), so after some sleuthing with my mom's help (she's a fan girl too), we discovered due South and got to work.
I really have to hand it to PG and Paul Haggis and all the other people who made due South possible, because through it I discovered Callum Keith Rennie, the second love in my life. Anyways, about half way through season one, I started looking up fanfiction on fanfiction.net.
Although I'd had an LJ blog for a while, I didn't even know about the whole writing scene, so I thought that fanfiction.net was the only source. I combed over the archives for hours, trying to find SOMETHING, anything, that was what I was looking for. I'm not trying to discredit the fanfiction.net writers at all (I was one of them, after all), because there are some REALLY good stories up there, but generally, I wasn't too pleased. That's when I decided something must be done. I wrote my own fic. It's posted under a different name (thank God, because it's terrible), but I got some pretty good feedback, and it made me very excited. Still, I got kind of bored with fanfiction.net - especially since they didn't have Slings&Arrows - so I headed over to google and literally searched "paul gross fanfiction". That's how I ended up here.
I think the first LJ fic I ever read was "I'll Put a Girdle Round the Earth in Forty Minutes" by loneraven, and it will always be one my favorites. I read pretty much all of loneraven's Slings&Arrows and due South fiction, and then I started to expand my horizons. I read Petronelle, shayheyred, rillarilla, and atrata. All of their writing has really influenced me, and I thank them so much for giving me my first tastes of C6D. Anyways, I started looking at recs, and through that I discovered Speranza, china_shop, and Resonant who are three of my favorite writers. Some time I will do a rec post, because these ladies have written some of the best work I've ever read.
I wrote my first full length LJ fic earlier this year. It's not my favorite thing I've done by any means, but I'm still very proud of it. It's called "Us Loners" (Wilby Wonderful), and it can be found on my blog. After that I suddenly became diagnosed with this fic-writing influenza, and now I can't stop. I think I've really taken off a lot - writing all different kinds of C6D and different fandoms too. As I said, not much goes up, but maybe I'll try having someone beta because I think I do judge myself a bit harshly.
Other than writing and acting, I enjoy playing guitar, ukulele, piano (very ill), and flute. I've always sort of had an ear for music, and I've been writing songs all my life. Right now I'm working on a suite for flute based off of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and writing a lot of songs with my friend Adelle. We have a two person band (we make it work haha), and we're going to try and do a lot of shows this summer.
I also horse back ride, which I've been doing since the time I could walk. I own a half quarter horse, half rocky mountain pony called Kirby, and I love him probably more than anything/anyone in this world. I don't compete anymore, but I'm really okay with that since I've always enjoyed trail-riding more than the show ring.
Picture Ray Kowalski, only a woman, no tattoo (although there will be one in the future), and not overwhelmingly hot. Yeah that's me. I think if I was a guy I'd probably look like Ray only a little more tuned down in the looks department. Maybe I'm being hard on myself (I'm not deformed or hideous or anything), but that's what I think. But yeah, the skinny hips and frame, blonde hair, and the gray-blue eyes....me in a nutshell. Also the fiery personality. Definitely a Marianne trait.
If you've taken the time to read this, thank you. It means a lot to me that people are actually reading what I write, and so far I've had nothing but great experiences on LJ. I plan on being a lot more involved in the C6D community, and I hope I will be able to get to know each and every one of you fantastic people very well.
Yours,
Marianne
Since I feel like I'm starting to get more involved with the community side of fanfiction writing, I thought it was about time that I properly introduced myself and told you all a bit about me!
If you didn't know, my name is Marianne Willoughby. I'm finishing my junior year of high school, but I'm eighteen (basically, I used to live in Denmark and there I would be a junior, so when I moved back here I decided just to stay in my grade instead of being with the other kids my age). American high school is nuts. If you live in a foreign country but you're moving to the states, don't go to public school. It is one hell of a rude awakening, hahaha.
Anyways, I'm going to stop complaining, because that's not what this is about. I do want to put out there that even though I bitch and whine a lot on my blog, that's really not the kind of person I am. I originally got a livejournal account for exactly that purpose - a place to vent without anyone reading it or judging me. Anyways, I just want everyone to know that I'm really not all that bad, and hopefully you'll come to discover some of the things about me that I'm actually quite proud of. Which leads me to...
...My next point. Who is Marianne Willoughby? I ask myself that question every day. I had a really rough period last year where I just had no understanding of myself, but this year I really think I've learned a lot. I've discovered a major passion for Shakespearean acting, and I've been in two productions this year. I was cast as Juliet's understudy in the fall, and since then I was able to do two shows. Those shows were probably some of the greatest most life changing experiences I will have. Now I've been cast into a production of "As You Like It", and I'm playing Rosalind, which is fucking amazing, and completely TERRIFYING. I feel really privileged to have landed this role, considering that Stratford is doing the production right now (not that I am anywhere near as awesome as Andrea Runge). I saw one of their first preview performances and absolutely loved it, so when I saw the casting call for the show where I live, I decided on a whim to audition, and I somehow miraculously was cast. It's still mind blowing.
Other than the acting stuff, I'm really into writing (haha no shit), and I feel like I've been able to do something really ground breaking. I wrote a novel. Yeah I know, it's craziness, but I'm REALLY REALLY fucking proud of myself. I don't even know if it's good or not, but I'm going to try and get it published. We'll have to see what happens.......Anyways, other than that, I've been writing a lot of C6D stuff. I really love doing fanfiction, because it's a way that I can share my writing with other people, and get a taste of what it's like to be a published author in that people read my writing and then give me feedback. You have no idea how excited I get whenever I see that I have a new comment. It goes something like this....
*Gasp*
*Flagrant display of Paul Gross Arms* \o/
*Lots of jumping up and down*
*MFA* (Mad Fit of Answering)
*Ridiculously happy smile for several hours*
It means just that much to me.
I've written a lot. I mean, a whole lot. It's just, I tend to get really embarrassed about a lot of fanfiction, so most of it never ends up on LJ. I don't know, it's just sometimes feels like something isn't ready; like it's not resolved. Or I just get all awkward when I make a feeble attempt to write slash, and then I blush a LOT and hide behind my hands for a few hours.
Maybe my small percentage of slash fiction will someday end up on LJ. But I HIGHLY doubt it.
It's the same thing with RPF. I absolutely LOVE reading RPF (we need more Paul/Callum though), and I so greatly admire the people that write it, but I just CAN'T DO IT. I'm not really sure what it is about RPF...maybe the fact that you're like sort of nosing your way into someone's life and making stuff up about them is what gets to me. I'm not sure, but god, I WISH I COULD DO IT. That's why I put that I'll write RPF on my signup sheet for Midsummer Santa (by the way, SO EXCITED for that), because now, I'll have to do it! There'll be no way around it, and I may finally be able to get over this highly irrational fear.
Oh, I also wanted to tell you all about how I got sucked into C6D, because believe me, I am quite submerged. Like most of you I'm sure, I discovered C6D through Paul Gross. Actually, I had never even heard of either him or due South until I started watching Slings&Arrows some time last year. And then I fell in love. Completely, irrevocably, and overwhelmingly. After I finished season 3, I realized that I had lived my whole life without something I couldn't live without (wait what?), so after some sleuthing with my mom's help (she's a fan girl too), we discovered due South and got to work.
I really have to hand it to PG and Paul Haggis and all the other people who made due South possible, because through it I discovered Callum Keith Rennie, the second love in my life. Anyways, about half way through season one, I started looking up fanfiction on fanfiction.net.
Although I'd had an LJ blog for a while, I didn't even know about the whole writing scene, so I thought that fanfiction.net was the only source. I combed over the archives for hours, trying to find SOMETHING, anything, that was what I was looking for. I'm not trying to discredit the fanfiction.net writers at all (I was one of them, after all), because there are some REALLY good stories up there, but generally, I wasn't too pleased. That's when I decided something must be done. I wrote my own fic. It's posted under a different name (thank God, because it's terrible), but I got some pretty good feedback, and it made me very excited. Still, I got kind of bored with fanfiction.net - especially since they didn't have Slings&Arrows - so I headed over to google and literally searched "paul gross fanfiction". That's how I ended up here.
I think the first LJ fic I ever read was "I'll Put a Girdle Round the Earth in Forty Minutes" by loneraven, and it will always be one my favorites. I read pretty much all of loneraven's Slings&Arrows and due South fiction, and then I started to expand my horizons. I read Petronelle, shayheyred, rillarilla, and atrata. All of their writing has really influenced me, and I thank them so much for giving me my first tastes of C6D. Anyways, I started looking at recs, and through that I discovered Speranza, china_shop, and Resonant who are three of my favorite writers. Some time I will do a rec post, because these ladies have written some of the best work I've ever read.
I wrote my first full length LJ fic earlier this year. It's not my favorite thing I've done by any means, but I'm still very proud of it. It's called "Us Loners" (Wilby Wonderful), and it can be found on my blog. After that I suddenly became diagnosed with this fic-writing influenza, and now I can't stop. I think I've really taken off a lot - writing all different kinds of C6D and different fandoms too. As I said, not much goes up, but maybe I'll try having someone beta because I think I do judge myself a bit harshly.
Other than writing and acting, I enjoy playing guitar, ukulele, piano (very ill), and flute. I've always sort of had an ear for music, and I've been writing songs all my life. Right now I'm working on a suite for flute based off of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and writing a lot of songs with my friend Adelle. We have a two person band (we make it work haha), and we're going to try and do a lot of shows this summer.
I also horse back ride, which I've been doing since the time I could walk. I own a half quarter horse, half rocky mountain pony called Kirby, and I love him probably more than anything/anyone in this world. I don't compete anymore, but I'm really okay with that since I've always enjoyed trail-riding more than the show ring.
Picture Ray Kowalski, only a woman, no tattoo (although there will be one in the future), and not overwhelmingly hot. Yeah that's me. I think if I was a guy I'd probably look like Ray only a little more tuned down in the looks department. Maybe I'm being hard on myself (I'm not deformed or hideous or anything), but that's what I think. But yeah, the skinny hips and frame, blonde hair, and the gray-blue eyes....me in a nutshell. Also the fiery personality. Definitely a Marianne trait.
If you've taken the time to read this, thank you. It means a lot to me that people are actually reading what I write, and so far I've had nothing but great experiences on LJ. I plan on being a lot more involved in the C6D community, and I hope I will be able to get to know each and every one of you fantastic people very well.
Yours,
Marianne