Interview: velocitygrass
Q & A with velocitygrass
1. About you:
I'm not like other people because I can't drive, don't drink coffee, have no pets, and don't dress up for Halloween (or the local occasions to do so). And I'm really bad at naming favorites for broad categories, because it depends on the occasion for me. Sorry.
Would you like to live somewhere else and why? I love my job, so I don't really consider moving, but if that weren't a consideration, I'd like to live in a large city, and if I were to be specific, I'd love to live in New York. I'm just a big town kind of person, and New York just feels like a good fit for me.
2. About your creative processes:
How did you get into writing fanfic/creating fanart? How long have you been creating fan art or writing fan fiction? I've been making up stories in my head for as long as I can remember. And reading other people's fanfic opened the idea to that (though I actually made up terrible Mary Sue fanfic in my head before I even knew what it was). Fanart in form of wallpapers naturally happened once I was able to take screenshots. Manips came with the discovery of photoshop. And with new software (Inkscape, Blender) comes the desire to use it to express my fannish obsession. I wrote my first official fic 13 years ago. Fanart happened longer ago. I actually just found a collage that could be considered fanart that dates back to 1989.
As far as creative processes go, what type of writer/artist are you? Do you create an outline/find photo references/make maps, etc., or do you jump in and go with the flow? Yes, I always do sketches/outlines. For short fics it might only be in my head, but I (almost) never start writing without having told the complete story (in more or less detail) in my head. The only exceptions are manips, which don't really lend themselves to sketching since the bulk of the work is finding the perfect base and the rest is making the fannish things blend in.
Do you write original fiction (poetry, screenplays)? Do you create original art (comics, photographs, quilts, wedding cakes)? Care to share? I used to write screenplays, but all my written output of the last couple of years was fannish. My Blender experiments are not yet fannish, but that's only because I haven't quite dared to start a more ambitious project. I do like quite a few of my New York photos, but they're not online.
How do you write? With planning at great length with notes and spreadsheets? Get a bunny and just launch into it? Handwrite on yellow legal pads, or always on a word processor? With music going, or in a cafe, or quietly when there are no distractions? Do you procrastinate? How do you manage that? It starts with an idea that is fleshed out in my mind. I basically tell myself the story. Then depending on length I start either write it down (for short fics) or jot down a quick outline, which I then write scene by scene (adjusting the outline if necessary). I almost always write directly on the computer in my room without music. I procrastinate very badly, but I try to keep deadlines in mind and then force myself to write at least a bit. On most days, the hardest part is starting. Once I'm writing I tend to manage at least a scene/chapter or even more.
Same with art - hand-draw first, or all digital? Do you listen to music while doing art? How long do you tweak the details before deciding it's finished? All digital, even the sketches. No music for art either. I stop tweaking when the deadline has come or when I think that the general feeling I want to convey comes through.
3. About SGA:
Is SGA your main squeeze, or are you poly-fandom-ous? Main squeeze. I'm mono-fandom-ish.
Why did you decide to participate in this year's McShep Match? Because I still love McShep and love that others do too.
Best thing about McKay/Sheppard: go! They just fit together so well. They inspire the best in each other and tolerate the worst.
Who's your favorite, John or Rodney (or both)? How come? John. I'm not sure I can articulate why. At first glance he looks like your typical hero character, but from the pilot on there are these little things that you don't expect from the lead of a rather conventional scifi show. From stumbling in the forest in Rising and then pretending he didn't to ending up on the balcony alone (emotionally) in the series finale, John Sheppard defies convention and I love him for that more than I could ever express. So I pay him back by getting him together with the man he loves ;)
Where can people find more of your work (McShep or otherwise)? Here and here.
What got you into fanfic/SGA/McShep? It started with watching the great McShep fanvids. From there on I went to fic (without ever having watched SGA), and when I couldn't stop telling stories in my head, I started watching SGA to be able to actually write McShep.
Favorite story/artwork/vid/creative fanthing? My own or others? I'm generally not good with favorites because it all depends on my mood and it's not really possible to adequately compare a short hot kink story vs a fluffy adventure... My favorite thing is the variety that we have in McShep fandom.
4. Hiiiints! C'mon, you know you wanna! Just a bit of squee about your Match entry…(Remember to keep your answer vague, please!) [And you can lie/mislead! *g*] Not good at lying, so I won't say a word. *zips mouth*
5. Oops, did we leave out something? What question do you wish we'd asked? Anything fannish you'd like to create but haven't already? My dream is a McShep game or interactive story prompt generator or a mix of those two.
6. Team Captains' Question: Okay, redshirt, you've signed on for a very dangerous mission to go back in time and it could be a one-way trip. I should add that while every effort will be made to keep you within the dawn of civilization - we really don't know where that dial will stop. But you are allowed one personal item… name it. I'm guessing a time machine is out and Rodney to find a way to get us back is too. Then maybe a gun for defense and being able to kill myself quickly and painlessly. I'm practical that way. Or wait. Maybe an indestructable recorder so that I could take notes (videos/images) of my experience, which could then be found even if I don't make it home.
popkin16 What were some things you would have liked to see in season six? Team. I think the show lost (part of) its soul when instead of doing team episodes (with exceptions) they started doing non-team episodes (with exceptions). And I would have loved to see Rodney and Jennifer officially realize that they work better as friends. (It's my head canon now, but it took me a long time to get there.) Some background for Ronon and Teyla. Some glimpses into how Teyla deals with the dual responsibilities as mother/wife and being on the team. Anything that actually focuses on John.
patk If there's one episode you could change canonically, which one would it be and what would you change? This might be a bit unexpected and strange, but it's "Whispers" and the fact that John apparently doesn't know the members of the team they're helping out on the mission. I can work around the high five by pretending that John just wanted to do some male bonding with a needy Carson, but there is absolutely no plausible reason that John would go through the gate and not even know who was waiting on the other side. It's a small thing, but it really, really bugs me. (Another contender would be Rodney's last words on the show, but they are so over the top unbelievable that they actually work in favor of explaining that Rodney is completely clueless about his own feelings when it comes to relationships. So I can live with them.)