Our December Scoobies of the Month Interviews are here! (Better late than never, right?)

First up is our Author of the Month, In Mortal!

·  Tell us how you got into Buffy - the show and the fanfic.

My love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer actually goes back to when I was 5. My parents had the movie taped on VHS, and I watched it every day. It was funny, it was campy, it was scary, but not really. It’s a great kids’ movie.

The show came out when I was in junior high, and it was so different than the movie that it took me a couple of years to really get into it. But around Season 4 or so, I found a certain peroxide blonde calling me back every week. By the end of Season 5, I was obsessed. Luckily, around that same time, FX picked it up for syndication and ran a marathon, so I got caught up quickly. I started reading fanfic (NautiBitz was my go-to), I read spoilers for upcoming episodes (I ruined ‘I love you’ ‘No, you don’t’ for myself, which I still regret), and I used to tape the show on VHS and run it on repeat, cuz that’s how we did it back then.

·  Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

I actually didn’t start writing fanfic until a couple of years ago. I honestly didn’t think I’d like it. I wanted to read other people’s stories. But I found myself searching for stories I couldn’t find, so one night, I sat down to write a post-series reunion scene, and 5k words poured out of me in about an hour. I guess I’d been thinking about it for a while. That became the first chapter of a 31-chapter fic. And this is my new obsession.

At some point (when is debatable), Spike’s unrequited love became requited, and I don’t think we saw nearly enough of that in the show. The fics in which Buffy’s pursuing Spike or even role reversals were always my favorite. A lot of my stories start there.

·  Who is your favorite character to write, and why?

Buffy is my favorite character to write. Probably because I have a crush on her.

·  Which story of yours are you most proud of, and which was the hardest to write?

I think I’m most proud of The Watcher. Rewriting the entire series was an ambitious goal, and I knew it was going to be a challenge. I’m proud of how the story turned out, but mostly, I’m happy that I completed it.

The hardest to write was probably A Darkened Night of the Soul. It was my first fic and maybe the most complex plot I’ve come up with so far. Also, proud that I finished it.

·  As a writer, what would you have changed on the show and why?

I mean, the bathroom scene in SR. I imagine a lot of people wish they could change that.

Setting aside whether that was in character for Spike or the impact on Buffy and Spike’s relationship, this is a show that championed female empowerment, yet positioned its heroine, the main character, and the strongest character in this fictional world, as a victim of SA strictly to advance the storyline of a supporting male character. If they’d had any interest in exploring the impact on Buffy, I would say there’s some merit to it, but that’s just not why they did it. It was disappointing on many levels.

 Thanks In Mortal! And cheers to the VHS-era! We're so happy to have you here!

Next up is our Commenter of the Month, Davidf89.

Tell us how you got into Buffy - the show and the fanfic.

I got into Buffy as a high school student in Hong Kong as I had the DVD box sets of Buffy and later Angel.   My interest in Spuffy started in season 5 of Buffy especially when the real Buffy kissed Spike after he refused to give up Dawn to Glory.   To me spike even as a soulless vampire was a better man than Angelus who was a pure evil monster. Although after watching Angel I do support Angel and Cordelia as a couple.

What motivates you to leave comments?

I’m motivated to leave comments when I see well written stories.

Do you also write, or are you strictly a reader?

I’m also an aspiring writer having just started posting my first fanfic on Sunnydale after Dark called Dark Gift.

Were you a lurker before you started leaving comments, or did you comment right away?

I left comments straight away when I saw stories that I liked.    Thanks so much, Davidf89!  We're so thankful for all your comments of support for our authors!