Helllllo! Our May SOTM interviews are ready and they're awesome! 

First up, we have our Author of the Month: JSBirsa

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

I came across Buffy the show when it first aired in our country - in the fall of 1998 (yes, I’m that old), and then I got hooked on it all over again during the pandemic. Since we had far fewer options for outdoor leisure activities during the lockdown, I turned to reading. After browsing the web, I stumbled upon a ton of fanfiction, and that was it.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere and nowhere. I might happen to recall a situation where I think, “Hmm, what if that happened to them?”, or I see something inspiring, or someone might say something that sparks an idea. There’s no rule.

Who is your favorite character to write and why?

Spike, because he's so versatile. You can make him evil, kind, dramatic, romantic, sexy, silly, et cetera, et cetera…

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

I’m proud of all my stories/drawings, but most of all of the first full-length story/comic I posted - The Washing Machine Incident, because it came about completely by chance from a sketch I drew as a joke on Discord, which then grew into a full comic. That story was the key to giving me the courage to write all the stories that followed.

The hardest was writing a chapter for the Spiral Spuffy 2023 event - The Mystery of the Disappearing Scoobies, because I had to write a segment within a week that followed the plot conceived by the author before me and continue the story in a way that made sense. At the same time, you had to leave enough room for the next author to work with. 

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

An entire essay could be written on this topic, but I’ll just highlight the following:

- Given that the main character of the series is Buffy and not her so-called support group (the Scoobies), I would have expected more support and less meddling in her personal affairs on their part; or rather, I would have liked Buffy to put them in their place more often, and for them to actually take responsibility for their mistakes.

- Joyce’s death was premature. Her illness and recovery could have been an excellent opportunity to showcase the personal growth not only of Buffy but of everyone involved in her life over the long term.

(We are so with you on Joyce's death. Talk about feeling like a big truck hit you out of nowhere! And we are also a SUPER fan of that Washing Machine! Ahem! Thank you for being here! You are incredible!)

Next up is our Commenter of the Month: EnchantedWillow

Tell us how you got into Buffy the show and Buffy fanfic. I watched Buffy as it aired as a kid. I was very into the whole Girl Power movement of the 90s and absolutely loved Buffy and Xena. I think I started watching weekly in Season 4 when I was 9, and I crushed so hard on Spike lol. I owned all the seasons on DVD and would do full series rewatches when I was a teenager. Then life happened, and I kind of forgot about it for years. Then, during 2018, I found fanfiction (through a different fandom). During 2020, I kind of exhausted that other fandom, and when I tried to think of other pairings I would enjoy, Spike and Buffy just popped into my mind. I haven't looked back since. 

What motivates you to leave comments? Honestly, writing my own stories is what spurred me into leaving comments more consistently. I didn't really realize how much they meant to writers until I was receiving them myself. Knowing how much each comment means to me made me want to pay it forward. Especially if a story has kind of stalled, because I know a random comment might be what gets the creative juices flowing again. 

Do you also write or are you strictly a reader? I write as well. 

Were you a lurker before you started leaving comments or did you comment right away? Oh, I was absolutely a lurker. When I first started reading Spuffy fanfic specifically, I started with the oldest stories first, and it felt weird leaving a comment on a story that was nearly 20 years old. As I got to the newer stories, I would leave a comment if a certain story or chapter was really moving, but I didn't really comment more regularly until I started writing myself. 

How important is it to receive a reply from the writer when you leave a comment? Not at all. It's nice when I do get a reply, but it isn't something I expect by any means. Writing is time-consuming, real life still exists, and I would personally prefer the next chapter to be uploaded instead of a response to my comment. This is probably heavily influenced by my own struggles with replying to comments, but even before I started writing, I never expected a reply. My comment is to let them know that what they wrote was fabulous, and in a WIP, it's to help feed their muse. No reply necessary, for me at least.

(Thank you so much for being here, EnchantedWillow! We were also big on the girl power of it all! And Xena!! Man ... it was really a great time to be a girl! Thank you!! You rock!!!)

And that is a big old wrap! Thank you all for being here!
Chelle, Dusty, GetItDone, and GriefCounseling