Heya, Scoobies! It's that time again! Uhm, can someone tell me how it's July, though? Because I feel like I was just typing January up there in the Title. 

Anyway ... July has a couple of awesome Scoobies to showcase. Ready? 

First up we have our Author of the Month: Zinjadu

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

I watched the show when it was airing, read a heap of fic back in the day, and then wandered away to other fandoms. I got back into it in 2023 on a re-watch and one little line: Should've gone for the Porsche. Just enough room for you, me, and Big Sis set my brain on fire. A couple of years later, here we are.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere, to be honest. Little asides with people in the server, my own randomly pinging brain, and other fic. What's so fun about fandom is that it's such a communal thing. We all inspire and help each other, and it's an absolute delight to muck about with other fans and have something fun and entertaining come out of it.

Who is your favorite character to write and why?

I love writing a lot of characters. Buffy is such an emotionally complex and layered character while also being delightfully quippy and clever. Dawn is a little chaos gremlin, and Giles is surprising me a lot. Tara is also the MVP of my heart, and I love her so.

However, I have to admit, writing Spike is an absolute blast. He's a complete dumpster fire internally. A sad, wet cat. A yearning, love-lorn very smart fucking moron. He's an absolute mess, but also insightful and sharp. Writing Spike is like taking the breaks off my brain and flooring it. 

Also, since we generally assume that our dear William was an educated fellow (and is likely still a bit of a nerd), I love peppering in all of my own knowledge about history, literature (especially classics), and even try to shoe-horn in some philosophy (one of my other deep loves) where I can. There's nothing quite like having Spike mouth off in dialogue while thinking about Homeric epics.  

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

Oh man, this question is so tricky. It's like asking me to pick between my children. I love them all for different reasons, but I think I'm actually the most proud of "My best was saying goodbye." It's heavy-ish, dealing with Buffy getting an abortion early on in Season 5. I wrote it about 24 hours, and it just felt like it flowed from me. The fic itself focuses on Buffy, and the Spuffy is less of the focus even though it's very much there. It felt really timely, and the way some commenters came forward to share their own experiences with me, that felt so important and valuable. I think it really touched some people, and that's what good writing does.

As for hardest to write? I think maybe right now "A truce that lasts long enough looks like peace (feels like love)" if only because I had to take a hiatus from it, and it's gonna be a long project. It does feel like it's hanging over my head, given how much I have planned for that beast. That said, I have a completely fab and delightful beta, Jess, who keeps me going on it. Seriously, I would not be able to write that fic without her.

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

Less fridged women! IMO, Joyce dying was a narrative choice and, to some degree, necessary for Buffy's narrative arc. But Tara and Anya? They both deserved better! 

(Okay. Describing Spike as being an internal dumpster fire *and* a sad, wet cat ... you officially win all the internets, fourteen thousand and two Scooby snacks, and a really hard glare and possibly a bite from Spike when he finds out THAT is what you think of him. But seriously ... I don't know that anyone has ever described our favorite demon better than you just did. You? We love you! Can we keep you?)

____________^__^______/_____ (my attempt at a sad, wet cat ... stop laughing right now!)


Next up is our lovely Commenter of the Month: LadyInQuest

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

I'd like to think that in sense, I self-medicated my depressive episode with spuffy. Didn't exactly cure me, but shake up enough to start to care about things again. They sure can bring your fire back in matter of one witty and punchy exchange. Ironic enough, I got into fanfics because the story on screen felt so compelling, I was curious what kind of an aus you can do with them. I'm usually a big au person, but here the idea of changing settings or characters backgrounds seemed almost excessive. Needless to say, this impression was immediately debunked. Buffyverse is a perfect place to create worlds without shrimps or worlds where Spike gets to be every pet under the sun or worlds where Buffy falls first and harder.

What motivates you to leave comments?

The sense of duty to the community :) There're so many talented folks in this fandom and it's been like that for over twenty years. Hyping people up to the best of my ability feels like the bare minimum to do in such circumstances. You're awesome, if you didn't hear that today! 

Do you also write or are you strictly a reader?

I'm a writer too and, actually, another reason to leave comments for me comes from an ability to recognize the amount of discipline and mental gymnastics it takes to type something you yourself would be happy about. I adore when you can clearly see which particular expression or metaphor the author must be very proud to come up with. And I'm giggling while highlighting it in the comments, the same way I imagine the writer in question was giggling while typing. 

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

Unfortunately, I was, and (depending on my level of energy), is a notorious lurker, to be honest. When I'm on a reading kick I tend to binge through chapters, and it can be tricky to slow down and sort out my thoughts. 

How important is it to receive a reply from the writer when you leave a comment?

Always would love to chat and elaborate on points, but I know replying on comments is actually the task on it's own, takes time and energy. So, I wish upon all the authors to never feel bad about slow responses or no response at all. Actually, I would love there to be a kudos button for comments, just so we all could nod to each other when words aren't wording, or a social battery needs time to reboot.

(First, we are so happy you found us and have come to bless us with your fantastic comments and amazing stories! Second, it truly does take a metric ton of mental gymnastics to stay focused and stay the course, huh? Writing fanfic can feel pretty thankless sometimes so trust us, we value commenters more than we can ever fully convey! And you're right up there with the best of the best! We adore you! <3) 

And that, fam, is a wrap on July! I feel like we all better start Christmas shopping now because we're about to blink and it'll be December! Stay hydrated, y'all! Wear sunscreen!

Seeya soon!
Chelle, Dusty, GetItDone, and GriefCounseling

PS, Here's another toast to all of you who have made another year at SAD one for the record books! We're so proud of you all, happy to be a part of the community you've built here, and we appreciate you all more than we can tell you! So, here's a ginormous hug to go around! Pass it on!