Guys! It's time to let a couple of our amazing members shine! Also, here's a friendly reminder to start your Christmas shopping now! Oh, and to NOT cut your bangs! Amends will always be that episode with the Buffy bangs to me. :) 

I digress ...

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

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

I watched Buffy when it first aired and owned all the original DVDs, so I've been a fan for a long time. I found Spuffy during COVID.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Oh, everywhere. Other stories I read, Spuffy and non-Spuffy, lead to plot bunnies all the time. Maybe an author handled a situation a certain way, but didn't explore it much, and my muse wants to really dive in. Maybe they handled something in a way that I don't love, so I write how I would have done it. Maybe something completely unrelated is a great parallel, and I want to explore how it would work in the Buffyverse. The show! Watching an episode always leads to "What if" moments that turn into stories.

Who is your favorite character to write and why?

I can write Buffy and Spike with the most ease, but I probably enjoy writing Xander the most. Don't come for me! I'm not a fan of the canon character either! But after reading a few stories where Xander wasn't awful (pause for me to tell everyone to read Cursed by sunalso on AO3), my muse decided their life mission is to redeem Xander in every story. And finding the good and polishing it up in such a...problematic character is a lot of fun. It's easy to make him a villain because the story basically writes itself. None of us are surprised by his negativity or vitriol. But a kind, sympathetic Xander? That takes planning and is far more challenging, which is fun!

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

The hardest to write was/is my series Mysterious Destinies. It was my introduction to long-form writing as well as the first time I actually posted. It...got away from me. I've learned a lot from writing them, which unfortunately also means they hold a good number of the mistakes I needed to learn from. So when I had to pause writing the second story, I went back to reread what was already published to get back in the mindset. And I just cringed. I was so lost in thinking about what I should have done differently that I haven't ever really been able to go back to it. My plan is to rewrite the published chapters of the second story one day and then finish it, but for now I just hope it stays buried in the one archive where it exists.

I am most proud of my story Brutal Honesty, even though it ironically contains my one botched attempt at writing in the present tense. I did really well until the editing phase, which somehow doubled its original length, and I absolutely slipped back into the past tense I'm most comfortable with. So it's technically a bit of a disaster. But the story itself just makes me happy, and I love where it ended up going, and it contains some scenes that are still some of my favorite scenes that I've ever written. Especially Chapter 8, which didn't even exist in the original draft lol, and Xander's conversion to a Spuffy lover.

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

This is such a difficult question because as writers we have such different goals. I write so I get the endings I wanted, but they write to keep viewers tuning in. Viewers with diverse opinions and desires for the show. And without viewers, there aren't as many seasons for us to play around with. Not to mention the creator, network heads, and everyone else that has to ok a script before it becomes reality. So as much as I'd love to say I'd get Spuffy together for real and much earlier without Seeing Red happening (think of the additional source material for banners!), I'm not sure I'd actually do it.

I think if I had to pick one thing, it would be Angel's continued influence on Buffy even after he leaves. Because in AtS he gets to move on. Multiple times. He isn't pining after Buffy or comparing every girl he's interested in or with to her. And even though the crossovers literally showcase why Angel is not the dream partner she thinks he is—spying on her, erasing a day without her consent, choosing Faith, leaving after promising he would stay directly before the apocalypse the Oracles told him would kill her (and that he used to justify the removal of that day), demanding she meet him half way after her resurrection even though she doesn't drive, keeping Spike's return a secret—she is on his hook for the entirety of the show. Every partner is compared to Angel, and they are all found lacking. She thinks love should be painful, which allows others to abuse her without consequence. She keeps clinging to a possible future that he has already thrown away. And it's all framed as true love. It's not just unhealthy and annoying—it prevents Buffy's character development. It keeps her trapped as an immature, naive girl when she could have been even more glorious. And that's just wrong.

(Oooh! With you pointing out all of that about Angel ... it does showcase exactly why he's NOT the one for her at all. And yeah, his continued hold on her is something I still haven't made peace with. And that almost-finale kiss?! STOP IT! We are so glad you're here, redeeming Xander and giving us a ton of content to devour! Thank you for being you! You? Kick butt!)

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Next up is our Commenter of the Month: jewelram

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

I was over at a friend's house, and we were deciding what to watch while I waited to be picked up. Her complete set of Buffy DVDs caught my eye, but we ended up going with a movie instead. I watched the show on my own, but I didn't really get into it until more than a decade later. I was immediately hooked the second time around, and fanfiction was the logical next step.

What motivates you to leave comments?

I know how much effort goes into writing, and I know how it makes me feel when I get the email that someone has left a comment on something of mine. It puts a smile on my face for the rest of the day. Commenting is a way to pay it forward.

Do you also write or are you strictly a reader?

For most fandoms, I only read, but something about BtVS brought the writing part of me out of hibernation. I've written more in the last two years than I have in the decade prior.

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

In a lot of ways, I still see myself as a lurker. I'd like to comment more often than I do, but I get in my own head about it, so sometimes I have to force myself to move on, otherwise I wouldn't leave any comments at all.

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

It's nice, to be sure, but I don't expect it. Authors are no more obligated to reply to my comments than readers are to comment on my stories.

(We love a good origin story! Your friend is officially our hero for having those DVDs and sparking your interest! And your comments are always fantastic! And yay! More writing! Never stop! We are so happy to have you here and can't wait to see what you do next! <3 ) 

And that's a wrap on August. I plan to go buy Halloween decor today that ... intentionally becomes year-round decor because I'm THAT strange and off putting. But, you know, demure and tasteful has never been anywhere close to my vocabulary. ;)  

Until next time,
Chelle, Dusty, GetItDone, and GriefCounseling