For those of you that rushed like good ficsters and read Silverspoons Hell's Playground, you will no doubt be itching to find out the logic behind the great Buffy fic!
For those of you that haven't read it yet, be sure to jump, backflip and stick a stake in this story, coz it's got some smokin hot action and a fantastic story line to boot!
Hit the link and be sure to review!!!! It's the best way to pay for your entertainment! Sure beats spending $50 at the cinema just to watch some overdone romantic comedy that's similar to the last one you watched, while you suck down a small coke and the 2 skittles you managed to afford with the change from your ticket!
HUGE thanks to Silverspoons AKA Samantha for taking her time out of her busy schedule to answer these Q's!
Q)What is your favourite band?
A)I absolutely adore music in all forms so you would think this would be a difficult question but in a heartbeat I can say Evanescence. I find Amy Lee’s voice just so beautiful and haunting, and their lyrics are intelligent and full of metaphor. I love having to search for a deeper meaning in something.
Q)What is your favourite book?
A)I would like to be original here and come up with something so obscure no one has ever heard of it let alone read it, but I am afraid I am going to be boring and say Twilight. Yes, I know, shoot me for my lack of imagination!
Q)Who is your role model?
A)To be honest, I don’t really have a role model and don’t believe it does you much good to. People are people, everyone is flawed, and to want to base yourself wholly on another person only means you would inherit their flaws too. I prefer to look at each one of my family and good friends, and to pick one inspirational quality they possess. Then I aim to be more like them in that particular way.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
1) Obsessive
2) Generous
3) Eccentric
Q)What is the quirkiest fact about you?
A)Hmm that’s a tough one. Nothing very ‘quirky’ is springing to mind. I read Tarot cards for people and am apparently very accurate. Does that count?!
Q)What gave you the idea for the basis of Hell’s Playground?
A)I absolutely loathed the way that the series’ of both Buffy and Angel ended. For a die-hard fan it was just so disappointing. There was no resolution and it kind of felt as if the story was unfinished in some way. I decided to finish it and thought what better place to pick up from than L.A. I drafted a complete story arc and then after some research into mythology etc. I set about writing my baby.
Q)Apart from being a fan, why Buffy? What draws you to her story?
A)I have always found Buffy to be a likeable character and someone to aspire to be to an extent. I can identify with her for having to grow up quickly, shoulder responsibility, and yet still somehow manage to turn herself into a functioning adult. I think it’s important to be able to see yourself in the characters you observe. I would have liked to have been as witty, intelligent, strong and confident as her, and also surrounded by friends who loved her so much they would die for her in a heartbeat. Perhaps living in constant peril and killing demons for a living was not the most believable part of the story, but at the core Buffy was simply a guide to growing up.
Q)How many chapters had you written before you decided to post?
A)I wrote the very first chapter (which is fairly short) and posted immediately. I am very impatient that way! I know that a lot of authors prefer to bank up some chapters before posting but for me receiving reviews and monitoring traffic is the best motivation around to keep going.
Q)How many chapters does Hell’s Playground have before it is complete do you think?
A)Honestly, only time will tell. I have the general outline of where I am taking the story and what events will unfold but their sequence of occurrence is not set in stone. I can say with confidence that we are over half way there but at a total guess I would say to expect at least fifty chapters before you spot the words ‘Les Finis’. So that is around another fifteen!
Q)Was the part Spike plays in HP a conscious decision or something that came to you later on?
A)Definitely conscious. I wanted Spike and I wanted him bad! The faithful readers will already know that Spike’s existence is sort of integral to the storyline but I also have a deep fondness for the character. He’s sexy, witty, smart, and also capable of incredible love. That is what I really wanted to reflect in HP- the softer side of Spike.
Q)Do you have any other Buffy fics or otherwise in the near future, if so would you mind sharing your ideas?
A)I have one other Buffy fic at the moment which is entitled The Christmas Angel. It’s a short story set obviously at Christmas that shows a young mother driving home from tree shopping being attacked by a group of vampires. It is pure fluff with a dash of action but I really like it. I wrote it last Christmas for a little light relief from HP! It’s complete and the link is available via my FF profile. In future depending on my readers’ reactions, I may consider a sequel to HP.
Q)Dawn’s 'surprise', planned from the beginning or something that came up later?
A)Oh this was planned! (Evil laugh) I think I did quite a good job of hiding that fact though until later chapters when I gave out some pretty huge hints. Even then I only had one reader guess the nature of the surprise! I think that with plot developments such as this one, if you don’t plan then they end up turning out unrealistic and that makes people lose interest pretty quick.
Q)How's the fan reaction been to Dawn’s surprise?
A)I have to admit I was expecting flames. I posted the chapter where Dawn’s surprise is revealed and then it took me twenty four hours to pluck up the courage to check my email inbox! The response was actually overwhelmingly positive. Only one reader guessed it would happen and so I think the others liked the element of shock. I think half the battle of fic writing is choosing plot twists that can’t be easily guessed. Many readers hate to know what is just around the corner, myself included. Most of my readers were sad about the nature of the surprise since they had been expecting something else but they assured me they were sad in the good way so I was fairly happy and relieved.
If you could describe your fans/reviewers in 3 words they would be...
1) Patient (I am such a naughty little updater due to real life commitments)
2) Supportive (so far they like most things I have done)
3) Intelligent (well, they are reading my fic… lol… no, I seem to receive a lot of well thought out reviews which I appreciate immensely)
Q)Have you watched EVERY episode of Buffy and Angel?
A)Guilty. I have watched every episode of both series’ and probably watched every episode of Buffy at least six times. It really is one of the best shows of our generation.
Q)You say you have written poetry and had it published, what kind of poetry do you do and where do you draw your inspiration from?
A)Oh so many moons ago when I was but a lowly high school student! I haven’t actually gotten round to writing any poetry lately at all but it used to be such a release for me. My inspiration was the happenings in my day to day life. I favoured non-rhyming verse and just used to write whatever flowed really. I had at least three that I can recollect published and I do hope one day to reawaken that side of my creative brain.
Q)If your life was a book what would it's title be and why?
A)Cleaning Up The Mess, lol. Because I always seem to be doing that whether figuratively or literally. With a household of four there is some pretty hefty housework to deal with but from a more metaphorical standpoint, I have had a fairly interesting life in many ways full of little ‘messes’ that have needed cleaning. Some have been my own, many have belonged to other people. I’m everyone’s counsellor you see as well as their maid, lol!
Q)When you were 6 what did you want to be?
A)I don’t actually remember having a specific career goal. I have never really been one of those children. All I seem to recall is a desire to be a child forever- an immense fear of growing up and responsibility. As a child, everyone takes care of life for you. However, having said that, I did run out to my mum one day in the garden when I was three and tell her I wanted to be a stripper. She was suitably horrified but she still has no clue where I learned the word. Definitely not from Sesame Street!
Q)How do you juggle motherhood, married life and writing fanfiction?
A)I’m still working it out! Not all the kinks have been ironed out in this set up, lol. I only ever write when my children are sleeping and thank God they are great sleepers! My husband is also fantastic. I deal with the majority of housework but when he is present he is happy to sift through a basket of ironing for me so I can work on a chapter. He once joked that this was because he lived in fear of my readers battering down the door with flaming pitchforks!
Q)You're sitting at a table in a nice cafe somewhere, 2 waiters come to you at the same time, both holding a napkin each with a note.
Both notes read "care to join me for a drink?" one is signed Angel the other is signed Edward. What would you do?
A)Use their napkins to staunch the flow of my tears as I realise I am married. Gosh darn it…
3 things you never leave home without?
1) My children (if there’s not two of them I know I‘ve cocked up somewhere)
2) The change bag (full of nappies, wipes, snotty tissues, snacks, etc etc oh the joys)
3) My compact mirror (did I mention I can be as vain as a budgie?!)
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