*Sniff*

[pacificpikachu]

I just finished Honey & Clover II. Wahhh, I didn't want it to end! But the ending was so great... It was too bad Takemoto's actual seiyuu didn't get to do the voicework for the last episode, but his replacement did a good job. I kept getting teary at the end. It's funny, because that show...I really, really feel like I learned something from it, and it helped me understand some feelings I've had before. One particular pairing at the end made me go "Bzuh? Whut?! o_O;;", but oh well. XD;; Everything else worked out perfectly. I suggest that everyone who reads this--but particularly artists, college students, and anyone who has ever been in unrequited love--should watch Honey & Clover. It's just...an absolute masterpiece of a slice-of-life anime. There were soooo many moments that I got shivers from that show--and moments I went "B-but I've thought that exact thing before! How do you keep stealing the lines out of my head?!"

Gahhh, so wonderful. Absolutely beautiful series. ♥ EVERYONE WATCH IT NOW, 'KAY? SERIOUSLY.

...Now I have to hunt down the music from Honey & Clover II I'm missing...somehow. ;_; I can't liiiive without that music!


Ganked from lilypeters

What's the last thing you wrote?

Non-story format, my campfuckudie application. Story format... I wrote like, two sentences on Three Drawers Down the day before yesterday.

Was it any good?

The app? No. XD;; Hahaha, it wasn't funny enough. Three Drawers Down is pretty good so far, I think, though I'm a bit stuck on it right now.

What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?

I have some really, really old writing pieces, actually. I have one in my hand from first grade, entitled "Wild Horse's Year". It's illustrated and everything. XD;;

Was it any good?

Considering my age? It's surprisingly good, actually. I was six years old when I wrote it! It's...way longer than I should have been writing at six, too. XD;; Like...if I typed it, at least two or three pages. The illustrations aren't that bad, either. I'm amazed this thing even has any sort of plot...

Write poetry?

On occasion. I used to write it a lot more than I do now, though occasionally if I'm having a hard time expressing my feelings or if I want to remember something, I'll write a half-assed poem about it. Most of them aren't that good, as they're very free-form and they're not really intended for anyone to see other than myself, but they're kind of fun to write if I'm in the mood.

Angsty poetry?

Hahaha, yeah, a little. Mostly not, though. My poetry tends to be more uplifting than my stories, actually. Like I said, it depends on what mood I'm in when I write the poem. I'm not depressed a lot, so...yeah. When I was on-and-off depressed (due to circumstances) for a period of a few months earlier this year, I wrote a few angsty ones, though. They're not emo!angsty, though.

Favourite genre of writing?

I guess one could call it magical realism? That's the closest I can get to describing it... Usually it takes place in a normal setting, with pretty normal characters, but with strange supernatural/weird/philosophical twists. Like, I stick kind of weird pseudo-spiritual stuff in it, but otherwise it's in a normal setting.

Most fun character you ever wrote?

Hard one... When I'm writing short stories (my preferred medium), I tend not to make the characters so memorable, as they're usually just vehicles to tell the story/archetypes/a form of symbolism in and of themselves, but...let's see. As far as original characters go, probably Paluu, the cat who is the main character of Feline Moonbeams. I love writing animals, for some reason.

Most annoying character you ever wrote?

Um...my characters aren't usually so annoying. In fact, they tend to be rather subdued/normal characters.

Best plot you ever wrote?

Ummm... (Still sticking to original stuff, here. ^^;;) Feline Moonbeams? Chain? No idea. Short stories don't so much have plots in the traditional sense... I have a feeling whenever I actually get to writing Family of Blackbirds, that'll take the cake. It's going to be a pretty bizarre story... Supernatural elements, the line between happiness and desperation, and even some shounen-ai. XD;

Coolest plot twist you ever wrote?

Probably the one at the end of Feline Moonbeams. Or maybe Chain? I don't know--ALL my stories have plot twists at the end, so it's hard to choose one. Plus, I seem to have forgotten all the original stories I've written, as I tend to focus instead on the ones I haven't written. XD;;

How often do you get writer's block?

It follows me like my shadow, only to disappear late at night when I need to go to sleep and therefore *can't* write. Or, alternatively, when I'm doing homework.

How do you fix it?

Either write anyway, or try to force myself into being inspired (ie, going for a walk, running around in the rain, apppreciating something pretty). Sometimes I try to watch a great anime or something to use as inspiration, but that usually backfires by causing me to be more interested in the anime than whatever I'm writing. Sometimes it just goes away with time, to emerge at the worst time possible.

Write fan fiction?

Yes! Not as much as I'd like to, but I adore writing it. Naruto is my fandom of choice right now, but I have two or three Pokémon plots clawing at me, and I'd love to write some Gankutsuou (if I can think of anything to write about).

Do you type or write by hand?

Poetry I almost always write by hand, but stories I only write by hand if I have writer's block (it sometimes helps get rid of it when I don't have to stare at the glowing, white screen). In general, I only type. My hands cramp and sweat easily when I'm writing by hand, plus I edit too much for paper to handle the stress.

Do you save everything you write?

The vast majority, yes. I have years and years of writing saved up.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?

Definitely! My fanfic Dust and Ashes (which I've barely written anything on, but will) is a remake of an idea from, like, seven years ago. I thought it was too unoriginal when I first thought of it, but by now I think I'm a good enough writer to make it stand out.

What's your favorite thing that you've written?

*Laughs* That changes all the time. I adored my Pokémon fanfic Darkness Doesn't Cast a Shadow and am still impressed when I read it to this day, but discontinued it due to time constraints and such... I have a ton of one-shots that I love, though, both fanfiction and original. I can't choose, in the end.

What's everyone else's favorite thing that you've written?

I won $150 for writing Crystal, which is actually a stylized account of something that happened when I was little. Everyone who reads it seems to believe it's a masterpiece, but I think it's a bit overwritten. ^^;; My Creative Writing class loved Chain way more than I ever will, too. XD;; I never really cared for how I wrote it, though I like the concept behind it.

Do you even show people your work?

Yes--I tend to post it on the internet. When I was in Creative Writing, I'd read it to the class, and if I can, I also enter things in contests. It also occasionally gets posted here, in my LiveJournal. I like people to read my stories, because I think they're meant to teach people things or at least get them to think about things they might not have though about before. KK used to read and beta it, too, though I haven't talked to her much recently.

Who's your favourite constructive critic?

Definitely KK, if she still wants to read it.

Do you have a web site for your writings?

Well, I have two different Fanfiction.Net accounts, and my LJ, so...sort of?

Did you ever write a novel?

I haven't yet, but someday I will.

Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror?

I've written some non-traditional fantasy (I think? Maybe not...), and I *adore* writing non-traditional horror, but I doubt I'll ever write much sci-fi.

Ever written romance or teen angsty drama?

Yes, I write romance. I try not to make it sappy, though--I don't like it romanticized, so to speak. Realistic romance is fun and challenging to write. I do write angsty drama in droves, too, though I like to believe it actually has artistic merit. I hope it does, at least.

What's your favorite setting for your characters?

In original stories, usually some random, rural town in America (like mine, perhaps?) or somewhere random in Japan on occasion. Fanfiction...uhhh...the Pokémon world and Konohagakure and outlying areas? Setting doesn't normally play a big role in my stories, though traditionally I write a lot of stuff in pretty places with fields and forests and such. I don't really care for cities.

What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will?

I try to remain flexible, but I'll never write smut (unless it's on a very well-paid dare from my friends XD;;) or...teenager-ish stuff, if that makes sense. No emo for me, or traditional high school stories (blech!). I would say historical stuff, because I despise doing research, but occasionally I flirt with writing a shounen-ai samurai story...so, uh... That's kind of embarrassing...

How many writing projects are you working on right now?

Three Drawers Down, Dust and Ashes, and I hope to begin Family of Blackbirds and...that so far untitled story about the kids and the poor monster-animal-thing (Wow, nice summary, Kristin! XD), and The Promise of Mew, a Pokémon fanfic I randomly decided to write in the middle of the night less than a week ago.

Do you want to write for a living?

Not really... It doesn't pay well enough unless you're successful. Also, I have a calling to help animals. I do want to write and publish at least one novel, though. (And it would be nice if that paid off financially!)

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?

No, non-fiction hurts my soul, for some reason.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?

First place in the Sierra Writer's Competition (:D) last year, and fifth place at this stupid writing contest in eighth grade. The story I wrote at that thing was *so* stupid, I can't even express it. XD;; I don't enter a lot of contests, though.

Ever written something in script or play format?

No--I don't really care for plays or script format, actually. ^^;; Well, I like plays all right when they're actually acted out, but I hate reading them and script format in general enough that I'd pretty much never write one. I'd maybe write the screenplay for a movie/anime, though, if given chance. XD;;

What are your five favorite words?

Those change by the minute--I couldn't say. ^^;;

Do you ever parody?

Personally, I don't parody formally (meaning, if I parody, it's out loud and not written). I love reading them, though. Oh, wait! But there was that time Zoe and I wrote those terrible parodies of Naruto badfic. XD;; That was hilarious.

What's your favorite thing to parody?

Badfics of all breeds, man. Oh Freek-a-Leek, we love you so. XD;;

Do you actually like that thing, or are you spitefully making fun of it?

Naruto badfics? Um, I'd hope I don't seriously like them... I do like them in the sense that they make me laugh until I cry sometimes, though.

Do you ever write based on yourself?

I didn't for the longest time, but now I find pieces of myself going into the situations some characters face in my stories. Ashes the Eevee in Dust and Ashes comes to mind, and I occasionally put some of my feelings into Naruto and Sakura in my angsty SasuNaru fanfics. XD;; Original characters only get small pieces of myself in them, usually, as--like I said--they usually serve mostly the purpose of providing a vehicle to tell a story with, and are symbolic pieces of that story.

What character that you've written most resembles yourself?

I know it sounds silly to compare myself to an Eevee, but Ashes is, in some way, symbolic of how I sometimes feel about myself and how I felt throughout...um, a certain traumatic incident in my life. This isn't to say she's just like me, and, uh, she's a frickin' Eevee, but...yeah. There are probably others, but I can't think of them at the moment.

Where do you get ideas for your other characters?

Like I said, it usually depends on what type of story they're in. They become whatever I need them to be in order to most effectively tell the story. Sometimes they get a strong identity as a character, and sometimes they don't really. Unlike a lot of people, I don't generally base characters off people I know, unless it's unconscious.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?

My dreams are cracked, and writing off of them would probably produce results that would cause people to wonder if I'm on drugs. In the rare event that they're serious or actually have a meaningful type of atmosphere, they usually still don't make sense at all. The only dreams I have that actually make sense are...not the type of thing I'd like to write, as they're usually just terrible things like my pets dying. :(

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?

Sad endings, hell yes! I'm occasionally nice enough to give a story a happy ending, but that's rather rare. Mostly just sad endings all the way.

Have you ever written based on an artwork you've seen?

Not usually? Sometimes the atmosphere of a piece of art will strike me in just the right way to inspire me, but this doesn't happen a lot. Sometimes I do drawings of things and characters in my stories, though that's also kind of rare. It's fun to design characters, though!

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

I'm a total spelling and grammar perfectionist, but it's mostly unconscious, so I don't really become concerned with it. It generally comes out in the way I want it to.

Ever write something entirely in chatspeak? (How r u?)

Never in a serious story. Maybe in a parody to demonstrate how much I despise chatspeak, but that's all.

Entirely in L337?

Again, no way.

Was that question completely appalling and un-writer like?

A little.

Does music help you write?

I almost *always* have music playing when I'm on the computer, so if I'm typing something, chances are there's music on. Sometimes I've found it's better to write in silence, though. Depends what I'm writing. Several stories have come right out of the atmosphere of certain songs, though.

Do you have a LiveJournal?

What do you think?

Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well?

Maybe a little. I'm usually not all that eloquent when I speak in real life, and I tend to be so bouncy and goofy when people meet me in real life, they're a bit surprised when they find out I love writing sad, depressing, weird stories about the human condition.

Quote something you've written. The first thing to pop into your mind.

All is connected. Every breath, every flicker of an eye, every movement, will affect something, somewhere, someday. When we are young, it is possible we know this. We can sense the innate connectedness of all that exists. We are fascinated by animals, plants, everything that lives and thrives under the same sunshine and the same rain as we do. We can make friends with anyone we meet, for we are all human and we all share that common thread, regardless of how different we are.

As we grow up, however, we learn about differences, intolerance, hatred, and pain. We learn that everything can’t be considered equal—children are less than adults, dogs are less than children, bugs are less than dogs, and plants are less than bugs. We learn that the world is not a nice place, and we learn that we must fight in order to survive. [...]

Perhaps, though, eventually, we can find our innocence again. Perhaps through seeing through the eyes of many, we can find light. Perhaps through the pain, through the sadness, through the maze that is life…we can find happiness.

Perhaps, though, it won’t be in this lifetime.

--First few paragraphs of Chain, with a little bit cut out. Well, you asked for the first thing I could think of!