SP writer's feature: "What the Matters Be"

Title: What the Matters Be: three double-drabbles about me, bronze_ribbons
Rating: U(niversal) (albeit links to M(ature) content)
Words: 600, give or take a dozen
Genre: snupin_prophet feature
Warning: extreme self-indulgence ahead!


The Path to Hogwarts

There was a comic book version of The Hound of the Baskervilles in my sixth grade "Language Arts" classroom. When I was in high school, WEKU began broadcasting radio adaptations of Holmes and Watson's adventures; when they ran out of Conan Doyle episodes, they switched to dramatizations of Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. By the third or fourth episode of Strong Poison, I was hooked for life.

A decade or so later, I participated on LordPeter for several years as "Sylvia Marriott" (ajhalluk was "Eiluned Price," and at one point scolded me for spilling cocoa on our cat). This is how I "met" dichroic, who a few years later rec'd gramarye1971's Legacy of the Light: A Harry Potter/The Dark Is Rising Sequence Crossover-Fusion . I then devoured as much TDIR fanfic as I could get my mitts on, including significantowl's For A Season. From significantowl's journal, I followed a link that led me to triumvirate, an RPG with a wealth of memorable scenes and a Snape/Lupin arc clearly developed and played with a tremendous amount of care.

After triumvirate ended, I found myself pondering Snape and Lupin's possibilities more and more. It was likely inevitable that I would finally try writing about them...


Stewing and Brewing

My first Snupin fic was Between Night and Dawn. As with many of the stories I've written since then, an image grabbed me (in this case, one triggered by Gaudy Night) and refused to let go until I'd given it its due. When I posted it, I was terrified -- I'm not as well-versed in Pottercanon as I am with the worlds of Sherlock Holmes, Lord Peter, and The Dark Is Rising, so I frequently feel as though I'm a mere keystroke away from committing colossal errors (in spite of access to fantastic betas and phenomenal resources).

That said, Snape and Lupin are far too intriguing not to torment beleaguer write about, my limitations be damned; Snape is such a phenomenal character in so many (possible) ways, and Lupin enough of an enigma that his story can be reconstructed and extended in radically different directions. I find it fun talking smack about their colleagues and students using their voices, and equally entertaining seeing them through other characters' eyes. As a teen, I was in fact a greasy-haired swot (and good at chemistry, even); as an adult, I have a reputation as poised and reserved, but am not above instigating mayhem...


Believed and Received

catrinella has been known to describe herself as the "mango salsa of HP fandom"; me, I'm probably more like a dram of Strathisla -- kinda dark, somewhat obscure, and not unlike honey with a kick. *grin*

I maintain an index of HP fics with connections to Dorothy L. Sayers, and my main ongoing project is placet, an epic Potterverse-Wimseydom crossover that blossomed out of various conversations with Cat.

To date, my most popular one-shots appear to be Stoppered and Since There's No Help, which has been mildly disconcerting (albeit flattering) since I'm generally not much for angst. Amongst my drabbles, my personal favorites include Not Removed, Continuing, Handled, and Vamping the History Department, Right and Left.

I've published original fiction and poetry as well, including erotic pieces. I also maintain a "real-life" LJ and have been known to dwell on the importance of "bearing witness" -- that is, to celebrate what is beautiful and moving and true -- which, for me, includes the pleasures of reading well-crafted fics, encouraging their authors, and introducing them to new readers, as well as the joys of trading glee and squees with all y'all. :-)