Author Interview: socact

MsKathy Recommendation: Same Time Next Year By socact

1. I know absolutely nothing about you.. can you give a touch of background on who socact is, and what made you jump into the Twilight FanFic world?

Sure, so socact is my original aol screen name from sixth grade...like fifteen years ago. I'm kind of attached to it. My real name is Kathleen,
although my friends call me Cougs, because I apparently like to prey upon
younger men (Cougar = cougs, or something like that). I don't really like to
prey on younger men, but I could see myself going for someone, let's say, 23
or so...heh heh.

My cousin first told me about Twilight a few years ago, but I didn't read the books until I got on a plane the week before the movie came out. I always buy
books at the airport - it's like my consolation prize for suffering through a
cross-country flight (I go to school on the West Coast, but I'm from the East
Coast). So, yeah. I finished Twilight on the flight and read the next three
over the weekend. I got all flustered by the fade-to-black in BD, so I
ventured into the fanfic world. Best decision ever.

As for writing fanfic, I think I just really wanted to write a story with the
premise of two people returning to the same place year after year. And it had
taken me a very long time to find characters I liked enough to write about.
Edward Cullen came along, and I had my answer.

2. What are you currently reading and loving in the big, bad FFn world?

The FFn world is so big that I tend to read the popular stories, right now The Office, The Dominant, and Alphabet Weekends. I'm always up for some good recommendations, especially now that my semester is over. I'll read just about anything, but if I don't like the characterization or the writing is kind of distracting, then I tend to give up on it. I would love to read some lesser-known stories because I feel like I've always kind of fallen into that category (if I ever reach 1,000 reviews on a story, I'd be shocked. Seriouslythough, I'd be thrilled to have more readers because it motivates me to keep writing).

3. Any idea what the subject matter of your next fic might be?

Yes, it will be medically-related, but not a sequel to my other fic, Save You. It will be kind of dark and angsty but romantic, too, of course. I can't
write a decent story without smut. And I may do some outtakes and will probably continue my other in-progress story, because I'll get depressed if I write something too dark for too long.

4. Your profile mentions an original novel; is it completed? Can you give us any genre/plot details?

It's completed, but an agent requested (major) revisions that I'm making now. I thought about turning it into a fanfic, but it just wouldn't work. If it gets published, I'll be sure to post that info on my profile so you can buy it and help me out of my monumental debt! Just kidding, sort of.

As for plot details, hmm...it's complicated. It's kind of a romance, kind of a coming-of-age story, kind of suspense. My experience writing fanfic has helped me tremendously, because fanfic really requires you to keep things entertaining. If you write a boring chapter, you lose people. It's a skill that a lot of writers (myself included) really struggle with. I started this novel in December before I tried writing fanfic, and I've realized that both are really fun to do - for different reasons!

5. Do you outline your stories extensively, somewhat, or not at all?

No, I write as I go. I never have any idea how the story is going to end, although I knew in STNY that E/B were married all along. But that's the
exception to the rule. This is just how my brain works.

6. All of your stories have been AU-H ExB, any desire to step outside and perhaps write a different pairing or a vamp fic?

I admit I have no desire to venture out of ExB or the AU-H spheres...I'm just too in love with Edward and Bella's love story to do that. And I can't mess with vampires - I feel like I'd fail miserably at that.

7. How in the world do you find time to be in med school and still write AND have a life?!

I get asked this a lot! My med school friends think I'm crazy, and I probably am. I have a lot of free time because I'm a) a really fast reader, b) I never go to class, c) I'm kind of lazy. I'm doing just fine on my exams, so don't worry, I'm not going to fail out of med school because I write fanfic! I also run everyday, which is when I come up with most of my ideas.