donnah

donnah is a multi-award winning XF-Fanfic author and one of the fandom’s most prolific authors. You can find all her XF fanfic on her web page: Donnah’s Stories!

When did you start writing XF fanfic? How did you start?

I started awhile before I posted. After some unexpected surgery, I starting writing as therapy and enjoyed it, but had no idea that I wasn’t alone out there – I’d never read any fanfic or even heard of the phenomena. When I returned to work, I brought some with me to fiddle with during lunch. A friend picked it up (she swears by accident) and read it. I was truly mortified, but she loved it and begged for more. So for several months I had one fan/reader. Then an ad for “Missing Voices” showed up on my computer and I clicked on it. I was hooked instantly and after emailing with Miki for awhile, finally posted a couple of things to Gossamer. The rest is history….

Have you written fanfic for other fandoms?

Not yet, but I’m drawn to a couple of shows. Not hooked like I was with XF. Not sure I have the energy now to get that emotionally involved again.

What else do you write?

It’s always had a science fiction bent, but nothing that anyone else has read. Remember, I’m not that good – or so I told myself for years. I need to dust some stuff off and get it beta’d.

You are an extremely prolific writer. What are your favourite classification of story to write? Vignettes, post-eps, casefiles?

My main thing is MSR/angst, and now AU. Nobody can suffer like Mulder, the poor thing, and I love to read it and write it. I’ve done a few post-eps and enjoyed it. I don’t do many casefiles, I’m more interested in the interplay between M/S and tend to wander away from the case.

What kind of process do you undertake when you write? Do you write a whole story in one sitting? Do you make story outlines or let it flow?

I wish I could write at one sitting. I have a fairly long commute and I usually mull a story over in my mind during the drive (safer than a cell phone, I think). At times it flows out of me and I’m scribbling notes down at stop lights, other times I couldn’t write a postcard. So I never know. I find that if I can sleep late (Saturday or Sunday morning) I will often wake up with a great idea and then use the day to get it down. I do make outlines, but sometimes the story goes in a completely different direction and I laugh at them later.

Where do you find the time?

The time?? LOL – ask my husband, laundry not done, beds not made, dishes in the sink, what’s a vacuum cleaner? But he has been completely supportive and wants me to go into writing in a more lucritive way and soon!

Has the series ending affected the way or what you write?

It’s given me a drop in inspiration in one way and oh god, do I miss it, but I’m reading more and that has given me ideas, off on a tangent from something that comes to mind as I read.

Any upcoming stories to look out for?

Still working on After the Future (my own precious universe). Actually right this minute I have several ready to post and – yes I wrote one on the ride home last night, so soon!

Is there’s anything else you’d like to tell readers out there?

Yes, pressing the send button was probably one of the scariest things I ever did – and one that has brought me more joy, stroking and friends than anything else I’ve ever done. If I can do it, they can too!

What astounds me is the world-wide appeal. My stories have been translated into 4 languages and I’m popular in Russia! If anyone can read Russian – http://www.fortuna-rotaru.narod.ru/ Let me know if it sounds the same…