One of our favorite authors, Emma Brightman has a plethora of 2001 Spooky Honorable Mentions. Find Emma’s fanfic on Gossamer or at her fic journal.
When did you start writing XF fanfic? How did you start?
I’d read fanfic off and on since I started watching The X-Files during the fourth season, but it wasn’t until season eight that I felt any real urge to attempt writing it myself. It was a classic case of wanting to fill in the blanks: How is Scully coping without Mulder? Who’s this new guy, Doggett? How does Skinner fit into the picture now? How will Mulder react to Scully’s pregnancy when he returns? I wanted more exploration of the emotions and angst we were only getting glimpses of onscreen, so I sat down to write.
I was so surprised and thrilled to receive feedback for those first few stories. The online acquaintances and friendships I made through feedback eventually led me to the Scullyfic (now E-muse) list. The writers and readers there are so supportive and wonderful. It’s a great community, and being a part of it definitely continues to inspire me to write.
What else do you write?
Not much else, really. The occasional publication for work, a personal journal, lots of letters. I wrote many stories as a child, but gave up creative writing when I grew older and less sure of
myself. For me, one of the greatest things about discovering fanfic was that it led me back to writing fiction after many years. It gave me back the confidence I’d lost, and I’m grateful for that.
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’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’m a terribly undisciplined writer. Of all the stories I’ve written, the only ones I’ve had any kind of outline for were “A Silence Full of Sounds” and “What is Essential”, simply because they were too long for my usual “let it flow” method. I’m trying to get better about outlines and planning ahead. I’m never going to write anything long and involved — a casefile, for instance — if I don’t get more organized.
Has the series ending affected the way or what you write?
There’s good and bad about the series ending. I miss the old urgency of writing post-eps — that feeling of wanting more of the story you just saw on television. In that way I think the end of the show has slowed me down a bit.
I definitely don’t miss having my story contradicted by canon one week after posting, however. I still cringe when I look at stories like “Appellations” and “A Miracle to Contemplate” and see all my references to Scully’s unborn baby being a girl. I just knew it would be a girl!
Which of your stories is your favourite and why?
I’ve written quite a few stories since, but I think my favorite is still “Stay”. Writing from Skinner’s point of view was an interesting challenge, and I hope I was fairly successful. Most of
all I think that Scully’s grief and breakdown were painfully realistic.
Any upcoming stories to look out for?
I have a couple of vignette ideas percolating at the moment, one of them a post-“The Truth” story. And I still hold out hope that I’ll write a casefile one of these days. Once I get past my outline phobia, that is.
Is there’s anything else you’d like to tell readers out there?
I’ll take this opportunity to say thank you to the fabulous people who’ve been kind enough to beta my stories over the past two years, particularly Lilydale and JET. They’ve helped and encouraged me so much. You probably wouldn’t be interviewing me about my writing if it weren’t for them, believe me!
And many, many thanks to everyone who has read and enjoyed my stories. I appreciate the support and feedback more than you know.