Welcome to the April edition of the Prefects' In the Spotlight Blog. We've got all the usual madness and chaos this month, decorated to the brim for Springtime! Check out some interviews with the Order of Merlin and Head Student recipients! As per usual, we're featuring a review column for April's Sitewide Story of the Month as well as an interview with the author! Also, don't forget to read until the end to find out who won last month's Monthly Dilemma raffle and check out the new question! We have implemented a couple of minor changes moving forward, specifically regarding the Common Room interviews. Starting this month, in lieu of writing new interviews each month, we'll be transferring interviews from the Common Room's Monthly Newsletter. This way, we can still feature each of the House's accomplishments and recognize the members!

The Prefects' Four of a Kind Challenge will be posted in lieu of May's Potpourri Post, so keep an eye out for that! We don't have a specific date, but it should be coming to you around the 7th (give or take). 
 

We recognized @PaulaTheProkaryote as April's Order of Merlin, as she's a wonderful, hard-working admin & staffer who takes on multiple roles across the community. She's been kind enough to do an interview with us -- enjoy!

P A U L A   T H E    P R O K A R Y O T E

If there was only one forum that you could post in on HPFT, which one would it be?

That's such a tough question! Probably Writer's Journals (even though I never post anything I write) because then I could constantly see what other people are working on! I feel like it's impossible to get bored scrolling through. A lot of people have really decked their journals out with graphics so I feel like it'd hit all my needs!

What [forum-appropriate] meme or GIF do you think best describes your role on the site?

I'd go with the classic:



What is your favorite non-HP fandom?

Ahhh! I live in so many fandoms. I write pretty heavily in Holly Black's Folk of the Air series (The Cruel Prince + The Wicked King), but I read a ton of Star Wars fanfic.

What is one of your plunnies that you really want to write but haven’t found the time/inspiration for yet?

I have been working this out for a bit, but I don't really have the time right now to flesh it out properly. It'd be a series of original fic one-shots set in modern society featuring a fertility goddess (inspired by Persephone and Isis) who leaves her practice as an ob/gyn and trains into a position as an ER physician instead, using her powers to make life flourish when things seem most dire. Except! She finds herself battling another god or goddess (undecided love interest) who represents death and chaos. Romantic tension ensues. 

How do you balance all of your different roles on HPFT?

There's a staff/prefect checklist where we each outline general tasks that we need to do that is the only thing in the world that keeps me on task. If I leave anything undone that needs to be done then my team knows that I'm slacking and I'd have to live with the eternal shame.  I'm like 99% sure no one else looks at my list, but I feel like if I put it into words I'm obligated to do it. 

What is your favorite bug and why?

Definitely the golden tortoise beetle! They are by far the most extra little beetles that are indigenous to my area so I have quite a few specimens. If you live in the US, keep an eye out for them!

Prefects didn't say I could include a picture, but here's a picture:

What is your favorite genre to read/write?

Fluff! I can read fluff all day and night and be content! 
 

We had two wonderful Head Students recognized this month as well -- @ReillyJade and @Lacey Black! Both of these wonderful members are amazing people who we're lucky to have on the site! Congratulations, again!

R E I L L Y   J A D E

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

 I love the Review Request forum. Not only have I been able to get amazing, heartwarming feedback for my own work, but my own request thread has exposed me to so many excellent and unique stories I may not have otherwise stumbled upon. It's just such a generous and warm place, and a great way to discover a wide variety of talent!  

If there’s one story of yours you would like to tell us about, what would it be and why?

Hmm. I suppose it would have to be Flowers in December. It's a Bill Weasley story - a memoir of sorts in which he reflects on his Hogwarts years, his first best friend, and his first love. Even though I wrote this story years ago and it's far from perfect, it remains my favorite fic I've ever written. Bill has always fascinated me, and it was so fun to explore his younger years and how that helped shape into the canon character we all know and love. 

You’re stuck in a waiting room for an absurdly long time -- how do you pass the time?

Assuming my phone is dead (because if it's not, I'd be reading stories or playing Toy Blast ), I probably would be spending my time daydreaming. My head has been in the clouds for as long as I can remember. It's a curse and a blessing: a curse because it's gotten me into trouble in the past (especially in school) but a blessing because I'm rarely bored.

What is your OTP and why?

Had you asked me this a few years ago, it would have been Ron/Hermione. I was shipping them like, halfway through the first book the very first time I read it, before I even knew what a ship was. And I still absolutely adore them. But... I love Bill/Fleur a lot, too. And Teddy/Victoire. And so, so many others. I just have a shipping problem, honestly.

Pick One: Dobby’s knitted socks, Molly Weasley’s sweaters, or Hagrid’s rock pies?

Definitely the sweaters! All big and cozy and warm... that's all I need. Also, getting one of those sweaters makes you an honorary Weasley, and what could possibly be better than that?! 

What is one of your favorite books or movies (besides HP)?

I love so many books, but one that's been on my mind recently is Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. It's such a poignant tale of the Vietnam War, and is simultaneously chilling and heartwarming. It's brilliant. 
 

L A C E Y   B L A C K

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

I think that my favourite place to visit on the forums would have to be the Writing Talk Section and specifically the Writers Nest (though you can find me throughout this section enjoying all the different threads and the connected topics).  I am always bouncing around between the Writing Exercises And Journal Topics, the Rat Races and then I also am constantly checking for new topics in the Story Challenge thread. 

If there's one story of yours you would like to tell us about, what would it be and why?

I would like to tell you about Alone Under The Moon.  This story is a very different story to the ones I have written before and actually was the start of some of my better writing.  When I finished that story it shocked me how my writing had changed in only three short months.  

Not only is it a marker of the changes in me as a writer in technical terms but it’s also where my interests as a writer changed too.  I love a good romance, and previously I didn’t feel comfortable writing not within the romance genre, but now I find myself venturing out.  This story’s genres were completely new for me in writing and though there is always room for improvement, I was very satisfied with the way I write this installment of my MACTAS - Short Story collection.

It’s the zombie apocalypse and you can only take three items (objects) with you -- what are they?

This is a very difficult question to answer but I think the first is the easiest:

1. My 3(ish) foot steel crowbar that I keep by my back door for this very reason. 

I think this one one is pretty self-explanatory why I would bring it and that same reason is why I have it: protection.

2. My “plants and flowers where to find it and how to use it” book for basic foraging and survival.

I doubt a single mom with two kids will be able to fight someone for basic needs and medication (I wouldn't want to risk leaving my babies to fend for themselves if I were to be killed so me killing someone is something I'll only do as a very last resort)  so with this knowledge I can take the kids and wander into the bush and survive off the land and what god gave us to survive.

3. And probably my loose leave teapot and matching cups 

If I need to make a tincture, or a remedy tea this will help considerably, and the matching cups can serve as bowls for soup. (I put it all as one because it has a cute little carrier that I can put it all in making the carrier one thing which holds the items I am actually choosing.)

Who is your favorite HP character and why?

Sirius Black because of his mischievous side and his flirty side. I really admire the characters ability to walk away from his pureblood family the way he did. How he had such a close relationship with his brother and still had to walk away from it all, and likely only stayed as long as he did because of his brother. His devotion to his friends and the potters really speaks to my heart.  I find his personality so fun and endearing, even his overdramatic ridiculousness. Scratch that: ESPECIALLY his overdramatic ridiculousness. 

Pick One: Sorting Hat, Hogwarts House robes, or favorite character’s wand.

Ugghh pick one? I want them alllllll. Probably the house robes for Slytherin. Then I can have it for cosplay and FanExpo!  I would probably use it for all sorts of things, and it would really come in handy when u run down the streets as a flasher. 

What is one of your favorite books or movies (besides HP)?

I really love To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It's really such an amazing story, and I am so addicted I read it once a year and have since I was in high school my favourite character is of course Atticus. 
 

This month, how long? by @crestwood was recognized as the Sitewide Story of the Month! We've put together a review column as well as an interview with the one-and-only Joey for your pleasure! Be sure to click the link above to go check out how long? if you haven't already had the pleasure of reading it!

R E V I E W    C O L U M N

Joey's an amazing writer, and how long? is certainly indicative of that. The story is a beautiful Scorbus songfic, written in gorgeous intertwining prose and verse, so you'll be falling in love with both the plot and the style (as well as the characters, voice, syntax, and several other elements). The quality of writing is exceptional, and you should certainly give this piece a read if you haven't already. 

The relationship between Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter is so sweet and pure in this -- there's something uniquely wholesome about it that just melts my heart. The characters themselves are distinctively written, though the sense of wanderlust is strong, filling up lines with charming notions that are spectacularly gratifying.  I can say with a degree of certainty that my favorite bits lied with the revelation of their relationship (first to their parents, and then to the world). The scene between Scorpius, Albus, and their parents is tremendously emotional, with some hard-hitting concepts about family, love, and loyalty. 

The sheer amount of love in this piece overflows its proverbial pages, and it is glorious. 
 

I N T E R V I E W    W I T H   T H E    A U T H O R
| C R E S T W O O D |

What inspires you to write?

I’m an endlessly curious observer. Every time something incredible or entertaining happens around me, I want to get to the bottom of it. I don’t see a public argument, I see each smaller confrontation that led to it. 

What is a genre/trope that you’ve never written before, but want to try? 

After some reflection, I think I would really like to try writing a bona fide fairy tale one day.

Who are some published authors you look up to?

I look up to both Kelly Link and Hanif Abdurraqib not only for their writing, but as human beings who strive to be and do good! 

If you could give one piece of advice to your fellow writers, what would it be?

My best advice is to try to understand other people, even if you don’t like them. The ability to skillfully translate perspectives different from your own are what give your writing texture. 

What is your favorite (or least favorite) part of the Albus x Scorpius ship?

My favorite part of the ship is that so many Scorbus stories end up, at least in part, acting as a treatise on the nature of lineage and what we do and do not pass on. 

How did you go about planning/writing a songfic? Any tips?

A songfic is a chance to tell two stories. I always start by choosing lyrics that tell a story - and then I write something that tells another, parallel story. My biggest tip would be to avoid retelling the lyrics too exactly - songfics are for interpretation! 

We have some spectacular featured members and stories from the common rooms below! Remember, we are now taking interviews from the House's monthly newsletters and cross-posting them here, so that we can all celebrate the individual Houses' accomplishments together. 

Gryffindor House saw @poppunkpadfoot as their leading lion and @CambAngst's After Destiny as their featured fic for April! Put your hands together for this awesome brood!

L E A D I N G   L I O N
| P O P P U N K P A D F O O T |

What’s your defining Gryffindor trait?

I’m like ridiculously stubborn sometimes? Idk if that’s defining though. Um hmmm I’m willing to fight for what I believe in no matter what. Does that count as a gryffindor trait.

What’s your favorite thing to do on the forums?

Creep in the common room and see what you guys are all up to

Tell us about the most Gryffindor thing you’ve done lately.

The most Gryffindor thing I’ve done lately was stay up til 2:59 AM last night (11:59 PM PDT on March 31) scrambling to complete my second collab entry (Hitting the Ground), mulishly insisting to Emma that I was going to finish it on time even if it killed me while she half-heartedly pointed out that I could always post it some other time. And then popping it in the queue at approximately 2:48 AM, 11 minutes before the deadline.

What are three things you absolutely couldn't live without?

My ipod /music, my best friend, and uhhh ice cream.

What's your all-time favorite book and why?

Idk if I re ally have an all-time favourite book. The truth is that I don’t read a lot of fiction, but when I do it’s the same books over and over and over, so most of the novels I r ead are up there near “favourite” stat us.  That being said, Harry Potter is (quelle surprise) probably my favourite series of all time, but I don’t think I could pick an individual favourite Harry Potter book. I reread POA and OotP slightly more often than the others though. Because Sirius. (*gasps of shock from the readers*)

 

I N T E R V I E W   W I T H   THE   AUTHOR
| C A M B  A N G S T |

How did you come up with the idea for After Destiny?

It's a story that I've wanted to write for a long time, but given how long it's planned to be, I wasn't able to start the project until 2017. I think the idea is a common thing for all fan fic authors and readers to ponder: What happened next? As far as the specific themes and plot arcs, I've picked up ideas along the way, both in terms of things I've read and liked in post-war fics as well as things I read and wish they'd been done differently.

What’s your favorite genre to write, and why?

I enjoy writing action scenes most of all. Dueling, primarily.

Describe your perfect writing environment.

Someplace quiet where I can focus on what I'm doing.

What's been the most challenging part of writing After Destiny?

Keeping the momentum. It's a long story and there are a lot of things I need to get through that are important to the plot but not particularly exciting.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given (writing or otherwise)?

For writing, it's to force yourself to write things each day, even if you end up thinking most of it is garbage. It's too easy to fall into a funk where you convince yourself that you're not up to it. If you force yourself to begin writing something, you'll often surprise yourself with how well that goes. And if it doesn't go well, you've only lost a few minutes.

Three amazing Hufflepuffs have been featured this month, as well! Please put your hands together for @MalfoysAngel (Hufflepuff of the Month), @Jo Raskoph (Spotlight on a Puff), and @sihaya (author of the final calm, Hufflepuff's Story of the month)!

H U F F L E P U F F   O F   T H E   M O N T H
| M A L F O Y S   A N G E L |

First of all, congratulations on making Hufflepuff of the Month! How do you feel about this recognition?

Wait I won?!?! It's definitely a shock that I was even nominated let alone won. I've only been a member of the house for a couple of months now and really haven't been that active. It probably should have gone to someone else but I appreciate it and I'm truly honored.  

You've recently moved to the Sett after spending a long time with the snakes (and we are delighted to have you). What prompted the change?

The official reason is when I took the new Pottermore sorting, the site sorted me into Hufflepuff and the more I sat back and looked and the more my RL friends talked to me about it, the more I realized that while I may have Slytherin qualities, I am not a snake at heart. It took a long time for me to admit that I even though I am ambitious and stubborn and goal oriented, at my core I am loyal to anyone I consider a friend and I tend to put others before myself. I'm still getting used to seeing myself in yellow instead of green but I'm starting to feel more comfortable in my own skin and feeling more at home now. 

While I love my snakes, it started to feel less and less like home and I started to feel like I didn't belong among that crowd anymore and once I took the time to see that and really see it, I decided to make the change and see what life could be like if I embraced my Pottermore sorting. 

If you could have one (but only one) superpower, what would it be and why?

Ohhhh this is a tough one, there are so many I can choose from, but if I had to pick, I would want the ability to tell what someone's true intentions are and if they're genuine. I'm a horrible judge of character and have thought I had friends in people when really I didn't. I would like the ability to tell who was being genuine and who wasn't so I can stop wasting my time with those that aren't as devoted as I am. 

I've given my love and loyalty blindly in the past and it has come back to haunt me once people revealed their true colors. I would love to have the ability to know who was going to be there for the long haul and who was only in it to get something from me. 

Among the stories you've posted on our archives, which one would you say you love the most?

A View From Above. even though I don't have much there right now, (this funeral chapter is still escaping me) this is my passion project and I really want to see it through to the end even if it takes 20 years. 

Coffee or tea?

That's easy, Tea. I don't like coffee at all. 

Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone or Invisibility Cloak?

Ohhhhh another tough one. If I had to choose one, I would probably pick the Invisibility Cloak. The Elder Wand would be cool and all but too risky and I'm non-confrontational. The Resurrection Stone would be too tempting to bring people back that are probably happier where they're at. But at least with the Invisibility Cloak, I can hide from my adult responsibilities and discover things I couldn't if I was visible.

What's your favorite season and why?

Strangely enough, I don't really have a favorite season because I only get to experience one living in Texas. Seriously the summers here last as long as they do in Westeros but when they are over it gets really cold. I love winter because I love snow even if I don't really get to experience it, I love spring because the wildflowers bloom and I get to see bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes and that's the only time of the year I can. I love fall because of Halloween and high school football and I love summer because my birthday is in August and there is always more to do here since the rivers are hopping and you can float the river all day, the theme parks open their new attractions and always have things going on (we have one that has a fireworks and laser show every night when the sun goes down), the open-air movie nights and concerts and don't even get me started on the barbecue. Seriously South Texas was made for summer and considering summer starts in April and lasts through October here it's probably a good thing.
 

S P O T L I G H T   O N   A   P U F F
| J O   R A S K O F F |

What do you love most about writing?

This is a tough question because there are two things I love a lot about writing and I'm not quite sure which I like best: 

The first aspect I adore is being able to express a concept or a story that developed in my head in a way that others can experience it too and relate to it. Like when I got a review from @Aphoride on my story Season of Love where she picked up on something I've spent years debating — the question whether or not honesty is always right, or more importantly under which circumstances honesty might not be the best option. It's a great feeling when I find out I succeeded in sharing my ideas and having them inspire some response in a reader.

The other thing I love is the ability to tell myself stories. It's awesome to read and immerse myself in a story, but the older I get and the more different thoughts are running in circles in my head, the less I am able to let a story completely absorb me. There are always other things on my mind like an undercurrent. I don't like that. Who wants to think about needing to do laundry when they are in the middle of a duel or when Draco finally kisses Harry? When I write a story myself I'm forced to concentrate on it much more than I usually am when I'm reading and it's really fun to experience it more fully.

I guess in conclusion, I love both and wouldn't want to choose. But if I have to choose, I could put some effort into learning to meditate and clear my mind so I would be better able to immerse myself in what I'm reading again. So then I'd say what I love most about writing is being able to express my thoughts in a way that someone else can experience them.

If you were stranded on a desert island and there was only one type of food there, what one food would you want it to be?

You're big on difficult questions today! I love food and I want to say, "All the food!", but I'm afraid that wouldn't count as an answer. It's an impossible question, though. My candidates would be pasta with cheese (that's one food, right?), sour apples, peanut butter, potatoes … 
You know what, I'd probably take potatoes because they are fairly versatile. They can be awesome if cooked, grilled, as wedges or mash. Yes, potatoes are good. But I'd probably get sick of them really soon if I'd be unable to have so many other awesome things.

If there was a school of magic in Austria, what do you think would be a good name for it?

This question made me laugh when I first read it. It took me a while, but the word I came up with us "Oachkatzlschwoaf". It's an Austrian word that's often given as a joke to people who are just learning German or don't know German because it's hard to pronounce. It's also sort of funny sounding and just like Hogwarts (hoggy warty Hogwarts) it is a real word and has something to do with animals, but at the same time, it's rather random. It translates to "squirrel tail".

Which three adjectives would you choose to describe yourself?

excitable (This one I'm always missing when I have to describe myself in German.)

settled (This is a new one, but I really enjoy feeling like I've arrived—at a version of myself I like, in this relationship, in this home, to habits that work for me…)

sincere

 

S T O R Y   O F   T H E   M O N T H
| T H E   F I N A L   C A L M  -- S I H A Y A |

Link: the final calm | Author: @sihaya | Rating: Teen Audiences | Category: Original Fiction | Themes: Dying/Grieving | Story Type: One-Shot

This is what death looks like.

Ravenclaw featured @abhorsen. as their 'Claw of the Month, and All the Waves Resounded by @BookDinosaur was the Ravenclaw Story of the Month! Give it up for these Clawesome featured people! (Joke borrowed from @forever_dreaming .)

C L A W   O F   T H E   M O N T H
| A B H O R S E N |

What is next on your "To-Write" List?

I'm working on additional chapters of English Lessons and Shenanigans, Capers, and Hi-Jinks! I've also got some editing to do for some other stories that I've hidden for the moment, which I'm trying to do sooner rather than later.

What house do you identify the least with, and why?

So I love the +sortinghatchats (M) system, which has both a primary house (your "why") and a secondary house (your "how"), which is how I'm going to answer this. (Any mix is possible, including having the same house as your primary and your secondary, which is the case for me - I'm a Gryffindor/Gryffindor-who-has-a-strong-secondary-Ravenclaw-model.)

I think it has to be Hufflepuff. I've got a really strong affinity for idealist primary houses (Gryffindor/Ravenclaw) over loyalist ones (Hufflepuff/Slytherin) - I have my beliefs and my ideals, and betraying them doesn't feel right no matter what the situation is or who's in front of me. That doesn't mean that I don't change,but change isn't situational for me - if my beliefs change, it's because I was wrong, and the new philosophy just replaces the old one. I can't imagine personal loyalties overriding what I think is right/wrong - I've cut close friends out of my life because they did something Wrong before, and I've never regretted it. I'm pretty forgiving if someone genuinely changes, and I've reconciled with all but one, I think, but... I'd rather be right than loyal.

So that's a "does not compute" for both Hufflepuff and Slytherin,  but Slytherin is saved from the "least identify with" house by its secondary, which (along with Gryffindor) is improvisational - I really feel the "react" over "plan" approach, even if my approach tends to be a little more combative than adaptive. 

Is this a long answer to a simple question? Yes. Does anyone care this much about my psyche? Doubtful. This is the Ravenclaw secondary model coming in and why I'm here with y'all. 

Who is your favorite character from a fandom that isn't Harry Potter?

So my first thought was "oh I know!" and then I was like "oh, wait, but what about XYZ?"

Ughhh. I'll just go with one of my faves and call it a day. 

I love Thor from the MCU. He's my boy and I really hope he survives Endgame and can make cameos in later films. (Like, how cool would a "Thor 4: the Captain Marvel Story" be? Like, not to replace one of her own movies, but them just glowing while they fly around the universe and destroying armies of bad people would be life.)

Which of the “Big Seven” (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Ginny, Neville, Luna) do you enjoy reading or writing about the most?

Oooof. So that's a hard question.

I probably like writing about Draco the best, both because I love Astoria and because I'm more interested in where I can take his whole redemption arc while still (hopefully) being true to the character.

In terms of which character I just like more, though, it's Harry. I love Harry - he's been one of my favorite characters across all fandom since OotP. He's wonderful.

If you could travel to one place in the world, ignoring expenses, language barriers, etc, where would you go and why?

Can I say the wreckage of the SS Andrea Doria? I really like shipwrecks, and that's one of the most infamous ones.

What do you enjoy writing about the Bill & Fleur Weasley family the most and which of them are your favorite?

Hmmm.

I think that part of it is that I absolutely love Fleur and feel like she doesn't get enough appreciation in fandom, which can sometimes carry down to her kids as well. And I just - I think that Fleur and Bill were kind of like the powerhouse couple that didn't get the recognition that they deserved, and I can see their influence leading their kids to be a lot more adventurous and inventive.

I think Vic has to be my favorite, though; I love her low tolerance for boredom, obsession with magical creatures, and dynamics with Fred and Teddy in particular.

I N T E R V I E W   W I T H   T H E   A U T H O R
| B O O K   D I N O S A U R |

Ted and Andromeda are a couple not written about a lot in fanfic. What draws you to them and why?

I've always really liked the idea of their ship! Ever since she was mentioned as having been burned off the family tree for running away with a Muggleborn - I love the thought that a member of the House of Black, someone who must have been raised amidst some really anti-Muggle rhetoric, was able to reject it and get away from it. I thought the pair of them must have been so strong and committed to each other to do what they did, and in the middle of a war to boot. I have many many emotions about them  

How did you decide to write about Andromeda turning from her family’s ideals and over to the side of becoming a blood traitor? 

It all started when I got pulled into a nostalgia spiral of Tedromeda fics and found myself reading a lot of Hogwarts romances. And they were wonderful, don't get me wrong! I love them a lot. But it did make me wonder what it would be like if Andromeda had become a blood traitor after Hogwarts but also before Ted, instead of because of Ted. And so spy-Andromeda was born! Then, because I have a little shipper heart, I set her up with Ted anyway.  

If you had to stop eating one of your top three foods for the rest of your life, which one would you give up and why?

Oh boy, this is a tough one. I mean, first of all it requires me to decide on a top three foods, and I'm not sure I'm capable of doing that  I guess I could probably live without chocolate, which is pretty great and would probably crack a top three? But I'd be really sad about it.

Favorite activity or hobby to do other than writing? 

I really love to watch films, as anyone who has even glanced at the film challenge 2019 thread would be able to tell XD I also really enjoy cross-stitching - a lot of the time I will do both at once, watching and stitching. It's very relaxing  

 

Slytherin House saw @Lacey Black as April's Snake of the Month and @Bunbury's Inheritance was recognized as the Slytherin Story of the Month! Three cheers for these Snakes!

S N A K E   O F   T H E   M O N T H
| L A C E Y   B L A C K |

What is your favorite thing to do (favorite event, activity, thread, etc.) in the Slytherin Common Room?

My favourite event is the monthly EvS Review battles!  I will bring my team to VICTORY!!! 

What meme or GIF best describes your House, in your opinion?

When writing, what types of stories do you prefer, and do they differ from your reading preferences?

I like to write Angst and Horror and romance.  I much prefer one shot writing to multichaps. And I pretty much only read angsty slow burning romance stories that are multiple chapters sobi can get super invested in the romance that takes 20 chapters to happen.  I am truly disappointed when a couple finally gets together, especially if they get together too soon. 

What is your dream writing environment?

I love to go out to the river near my house and write in the sunshine. (it can be cloudy too that's fine as long as I'm in nature that's my favorite.) Except in winter time, I really don't like winter. But every other season I love and we spend a lot of time at my favourite spot by the water.
 

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| B U N B U R Y |

How much planning did you put into Inheritance (characters, plot, world-building, etc.)?

A lot of planning went into the characters and story, but most of the World-Building happens as I go. Of my three main characters -- Phaedra Morely, Hector Flourish, and Severus Snape -- two are OCs, so before I started Chapter 1, I wrote a lot of drabbles about and dialogue for them. Moreover, since Phaedra’s somewhat Gothic family history is at the heart of the plot, I spent a fair bit of time on this, particularly on Phaedra’s father, John Morley, who functions as a kind of absentee antagonist.

On the other hand, I tend to do all the world-building for a given scene while I'm actually writing that scene -- I’m not one of those iceberg people who knows tons of stuff about the world that doesn’t appear on the page. (It helps that JKR already did most of the work for me ;))

We are presented with a mystery surrounding Phaedra’s family and a dark curse -- how did you go about planning the mystery in order to present it in such a fun way (what with the bits and pieces of clues)?

TBH, this is something I'm still figuring out! I guess I started at the end and worked backwards? Mostly, planning the mystery has been an exercise in keeping track of who has which pieces of information. At this point in the story Phaedra knows more than we do, but she still doesn't have the whole picture. And other characters know things she doesn't. I knew I wanted there to be a variety of clues (it would be pretty boring if Phaedra spent the whole story flipping through encyclopedias). And I knew the discoveries of answers/further clues had to double as opportunities for character/relationship development and world-building. So I just kind of. . .brainstormed based on those constraints? Honestly I have no idea what I am doing.

What is your favorite characteristic of Phaedra’s? What is your least favorite?

This is tricky. I’m hesitant to make pronouncements about my own characters: they might not come across the way I intend, and since we’re just three chapters into Inheritance, plenty of what I know about them might not yet be clear. Also, I love Phaedra, having spent so much time in her head.

But putting that aside. Phaedra certainly has plenty of negative traits -- negative both in the sense that they’re bad for her, and in the sense that they’re frustrating to me as a writer. She’s withdrawn, diffident, bad at manipulating her environment to get what she wants; she’s lonely, but also uncomfortable around new people; she’s slightly morose, sullen, neurotic. But it’s these faults that make her interesting to me: they mean she has something internal to struggle against and overcome, and they give her a natural affinity for other losers (i.e. all my other characters).

On the flip side, I think Phaedra’s watchful; she sees things as they really are; and she sees herself as she really is, without self-pity or vanity, but respects herself nonetheless.

So, are Phaedra and Severus Snape going to be a thing, or what? (If it’s too #spoilers to say, can we please get a hint?)

Haha -- well. . .there’s definitely something that they’re going to be

The short answer is “yes”. This story is, among other things, a romance. However, it’s going to take a while for their relationship to develop, and there’s no guarantee that things will work out once it does. Phaedra and Severus Snape still don’t know each other very well -- they’re not even on a first name basis. And, more importantly, neither of them is really apt to initiate anything. Phaedra we’ve heard about. And Snape, at least on the way I read him, is too prideful,  afraid of rejection, and confused about his residual feelings for Lily to initiate something with someone else. Also, he's got kind of a lot of stuff going on in September of 1995, which is when the story begins.

So anyway, for at least a while their relationship is going to play out through small, often ambiguous hints and gestures. My feeling is that for characters like these -- who are bad at acting but good at picking up on stuff -- these small gestures can often have tremendous significance, and take tremendous courage.

Welcome to this month's Monthly Dilemma! If you don't know what the Monthly Dilemma is -- each month we will be asking you a question which you can respond to by commenting in the corresponding blog post. Anyone who comments in the blog post with an answer to the question is added raffle to win a small prize! You will have until the 15th of the following month to answer the question to be entered into the raffle. Winners will be announced in that month's Monthly Dilemma section.

Before we get onto this month's dilemma, the winner of last month's raffle is:
@starbuck!
Congratulations! You've won one [1] free review on a story of your choice! Please contact one of the Prefects to let them know what you've chosen!

| This Month's Dilemma |

You become a superhero, but you also have to take on the Tragic Backstory of a super who shares your powers (e.g. if you gain Captain America powers, you also gain the Tragic Backstory of all your loved ones being dead/brainwashed superassassins). Which super and Tragic Backstory do you choose?

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credits:
graphics: emma | layout: rumpels
couriers and interviewers: madi, rumpels, kyle
review column: rumpels
monthly dilemma question & drawing: emma
special thanks to sarah ( @adorably cute) for being our Gryffindor liason