Welcome to the May edition of In the Spotlight, the Prefect's monthly blog series! In this episode we've got lots of fun things like the usual interviews with our Order of Merlin and Head Student recipients! There's also a review column for the site-wide story of the month and an interview with the author. Don't forget to check out the House News for each of the members and stories of the month for each House, and read all the way to the end to see who won last month's Monthly Dilemma raffle and to answer the new dilemma! 

We recognized our two fantastic GameKeepers @ShadowRose and @TidalDragon as May's Order of Merlin as both of them have been absolute troopers with member questions during the Great Collab event and in general with running all of the site-wide events! We're lucky enough to have interviews with Taylor and Kevin, so please enjoy! Also, make sure to check out their stories featured here as well!

S H A D O W R O S E

Featured Fic: 9.9 Out of 10, Highly Recommend (M)

This fic takes the hilarious cop comedy Brooklyn 99 and the classic rom com movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 days and merges them to make a funny, dramatic James/Lily story with high stakes. Two bets and ten days means a lot can happen, and this proves to be true! There are only four chapters up right now, but they are phenomenal. If you haven't checked this story out yet, you really need to!

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

hmm...  probably the writer's nest? that gets me writer's journals as well as a bunch of discussion on writing as a whole, which is probably my fave place for discussion on the site.

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



 and a bonus, just replace 'booing' with 'sad reacting':

What is your favorite non-HP fandom?

i feel like this changes a lot? like, harry potter is my constant fandom, and the rest just kind of come in waves?  right now, i definitely think it's brooklyn 99, but 6 months from now, who knows what it'll be? 

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

i have so many, HELP ME.  and they're all jily AUs, naturally. the main one (aka the one that i'll probably turn into a novel-length fic once i've finished complex) is a no-war au in which james is a professional quidditch player and lily's the team's trainer, gunning for a coaching position. it's definitely on the backburner until i finish the two novels i'm currently working on though (having more than one WIP at a time is stressing me out so i'm never doing that again).

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

to-do lists! lots and lots of to-do lists.

What is it about Jily that is so appealing to you and how do you come up with all of these unique ideas to keep the ship ‘fresh’, so to speak?

i really adore their canon characterizations and the progression of their relationship - james starts off as this prankster who has a lot of growing up to do, while lily has this reputation of being much more of a rule-follower but is still passionate and unafraid to defend the things and people she believes in. but despite that, they're remarkably similar at their cores - they hold a lot of the same central beliefs and morals - and their different personalities play off of each other really well. and over time, they both grow up and realise both the flaws in their own behavior and recognise those fundamental similarities, and that simultaneous personal growth with a budding romance is just my favourite type of relationship progression. but also i particularly love writing them when they're in their 20s, when james would've presumably grown up from his less-than-ideal teenage behaviors, and it just turns into a lot of flirting and banter. 

i get so many ideas from so many weird places! some of them are tweets i've been tagged in (shoutout to paula for the christmas bakery idea and emma for the call centre one that i'm definitely gonna write a version of in the future) and others are just.... entirely random? i think someone airdropped me a dog meme in a coffee shop one time and it's spiraled into an actual fic idea that's currently living in my WIP folder.

Least favorite but most rewarding workout you do?

my immediate answer to this is a single exercise rather than an entire workout, and it's hip thrusts. which basically involve dragging a workout bench over (usually from the other side of the gym), loading 200+ pounds onto a barbell that's laying on the floor (which is somehow infinitely harder than loading a barbell on a squat rack, don't ask me why), and trying to make sure you position the bar on your hips juuuuuust right before starting your set otherwise you end up with a lovely array of bruises on your hipbones. but they're really effective, so like, all of that is worth it, i guess?

T I D A L D R A G O N

Featured Fic: in brightest shades of ochre (M)

Kevin's take in this fic on an early-stage Dramione directly post-War is unique and very intriguing. The writing style is different in some ways compared to your typical fic, but the emotions and pain that Hermione is going through is represented well through this style. It also features some neat Australian monuments and attractions. If you haven't checked this fic out yet, you really should! 

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

The cheap answer would be the Gryffindor CR right? It's 100 percent true, but if I can pick somewhere else...probably the Writing Journals. I love reading people's ideas and answers to questions - hopefully I can get back to leaving more myself soon!

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

Too easy. I already (over)use it so much. 



What is your favorite non-HP fandom?

If I had to pick just one other, it would probably be Bones. I re-watch it the most often and really enjoy the ensemble cast (and of course Booth/Brennan ).

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

Haha. Including time as something to blame expands this so broadly. With that in mind I'll go with my AU series (see my About Me for vague details on the opening novel, Shadow Kingdom). It's one of the few things I've actually heavily planned. But I put so many limitations on myself: needing to finish Evolution (finally), my novelization of No Accounting for Taste, and the first season of Unconfirmed Reports, wanting to wait until I've written a lot in advance to post any, and my endless war against procrastination (and in particular procrastinating with COD).

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

Fortunately there are so many amazing fellow staffers to carry a lot of the load. I tend to be a big picture idea proposer and discussion/planning poker. The team comes up with amazing ideas that often supplant or supplement my own and then...I try to plan and poke.

How do you come up with so many different, cool game and event ideas?

Well, like I said above, it's very much a team effort and often our ideas are jumping points for each other. When I float initial ideas I specifically try to draw on turning real-world games or more seemingly mundane aspects of the Wizarding World into something exciting that we can all flesh out into something all our members can enjoy.

Favorite “lawyer-speak” term to use in general conversation and why?

I generally try to avoid lawyer-speak outside of work - unless it's making awful lawyer puns at social functions with fellow lawyers or my mock trial students. And now I'm trying to think of what I use the most that isn't painfully boring. I suppose I use "appreciably impaired" when observed erratic drivers. Or in the right circumstances caveat emptor (buyer beware) or "let the master answer" (legal term: respondeat superior). I'm sorry this one is probably a lamer response than anticipated.

 

We also had two phenomenal Head Students recognized this month -- @crestwood and @RoRoWeasley! Both of these members are extremely active both on the forums and the archives and generally wonderful people to talk to! Congratulations again to them! 

C R E S T W O O D

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

Story Challenges is probably my favorite section! I try to enter any challenge that interests me to inspire myself to write more and make sure that I'm not just writing the same Scorbus romance fic again and again  
 

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

I’d probably say To Lead an Army. It’s set in Neville’s seventh year, with a focus on the reformed DA. It’s my goal to give a real arc to each member of the sprawling cast, but the main storyline focuses on Neville and his magical brand of espionage. It’s probably the story that I’m most zeroed in on these days! 
 

Pick one food group to eat for the rest of your life: fruit, carbohydrates, or vegetables?

Fruit! I don’t even think I’d mind if I had to do this. 
 

How many stories do you plan to have in your “Things Change” universe?

I honestly have no clue. I have quite a few planned and I never seem to run out of ideas. I may keep it going for years to come if the inspiration continues like it has. I've got over a hundred years of in-universe time to work with, so it keeps on growing. I sort of see it as one big story at this point. 
 

Where did you get the idea for your original fiction screenplay?

I had the vague idea for a long time because I just love examining the ramifications of the end of a world as a whole - I've written a number of stories on this theme - but the quote from Kelly Link's Stranger Things Happen that I start the story off with really helped push this one into a much weirder place. 
 

Do you have a go-to book you enjoy reading over and over again and if so, why?

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is the novel that I can never put down for long. It changed my writing style forever when I first read it and I love to revisit it, if only out of nostalgia for the shockwaves it sent through my system. 

 

R O R O W E A S L E Y

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

I love exploring the archives, especially because it’s so easy to find new stories and it’s fun discovering new genres and eras that I wouldn’t normally read. I also love the Writer’s Nest and scanning through what authors are working on, as well as interacting and getting to know you all!

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

I’ll Walk That Line was written for a Harry Potter fan on my twitter page who gave me a prompt about bullying. I was absolutely willing to write it but I realised very quickly it was actually a very difficult story for me to write. I was bullied constantly at school, and it took me much longer than some of my other pieces because I would get overwhelmed and need to take breaks to look after myself. The experiences within the story are not the same as my own, but I could relate a lot to what I was putting my characters through emotionally.

What is your favorite part about writing Albus & Scorpius?

The same as with all the characters that I’ve written before – the fact that I have a connection to them, if that makes sense? I don’t feel like I am in control when I’m writing (which probably sounds weird), it’s them and I’m writing what they tell me. It’s an adventure filling in what we don’t see in the play, and exploring where their relationship could lead and how they would live day-to-day at Hogwarts. 

Without giving away any major spoilers, what do you enjoy the most about Cursed Child?

Other than the whole magical feel of the play when you see it on stage (it’s magnificent!), the friendship between Albus and Scorpius. The boys themselves are very relatable and their friendship feels very real. It’s also rather easy to ship them both as a future pairing, which is another reason why I enjoy writing them so much. The soundtrack is spectacular too and really feels like it was crafted just for the play, when it’s actually pre-existing music from an established artist which they themselves beautifully rehashed! 

If you didn’t have to worry about costs, where would you like to travel to right now and why?

I would love to visit very state in the USA, not much of the touristy stuff but actually get a feel of the cultures? I’ve only been to Florida like your typical British tourist and I’m actually back in July to visit New York (yes and Florida again because Harry Potter World!). I would still love to visit certain landmarks like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone, but I just love the idea of backpacking from one coast to the other via every state and finishing up in Hawaii. 
 

Would you prefer never eating sweets or never eating carbs again for the rest of your life? Why?

Sweets, they always help you make friends!

I would happily give up carbs because I lived off pasta as a student for several years and now basically avoid it. I’d be sad to lose pizza (like my favourite ever food) but I think it would be worth it. Plus, knowing me, I’d find some tasty substitutes! Sweets are associated with lots of happy memories for me so I’d like to hang on to that.

 

This month, Inheritance (M) by @Bunbury was recognized as the Site-wide Story of the Month! We've gathered a review column and an interview with the author, Jane, for your enjoyment! Be sure to click the link and check out the story if you haven't read it already! 

R E V I E W   C O L U M N

Jane has written a story that is incredibly easy to get lost inside of. You’ll swoon over the imagery and word choice like no other--I've read few stories that feel more immersive. 

The protagonist, Phaedra, works at an apothecary frequented by Severus Snape and seems to lead a fairly simple life. Of course, things soon become a great deal more complicated as mysteries, chance encounters, and big reveals come to pass. Inheritance is skillful, contemplative, and very often funny. Some scenes will stick with you long after you finish reading them. There are still many questions to be answered, but this story already feels essential. 

Jane’s writing is masterful and Inheritance is absolutely worth a read. 

We've rounded up all the news from last month from each of the Common Rooms just for your pleasure! Check out the superb members and stories that each of the Houses recognized this month so everyone can be celebrated across the Houses! 

Gryffindor House had their Leading Lion as @nott theodore and their Featured Fic was mes a'n lester (M) by @nott theodore! 

L E A D I N G   L I O N
| N O T T   T H E O D O R E |

What’s your defining Gryffindor trait?

Well, I'm not the most stereotypical of Gryffindors, by any means, but I think it's determination.  If I put my mind to something it usually gets done and I'm quite good at overcoming the obstacles life throws in my path.  Although I think the people who know me well would probably say it manifests itself as stubbornness and/or pride sometimes

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

Spend time in Gryffindor Tower!  I really love our house and how supportive everyone is of each other.  Taking part in the different games and activities that go on here is always fun, and the blanket fort is such a nice place to get to know people and relax.
 

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

I've been reliably informed that my Gryffindor temper comes out every time I'm behind the wheel of a car  so I guess that works for today? 
 

What are three songs on the current soundtrack to your life?

Hmm, this is a really good question!  Most of what I've been listening to lately is instrumental music/film soundtracks for studying, but I'll say Pretty Shining People by George Ezra, Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons, and No Hopers, Jokers & Rogues by Fisherman's Friends (which tells you something about how random my taste in music is, I guess!)
 

You can ask a magic wizard any one question about the future or any three questions about the past, general or specific- what is/are the question(s)?

This is so difficult!  I don't think I'd want to know the answer to what's coming in the future, so I'd ask things about the past instead... I think I'd ask about Shakespeare, maybe whether he did stay in England his whole life and just learn about his plots/settings from books, or if he travelled, and where he went.  Then I'd ask what actually happened to the princes in the tower (think how fun it would be to know the answer to a mystery that's haunted people for hundreds of years!) and the final question would be about my great-grandma's parents, who are something of a family mystery - despite having worked in genealogy I still haven't been able to figure it out, and I really want to know!

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

How did you come up with the idea for mes a'n lester?

The obvious answer here is the House Cup collab prompts  But I've wanted to write about Demelza and explore anxiety more deeply for quite a while, and this seemed like the ideal time to do it with the collab prompts! 
 

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

I think (predictably) I'd have to say angst, because there's something pretty cathartic about loading those emotions into a story and sharing it with others.  Plus I just find it easier/more interesting than writing fluff and romance - hence the reason I tend to struggle through any story like that I'm writing.  Killing characters off or making them suffer is just so much fun!
 

Describe your perfect writing environment.

I don't really have a perfect writing environment?  I've written in a lot of different places, and honestly it's more about having the time and inspiration to write than where I'm doing it.  As long as I've got a scrap of paper and a pen when a plunny strikes I can usually get something down!
 

Who's your favorite canon character to write and why?

I don't tend to write the same characters in different stories that much, so I'd probably have to say Roxanne Weasley - although that feels a bit like cheating since she's a next gen character and we know basically nothing about her  But she's the protagonist of my novel, Jigsaw, and over the couple of years and thirty chapters I wrote her for I grew to really love her. 
 

Tell us about the fic you're most proud of and why that is.

This links back to my previous answer, but it would have to be Jigsaw again!  It's the first (and only) novel I've completed and that was a massive achievement for me, and I learnt a lot about writing (and planning, which I'm not very good at) during it.  I'm quite proud of how the mystery played out and people's responses to the characters, too!

Hufflepuff House had their Hufflepuff of the Month in @Jo Raskoph, who also won Reviewer of the Month! Their Spotlight on a Puff this month was @FireCrest, and Story of the Month went to She Softly Guides by @RoRoWeasley!

H U F F L E P U F F   O F   T H E   M O N T H
| J O   R A S K O P H |

Congratulations on making Hufflepuff of the Month! How do you feel about this recognition?

To be honest I feel a bit guilty about it because I had been nominated for what I contributed in the Great Collab last round but right now I'm not in the right place to be writing several one-shots until the deadline to continue that. (Here's a secret that's not ready to be announced outside of Hufflepuff, I trust you all to keep it: I've been suffering from morning sickness and fatigue this month - if all goes well, we'll have a little badger in December.)
I'll be aiming for one Great Collab story this round, maybe some of you can pitch in and add their own so we'll hopefully make the 5 story minimum even if I'm slacking?

Who is your favourite Hufflepuff and why? (In the Potterverse... not among our HPFT house)

I think Tonks. She alone is evidence enough that Hufflepuffs are not boring or weak. She's all the wonderful things that make our house what it is, and she's awesome. She's cool, everyone wants to be like her or liked by her, she does a badass job, she's funny and kind and overall brilliant.

What is one book that has had a big impact on you?

Oh, that would be "In Other Lands" by Sarah Rees Brennan. It's a YA fantasy with the protagonist I've identified most out of all fictional characters I've ever read. He's bisexual and he's insecure and he's a pacifist and he gets irrational and he has no clue how to do the friendship thing right, he has to learn what to do with feelings and he is surprised every time someone likes him for how he really is. This book has had a huge impact on me because it's the first one I've read that handles bisexuality in a way that makes sense to me and it's made me feel validated and somewhat at home. It's also generally brilliant and I absolutely recommend it to everyone. I even tried to read it to my mum, that's how much I love this book. She refused to let me because she "doesn't understand English" … I guess she does have a point  

If you could take a Portkey right now, where would it take you?

Hm, the concept of being whirled around by a Portkey makes me want to throw up right now, but generally, I'd love to be able to travel magically so I could see family more often. So I guess a Portkey would take me to my sister for the afternoon  

What's something you do that makes you happy?

I've started going to a yoga class with my colleagues. The yoga is really brilliant, it helps me shut the thoughts in my head up for a while and I'm really proud of the poses I'm learning to do better each week. After class, we usually go out for supper and that adds a brilliant layer of community to the whole experience. This once a week activity has really improved my quality of life - which I would have never expected.

What would Amortentia smell like for you?

Like my husband's skin when he's been outside. It's not a smell I've encountered anywhere else before, so I don't know how to describe it other than that. It smells of outdoors (maybe a bit like the smell of rain) and him so that's the perfect smell for me.

Do you have an OTP (or more than one)? Can you tell us about it?

Oh, I have many many favourite pairings, but I couldn't decide on one single pairing so I guess no OTP. Some ships I support wholeheartedly are: Ron/Hermione, Ron/Pansy, Dean/Seamus, some Harry/Draco, Ginny/Pansy, Sirius/Remus, Parvati/Lavender, Katie/Alicia, …

S P O T L I G H T   O N   A   P U F F
| F I R E C R E S T |

You've been a Puff Prefect and HYH editor for a few months now. How are you enjoying the experience?

I LOVE IT! It has been such a fun experience, and getting to work with my lovely fellow puffs has been a real treat.
 

If you went to Hogwarts, what would be your best class?

I think it would be charms. Transfiguration/potions seems too sciencey for my tastes. And I'm not the best with animals, so that drops out Care of Magical Creatures.
 

Which Harry Potter character do you relate to the most and why?

I'd say Neville. I can be awfully clumsy and awkward sometimes. But when it comes to important stuff, I feel like I can pull myself together like Neville did. 
 

What would your ideal day be like?

I think my ideal day would be sitting in the sun reading my favorite books, and/or taking a nap.

Ravenclaw House saw their Claw of the Month as @ReillyJade, and her story June Bug (M) was the Story of the Month for May!

C L A W   O F   T H E   M O N T H
| R E I L L Y J A D E |

What's your favorite genre to read?

Anything that gives me warm, fuzzy feelings in my soul! I tend to lean toward romance, but I love a really well-crafted family story. Flangst is my friend, too. I have to read so many things that I don't want to read for work and school, so when I have an opportunity to read a book of my choice or some fanfic, I want something that'll allow me to escape for a bit.
 

If you could trade places with ANY character from the HP books, who would it be and why?

Hmm, this one is tricky. I suppose Fleur Delacour, if only because she's married to Bill and lives beside the beach! Not to mention, I desperately wish I had her confidence. I've always admired how she takes everything in stride.
 

How did you come across HPFT? When did you first join?

I've been here since late 2017 (October, I think?) but didn't start being regularly active until sometime last summer. Before that, I'd been primarily lurking around Tumblr for quite a while for all my fandom-related stuff, but things were becoming so negative, particularly in regards to HP. Everyone was either fighting about ships, tearing apart Fantastic Beasts, trashing JKR... it was just a mess. I'm all for healthy, respectful debate (the series is far from perfect, after all) but it got to the point where it seemed like no one had anything nice to say about the series they claimed to love so much. So I started searching for a place that was a little more positive, and here I am!
 

Favorite type of candy?

I'm honestly don't have the sweet tooth that I once had (which is probably a good thing haha). But, on those days when I want chocolate, I tend to go for Lindt truffles, usually the milk chocolate sea salt ones. And on the very rare occasions I get candy at the movies, I'll grab a box of Buncha Crunch. So, I guess either of those. 
 

Where did you get the inspiration to write June Bug? 

I'm not sure what provoked the thought, but at some point, I came to the realization that the majority of stories featuring pregnancy (particularly unplanned) as a central plot point are told through the woman's eyes: how she feels, how she's affected, what she wants, etc. So, I really wanted to explore an unexpected pregnancy from the male perspective and how his journey can be affected by it. 
 

Any ideas currently waiting in your writing pipeline you're excited about? 

I'm working on Chapter 7 of Slytherin Secrets, so I'm hoping to finish that once I'm done with this semester. But, what I'm most excited about is my plan for a follow-up to June Bug, taking place a couple of years after it ends. It will follow Louis as he tries to figure out how to manage a social/love life while being a single father. Spoiler alert: he bungles it up a bit lol. 

It'll be a while until I can start it - probably later this summer when I don't have class - but I got so excited about the idea that I got up in the middle of the night once to write a detailed outline for it. I just really fell in love with Louis while writing June Bug and I'm eager to flesh him out a bit more. I can't wait to share it with all of you!

I N T E R V I E W   W I T H   T H E   A U T H O R
| R E I L L Y J A D E |

What inspired you to write this story about Louis and the journey he goes on?

There was no singular thing that inspired it. Bill and Fleur's kids are my favorite next-gen group, and I hadn't written (or even planned out) anything for Louis yet, and I just randomly decided I felt like writing about him. On the opposite side of the coin, I'd been yearning to write a pregnancy storyline from the male perspective for a while now. The two inclinations just sort of mixed themselves together, and June Bug was the result. It was an absolute joy to write, and I've got a couple spin-offs brewing in my head that I can't wait to get started on! Turns out I love Louis quite a lot, and his journey is far from over!

What do you find easiest (and conversely, most difficult) about writing narrative description?

I guess where I tend to get stuck is when I'm changing scenes and needing to find a way to "bridge the gap," so to speak, so I suppose that's the most difficult. As for what's easiest? There are moments (which are rare, unfortunately) when I've got a scene so vividly in my head that when I sit down to write it, the words just pour right out of me and I barely even have to think about it. Those are my favorite.

But honestly, it depends on the day. I'm really weird. I can have a day where I bang out 5k in one sitting, while on other days, I can have my laptop open for an hour and write a sentence if I'm lucky. It's why I can designate a specific writing time for myself lol.

Favorite thing about writing fan fiction?

It's an escape! I love writing, but real life is so chaotic and busy that I often don't have the energy to come up with new worlds of my own. With fanfic, I can still get creative, but in a well-established sandbox. 

If you were a professor at Hogwarts, which subject would you teach and why?

Probably History of Magic, because I love history and have been told by many that I'm a good storyteller. And that's what history is: a story. It can be the most fascinating subject if it's taught well, so I definitely would not go the Professor Binns route! That subject deserves better, and I'd give it my all if I had the chance. 

Slytherin House had a Snake of the Month in @crestwood, and a record three-way tie for Story of the Month, in Unpave My Path (M) by @MegGonagall, Daughter's Lament (M) by @beyond the rain, and Forgive Us Our Trespasses (M) by @Oregonian! 

S N A K E   O F   T H E   M O N T H
| C R E S T W O O D |

What is your favorite activity to do in the Slytherin Common Room?

I love getting into review battles with Kris during our monthly EvS event. She’s such a prolific reviewer that I always try to keep up and find out that I can’t possibly! 
 

Most and least Slytherin-y trait you have and why?

The most Slytherin trait I have is my ambition. I want to be and do everything to the point where it is basically a big meme among my friends at this point.

My least Slytherin trait is that I'm almost overly-impartial? I will put myself in a position where I am worse off if it means that someone else has a fair shot - and it gets me into a lot of undesirable situations.  
 

Hobby you have outside of writing?

My main hobbies outside of writing are making music and playing video games! Music, for now, is mostly for fun, while video games I actually take fairly seriously - you can catch me competing in various tournaments on any given weekend. 
 

If you could be an Animagus, what animal would you transform into and why?

I’d transform into an alligator because they’re my favorite animals. They can swim really well, but also walk on land just fine and they never stop growing for the entire lengths of their lives, which I just think is cool. 

I N T E R V I E W   W I T H   T H E   A U T H O R
| M E G G O N A G A L L |

What do you need in order to write? (food, drink, atmosphere etc)

I need to be alone, that’s most important. If I have someone else in the room it’s too easy for me to become distracted. I’m like Dug from Up lol. 

Besides that, an iced coffee/latte/Frappuccino or any other sort of caffeine. Music played quietly. If it’s instrumental, that more helpful. Because if there are lyrics, I end up becoming more focused on the song than on the writing. And by that, I mean I start singing along

 I don’t really eat when I’m writing, but when I smoked cigarettes I tended to chain smoke. Now I just puff on my vape a lot. 
 

Do you have a special location you prefer to write in?

I tend to do a lot of my writing in my living room when I’m home alone. Sometimes I’ll write in my bedroom. But I like to write on the couch with a blanket, and the cats purring next to me. 

When you were planning out this story, what made you choose Lily Luna Potter for this story?

I feel more like Lily Luna chose to be in the story herself lol. Basically what happened was, Joey tweeted a playlist (I think) and Fiona Apple was on it. That got me thinking of how her entire When The Pawn… album basically summed up my late teens/early 20’s. I immediately got a plunny based off of my favorite song on the album, A Mistake. And Lily Luna just popped in my head as the character who would star in Unpave My Path. As I was writing that, I realized that I needed to tell the story of how she got to that point, and Get Gone fit so perfectly with the entire situation. And then that was born. Also while writing UMP, I wanted to show Lily eventually getting better, and pretty much accidentally falling in love for the second time. She’s not 100% better, and feels that her new love (who you met briefly in Get Gone) deserves better. And then it hit me that Fast As You Can would be the perfect ending to the trilogy. FAYC isn’t posted yet, but it should be within the next few weeks.  But, to actually answer your question, I really don’t know. Lily just sort of happened lol. 

Noticing this story has a prequel called Get Gone, are you planning a sequel for Unpave My Path?

Yes! So Fast As You Can is going to be the sequel to Unpave My Path, and the final oneshot of the series. It’s going to start out about a year after we last saw Lily in UMP. She’s going to be working at St. Mungo’s as a Healer’s Aide in the Janus Thickey Ward. She’ll have a new circle of friends, and will be doing… better-ish. Her new circle of friends is going to include an extremely minor character from Get Gone, who she begins to fall for. He’s actually a genuinely great guy, and she feels as if she isn’t good enough for him. I would suggest listening to Fast As You Can by Fiona Apple, and you’ll have a general idea of the final installment.  But *fingers crossed* that should be posted in the next few weeks. 

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| B E Y O N D   T H E   R A I N |

Do you ever experience writer's block? If so, what helps to pull you out of it?

Usually listening to music, or going back to whatever inspired the plot in the first place! 
 

When you were writing this story, was there a part you had a difficult time with? If so, how did you work through it?

I think the biggest struggle is capturing just how confident Aurelia is. I usually try to draw little bits from myself and base characters on that. Aurelia goes against every single instinct I have, and we'd never be friends in real life. What helps me work through that is that I really like going against the grain and writing things that people wouldn't associate me with. I wanted this character to exist, so I'll push through whatever problems I have with her, and keep writing until something sticks.

How did you choose Aurelia’s name?

I was toying with a lot of greek and latin names, and lots of ancient names. I wanted her to fit in with the rest of the Black family, and that included going with a fancy name. For a while she was Ophelia, then she was Aurora, and finally - I settled on Aurelia.
 

How did you come up with the idea for this story?

I've had this idea since I was about fourteen. In the beginning Aurelia was Phoebe, and Phoebe was the sweetest little thing. She was absolutely nothing like her parents, and my story followed her from the age of 11. A lot of it didn't add up, and I was young, my writing was even worse back then. This is my third or fourth attempt at this plot, but so much has changed. My understanding of the characters has improved, and now I feel that my plot is somewhat valid - given Delphi's apparent existence. What made me want to bring this back was that I really wanted to write something gritty and angsty, I don't know how things are going to end for Aurelia - but I know that she won't be running off in the sunset with her reformed DE mother, haha! 

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| O R E G O N I A N |

Where do you like to read?

I usually read sitting at the table in my living room where the natural daylight is good.  Not at night (too brain-dead to remember anything) or outdoors (too cold and rainy for most of the year) or in coffee shops (unlike JKR, I am rarely in a coffee shop).
 

What do you draw inspiration from to write your stories?

Much of my inspiration, both in overall plot and in specific details, comes from my own experiences.  Being of a grandmotherly age, I have many years of experiences, general knowledge, and people I've known.  So I draw on all of these to provide ideas I'd probably never invent on my own. Our lives are full of elements that can add unusual touches.  I like writing Missing Moments -- expansions of little details mentioned briefly in the seven books that call out for closer scrutiny and exploration -- or holes in the canon that need to be filled.

Prompts that are fairly specific (a Diagon Alley shopkeeper at Christmas who interacts with at least one customer), (holiday hell), (a murder at a masquerade ball), (person dies of "natural causes but a letter from beyond the grave suggests otherwise) challenge me to come up with imaginative stories that extend the canon but don't violate it.  Story plots generally evolve slowly, but the right elements suddenly pop into my head.
 

What was the most challenging part of writing this story?

The research for a story like this one takes time, but it's not hard, and it's fun.  Making the story unpredictable is a necessary challenge, and a well-wrapped-up ending takes effort to achieve.

But the most challenging? When you write a word-limited story with a wide scope of time or events, it's a challenge to make every word count, using only the most meaning-packed details and dialogue to depict your vision and propel the story forward, eliminating wordiness and non-contributory "filler".  How can you tell the most story with the fewest words, like a Pablo Picasso drawing where, with a few perfect lines, the master evokes the entire image and the viewer sees it?  Including everything you can think of -- every dialogue line of idle chit-chat, every detail of dress, food, and physical action -- is like wearing all your jewelry at once, just to show that you own it.  Choose the few best items and focus on them.
 

This connection with the Witch Trials from history was super cool. What drew you to this idea?

This story was written for a Hallowe'en challenge, "Ghostwriters" (a story told in the first person by a ghost).  It was my suggestion, based on my curiosity about the ghosts who inhabit Hogwarts. So I looked in my personal journal for the time period before I finished this story but couldn't find any notation about why I included the witch trials, just stuff like "...working on my ghost story. Got some new ideas." (Not very helpful.)  I had been watching a  program on public television about ghosts in Great Britain (apparently sane, normal people claim to have seen them), so perhaps "historic ghosts of Great Britain" plus "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" added up to "historic witch trials in Scotland".

Welcome to May'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 into a 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 into this month's dilemma, the winner of last month's raffle is: 

@poppunkpadfoot!

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 |

Summer is right around the corner for those of us north of The Equator and that means the water is calling our names. This month we want to know would you rather spend the day at the beach, river or lake? Why?

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credits:

graphics: emma | layout: madi
couriers and interviewers: lexi, madi, joey, tasha
review column: joey
monthly dilemma question & drawing: tasha
special thanks to @adorably cute for being our Gryffindor liaison!