Welcome to the October edition of In the Spotlight! We've got a lot going on this month; get the scoop below.

Our staffer of the month for October is our very own CC @magemadi!

I N T E R V I E W 
| M A G E M A D I |

What are you currently reading (fic or otherwise)?
I am currently kind of in between books at the moment but hoping to start "Vicious" by E.B. Schwab shortly!

What are you currently writing?
Does DnD lore for two campaigns count? Actually am working on a paper right now and have some ideas for NaNo, likely something in my fairies universe

What are you currently watching?
Critical Role, babeyyyyy! Specifically, Campaign 1 on YT and now also Campaign 3 as it airs live as it just started on the 21st!

Where do you hang out on the forums a lot right now?
Right now obviously in the  Sparkling Star  Awards subforum

October's Story of the Month is Snow's Out, Bros Out by @RonsGirlFriday

I N T E R V I E W   W I T H   T H E   A U T H O R
| R O N S G I R L F R I D A Y |

What was the inspiration for Snow's Out, Bros Out?
I wanted to write a coming-out story where the important thing to the other character (George) isn't the "I'm bi" part -- I mean, yes, it's important in that it's who Fred is, and that George accepts him -- but for George that doesn't change anything -- what's really important to George is, "Ok, great, but who specifically do you have a crush on, because that's what I want to make fun of you for." Basically, George still treating Fred like he's always treated him, and sending a direct message to Fred that nothing has changed between us.

What three songs would you put on a soundtrack for this fic?
Morning M'Lord/ Morning Mr. Magpie by Radiohead

The Middle by Jimmy Eat World

Friday I'm in Love by The Cure

What made you choose Fred and George as the main characters for this fic?
I've been wanting, for some time, to write something focused on Fred and George and their relationship and dynamic, and especially something emphasizing traits of theirs that we know exist but that are often downplayed in favor of their mischief -- we know they are incredibly intelligent and actually do get good marks, they're driven and dedicated to their goals, and they're shrewd and have business acumen. I think Fred and George behind the scenes might have a lot of similarities to the personas everyone else sees, but also a lot of differences that they don't show publicly -- including being serious or even insecure. And I also wanted to get into their relationship -- their friendship -- and care for one another, and the idea of them not always being totally open with each other, even though here it was done in a fluffy way. (I'd actually love to explore a real Fred vs George conflict at some point, too.)

You write great humorous fics, what advice can you give on how to make a fic funny, and how you approach that task?
 I'm always sort of pleasantly surprised when I find out I've actually made someone laugh other than myself.  And it's hard to give an opinion on 'how to be funny,' but I guess what I just said there is a start -- you have to write what you actually think is funny, not try to do or be what you think others think is funny. That'll end up coming out forced 9 times out of 10, because everyone's sense of humor is different and you need to embrace your own. Like sometimes I actually laugh to myself when I'm writing, and it's not because I think I'm so brilliant or something -- it's because I'm playing out the scenes in my head and hearing the dialogue and I find the characters or the scenario funny and then I write it. Also, readers are smart and perceptive, and like with anything else in writing, you actually don't need to whack them over the head with something to get them to see the humor. Subtlety can be a wonderful thing.

Our member of the month is newcomer @roisin, who has been super active since joining our community in September. Unfortunately, we were unable to gain an interview with her in time for this blog post, but we encourage you to reach out and say hi if you haven't already, and maybe pop over to her AP.  

 Halloween is here, and @Aphoride has written a great blog post about villains and why we actually love to love them. 

Thank you to everyone who nominated and/or voted in the Sparking Star Awards, FFT's brand new complement to the Inkys, meant to honor site members for so many other important aspects of this community beyond published fics. Results will be revealed soon!

 Review tag has been on  lately! Thanks especially to @Felpata_Lupin, @Owlpost68, @blackballet, and @Oregonian for keeping the fun going. Come play!

Dune fan? Check out the new fandom discussion thread started by @toomanycurls.

Shout-out to our newest member @KaerLeMorte! We hope you enjoy the site, and we look forward to getting to know you.  

 In honor of Flufftober, the wildly prolific @inmyownlittlecorner committed to posting work inspired by different prompts every single day of this month, resulting in a series of Loki-centric ficlets. Anyone else posted some good fluff lately? Drop a link in the comments; it's good for the soul.

And hey, since it's Halloween, if you have any favorite spooky stories or ghost stories on the archives, share your recs here!

NaNoWriMo is almost here; look for the NaNo Cafe subforum opening soon. This year, we CC's have a new writing activity we'll be trying out during NaNo, hosting write-ins where you can work on your existing project(s). More information will be posted in the NaNo Cafe!

Remember to cast your vote for November's Story of the Month by October 27! Three wonderful fics are up for your consideration this month, by @Mottsnave, @roisin, and @Crimson Quill.

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credits

couriers: melanie, shaza
site highlights & cc news: melanie
compilation: melanie