Elena

[Elena]

Hi there,

Now that I have a few stories on HPFT, I thought I'd start a topic. I am a Draco loving fangirl  I do love Dramione and Drinny and many of my stories do feature these pairings. I also do enjoy Lily/Snape, Lily/Sirius, and Ron/Pansy.

I started writing back in 2006 with A New Life for Hermione (M). It still remains my fondest story. I was going through a re-write, but never completed it, however, I love what I have. It certainly isn't my best writing and there are some cringe-worthy scenes, but I love it anyway. For me, when I re-read it, I see my progress as a writer. When I first started out, I was so intrigued by fan fiction. I hated Dramione, but then I read a few good ones and from there, I was hooked. I only started writing fan fiction to read what I wanted to read and to see what I could do. I have a few unfinished WIPs though, that I'd like to complete. My love for fanfiction was sucked out of me from people who criticised and judged me based on my pairings, even though these people were supposed to help me "become a better writer." The was a trend growing and you had to be part of the masses in order to get praised. That's not me or why I started writing or why I have a passion for it. So I left it behind and started writing original fiction. It wasn't all bad though. My journey in the Harry Potter fan fiction world has led me to lifelong friendships, some spanning these last 11 years and beyond

I've never given up hope that I'll be able to finish what I started way back then. So I keep posting my stories in hopes I find the muse I needed. I have recently started forming a plot bunny as I was going through the Challenge threads and found this one: 

It would be a spin-off story from a one-shot I wrote about James/Lily called Finding Love (T). This may be the trigger to get me back into fan fiction  Anyway if you have any questions or prompts, throw them at me.

In case you can't see signatures, you can find all my stories here: Gluttony (M) : Archive of Our Own (AO3) (M) : HPFF (M) : HPFT (M)

Edited January 1, 2018 by Elena

[Elena]

With the shut down of HPFF, I'm in the transition of transferring my stories here, including some of my original pieces.  I am in a love/hate relationship with fan fiction and just started writing again for a fic exchange for SAYS. SAYS stands for Serious About Your Skills, it was a community of HP fan fiction lovers where we dedicated our time to writing and having fun. It was my most creative period of my life and I gained so many life long friends from this community. 

Hopefully this will be the "push" I need to keep going and finally complete my WIPs and write the sequels to fics that have been left open for them to be written  

[beyond the rain]

Hey Elena, I'm here with some questions for you! 

1. which HP genre do you enjoy writing about the most, and why? Do you enjoy reading it as much as you do writing about it? 

2. I've been in the situation you have, where the people around you don't support/embarrass you for your love of FF and writing. What advice would you give to someone who's going through that right now? 

3. Are there any underrated ships you read that you think need more love? 

4. Who do you write for? 

5. What are your favourite and least favourite aspects of writing? 

6. What inspires you the most when writing? 

 

[Elena]

I'm so sorry, @beyond the rain, it has taken me forever. 

Life hates me.

To answer your questions:

1. Which HP genre do you enjoy writing about the most, and why? Do you enjoy reading it as much as you do writing about it? I write romance. I can be in ANY other genre and there will ALWAYS be romance. I love, love. And that's because love provokes so many other emotions such as anger, jealousy, envy, sadness etc. You can also write romance into any story line and make it have very little significance to the overall plot or it could be the driving factor. And I devour other romance stories. The more you can make me swoon, the better

2. I've been in the situation you have, where the people around you don't support/embarrass you for your love of FF and writing. What advice would you give to someone who's going through that right now?  I'm so sorry you are or have been in this place. My best advice, as hard as it is because it affected me so much, is to ignore it. People are supposed to encourage you and support you for who YOU are and what YOU like. We all have differences, its what makes us unique and not boring robots. It's OK to the the different one, to go against the masses. As long as you aren't hurting anyone else and doing your own thing - embrace it. Own it. Be proud. Eventually, you'll find your people. The ones that get you and support you, and help you get through. 

Writing is a brilliant form of expression. People have been writing since the beginning of time. It's why we have music, books, movies, poetry, newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, etc. People love writing. Even if they are just texting - they are writing. 

Most people find writing confronting. It requires imagination and to understand how to tell a tale. Even if you were to ask someone to write what their day was like, they'd scribble down a few words - yet I could tell you a whole 2 pages of how I woke, made a cup of coffee and how the smell made me feel and that first sip and how good it felt as I drank it. 

Writing isn't for everyone. Which is why when we writers DO find each other, we should be supportive of each other.

3. Are there any underrated ships you read that you think need more love? Ron and Pansy. I ADORE them together. Pansy is so fun to write. She can be evil in a dark fic or sassy, fun, and boisterous in another. But I also find Ron suits her. He's not as wild as she can be, but he's almost like the yin to her yang. I'd love to see more Ron/Pansy.

I have a love for Snape/Lily - I find Snape is the most misunderstood character, apart from Draco, that gets so much hate. But if you were to just piece together HIS own personal character and story, it's such a sad one. He's not perfect and certainly has his flaws, but he really is such a complex character and fun to flesh out and write.

I also adore Sirius/Lily.

If strictly Canon speaking though, I can get lost in a good Marauder era fic with Lily/James. Although they have been done so many times, I also feel that they really don't get the attention they deserve because we know their life is cut so short. So mostly people write the adventures the boys have with Lily/James in it - but never really a full Lily/James story - if that makes sense.

4. Who do you write for? I write for me. I write what I love, the characters I love, and the story I want to tell. The hard part about Fan Fiction is that its all for free. We read, we write, we post, we get fans, or we don't. But if this didn't exist, if fan fiction wasn't a thing, if the internet wasn't a thing - I'd still love to write and have stories to tell. If you think of JKR's story - Not HP, just JKR - she was a woman who had a story to tell. She was rejected multiple times before she got accepted to be published. Imagine her world going from a normal, every day person - to who she is today. She had no idea how massive HP would become - it just did. And that's because she didn't have "fans" or masses of people telling her what to write and what story to write or what relationships to write. She just had her love of writing and building her own world and a laptop (or typewriter, notebook, computer etc.), and a story to tell.

So I write what comes to my head, what inspires me, the characters that bicker and banter are the words whirling around my head. The plots I write are my imagination going into overdrive that says: "Wouldn't this be awesome?" - I have NO idea if they will or won't be awesome in other people's opinions - But there is a saying about opinions....

If I post a story and someone reads it and likes it - YAY! If they don't - Also OK. Not everyone is going to love the way you write, your style, your genre etc. But I can spend hours just re-reading my own work because I wrote what I love to read. It's mine - I get to bask in it and not give a crap about anyone else

5. What are your favourite and least favourite aspects of writing? My favourite aspects of writing is that I can get trapped in my own bubble and love being in it. My least favourite part of writing is people trying to "teach me" to be a better writer or wanting me to NOT like the ships I do. Honestly, if I'm not your cup of tea, move along. I also HATE writers block. I find it the worst thing to try and push through.

6. What inspires you the most when writing? I get inspired by life. The more you experience, the more you understand, so the more realistic your writing becomes. Whereas, when you haven't experienced something, you can't write from internal knowledge, you're going on external knowledge, which isn't always realistic. And sometimes it's hard to disguise that in your writing. For example, writing "love" scenes. You can generally tell the young and less experienced (knowledgeable) writers when you come across a love scene and it's like they've just imagined what it would be like. But then you could have someone who is more articulate in the way they write, so they can be just as inexperienced, but know how to write just enough to let the readers imagination take over, rather than trying to guess. So life is VERY inspiring - Also why I LOVE cliches. People tell you to avoid them - but OMG! Just observe the people around you in your every day life and the world is full of them. When used well, cliches can be just amazing to read

I'm also inspired by other writers who just do what they love to do. Even in real life, away from Fan Fiction, I can read a great fantasy novel or short horror story written by an indie author that isn't very well known. But because it's THEIR world and they have such a passion for it, it makes ME want to jump on board and ride that happy wagon. I've read tales I'd not normally read or buy in a book shop because I follow a few low key writers that are just trying to make a living. But even in the fan fiction world, I'm more likely to follow you and enjoy your work if you are just writing and posting and living life over asking the masses and writing what they want you to write. I want to see what story YOU can tell me - not society. That's the whole point of being sucked into story. You want to escape the world, not have the world direct and create your bubble.

Thank you so much for these questions  It has been fun to sit and think about writing for a while. 

[Elena]

I have started writing more Dramione over the last few months. Some of them are smutty, hence can't be posted here. But I am a part of a few Facebook groups which help to inspire my writing. Updates on my WIPs are happening between taking care of my kids. 

[Guest pookha]

Looks like the smut rules will likely be changing soon, so keep an eye out (not official, but reading between the lines of the staff posts)!

[crowsb4bros]

Hi Elena! I have some questions I thought I'd pop in and ask. 

1. What's you favorite trope to read? Is it different from your favorite trope to write?

2. Do you write with music or any background noise? 

3. Which of your characters do you relate to the most?

4. What are your perfect writing conditions?

5. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

[Elena]

11 minutes ago, crowsb4bros said:

Hi Elena! I have some questions I thought I'd pop in and ask. 

Thank you

Here we go:

1. What's you favourite trope to read? Is it different from your favourite trope to write?

I've never thought of "tropes" as such, I write what comes to mind. I'm a romance writer and even if I switch genre's, there will always be romance. I guess if there was a trope, it would be redemption and coming of age. I love writing what I love to read, so they are both the same.

2. Do you write with music or any background noise?

Always with background noise, but not by choice (well, it kind of is ). I always have the TV going because of my kids, but I work best when I'm alone with no noise. I listen to music for inspiration though.

3. Which of your characters do you relate to the most?

I would be a mixture of Molly and Hermione. 

Molly because of her love of children and family and Hermione because I love books, I am loyal, and I will break the rules if it means a better overall picture. 

4. What are your perfect writing conditions?

Perfect conditions would be in a comfortable temperature, quiet, the HP books close by, coffee and MSword open

5. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It certainly can while the muse is burning hot. But sometimes it's draining. writing requires thought, even if you are writing off the top of you head, your mind is generally moving faster than your hands can type. It can become mentally draining when you are so deep in your own world. So sometimes I have to break it up and write in blocks of time.


Thank you for these questions  It gave me a chance to stop and reflect  

[Elena]

HELLO to 2021!!!!

After a really crappy 2020 (apart from Covid), here is to 2021 and being a better year. 

I'm still busy at the moment with 2 assignments due for Uni, but after that, I plan on writing. This year will be fan fiction based, but mostly I want to get back to my OF story. So, fingers crossed I make it through these next two weeks and then back on track for writing. 

Anyone else have new plans this year?

 

[Oregonian]

Hi, Elena!  So glad to see you back in your Writer's Journal and in the Slytherin Coffee House.  You just inspired me to start making a new pot of coffee.

Yes, 2020 was pretty awful for all of us, and I'm sorry that yours was extra-crappy, but here's to a better year in 2021, and here's to your getting back to your WIP and finishing it.  2020 was a ... challenging year for me too, and I was too shell-shocked by national events to do much of any writing, just posted some old, never-posted stuff (but after a while you run out of old unposted stuff and have to face the necessity of writing again ) until Bex's Bookshelf Challenge came up, and all of a sudden I was inspired to write like a fiend.

Do you find that that happens to you also?  That you can write when the mood/muse strikes you, but you cannot control when it is going to strike?

I noticed your remarks farther up on this thread on the subject of people giving a writer a hard time about writing fanfiction.  I suppose that's an occupational hazard for us FF writers -- being concerned about what people think of us.  As the years have gone by, it's become (bit by bit) much easier for me, to the point of freely telling people that I just wrote a great story and sending them the link when they ask for it.  The response has been good, to my astonishment.  People are impressed that we just write at all.  My daughter the computer engineer says that her fellow engineers think it's cool that her mom writes fanfiction, but maybe that's because they're engineers...

Tell us a bit about your OF.  I'm guessing it has romance in it, right?  Is it similar in theme or structure to your fanfiction, but without the magic and the canon names, or is it very different?

My plans for the new year?  To finish up my long-languishing novel the Crofter and the Snake and to re-learn my desktop publishing app so I can make a hardbound copy of Tiramisu (the cover design is all worked out in my head, but it might be hard to find the images  ).

A very happy and productive 2021 to you!  With Uni and your children, you're a busy lady!

[Elena]

Hey @Oregonian, coffee is essential to life. One must always have a pot or 50 ready to go

Yes, I often find when inspiration strikes, you have to sit and write. It doesn't matter what it is - just write.

My OF is a bit of everything  Yes, romance is in it, but not the main focus. Family and friendships, solidarity, fighting for what you believe in, equality, history, etc. It's basically a mix of speculative and historical fiction based on a true Australian timeline of events  You venture into the past because it impacts the present and future of the story. It has been a massive project that's in it's....11th year in the making? I think that's right. It's has been difficult because I'm writing about real towns and they are constantly evolving in the real world and each change needs to be added into the project to believability.

 

 

[Oregonian]

Hi, @Elena.  Your OF sounds really intriguing, and I hope that you do get it finished so we can read it.  It sounds as if it will be a long story when it's done.

I had to smile when you spoke of the towns constantly changing, even as you try to capture them in your manuscript.  In my youth, my mother took an oil painting class, and the students were supposed to paint a vase of roses, but during the hours of the class session, the warm temperature of the room caused the roses to open up more and more, so what were buds at the beginning of the class were fully open roses by the end.

[Elena]

Writing has again taken a back seat while life changes. We're buying our first home (late in life) and making a move. Though, the move will be very close to the towns I am writing about for my OF - so, that's a bonus. 

Uni is full on and life in general is so busy.

Thank you to @Renacer-otter for all the reviews  It's sparked an interest to write the sequel to A New Life. Also, I'm working on a new Dramione and hope to post that soon-ish.  

[Elena]

@Renacer-otter - A huge thank you for all your reviews  And here is a little spoiler for what I planned for Hermione and Draco.
 

Spoiler

 

[Renacerá]

On 2/25/2021 at 10:15 AM, Elena said:

@Renacer-otter - A huge thank you for all your reviews  And here is a little spoiler for what I planned for Hermione and Draco.

 

Oh my gosh!! I'm thrilled to even have this tiny sneak peek!

Spoiler

I really want them to find a way around the prophecy! Because I just want them to be happy ffs.   But I also understand the need for Drama and Plot and things, haha.

Great job with A New Life! I really enjoyed reading it!

[Elena]

Well, I have been in our new home for just over a month and have done very little writing 😆 I have one new short one-shot in the queue.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone out in Fandom land!!!

I do have a new Dramione planned. Well two - I know, it's a sickness. And I have to update others. I see a busy future ahead of me.

But today, I celebrate my children ♥

[Elena]

For a second, I thought it was the end of May and was going to celebrate the fact I manage to post twice in a month - but no...We're 7 days into June 😆

I had my first Covid Vaccine! Yay! I'm still alive and well - so no bad reactions. Writing is still on the cards, I just have a very busy time on my hands right now. My children are all on the spectrum and I'm fighting for the right funding and supports for them which means instead of writing stories, I'm writing submissions to Government departments. 

Don't they understand the importance of Dramione too?? I need a healthy dose of Ron/Pansy too. 

Any suggestions?

Anyway, I love you all and hope I can catch up soon and get back to writing.

[Elena]

Whoop Whoop!!!! It's still JUNE!!!!!

Ok, I totally blame @MalfoysAngel for asking the question. I'm joining July Camp NaNo and I set a 20k word goal.

I've no idea how I'm going to do this. Life is freaking crazy! Even more so now because Uni has just started! Perhaps I'll find some zen with it though as the subject is "Connecting with Nature" for my Psych degree 😍

Well, I'm being completely unoriginal and writing a new Dramione  I might just die right now. It will save me drowning about this time next month when I actually start writing 😆

[Oregonian]

I had to smile  when you said "...about this time next month when I actually start writing."  I'm sure we've all been in that boat!

[Elena]

On 6/27/2021 at 10:46 AM, Oregonian said:

I had to smile  when you said "...about this time next month when I actually start writing."  I'm sure we've all been in that boat!

Well, it's the 29th and I have 2,500 words 😣

Covid has locked Sydney down and we have family there, so everything has been a mess. I've been mask making while watching Harry Potter and doing Uni work rather than writing. 

But there's still time. I can do this, right?

[Elena]

Ah, well, I tried and failed NaNo - again 🤣

That puts me on par with every year for the last 16 years!! I might win one, one day.

I do, however, love the story I started, so I'll keep writing it anyway.

We're in a lockdown due to Covid, so life is taking priority at the moment. 

I'm also starting another story for SMAR (Sing Me a Rare) for Fairest of the Rare on Facebook. 

That's my writing update for now. I hope everyone is OK and staying safe.

[Elena]

Oh, my goodness! 6 months has gone by and it only feels like yesterday I was here 😬

So much is going on whilst also nothing is going on (hiding from Covid as we have underlying health conditions).

I home school my Autistic children and therapy has also increased this year, so time is even more limited. I'm also discovering my own Neurodivergence, so that's been interesting, but explains so much.

I desperately want to get back to writing because its my one creative outlet. So, I've set myself a goal to read or listen to Audiobooks to get back into the right space and hopefully, writing comes with that.

I hope you are all doing well. 

[RogueSlytherin]

Hey Elena! So great to have you back after a bit of a break! It can be tough getting back into the swing of writing but also exciting for all the possibilities! I just read through your one-shot Yellow and really enjoyed it! I have some questions for you that maybe will help with inspiration too! 

1. What about the song Yellow stuck out to you as inspiration for this story? Was it the lyrics, the melodies, the atmosphere - all of the above 🤣

2. Does your writing usually stem from a plot or a character?

3. What are your favorite kinds of stories to write - or do you have a favorite? For me, I like to write conversations 10x more than writing action. 

4. I see you plan to listen to some audio books to get back into the groove. Are there other things you like to draw inspiration from? 

[Elena]

On 2/27/2022 at 6:48 AM, RogueSlytherinCadet said:

Hey Elena! So great to have you back after a bit of a break! It can be tough getting back into the swing of writing but also exciting for all the possibilities! I just read through your one-shot Yellow and really enjoyed it! I have some questions for you that maybe will help with inspiration too! 

1. What about the song Yellow stuck out to you as inspiration for this story? Was it the lyrics, the melodies, the atmosphere - all of the above 🤣

2. Does your writing usually stem from a plot or a character?

3. What are your favorite kinds of stories to write - or do you have a favorite? For me, I like to write conversations 10x more than writing action. 

4. I see you plan to listen to some audio books to get back into the groove. Are there other things you like to draw inspiration from? 

Thank you for the questions

1. The Lyrics mainly. Yellow really is the main theme of that song and when I wrote this story, I was cycling through the Marauders. In the previous round of SMAR, I wrote The Secrets of the Secret Keeper, which was about Peter. As luck would have it, I was assigned the song and the character to make the pairing and the outcome was the story

2. This is a tough one. Sometimes I have a plot bunny and I think which characters would suit the plot best. However, I mostly write the characters that I love writing about. So, a lot of my stories will be Dramione, Drinny, and Marauder based.

3. I write a lot of Drangstance (Drama/Angst/Romance) - So, this can be inserted into any genre. I have a story called Apartment 13, which is horror based. The Twin Flames Series which is a bit of action/mystery. My uncompleted WIP, The Wives of Malfoy Manor is action based, but I guess the reason why its remained a WIP is because I'm not that great at action 🤣

4. I draw inspiration from music, life in general, and watching movies/TV shows etc. Sometimes, I also like challenges, hence I enter SMAR (Sing Me A Rare). It took me a while to warm up to this idea because you don't get to choose your pairing. You can pick one character, then the other person is selected for you. But, when you need to be challenged, you get challenged ;)
 

[Elena]

Well, it's been a year between stories. I have a new one-shot in the queue - Perhaps my writing is back for a while? We'll see.

Life still has me good and proper, so hopefully I'll find the down time to write some more. I hope you are all doing well.