TidalDragon

[TidalDragon]

Howdy! While you may not have been expecting such a hearty welcome after stumbling into a dragon's lair, this Dragon just wants to have a chat about stories he's written between hoarding gold, terrifying villages, and burninating the countryside.

You can find my work at FFT, AO3, or FF.net. (All 12+ to M). My fully updated work is here on FFT.

Major WIPs

• Out of Frame (M)
  Aria - Kalos Queen - struggles trying to leave fame and her career behind
  (Pokefic - primarily a character growth story, though it includes a KalosKing (Ash Ketchum/Aria) endgame; some anime background helpful)
   
• vaguely academic (M)
  Fletcher Ketchum - middle child - looks to find his place
  (Pokefic - anime background not really required)
   
• Unconfirmed Reports (M)
  Two Department of Mysteries agents investigate weird magical happenings
   
• No Accounting for Taste (M)
  College!AU SeekerBell (Harry Potter/Katie Bell)

If none of the above suit your taste and you're clueless about where to start, I'd recommend:

A Few Award-Winners

• Schrodinger's Cat (M)
• Unconfirmed Reports

Other Personal Favorites

• No Accounting for Taste (M)
• Binary Star
• absent. (M)

Novels and Novellas

• Calculus (M)
• Escape Velocity (M)
• Evolution (M)

While I will also post updates here from time to time, my favorite thing is to encounter your questions. Thanks for stopping by!

[MegGonagall]

Hey Kevin! Here with another gift for you for the Pass it Along Challenge!

 

 

Hello Kevin! As a final gift for the Pass It Along Challenge, I have some questions for you!

 

1. In the author's note for Evolution, you mention that you're writing "to finally get this lengthy story out of my head". How long did you have the idea for Evolution before you started it? Did your headcanons about the Marauders era stay consistent as you wrote, or did they shift as the story progressed?

 

2. Which character in Evolution do you most enjoy writing? Which is the most challenging?

 

3. Meant For Two is SO good, and very unique. How did you get the idea for a Katie/Harry story? What about this piece compelled you to include it among your personal favorites?

 

4. I don't even know where to being with Porcelain Marionette. What a COOL fic! Mostly, I'm just gushing over it, which isn't really a question so... is there any possibility of you writing a longer fic with this version of Astoria? Did you ever write a companion piece from her POV? (fingers crossed!)

 

5. You write a broad range of eras and characters. What is your favorite type of fic to write? Is there anything you haven't tried that you'd like to try?

 

6. If you could make any one spell from the Potterverse work in real life, which would you pick?

 

Well, that's a wrap! You've always stood out as such a dedicated and cool member of the community here, and I'd love to have the chance to get to know you more after the event is over. I hope you've enjoyed your gifts and had a great time with the Pass It Along Challenge! I know I enjoyed being your gifter and reading your amazing writing.

 

xoxo The Littlest Weasley

[TidalDragon]

1. In the author's note for Evolution, you mention that you're writing "to finally get this lengthy story out of my head". How long did you have the idea for Evolution before you started it? Did your headcanons about the Marauders era stay consistent as you wrote, or did they shift as the story progressed?

A long time. I never really bought the core James/Lily tropes - hate-to-love or that James was always madly in love with her. That's all it was for quite some time though until I returned to creative writing in 2013 and that idea, and Evolution are what got my creative juices flowing.

As far as head canons go, I would say that they have necessarily changed so much, but the story definitely has undergone an "evolution" of its own over the years, to the point that I want to edit a number of things. The one thing I will say did change though, is that James/Katie happening (and just Katie Wallenby as a character) is part of my head canon for the Marauders Era.

2. Which character in Evolution do you most enjoy writing? Which is the most challenging?

This is a very hard choice. It's between James and Lily as obvious choices (though I need to diversify Lily's life more in the late-beginning and middle of the story - AKA before the end of 6th year) and then less obviously (maybe) Katie and Marlene.

I love writing James growing up (though I fear I need to make it a little harder on him) and falling for Lily, deeply, truly loving Katie and losing her, and then re-falling for Lily (without being hung up). I love writing Lily realize she's not pegged James as perfectly as she thought and then developing respect for him and then feelings for him. I love writing Katie because she's so authentic and self-aware without being overly serious, but takes relationships seriously and really suffers being dragged away from James. I love writing Marlene because she's such a snark and takes it to Lily right where she needs it.

Most challenging? Dumbledore. God, I've mucked him up and it needs serious fixing at points. It's some kind of battle for me mixing his weird wisdom in dialogue with his strategizing mind. -shivers-

3. Meant For Two is SO good, and very unique. How did you get the idea for a Katie/Harry story? What about this piece compelled you to include it among your personal favorites?

Thank you very much! Well, the idea for Harry/Katie (which I have affectionately dubbed SeekerBell #jointhemovement) actually had little to do with this story, believe it or not. Indeed, "Meant for Two" was partly an attempt to test whether the relationship could work in practice. Where might it work? In the AU series I am planning! We shall see... In any event, I think Harry and Katie share a lot of the good qualities that Harry and Ginny do, minus the sense of humor. Which I guess works because Harry/Ginny is my OTP, but Harry will necessarily be different in the AU so...

What makes it one of my favorites? I think its sort of dreamy tone with the POV-fusion. It became a really cool experiment with using first and second person almost at the same time and I really liked how that played out. "Starving Artists" is actually similar in that sense, but with way more description and uncharacteristically (for me) showy prose so...I guess I just like that dynamic POV.

4. I don't even know where to being with Porcelain Marionette. What a COOL fic! Mostly, I'm just gushing over it, which isn't really a question so... is there any possibility of you writing a longer fic with this version of Astoria? Did you ever write a companion piece from her POV? (fingers crossed!)

You are too kind... There is a possibility. I am kind of looking for a story to write a companion to, and was originally going to "Schrodinger's Cat" but thought it might kill me so...maybe I will do it with this one at some point after I get my WIPs under control? I'm glad you liked dark!Astoria. Personally, even though I'm not as big a fan of reformed!Draco, I do like him in conjunction with my version of Astoria more than I do with her when she's written like the heartbalm for Draco's scarred soul. I don't know that I'd write from her POV though...maybe, but more likely the companion would be from Draco's.

5. You write a broad range of eras and characters. What is your favorite type of fic to write? Is there anything you haven't tried that you'd like to try?

Because of that breadth, my favorite type might be hard to pin down in typical terms (era, genre, etc.), but I would say the unifying principle is that I vastly prefer writing character-driven stories. That's not to say I don't like plot-driven ones (see "Unconfirmed Reports" and my pending AU series), but it's something about trying to capture a characters growth, or in crucial moments (or just one) get down to their very soul that really drives me. Usually that means angst genre wise...but sometimes not.

What would I like to try? Staying up-to-date on my WIPs? Haha. Umm...I suppose if I had to pick one it would be writing a legit, full-fledged Next Gen novel. Maybe after the kiddos are out of Hogwarts because I don't want to tread that ground. But I think Next Gen would be really fun if I pushed myself out in time beyond all the typical trope-y topics.

6. If you could make any one spell from the Potterverse work in real life, which would you pick?

I am going to go with a seemingly boring one...incendio. But I think it would be really cool because I love getting out in the woods and stuff and that way I'd never have to worry about being able to start a fire!

Thank you so much for your wonderful gifts and kind words! We'll definitely have to work on that getting to know you thing!

[Stella Blue]

Hi Kevin! Here with some (belated) holiday cheer...

 

1. Which of your stories are you the most proud of, and why?

2. What makes Hinny your favorite ship?

3. I reviewed Unconfirmed Reports anonymously a while ago so I don't think I've ever actually told you how much I LOVE it (at least not when you knew it was me saying so). Are there any plans in the works for a new chapter soon?

4. If you could invent a spell to do anything, what would it do?

5. What is the most valuable thing you have learned while writing a long story like Evolution?

6. What do you think makes a good villain?

7. What was it like to get into Fenrir Greyback's head to write Stronger?

8. In your opinion, what is the best and the worst song from the 1980's?

 

Enjoy!

[TidalDragon]

Kristin! You are honestly one of the most generous souls! Thank you so much for these questions!

1. Which of your stories are you the most proud of, and why?

This is a thorny question because there are probably a few in the running that I'm most proud of for different reasons. Since you're stuck in my Writer's Journal, you'll just have to listen to me about them.

In alphabetical order, we'd start with Esse Quam Videri (M). This was a really challenging piece for me to write because it involved grappling with issues of identity that are very distant from my own experience. I can't really say much more without spoiling the story, but it was very gratifying to hear from reviewers that after working hard at it, I had actually done an effective job capturing them.

Second, would be Schrodinger's Cat not just because it won a Dobby and a F.R.O.G.S., but because it forced me outside of my comfort zone with pairings and made me feel like a "real" author, getting so deep into the emotions and experience of it that it deeply affected me. The latter isn't solely down to writing the story, but it was a catalyst for growth and reexamination in a lot of ways.

Finally, Unconfirmed Reports (M). Though I haven't written a new episode yet, it's probably the most original work on my AP and it's (I think) a fairly unique concept in FF - tackling something episodically like a TV series, but in standard prose rather than an actual screenplay/script. I also tell myself it has bags of potential based on my ideas for it and early reaction, which is always a good feeling to have.

2. What makes Hinny your favorite ship?

This should be the easiest one, but TBH me and Hinny have been in a rough patch since Schrodinger's Cat. I know...I know...this is heresy, but it's the truth. Still, I love the ship because of the deeply complementary nature of their compatibility. On the surface they share a sense of humor (and it being dry and sarcastic, exactly the kind of humor I also enjoy) and interests (Quidditch, a certain disregard for the rules). On a deeper level, they share crucial values like being family-centered, eschewing fame, and definitions of justice. Harry and Ginny also do something that is crucially important - they avoid letting their disagreements, even significant ones, divide them. Though I'm still a little disgusted with how nice Ginny is to Draco is Cursed Child, Harry and Ginny have a big relationship issue on their hands in the shape of their ability to connect with Albus and how they each handle it. Even though they lose their cool at each other, in the end, it's all support and they find understanding and love for one another - and their son. I do wonder now if Hinny will remain my OTP or be supplanted by Jily (always a close second) or even a different ship for Harry (gasp again), but regardless, I will always be a passionate fan of Hinny and will defend them to my dying breath.

3. I reviewed Unconfirmed Reports anonymously a while ago so I don't think I've ever actually told you how much I LOVE it (at least not when you knew it was me saying so). Are there any plans in the works for a new chapter soon?

You clever anon reviewer you! I probably should have known because you leave such awesome reviews, but thank you very much! Truthfully, my plan for Unconfirmed Reports (now that the so-called "Pilot" has been well-received), was to pick it up after I finish Evolution, posting in alternate weeks with Shadow Kingdom, the first novel of my looming too-long-to-imagine AU series. Unfortunately, finishing Evolution has taken, at present count, about two (2) years longer than anticipated. You will be encouraged to know that S1:E2 has been (gasp) planned already though, so it should be quick(er) writing once its time comes. Hopefully that will be by the end of June at the latest.

4. If you could invent a spell to do anything, what would it do?

Heal a broken heart.

5. What is the most valuable thing you have learned while writing a long story like Evolution?

That I can still feel compelled to write a story over three (3) years after the initial flurry of excitement about writing it? Haha. In all seriousness, I think the most valuable thing I've learned from it is how much you grow when you write consistently. While I'm pretty unhappy with the early third of the story, it having been written right off the back of not writing anything creatively (which TBH wasn't that great then) in about seven (7) years before I started Evolution, if you keep reading I think you can really witness that growth in the mechanics and characterizations. While it's no longer the story I'm most proud of, I am proud of the growth I think it shows.

6. What do you think makes a good villain?

Two things. Dimension and great dialogue. As far as dimension goes, I think it's okay that a villain still comes across as "pure evil" but it's almost always important to me to understand the how or why of that before I can really appreciate a villain. Along with that, I also generally dislike when a villain possesses an air of invincibility. Even in fantasy/sci-fi it's a huge detractor for me and both play a major part in why I find Lucius Malfoy and Gollum/Smeagol ultimately more compelling than Voldemort and Sauron. With the dialogue though, you can take a villain with good dimension and make them exceptional or a relatively unnuanced baddie and make them good - see: Frank Underwood, Jigsaw, and Warden Norton.

7. What was it like to get into Fenrir Greyback's head to write Stronger?

I didn't get much in his head. Oof. Is it bad to say this? Truth be told, I think due to my take on the challenge, the furthest I actually went there was to consider what we know of him and how he may have become the way he was - reveling in violence, insatiably bloodthirsty, and particularly predatory toward youthful victims. In the end I settled on the psychological break, which was definitely a challenge, but ultimately all more from the perspective of his true* identity, Farrell Grimley, than Greyback.

8. In your opinion, what is the best and the worst song from the 1980's?

Haha, well...I actually do love 80s music. This is really hard. As much as I love it there are so many options both ways - some of which I even feel different about on different days. Worst - Physical (Olivia Newton-John); Best (you'll have to settle for three (3) ) - Beat It (Michael Jackson); Burning Heart (Survivor); Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler).

[TidalDragon]

Howdy friends!

It's been a long time since I posted anything unprompted in here and that's mostly because - facing facts - I wasn't writing much at the time. Fortunately, that's finally changing again and I have a lot of stories in the works or planned that I'm excited about. Most of these I owe challenges for dragging out of me, even if the ideas have been lurking within me for awhile so thank you to all those challenge hosts out there - you know who you are!

New-ish Stories

Chase Her: I'm finally getting back in the Hinny spirit after shattering my soul writing "Schrodinger's Cat". This is a fluff piece that's hopefully also funny, about a rare day off Harry and Ginny have to share. Unfortunately for Harry, Ginny is nowhere to be found. When he does find her though...

Escape Velocity (M): This is a Seekerbell story that follows canon aside from the epilogue (and obviously Cursed Child, if you consider that canon). Originally I conceived it as a one-shot, but it's going to be a novella at this point. Outside of one-shots I almost never write third-person limited so it's a bit of an experiment in that sense and it's my first genuine attempt to make Seekerbell an endgame pair in a non-AU concept.

Fix You: A pure Hinny fic, with the added wrinkle that Harry loses his memory completely after some nasty events on-duty early in his career as an Auror. I am completely undecided on the right way to handle POVs for this, but right now I'm considering a bit of an oddity - POV shifts between Harry and Ginny with Harry in first-person and Ginny in third.

Hindsight: I'm really splitting the baby with Hinny and Seekerbell, but this is another fic about the latter and this time Ginny is not even in the equation. Set in a No Voldemort AU, Harry and Katie realize they've been idiots after they both find themselves suddenly single.

Pro Libertate: This is my crack at a different rare pair - Emmeline Vance and Hestia Jones. Set in Winter 1995 it will focus on the culmination of the pair's whirlwind romance amid rising danger and tensions in the wizarding world. Thus far I only have an epigraph set in stone for it: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 Their shared faith is a uniting element.

I wish there were more, but that's sort of an update on the new things I'm working on alongside the eternal quest to complete Evolution.

[nott theodore]

Hi Kevin!  I'm stopping by with a couple of questions for you

 

1. Escape Velocity.  I know that you've had the idea for a Harry/Katie story for a while, but where did the pairing come from?  What is it you like about them so much?

2. Which of your stories has been the most challenging to write and why?

3. Which aspect of your writing do you think has improved the most since you began writing fic?

4. I know that you're in the process of editing Evolution as you transfer the story.  What's the most challenging aspect of this?  What's the most rewarding?

5. What made you want to edit Evolution so much? (I am pretty much someone who only edits as I post and then leaves it, so I am very impressed by your determination )

6. Do you think your line of work influences your writing, or the way that you perceive characters?

7. What is the most Gryffindor thing you've ever done?

[TidalDragon]

Howdy Sian! It's gotten a bit dusty in here as you can see, what with how woefully behind the status of everything in the post above yours is, but there is no better occasion to do so than after answering fantastic questions from one (1) of the most fantastic people of HPFT!

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1. Escape Velocity.  I know that you've had the idea for a Harry/Katie story for a while, but where did the pairing come from?  What is it you like about them so much?

Where did the pairing come from? That is an excellent question. I think the answer is a combination of places so...prepare for rambling.

The idea originally came to me when I started planning (yes, me, planning...) the skeleton of my increasingly fleshed out AU series. I decided from an early phase that the Weasleys weren't going to make a true appearance in the story until much later (like...at least the third book probably) and while I haven't decided for certain that Harry/Ginny won't be a pairing later, I figured for a wide variety of reasons that there would have to be someone else. Tending to like complementary central pairings, I then turned to canon for someone who could fit the bill and thought - Katie Bell. They're "ships in the night" to a certain extent in canon, but I thought some of the factors at play in the AU would eliminate that.

After that I experimented with it lightly as unrequited!SeekerBell in Meant For Two and convinced myself I could write it. Then came Schrodinger's Cat which...TBH I don't know if Harry/Ginny will ever be the same for me after? And I just felt that I needed to explore SeekerBell more deeply both because it was a ship I just couldn't ever shake after thinking about it and because I needed something to hold up against Harry/Ginny and ponder.

While Harry/Ginny remains my OTP (now ever so narrowly over James/Lily), I think what appeals to me about SeekerBell is that while both Ginny and Katie complement Harry very well in terms of interests, values, and worldviews, Katie does it in what I imagine would be a much less volatile way. Of course, one person's "volatility" is another's "passion" so I recognize that people will probably disagree, but...I don't know. I have come to really like the pairing and TBH it only grows.

 

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2. Which of your stories has been the most challenging to write and why?

In terms of the actual writing itself? I think that has to be Evolution on account of there being so many POVs, so many angles I'm trying to bake in, and the fact that it's a novel - and sort of my magnum opus as far as James/Lily and a lot of the backdrop of the Marauders Era goes on top of that. All those things have led me to be very critical of it and perhaps excessively perfectionistic about it and it's just...it's hard to get out of my own head about it at times while writing which makes it tough to move forward (see the whole editing thing and my utter lack of substantive progress since...God knows when).

If we're including pre-writing and after-effects then it's Schrodinger's Cat by a country mile. The words actually came very easily once I started. It happened in maybe a few hours total over a max of three (3) sittings. GETTING there though was just...destabilizing to be frank. And I couldn't write anything for a good long time afterward. Without getting too far into the nitty gritty, I'll just say that while the plot and specific dynamics of the story were very different, writing it required me to tap some deeply personal places and had me reliving a lot of negative history.

 

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3. Which aspect of your writing do you think has improved the most since you began writing fic?

This is a hard question, but I think it has to be description and along with that level of detail. I think anyone who's read my stuff would agree that I'm not a prosaic writer and that's something I'm quite happy with, but my pride in minimalism used to diminish my writing a lot more because it left my scenes and characters too skeletal. I hope to God I'm getting better with dialogue tags, especially in conversations between more than two (2) characters, but...yeah, that's still a WIP

 

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4. I know that you're in the process of editing Evolution as you transfer the story.  What's the most challenging aspect of this?  What's the most rewarding?

Most challenging? Remember that remark I made about being excessively perfectionistic about it? In all seriousness though I think from a purely editing perspective it's feeling like I'm achieving my editing goals without elongating the story too much or "over-correcting" and undermining what's already there. From a broader view, trying to write new content while editing old content. Word to the wise: DON'T.

The most rewarding is probably too obvious (even if the fact it happened is really only obvious to me in the end), but it's the feeling that, hey, I've come through another chapter and I think it's left both the chapter and the story as a whole in a better place than it was before.

 

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5. What made you want to edit Evolution so much? (I am pretty much someone who only edits as I post and then leaves it, so I am very impressed by your determination )

First off, this is my first editing quest, so don't get me too much credit. I pretty much never edit either, though I have gone back and fixed typos and such when I transferred older works to HPFT.

I think what made me want to do it so much though was that I had this deep feeling that I had not handled Lily's character properly in the first half or so of the story. That was true in a few ways to me. First, because it was too James-centric to start, most of her early scenes seemed to showcase her flaws too consistently, being: (1) inaccurate to her as a character and (2) making James's growth seem too easy. On top of that, there wasn't a lot of substantive development there (with her friends either), whether we're talking avoiding stereotypes and/or tropes or avoiding her development coming across as a function of his development. Beyond Lily, there were just some things that were factually inconsistent or things that no longer served a purpose that needed to go. Oh...and the whole suddenness of the relationship aspect is something that I want to go back and address.

 

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6. Do you think your line of work influences your writing, or the way that you perceive characters?

I think the simple answer here is actually no. Of course it has proven helpful when it comes to particular scenes or stories, but with characters, I always start from the point of trying to see them as human. In some ways that's (unfortunately) discouraged in my line of work and so sometimes if I take work home with me it's hard to write afterward because I need to get back into an author's frame of mind rather than an attorney's.

 

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7. What is the most Gryffindor thing you've ever done?

Probably going through with heading off to law school six (6) hours away from all my closest friends even after finding out my son was going to be born in the middle of my 1L year. Unfortunately that was about...seven (7) years ago? There may be an edit here in the not-too-distant future, but...for the moment, I'm trying to fight my way back into full-fledged Gryffie-dom.

Thanks for your incredible questions, Sian! Sorry, as always, for my rambling responses.

[1917farmgirl]

So, Kevin.  Harry and Katie.  Talk to me about this.  When did this first start playing around in your brain as a ship?  Why do you think you were drawn to it?  When do you plan to admit it's your new OTP?  And when do you plan to tell Ginny you're dumping her from Harry's life?  LOL

Also, if you could write the most outlandish plot in the world, what would you do?

[victoria_anne]

Hoot hoot! Owl mail! A few questions from ?????????

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1. Out of all the stories you've written, who has been your favourite character to write and why?

2. What draws you to the Harry/Katie ship?

3. Is there any era/genre/ship/character/etc  that you would absolutely never write?

4. What does it take to come up with the perfect story title? Do you have to put a long time and a lot of thought into them or do they seem to just stand out to you right from the beginning?

5. What was it like to write a College AU? What were the hardest and easiest parts of writing that theme?

6. If you could nominate one of your own stories for an award, what award would it be and which story?

 

[TidalDragon]

@1917farmgirl

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So, Kevin.  Harry and Katie.  Talk to me about this.  When did this first start playing around in your brain as a ship?  Why do you think you were drawn to it?  When do you plan to admit it's your new OTP?  And when do you plan to tell Ginny you're dumping her from Harry's life?  LOL

Also, if you could write the most outlandish plot in the world, what would you do?

I've always liked Katie Bell and seen her as a character that I wish we'd gotten more development of. SeekerBell itself started dancing in my head in the late aftermath of Schrodinger's Cat though. After that I really had to acknowledge that Harry/Ginny could be broken and it honestly created some doubts in my mind about their staying power and shifted them more to a 1A/1B status with James/Lily as my OTP. While I still love the Harry/Ginny ship, I think it will be hard for me to ever see them the same way after tearing them apart. With that as background, what drew me to SeekerBell? Well...some of what Harry and Ginny have in common is also shared by Harry and Katie so I think there's a foundation of shared interest and shared suffering there. As Gryffindors they have shared values too. But I see Katie as more earnest and calmer/kinder than Ginny. She'd be a stabilizing influence where Harry and Ginny might be taking on the world together one (1) day and taking on each other the next.

The most outlandish plot? God. I don't do outlandish plots (I don't think - though some have said the ending of Calculus (M) is somewhat outlandish). With that in mind...I think it would have to be some American!AU centered on the worst Quodpot team in the lowest-tier of professional Quodpot.

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1. Out of all the stories you've written, who has been your favourite character to write and why?

2. What draws you to the Harry/Katie ship?

3. Is there any era/genre/ship/character/etc  that you would absolutely never write?

4. What does it take to come up with the perfect story title? Do you have to put a long time and a lot of thought into them or do they seem to just stand out to you right from the beginning?

5. What was it like to write a College AU? What were the hardest and easiest parts of writing that theme?

6. If you could nominate one of your own stories for an award, what award would it be and which story?

Ahh. Most mysterious questioner. Thank you for your questions!

1. Out of all the stories you've written, who has been your favorite character to write and why?

Well. This one (1) isn't hard at all... I'd say it's something of a jump ball between four (4) characters: James and Lily in Evolution (M), Samuel Hatch in Unconfirmed Reports (M), and Katie Bell in No Accounting for Taste (M). If I had to choose one (1) of them...I guess it would be Hatch because aside from being in the Potterverse, he and everyone in the story are original.

2. What draws you to the Harry/Katie ship?

Well, I keep pushing the SeekerBell name for this one (1), but like "fetch" it hasn't caught on.  For substance see the answer above.

3. Is there any era/genre/ship/character/etc that you would never write?

There are loads actually, most involving Draco or Snape. But the one (1) I can say with utmost confidence? I will never write Draco/Ginny. How nice she was to Draco in Cursed Child really rubbed me wrong too. 

4. What does it take to come up with the perfect story title? Do you have to put a long time and a lot of thought into them or do they seem to just stand out to you right from the beginning?

Haha. You've hit upon one (1) of my obsessions. I honestly get fixated on titles to the point that I can't start writing if I don't have a title (and chapter title) I'm satisfied with, making coming up with what are (IMO at least) the perfect titles for each of my stories a mission. That said, it really depends on the story how long it takes. In the beginning I think it took me much much longer, but I think now I'm a lot quicker with it. While that doesn't mean it always happens immediately, usually it doesn't take more than a week anymore. Examples: No Accounting for Taste (M) came very easily because I decided that Katie was pursuing an accounting degree. Pro Libertate took an extended period because I originally wanted it ship-centric, then summary-tied and only then did I go more thematic with it after working under a few different titles.

5. What was it like to write a College AU? What were the hardest and easiest parts of writing that theme?

While it was a very different experience for me, given that the AUs I do write (or plan) are firmly set in the Potterverse, it was also incredibly enjoyable. There is a certain freedom in a progression that doesn't have to work in magic or canon or even relationship background. With minor characters there's also a certain OF-esque freedom to interpret the character how you'd like.

The easiest part was setting for me because it jived perfectly with the characterization I had in mind for Katie and I was able to draw upon my own experiences in creating the campus and surroundings. There were two (2) hardest parts. First was progressing Katie, who's only known one (1) relationship and who is possessed of such laser-focus on school both by her own drive, her desire to see how her dreams, and her desire to justify her parents' faith and expenditure, to a place where she'd feel something for Harry. In the end I had to leverage the college/university setting and its peculiarities, an outside influence, and an argument to make it happen. Second? Capturing the BRITISH university experience, which I know nothing about beyond Google and some (I think) helpful forums.

6. If you could nominate one of your own stories for an award, what award would it be and which story?

Yikes. I really don't like to promo myself to this extent. Since you've asked though, I'll make up a category and slot this one (1) in, which is a bit of a pet to me still. Escape Velocity (M) for Best Rare Pair.

Thank you both so much for the questions! I always love answering and interacting with readers!

[Guest Rumpelstiltskin]

Hey Kevin! 
 

1. How much time in planning do you put in before you start writing?  How do you plan your stories, if you do?
2. Which has been the most difficult fic for you to write and why?
3. Do you enjoy other Fandoms outside of the HP-verse?  If so, what are they and which would you remotely consider writing about?
4. To which story have you dedicated the most time and energy?
5. If you were to write a parody of one of your own works, which would it be and what is one idea you would have for it?

Thanks, that's all I have for now! 

[TidalDragon]

1. How much time in planning do you put in before you start writing?  How do you plan your stories, if you do?

Haha, zero? Honestly most of my "planning" is working out a title and an overall plot and running with it. That said, though I haven't really documented it, I've done a decent amount of mental planning of the progression of Evolution (M) and I am working on my AU Series, which is going to require a lot of planning. With that I've diagrammed out the societal structure of the resistance organization (pathetically named "the Resistance" at this point ) and generated a list of about...100 characters so far that will be part of the story. That I have spreadsheeted by occupation and by family, including ages, appearance, and personality traits for them as well.

2. Which has been the most difficult fic for you to write and why?

Hmm. In terms of sheer time, it would be Evolution. I'm editing it now (about forty (40) chapters done of that) before posting the new chapter that I finally just finished. I've been writing it for about...four (4) years almost in November. However, more of that difficulty is maintaining consistency and tracking back to make sure the plot progressions line up over time (it's at nearly 400 pages in word on size ten (10) font at this point ).

In terms of the actual challenge of the piece itself, it would be Unconfirmed Reports (M) or Escape Velocity (M). The former is a challenge (hence why I've only managed one (1) "episode" so far ) because it's sort of experimental in that it's designed to run like a TV season (episodic in nature with at least one (1) season-long plot arc that may or may not carry over to the next season) and is entirely OCs. The latter was tough simply because of the dynamic I chose - a hot-and-cold Harry/Ginny giving way to a slow-burn SeekerBell (Harry/Katie).

3. Do you enjoy other Fandoms outside of the HP-verse?  If so, what are they and which would you remotely consider writing about?

I enjoy a lot of fandoms, some more mainstream than others. In the mainstream category there's Bones, JAG, Psych, Star Trek: TNG, X-Files - my son is getting me into possibly writing a Pokemon fic after all the episodes I've been subjected too ). In the more niche category, Battlestar Galactica (the reboot), The Dead Zone (USA TV series), and Eureka. I don't think I'd consider writing fic for any of those aside from Eureka or the Poke-fic - though I should qualify that by saying that as a middle-schooler I wrote some terrible JAG fic - fortunately the archive is now defunct.

4. To which story have you dedicated the most time and energy?

Definitely Evolution.

5. If you were to write a parody of one of your own works, which would it be and what is one idea you would have for it?

Oof. This is very tough. I think ultimately it would have to be Evolution because it's my longest work and thus ripest for ridiculous things. One (1) thing that would definitely be included in any parody would be the frequency with which I refer to characters by their hair color. I'm editing this out, but yeah...when the word "haired" has "too many results" when you CTRL+F, you've got a real problem. Plus there are some things I think that happen too easily or a little unrealistic. And while not the ending, deus ex machina-type things.

Thanks for your questions, Rumpel!

[Guest Tanda]

Howdy, Kevin!  I remembered some of your stories, I stopped by.

1. Which character attracts you more, Katie Bell or Ginny Weasley?

2. Which is easier to write, James Potter or Harry Potter centric story?

3. Does your career give some influences on your story?

4. Do you have any professional authors' books which gave you some prompts to write recently?

5. Do you have a vision about the last chapter of "Evolution"?

 

 

[TidalDragon]

Howdy Kenny! Thanks for stopping by with these questions!

1. Which character attracts you more, Katie Bell or Ginny Weasley?

As much as I love Ginny as a character - and she is definitely among my top five (5) - I enjoy writing Katie significantly more. Though I actually see them as quite similar internally in terms of experiences, interests, and values, Katie has a different personality and is - crucially - much more of a blank slate. In the end, with few exceptions, that's almost always going to make a character more compelling to write for me.

2. Which is easier to write, James Potter or Harry Potter centric story?

This is a challenging one (1) to answer. I feel like I understand both very well (at least from my perspective on James - which I think is significantly different from the mainstream) and I've never really struggled or badly toiled with writing Harry. In the end though, I would say it's easier to write James for the same reason that I enjoy writing Katie more - we don't actually know that much about him and so there's a lot more liberty you can take.

3. Does your career give some influences on your story?

Hmm. I don't know that my career necessarily influences my writing so much as it supplements it. For example, there are certain stories where I've been able to draw on my legal experience and knowledge to make it work better - and hopefully more realistically.

4. Do you have any professional authors' books which gave you some prompts to write recently?

I really don't read as much as I fiction as I should, particularly recently due to a myriad of ongoing areas I've always wanted to learn (or learn more) about leading me to read heavily in non-fiction. Also, there's an element of desire not to have my "voice" - if I even have one  - from being mixed up by others. The latter is probably an incredibly stupid reason and I've got a lot of good books I'm excited about on my shelf and just picked up a Kindle Paperwhite so hopefully I'll be rectifying that sooner rather than later.

5. Do you have a vision about the last chapter of "Evolution"?

That's probably the one (1) chapter I don't have a vision for actually. Well...maybe not the only one (1). But the answer is no. I still, after fifty-plus (50+) chapters, I actually haven't decided where I'm going to end the story. I've gotten here: it will be short and it will be either a James/Lily one-on-one immediately post-graduation or a more delayed epilogue.

[Guest Tanda]

Hi, Kevin. Thank you for answering these questions! ^ I enjoyed them!

Anothor thoughts, I remember you were planning to write Original Fiction about your mother's work ( correct?) and your home country as your JunoWriMo. So I stopped by to ask more.

1. What do you think of teacher's work from your experiences as a student or seeing your parent's work? Any thoughts and feelings, tell me.

 

2. What is your favourite scenery in your home country?

 

3. Who is the most impressive teacher in your school days? And why? (Just like, Mr. B, a science teacher, he was...)

 

4. How many chapters are you preparing for your OF? 

 

 

[TidalDragon]

Howdy Kenny! Thanks for your questions!

So, to start with the story is definitely set in the U.S., but I wouldn't say it's necessarily about or related to my mom's work other than a lot of the central characters being teachers. It's really more of a character-driven story about growth, guilt, and forgiving oneself. At any rate though, I am happy to answer your specific questions  

1. What do you think of teacher's work from your experiences as a student or seeing your parent's work? Any thoughts and feelings, tell me.

I'm a huge fan of educators, the importance of a strong, uniform education system, and indeed, education policy in the U.S. Obviously the reality is that some teachers are better than others - even a long career doesn't necessarily make you "good" (at least in the U.S.) - but I really admire teachers. It was one (1) of three (3) career paths I originally considered (the others being attorney and journalist).

2. What is your favourite scenery in your home country?

Hmm. Unfortunately I haven't seen all the types of scenery we have to offer yet - I've never actually been to the Rocky Mountains or connected ranges for example (which most would consider the "real" mountains in the U.S.). I'm a big fan of forests though and really enjoy them in the Spring and Fall in particular. I'd like to go see the forests in the West where there are also mountains and, if I could rack up some better hiking experience in those environs, do a bit of open hiking there, where there is no real trail (at least not dug out, filled in, or terribly well-marked).

3. Who is the most impressive teacher in your school days? And why? (Just like, Mr. B, a science teacher, he was...)

This is a hard question because there are different teachers who have been excellent in different ways and teaching me different things. There are also people who are not teachers by profession who have also served that role for me quite well. Sticking to those who are actual professional teachers, I'd say there were three (3). In high school,  my AP Chemistry and AP Government teachers. The former was very challenging and had a lot of unusually high qualifications that allowed him to connect what we learned to the field. The latter was probably the most invested in her subject and was also very demanding - challenging us to always improve, but also to see things from multiple perspectives. In college, probably my professor for Applied Research Methods - he was very tough, but also more instructive than a lot of college professors tend to be, actually using classroom time for more than seminar-type discussion or just reliving the reading we'd already done.

So...I suppose as a rule, my most challenging teachers were the best. Despite my degrees, I was often (regrettably) a lazy student and they were the people I wasn't lazy for.

4. How many chapters are you preparing for your OF?

What a dangerous question? Haha. I have no idea. If it's anything like Evolution...like seventy-five (75)? If I can take what I've learned and be more descriptive and succinct...hopefully thirty-five to forty (35-40).

Thanks again Kenny!

[Pixileanin]

Hello there.  Ahem.  With the questions.

 

1. What did you eat for breakfast yesterday?  Was it satisfying?

2.  How were you feeling mid-day, somewhere between breakfast and lunch?  Snacky?  A little on edge?  Was there coffee involved?

3.  What kind of lunch did you have?  Did you sit down to eat it?  

4. What mood were you in yesterday, right before dinner?  Dragonny, or yearning for that hearty salad entree?

5.  On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your sleep?  Was there any correlation between the food you ate and the weird technicolor dreams you had?  Did any of them make their way into your muse's vocabulary, and will we see the result shortly in a new chapter or one-shot?

6. Does Katie Bell approve or disapprove of your current diet, and do you see yourself changing your nutritional choices in the near future?  What does Ms. Bell suggest for improvements, or will she soon benefit from the dreamscape that you are currently weaving in your subconscious?

Inquiring minds...

[TidalDragon]

First of all, thank you! You have dredged my Journal from the deep! Second of all... 

1. What did you eat for breakfast yesterday?  Was it satisfying?

Yesterday I had Crispix. It was as satisfying as usual so...decent.

2.  How were you feeling mid-day, somewhere between breakfast and lunch?  Snacky?  A little on edge?  Was there coffee involved?

I was feeling distressed. It had taken longer to wrap up court than planned because...it almost always takes longer than planned? As I walked back to the office from the courthouse I listened to music while being horribly distracted from everything I had to accomplish by close of business.

3.  What kind of lunch did you have?  Did you sit down to eat it?  

I had a meaty pizza. I did sit down for it and I did eat too much of it.

4. What mood were you in yesterday, right before dinner?  Dragonny, or yearning for that hearty salad entree?

Annoyed. A needy business client who I was foolish enough to give my cell phone number to felt the need to have another hour-long conversation about how horrible his parents and business partners are being. They are being horrible, but I'd rather not spend from 6:00 to 7:00 PM finding out just how dark things have become. That was dragonny I suppose - plus the fact that I would never in my life consume salad.

5.  On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your sleep?  Was there any correlation between the food you ate and the weird technicolor dreams you had?  Did any of them make their way into your muse's vocabulary, and will we see the result shortly in a new chapter or one-shot?

Three (3). I do not sleep well, always have some mini-nightmare about forgetting to do something important for an important client. The food? No. The vocabulary? Most of my dreams are actually silent. But Halloween is coming up so perhaps something where no one can hear a victim scream...

6. Does Katie Bell approve or disapprove of your current diet, and do you see yourself changing your nutritional choices in the near future?  What does Ms. Bell suggest for improvements, or will she soon benefit from the dreamscape that you are currently weaving in your subconscious?

She would probably disapprove because it's made me gain a lot of weight over the past several years - weight I'd lost all of at one (1) point in time. I'd like to say yes, but I'm a stress eater, so probably not. She'd probably at least suggest less late snacking and more portion control. TBH I'm not sure what you mean but the part after the comma, but I'm going to say yes and hope for the best.

Thanks again, Pix! Hopefully this answers will cast a little light into my everyday life for all to see. 

[nott theodore]

Hi Kevin!  It's been a while since I stopped by here!

 

1. What's been your favourite thing about writing No Accounting For Taste as a novel?
2. Is there anything that's surprised you about the British university system while you've been researching for NAFT?  As it's an AU, what made you decide to keep the characters in the UK rather than the US?
3. Do you prefer writing Harry/Katie or James/Lily?
4. What is it about an idea which makes you really run with it and start writing/posting the story?  Do you tend to plot a lot first, or do you write to get a feel for the characters before deciding?
5. Can we expect more Evolution in the future, or is it going to be on hiatus for a while?  Are there any lessons that you've learnt writing Evolution that have helped you in the process of writing NAFT?
6. If you could meet one of your characters (as in, Harry Potter characters as you write them) who would you want to meet and why?

[TidalDragon]

Thanks for stopping by Sian! I'm sorry for being so tardy with replying!

1. What's been your favourite thing about writing No Accounting For Taste as a novel?

The fact that because I already wrote it as a short story I have the whole thing (theoretically) sketched out?  In all seriousness, I think it's the fact that I was/will be able to flesh out a few characters more as well as really dig in to Katie's life with depth while avoiding the -boom timewarp- effect of hopping semester to semester.

2. Is there anything that's surprised you about the British university system while you've been researching for NAFT?  As it's an AU, what made you decide to keep the characters in the UK rather than the US?

Well, I feel like I've nevertheless probably butchered it, but probably the comparative rarity of on-campus housing and dining. That's a very standard thing here to the point that (some) people actually tie-break college choices based on food and housing. Definitely the comparative absence of college sports teams as well. That's a religion at many schools here even for grad students and there are a lot of universities that actually have higher average attendances than professional football. Though I knew about it from HPFT members already the three-year thing is still jarring to me, though I honestly prefer the way that studies can be immediately targeted and can be finished in that time period. It's honestly something that can be done relatively easily if you come into school with transferable credits earned in advanced high school courses. So what I'm saying is that the U.S. could (and probably should) adopt that system. Sadly they won't, because price gouging, but yeah.

3. Do you prefer writing Harry/Katie or James/Lily?

Well, I've yet to finish a novel about either yet! I would say they're very different experiences. I like James/Lily because there's a lot of comfort in the existing background/timeline of their relationship. I like Harry/Katie because...there's not?  I've got a very developed head canon for both and assuming you delete the epilogue (which some people already do) from canon, SeekerBell can also be a final pairing. I'll pick SeekerBell though for two reasons: (1) there is always a tragic pall that lurks over James/Lily, one that is quite fresh off the birth of their relationship and (2) I feel like I could write SeekerBell stories all day, but I can't say the same for James/Lily.

4. What is it about an idea which makes you really run with it and start writing/posting the story?  Do you tend to plot a lot first, or do you write to get a feel for the characters before deciding?

Honestly, if I have an idea for a story, I usually start writing it. The only exceptions to this are: (1) novels because I don't think I can really write more than two at once and (2) things that would be more collaborative because I feel like I'd want to drag the collab way beyond the desire of the other person (see NAFT evolving into a novel and the ridiculously long entry for Kaitlin's (@TreacleTart) challenge Escape Velocity. I should still apologize to her for that.

The question becomes whether I finish it or put other projects in front of it, sometimes to the point that my desire to continue it dies off.

5. Can we expect more Evolution in the future, or is it going to be on hiatus for a while?  Are there any lessons that you've learnt writing Evolution that have helped you in the process of writing NAFT?

You're so kind to ask this! It's been on hiatus for like...years? You can expect more as I still plan to finish it. A lot went down that got in the way and then I got both bogged down in heavy edits and being stuck on perfecting a particular (current) segment of the story. 

I think one of the things that's helped me a lot writing NAFT versus Evolution is that while it's still a very liberal use of the term "planned", NAFT was actually planned out. Basically that means I have several journal pages about NAFT. Evolution was completely flying by the seat of my pants being born of, I think in part, my need for a story where love ended positively. This has meant that with NAFT, even though it's pretty much a total re-write aside from the overall concept and beginning of the first chapter, I've had a base to work from, whereas when I pick up Evolution again, I'm actually going to have to re-read my own story to make sure I'm not mis-remembering arcs or creating contradictions. Which sounds (and is) really sad (but true).

6. If you could meet one of your characters (as in, Harry Potter characters as you write them) who would you want to meet and why?

I think it would be Neville. I'd love to learn how he sees his own growth from his early days to the man he became by the end of the series. How did it work? Did he have an ingredient to success? How did the whole Hannah thing happen? I probably identify with him more in terms of attitude and progression so I think it would be easier to converse too.

Well, that was more than you (or anyone) probably wanted to know or read, but I really appreciate your visit and your questions. Journal questions are one of my favorite things to see and answer!

[crowsb4bros]

Hi Kevin! I was doing some Katie Bell research and I had a few questions about your head-canons for her.

1. The only canon mention of her patronus is that it was non-corporeal. What form do you think it would take?

2. What memory would your Katie Bell use to produce one? 

3. Do you have any ideas of what Katie would do for a living post Hogwarts? Dream job, stretch goal, what she'd settle for, etc? 

4. What do you think Katie and Harry would cook together as their go-to dish? 

[Pixileanin]

Hi Kevin!  Merry Christmas!  I have questions:

 

1. How short a time span do you think the best case scenario of getting Katie and Harry together in canon would be after the war?

2. In AU, how short of a time span do you think (in best case scenario) Katie and Harry would need to get together, given the circumstances that they knew each other in their teens and are now out of secondary school?

3. What kind of a pet would Katie and Harry get, once they moved in together?

4. How many, (if any) children does the Katie in your head want, and what are their names?

5. Which way would Harry run  if he knew that Katie was on to him from the start, and all his efforts to be nonchalant and subtle were blown out the window?

6. What is Katie's shoe size?  Does Harry know this?  Is it important for Harry to know this?

7.  If Katie and Harry walked into a bar separately, how much would you bet that they'd end up at the same table... and would it, or would it not take a stampede of wild elephants to make that happen?

8.  Does Katie like Yoga?

9. Does Harry like brooms for anything other than riding?

10.  How early does Katie Bell get up each morning to do her preferred daily exercise to stay in such good shape?  Do you approve of this behavior?  Does Harry?  Does Harry even know about it?  

11.  How many times (in your current wip) has Harry gone over in his head how to ask Katie out, and how many times has he talked himself out of it?  This includes off-screen ruminations.

 

[magemadi]

Hi Kevin! I'm here for the holiday gifting event  

1. You wrote Seekerbell a while back for my Soulmates AU challenge. What do you love about this ship that keeps you coming back to it?

2. What is your preferred sportsball to watch (live or televised)?

3. Your pieces are often very thought-provoking for me. When writing them, what is something you think that makes a lot of your writing so enjoyable and emotionally strong? 

4. Who makes the first move when it comes to Seekerbell -- Katie or Harry? Why? 

5. If you were a professional Quidditch player, which position would you play and why?

[TidalDragon]

First of all, thank you all so much for these questions! They're so inventive! I'll do my best not to write a new novel below!

@crowsb4bros

1. The only canon mention of her patronus is that it was non-corporeal. What form do you think it would take?

A doe. No...a crow...No... So my actual head-canon is a goat.

2. What memory would your Katie Bell use to produce one?

The first time she scored on her dad when he was teaching her soccer or Quidditch and the ensuing hug. Pure jubilation.

3. Do you have any ideas of what Katie would do for a living post Hogwarts? Dream job, stretch goal, what she'd settle for, etc? 

I think her 'dream' would be playing professional Quidditch, but I think that would more be her dream because it's something from the past that she knows and loves and can still hold onto. I don't think she'd be honest with herself about any sort of real dream job after the War. Stretch...I think she'd actually think about this one and it would be actually designing her own brooms. She loves a challenge and there aren't many people who do or even can do that. It would give her a sense of accomplishment. Settling...working her way through the ranks of a Quidditch-associated company a la Escape Velocity (where she also tries to work on her stretch job). I think her thinking about her future is always going to be tied to Quidditch because she won't really have many pleasant memories after getting cursed and through the end of the War. It's her crutch.

4. What do you think Katie and Harry would cook together as their go-to dish? 

Very interesting. Well, I am going to go with meatloaf. I see Harry as, initially anyway, a horrible cook despite his Dursley duties and meatloaf is easy to cook and easy for Katie to teach him what happens to be one of her childhood favorites.

@Pixileanin

1. How short a time span do you think the best case scenario of getting Katie and Harry together in canon would be after the war?

Dating? Probably three to four years. Taking them as real people rather than the happy-happy-joy-joy we see in characters in the epilogue, I think they'd both be very damaged (and probably suffer PTSD). Katie leans hard on Quidditch. Harry leans on Ginny (and vice-versa), but Ginny pulls an Escape Velocity (see AP). They'd be generally stable enough to grow again and end up growing together.

2. In AU, how short of a time span do you think (in best case scenario) Katie and Harry would need to get together, given the circumstances that they knew each other in their teens and are now out of secondary school?

Probably by the beginning of their second year at uni. They'll both keep getting in their own way, most notably with the true-to-life 'we're just friends...super friends', and then figure out (with some prodding) that they need to get real with themselves. That delays them more than it should, but not as much as not knowing each other at all beforehand. So I guess that's...a couple of years if I'm understanding the question correctly?

3. What kind of a pet would Katie and Harry get, once they moved in together?

A dog, obviously.

4. How many, (if any) children does the Katie in your head want, and what are their names?

I think she wants two, but ends up with three (oops). Gwen, Anna, and James (deuces). Gwen and Anna are probably two years apart and James is about three or four years after Anna.

5. Which way would Harry run  if he knew that Katie was on to him from the start, and all his efforts to be nonchalant and subtle were blown out the window?

Like a physical place? Probably to get sage advice from Hagrid. Or the Quidditch pitch. Because he's an idiot.

6. What is Katie's shoe size?  Does Harry know this?  Is it important for Harry to know this?

I really don't know. Maybe on the smaller side of the 'normal' range of the adult female foot I guess? Harry does not know. Katie would think it was weird if he did.

7.  If Katie and Harry walked into a bar separately, how much would you bet that they'd end up at the same table... and would it, or would it not take a stampede of wild elephants to make that happen?

They'd both sit at the bar probably. Katie sits next to him because he's a familiar face and she sees him because she gets there later. If they have to sit at tables...I would bet zero dollars/pounds/euros because he'd be with Ron and Hermione hiding from the paparazzi in a dark corner and wouldn't see her come in. I don't know about elephants, but it would probably take a bar fight.

8.  Does Katie like Yoga?

After the kiddos are born. She gets so busy running around all day that it becomes far more relaxing than flying. Unless she's flying with Harry while said kiddos are with Granny and Grandpa Bell.

9. Does Harry like brooms for anything other than riding?

He likes watching his kids fly on them. He likes talking to Katie about her ideas for making her own.

10.  How early does Katie Bell get up each morning to do her preferred daily exercise to stay in such good shape?  Do you approve of this behavior?  Does Harry?  Does Harry even know about it?  

5:00 AM. I do not because it's way too early and means she goes to sleep at a lame hour. Harry does approve though because it means that he gets to see her one-on-one even when he works night shift. Before the kiddos he gets home around 6:00 when she gets finished and they eat breakfast together before Katie showers and goes to work and Harry doesn't shower and gets their bed sweaty immediately falling asleep.

11.  How many times (in your current wip) has Harry gone over in his head how to ask Katie out, and how many times has he talked himself out of it?  This includes off-screen ruminations.

Do not peek if you're reading on planning to read NAFT. Seriously.

Spoiler

Hmm. I don't think he's pondered actually asking her out that much. Until her break-up with Liam she was forbidden fruit (not that he was already thinking of her that way in any conscious enough sense) and then he feels classic Harry loyalty to Chelsea (even though he starts trying to sort out that he likes her). But when the Chelsea thing turns toxic he starts. Maybe every few weeks. So that's...a few times I guess. After a serious one-on-one he stops, but his relationship with Chelsea ends. Then after he licks his wounds he starts thinking about it relentlessly, but bails every time telling himself it's too soon after Chelsea or she doesn't feel the same or I suck at love and I'm not good enough for her (sometimes those are connected thoughts, sometimes not), or 'it's just not the right time.' So after like...a hundred times?

@MadiMalfoy

1. You wrote Seekerbell a while back for my Soulmates AU challenge. What do you love about this ship that keeps you coming back to it?

I'll keep it simple and say I think they share a lot of the good qualities in a Harry/Ginny relationship, but where Ginny is volatile and sort of takes his love for granted after they pick up where they left off post-War, Katie keeps him grounded and keeps them stable. I also picture them growing up very similarly and her being someone who can actually connect more closely to his childhood (sans the abuse Harry suffered). Katie's family was not only poor, but she was an only child so she had to grow up fast and work beyond her age around the house. She also knows loneliness and living in a tiny room that's, while actually a bedroom in her case, was an afterthought not much bigger than the standing space in an attic. And that was supposed to be simple.

2. What is your preferred sportsball to watch (live or televised)?

This is tough. On TV I'm going to have to go with college football over baseball because there are so many fewer games. Live...there's more nostalgia with baseball and I can get a better view on TV of a football game. The stadium atmosphere in college football brings it closer than it probably would be though.

3. Your pieces are often very thought-provoking for me. When writing them, what is something you think that makes a lot of your writing so enjoyable and emotionally strong? 

I guess it's maybe that I never really show a whole lot of emotion outside my writing. That's probably unhealthy, but it's my reality. Writing helps me get out the darkness and the light. While I don't write any 'based on a true story' stuff, I think I draw on the deepest parts of myself when I write, even if it hurts.

4. Who makes the first move when it comes to Seekerbell -- Katie or Harry? Why? 

This is actually really hard because they both get in their own way so much. Katie definitely has it in her, but I think it's Harry. While they both wrestle with the why and where and when and how, he's the more likely to just blurt it out.

5. If you were a professional Quidditch player, which position would you play and why?

This is challenging on so many levels. I played baseball until I was sixteen and was decent for the level I played at so I could probably whack a bludger. I played keeper in soccer. So skill (or at least experience) wise it would probably be Beater. But I frankly have a much more attacking mentality in sports than Beater or Keeper would be and I'd train up hard on those skills instead since I'd be starting sooner. I don't like the isolation of a Seeker or frankly care about the individual glory involved with that position. So...totally a Chaser.

I have a feeling I'm going to look at the length of these answers and want to immediately apologize, but sadly I think this is actually as succinct as I can be on these. Thanks again so much for your awesome questions. And just gifting them at all because as you can see I'm really obsessed with answering these.