I’ve written original fic before, but not for many years. I wrote five novels just for my own enjoyment before finding fanfic, and I kept wanting to get back to original writing, but fanfic was so enticing! It was also very sociable, and I loved sharing my stories with other fans of various TV shows and meeting people that way. Some of my closest real life friends are people I met through fandom.

I’ve learned a huge amount from fanfic, but I’d reached a point when it was ‘now or never’ in respect of returning to original fic.

I have so many stories I want to tell, and after writing Two Wolves in 2011, I felt I’d stretched the fanfic format as far as it would go, and I really wanted to be telling my own stories, unconstrained by someone else’s canon. Ricochet is just the beginning! I’m really proud of it and pleased with how it turned out because it was very much a learning curve for me. It’s a transitional novel, where I picked up writing original stories again, and I’m finding out all about the wonderful world of self-publishing to see if it’s something that can work for me. Next time out, I might decide to try and find an agent and go the traditional publishing route. Or I might love self-publishing and continue doing it.

I do love that I get to be in control of my story and what happens to it by self-publishing but I have doubts about my ability to market myself effectively, not least because I’m a lot more interested in writing than in marketing! However, that’s why I’m doing this – to find out what it’s like! I don’t have any expectations of selling a gazillion copies – this is my first time, and I’m sure I’ll make mistakes, but that’s part of the process. In fact, I already have made some mistakes, and that’s become clear to me as I’ve gone along! I already know several things I’d do differently next time and that’s great because it’s what this is all about. I’ll keep a list of them so I know what not to do next time around!

This is all the great big unknown for me. It’s scary but exciting at the same time!

No! No, no, no!

I love fanfic, and I hope I’ll keep writing it. It does depend on me being inspired by a TV show though, so we’ll have to wait and see what grabs my attention next.

I definitely had to give it more thought – I couldn’t just jump in there the way I would in fanfic. I found they developed and took shape over the course of the novel so when I finished I went back and sharpened how they were in the beginning, smoothing off some of the rough edges, and rounding them out a bit more. I worked a lot on the beginning scenes after completing the novel because they’re very important as an introduction to the characters and their world.

One thing I wanted to steer clear of was the ‘exposition dump’ so I’ve tried to introduce the characters and scenarios as organically as possible. Of course, sometimes you have to just write out explanations for things, but I tried to keep it relevant to the context of where it was placed in the novel.

My audiencers often asked me who I saw in my mind’s eye when writing the characters, but honestly, I never saw or heard them as anything other than themselves. In the beginning, I had the idea that somehow I had to have a visual marker for them or some kind of inspiration I was channelling, but I’d never done that with any of the original characters I created in my fanfic, and I soon realised I didn’t need to do it with my original novel either.

One thing I found was that my audiencers brought their own ideas of who the characters were, based on their fanfic preferences, and some of them had quite different ideas of what the characters looked like and what their personalities were like, even though there were clear descriptors! I think that’s a good thing as it means everyone had a very personal relationship with the novel. I’ve noticed even with TV shows and fanfic that people’s interpretations of characters and their actions vary wildly, so this was no different! There’s one scene in Ricochet where one of my audiencers hated the way Rick behaved – and another loved Rick in it and hated the way Matt behaved! LOL! So everyone brings their own experiences and understanding to their relationship with the text.

I’ve been writing fanfic for fourteen years, and as a result I’ve picked up a lot about how TV shows work, and the relationships between actors, and I used that knowledge to write this novel. However, I should stress that NONE of the characters in Collar Crime are based on any actors. My starting point for Ricochet was that I wanted to write about the naughty dom and the contro
l freak sub because often in BDSM stories the dom is very commanding and in control and it’s the sub who is wayward and naughty. With fanfic, I was drawn to seeing the stern dom and naughty sub dynamic in the characters on TV – so those are the kinds of doms and subs I wrote about. Writing original characters gave me the opportunity to explore a different dynamic. So that was what I set out to create in Ricochet, and that is why the characters were written in that way. I think that gives the novel a unique flavour and makes it different from my other stories to date.

I did deliberately make Ricochet feel ‘fanficcy’. It’s very much a transitional novel for me, after years of writing fanfic. My next original novel will be very different but because Ricochet is set on a TV show I wanted to include lots of nods to familiar things from the world of fanfic. Fans of my fanfic stories will find all kinds of little in-jokes and moments which I hope will surprise and delight them!

I would LOVE it to be made into a film, although I don’t think that’s very likely! I didn’t have anyone in mind as I was writing the novel, which I think is a good thing as it enables the reader to make their own casting choices. However, I did think that physically an older version of Tyler Hoechlin had the right ‘look’ for Rick, and a much younger David Hyde Pierce captures Matt’s essence rather well. I’d be interested in hearing who other people would cast in the roles once they’ve read the book.

I have some suggestions for the other characters too although this will mean more when you’ve read the novel:

I see Daniel as a cross between Jason Isaacs and Daniel Craig – I know he’s not British but they’ve got the right ‘look’ for him. Karl could be played by Tom Hiddlestone, James McAvoy or Benedict Cumberbatch. Estelle would be portrayed fabulously by a younger Elaine Stritch! Petra could be played by Taraji P Henson or Gina Torres. Sebastian could be played by Alan Rickman or Tom Cruise. I’m not sure about Sean, or about Cara and Casey, but I’m open to suggestions!

I would LOVE it to be made into a film, although I don’t think that’s very likely! I didn’t have anyone in mind as I was writing the novel, which I think is a good thing as it enables the reader to make their own casting choices. However, I did think that physically an older version of Tyler Hoechlin had the right ‘look’ for Rick, and a much younger David Hyde Pierce captures Matt’s essence rather well. I’d be interested in hearing who other people would cast in the roles once they’ve read the book.

I have some suggestions for the other characters too although this will mean more when you’ve read the novel:

I see Daniel as a cross between Jason Isaacs and Daniel Craig – I know he’s not British but they’ve got the right ‘look’ for him. Karl could be played by Tom Hiddlestone, James McAvoy or Benedict Cumberbatch. Estelle would be portrayed fabulously by a younger Elaine Stritch! Petra could be played by Taraji P Henson or Gina Torres. Sebastian could be played by Alan Rickman or Tom Cruise. I’m not sure about Sean, or about Cara and Casey, but I’m open to suggestions!

Ooh. Uh. I don’t know! You need to ask them – LOL!

I do think that people enjoy fanfic that is long, has been polished, and really tells a story. Nowadays, there aren’t that many really long stories in fandom, and where there are, they often tend to be works in progress. I spend a long time working on my stories and editing them. When I produce a long story it’s been through a huge amount of revisions and a stringent beta process, usually involving more than one beta reader.

I view myself as a storyteller, and I always want people to be engaged in the story, first and foremost. I pour all my time, love, and energy into my stories, and really work very hard on them. I think people know and appreciate that. I’m not very good at marketing myself, although I’m going to try harder with Ricochet, so I think the people that find me must have stumbled across me and just stayed. I’m very grateful for that! I tend not to get involved in the big fandom issues and wider fandom community because, quite simply, writing takes up all my free time! These long stories don’t spring fully formed and effortlessly out of my head; huge amounts of toil and time go into them, and I also hold down a full-time job. So my profile in fandom tends to be low, and it’s a wonder anyone ever finds my stories. I’m so pleased that the people who do have tended to stick with me for years.

I know my BDSM stories have always been popular – when I first started posting to my own website and saw the stats, it surprised me to see it was the spanky and BDSM stories that got the most hits! However, I know people appreciate a wide variety of storytelling, not just BDSM and spanking! 24/7 is probably the story that first put me on the map in respect of BDSM. In my head, it’s a great, rambly, 600,000 + word serial that I know I didn’t edit anywhere near as well as my later stories, because I got so much better at editing over time. That doesn’t seem to diminish people’s love for it though – I just hope it isn’t too full of horrible errors and clunky sentences!

I hardly ever go back and re-read my stories, so sometimes people mention stories to me, and I’ve forgotten the details!

I don’t think I answered this question very well. Maybe I don’t know why, but I’m just VERY happy it’s the case!

My first fanfic story was in The X Files fandom – a little BDSMy fic about Skinner and Mulder called Role Play.

But if we’re talking about my very first story…I used to make up spanking stories featuring two naughty boys and their strict but kind uncle in my head when I was about seven. I never wrote them down though!

I wrote five original character novels before I found fanfic although I didn’t try to get any of them published. One was a fantasy story, one a children’s story, two were sci-fi and one was m/m BDSM. My roots are in sci fi/fantasy, and I’m going to return there soon with my original writing.

With all my stories the impetus comes from an idea I can’t get out of my head unt
il it’s written down. The whole writing process consists of me trying to outrun the story, wrestle it into submission, and get it out of my head and onto paper before I lose interest or it drives me nuts!

Spanking stories have been in my head since I was a child. As I got older, they assumed a more BDSM element. For me, the important thing in BDSM is exploring the emotional and mental side of it as much as the physical. I get bored with descriptions of things being done to characters, but when it’s combined with a real emotional resonance and some power play, it becomes electric!

I don’t just write BDSM although I’m well known for it. I’ve always written in a variety of different genres. Some of my most famous stories, like 24/7, Hiding in Plain Sight, and Subterfuge are BDSM – and some of my other most famous stories, like Soul Deep, Damage, and Two Wolves – aren’t!

Interestingly, this is one thing I don’t have a problem with! I don’t write down chapter outlines, and I only ever write chronologically. The whole point of writing, to me, is to let the characters have a life of their own. I usually have a broad idea of where I’m going with a novel, but so much comes out in the writing process. That, to me, is how you let a story breathe and feel alive. Otherwise you’re just trying to lock it in a straitjacket.

If I jumped ahead and wrote key scenes before writing preceding ones then I’d just have to rewrite it when I got there because it all changes in the actual process of writing, which is why I only write chronologically. That’s what works for me though! It’s not for everyone. Some people prefer more structure; I like to hold the entire story in my head. I had a friend who tried to write my way but it didn’t work for her – only when she gave herself permission to write different scenes in the timeline and then draw them together at the end did her story really fly. Writing is a very personal thing, and I don’t think there’s necessarily a right or wrong way.

Interestingly, this is one thing I don’t have a problem with! I don’t write down chapter outlines, and I only ever write chronologically. The whole point of writing, to me, is to let the characters have a life of their own. I usually have a broad idea of where I’m going with a novel, but so much comes out in the writing process. That, to me, is how you let a story breathe and feel alive. Otherwise you’re just trying to lock it in a straitjacket.

If I jumped ahead and wrote key scenes before writing preceding ones then I’d just have to rewrite it when I got there because it all changes in the actual process of writing, which is why I only write chronologically. That’s what works for me though! It’s not for everyone. Some people prefer more structure; I like to hold the entire story in my head. I had a friend who tried to write my way but it didn’t work for her – only when she gave herself permission to write different scenes in the timeline and then draw them together at the end did her story really fly. Writing is a very personal thing, and I don’t think there’s necessarily a right or wrong way.

I’ve never wished I’d written a story by another writer, even if I love them. But for me…well, I still have hopes of writing some of the ones I never got around to. There’s one that’s been in my head for about 25 years that I still love although it’d be hard to make it work as a book. I just enjoy playing out little scenes from it, and I’m in love with the main character 

AGH! This is too hard to answer! I have many favourites, for different reasons. Sometimes I might have loved the writing process, but the audience reaction might have been lukewarm. Or I might have found it hard to write, but it got a ton of positive feedback. I’ve found over the years that me having a good writing experience doesn’t necessarily tie into a good audience reaction – and vice versa!

I loved writing Ricochet – the actual writing was really good fun and easy, but I had a terrible time struggling with my confidence and inner demons. I was the same during the writing of Damage, perhaps because of the difficult subject matter.

I can say that *amongst* my favourites are, in no particular order: Ricochet, Damage, Frozen, Sunrise, Puppy Love, World’s Child, Human, 24/7, The Adversary, A Man of Two Truths, Tony’s Dry Spell, Subterfuge, Two Wolves, Soul Deep, Two Masters, June 17th, Envy, The First Collar, Hiding in Plain Sight, General & Doctor Sheppard, and Coming Home.

I very rarely re-read my stories, but when I do, the one I re-read the most is Puppy Love! LOL! I’ll also occasionally dip intoSoul Deep and Damage. Two Wolves and The Adversary are stories I view as my masterpieces but I know they’re too dark for some people, and I can understand that.

Well, I have a Teen Wolf fanfic I want to do!

And there are dozens of novels that I want to write. There’s the series of gay vampire novels based on the universe I created in my story Birth-Day, but completely reimagining those characters and that world. And the book of short stories set in the BDSM universe, featuring little snippets of different people’s lives and experiences in that world. At some point, I want to get around to writing a particularly gorgeous, long, complicated love story I have in mind that will be a real writing challenge for me but I desperately want to do. There’s also the slavefic that my web designer, Jacci, keeps badgering me to write!

I fully anticipate writing ALL these in time, but I think my next original novel will be something else; something very different that will surprise everyone ;-). I have something in mind!