Thursday, December 1, 2011
~December~Author of the Month~Drotuno~
Hey hey hey everyone...Fat Albert, I
mean Nikka here...
When I got the chance to suggest an author of the month, I jumped at the chance to recommend fan fiction jill-of-all-trades, Drotuno.
When I got the chance to suggest an author of the month, I jumped at the chance to recommend fan fiction jill-of-all-trades, Drotuno.
A lot of authors are known for being
able to master a single genre, whether it be hot smutty romance or angst, but
she can write anything! Vampires, all
human, angst, smut, action: trust me when I say she’s written a little bit of
everything. From her one shots, to short
stories, to multi chapter fics there’s definitely something for everyone.
My personal
favorites:
The Gravity
Series: Blood & Glory, Sin & Innocence and Smoke and Mirrors, the third
installment which has just begun posting.
One word: Mercward. Fuck
me running, drotuno's mercward will not fail to reduce you to a whimpering pile
of lady goo. The man is a shy at times, sweetly stuttering
mercenary who takes care of his family, no matter the cost. Call me crazy but the thought of a rough and
tumble soldierward who dabbles in woodworking in his spare time and pilots his
own helicopter…le ungh. Action,
suspense, smoking hot lemony goodness…these stories have it all.
The Angel Series:
Broken Angel, Angel’s Embrace, and An Angel’s Promise; If you like AU vampire
stories, then look no further. Broken
Angel starts out as an AU version of New Moon, and from the start you’re
hooked. This Edward isn’t a shy afraid to
touch his lady, and from the beginning the sexual energy that radiates from
every word is for lack of a better description: panty melting. Bella isn’t just a helpless human, she
becomes a strong powerful vampire in her own right, and you’ll find yourself
hitting the next chapter button like a fiend.
Everything I Thought
I Knew: For something completely
different, check out this short story out.
It doesn’t feature vampires or action sequences but regular, normal,
everyday people…and a sweet Nerdward and strong feisty Bella that will have you
pulling for both of them to figure out what they really want. Ah, Nerdyward…so yummy.
Her creation of
original characters outside the usual Cullen crew is superb. From the men on Mercward’s crew to the
secondary characters like Kevin who draw you into their stories in the Angel
series, you’ll always be pleasantly surprised.
She has the gift of creating people who you want to know more about,
sometimes more than the usual cast of characters in the books. Her stories are ultimately E x B, but you’ll
be drawn into the back story of others you’d never thought to imagine.
This is just
scratching the surface of her stories, so check them out, you won’t be
disappointed.
~Drotuno Interview~
Q: How were you originally introduced into the Twilight
Fandom?
A: I actually found it doing a search one day online. I
was looking for Twilight info and just stumbled into it. The best part was that
I was working a temp job answering phones all day, but it was quiet. They gave
me permission to “play on the web” if I wanted, and there you go.
Q: How did you decide on your Fan Fiction penname?
A: It's my name. LOL It's the combination of my initials
and last name.
Q: Who are your top 5 favorite Fan Fiction Authors?
A: That's a tough answer, because there are so many out
there that are just fantastic. And some aren't around anymore, either. In no
particular order:
SparklingTwilight
les16
clpsuperstar
tarasueme
masenvixen
Q: What are your top 5 Favorite Fics?
A: Again...some of these stories are no longer around,
but if you can hunt them down, then read them.
Also in no particular order:
The Office by tby789
My Yes, My No by LolaShoes
Emancipation Proclamation by kharizzmatik
Stranger Than Fiction by masenvixen
University of Edward Masen by SabastienRobichaud
Q: Do you remember the first fic you ever read? What was
it?
A: Yeah, it was the Office by tby789, Tides of Fate by
SparklingTwilight, and Boycotts and Barflies... all at the same time. I started
the first two as they were still posting.
Q:How did you decide that you wanted to write Fan
Fiction?
A: I've always written something. I started writing when
I was in my teens, so the more fanfic I read, the more I got the urge to start
again. And I've always written lemons...does that shock you? LOL No, probably
not.
Q: When you’re writing, do you imagine the Twilight
characters as your own characters, or are there other people you imagine to
play the part?
A: It's usually the Twilight characters, especially Rob,
because his expressions, physical traits, and habits are too perfect not to
use. I have original characters that don't look like anyone but whoever I've
made up in my head.
Q: You have written so many great stories. Which one in
particular, are you most proud of? Why?
A: Right now...The Gravity series (Blood & Glory, Sin
& Innocence). It's the most in-depth I've ever written, because the
storyline is all mine, where I'm not really canon with SM's characters. It's
like nothing I've ever tried to write, and it seems action has become my forte.
It wasn't something that I'd tried before, but as I wrote a few other things, I
found I had knack for it, because I tossed in a few action scenes here and
there. The Gravity series is riddled with it. And I really like it.
A close second would be Nature of Love, simply for how
the story came about. I was watching a PBS special on the Appalachian Trail,
and it described the friendships that formed as people walked 2100 miles from
Georgia to Maine, and I just couldn't resist putting a Twi spin on it.
Q: The Angelward series was amazing smutty and romantic
vampire goodness. What was your inspiration behind that series? What made you
want to write it?
A: Ah, Angelward... He was created out of desperation.
New Moon drove me freaking crazy...the whole leaving thing, Jacob's whining,
and Italy! But Edward's homecoming was too easy, so I thought about what would
happen if he'd stayed away for 2 years. What changes would both Edward and
Bella have gone through? But it became much more than that. I started to focus
on Bella's physical pain while he was away, and what that could've meant. I
focused on Jake and his wolfy temper, and because I'm not Team Jacob at all, I
ended up making him to be quite the pain in the ass at the beginning.
Why I wrote it was simply for my own personal want. I
realize that Twilight was written in a teen genre, but the fade to black
situation was frustrating. I wanted to write a vamp fic that didn't
quite...fade to black. LOL I wanted to write what I would've wanted to read. I
also wanted to address a few issues out there. I've never been a big fan of
Renesmee, not that I hate her, but babies with teeth...just...no. So I removed
her from the situation. I nipped and tucked away the things that bothered me,
added the elements that I wanted to read, and invented a few more issues. It
was simply a selfish story, but turned into something bigger than I expected.
Q: If Rob Pattinson asked you to give him the name of one
fic, that would change his life… What would it be? Why?
A: You mean...after I woke up from passing out? Ummm,
there have been a few that have touched me personally, so I can't answer with
just one: Unanswered Prayers by SparklingTwilight hit really close to home for me,
because I've lost both of my parents, and I have so much in common with this Bella
that I couldn't breathe on some chapters. Another probably would be My Yes, My
No by LolaShoes...for Rob, anyway...because that showed just a little bit more
to the coming home from Italy in New Moon.
Q: Out of all the “Edwards” you have created … which is
your personal favorite? Why?
A: Mercward. Hands down. I love all my
Edwards...completely. But Mercward from B&G and S&I is my absolute
favorite. I've written the perfect man, a man that will never exist. LOL He's
hot, head over heels in love with his family, tough, smart, and really, really
sweet...all at one time. He can cook a meal, build a table, fly a helicopter,
bring his wife to sexual heaven and beyond, and shoot bad guys, not to mention
rock his kids to sleep. He is perfect and flawed. And his stutter, which should
be a bad thing, is his most endearing trait.
Q: You’ve said you’re working on another installment of
the Mercward/Gravity Series…Can you tell us anything about any new projects you
might be working on?
A: That's it. Just the next Gravity installment – Smoke
& Mirrors. In a brief synopsis: Carlisle brings a client to Gravity for
protection, but there is more to this famous female singer than meets the eye.
The crew not only will have to keep her safe, but figure out who is threatening
her.
I can't write more than one story at a time. If something
new hits me, it either waits or I have to stop whatever current thing I'm
working on in order to get it down. I can't mix storylines.
Q: Are there any other pairings that you could see
yourself writing for?
A: No. Not at all. I can't seem to write about anyone but
Edward and Bella. I don't even read pairings that aren't in canon. I don't know
why, but it's true. I guess that makes me a purist , by definition, because I
can't see any other way but the way they were intended.
Q: Writers often look up to the styles of others, before
finding their individuality. Who has been an inspiration to you and your
writing? Why?
A: Stephen King. I adore that man. For those of you that
have never read him, you should. He's not all scary, but he is brilliant. I
envy his gift of description. After two paragraphs you know exactly what's in a
small room...in complete detail. I love how he can take something innocent and
turn it into something magical. I love how what appears one way on the outside,
is utterly different when you really start scraping away at the surface.
Q: Who are your “Go To” people when you need advice or
opinions when it comes to your writing?
A: My pre-reader GooberLou is my rubber mat, the poor
thing. Every thought, every idea, and every stupid concept has been thrown at
her. She gives me the best feedback. Ever. She's thrown things at me for doing
mean things to characters. She's the first to tell me “absolutely not.” And she
keeps me level headed. She's my twin on all levels, except physically, and I
adore her for it.
The second person is my beta JenRar. She's the absolute
best. She can take a rambling thing and smooth it out completely into something
worth posting. She gives great advice, asks tough questions, and keeps me
focused. She's not afraid to rattle my cage to keep me busy.
The last – but definitely not least – is MedusaInNY. She
does the most amazing things with my blog, with pictures, and my PDFs. God, I
love her, because she's always there whenever I need her.
Q: Would you be interested in collabing with another
author? For a oneshot, maybe?
A: I'm not opposed to it. I've worked with a few people
behind the scenes of some fics, I've pre-read for people, and I've tried
beta'ing (though I'm not great at it). If the idea was good, or it was
something I could envision, then sure. Absolutely.
Q: @SueBee0619, one of your readers on twitter would love
to borrow Mercward please and thanks. What's your policy on loaning out your
fictional creations?"
A: I'd rather not. Though that particular character is
just...yeah. I get it. But I'm kind of
selfish with my creations. Although, I appreciate that he's inspired someone,
but I have to say no.
Q: Which of your fics would you recommend a newbie read
first?
A: I actually had someone ask me this the other day. They
PM'd me. I've written a wide range of things, so it would depend on what you
were in the mood for. If you want a vamp fic, then Broken Angel. If you want
sweet AH, then An Island in the Sun. If you want action/mystery, then B&G.
If you just want a taste of my style, then read the one shot Fate Interrupted.
Q: Which of your fics are you most invested in personally
and emotionally?
A: The ones that took me out on a limb. There are two
that I wrote on a whim, and they were outside my comfort zone. Everything I
Though I Knew and Fate Interrupted. Both are shorter, both were out of the
blue, and both were written because the story wouldn't shut up in my head.
EITIK more than anything just because I pushed myself to get it just right. I
tested shorter chapters, tested staying in one POV, and it was such a real
little story to me that it probably ranks the highest for emotionally invested.
Q: If you could make one of your characters real, which
would it be?
A: LOL... Hmm... Mercward. See the reasons above. ;)
Q: Are you a plot outliner or a “let it come as it goes”
er?
A: Both, actually. I map out the basics – characters,
basic plot, ending. However, if something takes off as I'm writing and makes
the story better, I usually just go with it.
Q: Are there any questions you wish someone would ask?
A: I'm kind of a private person in real life, so as long
as that stays private, then you can ask whatever you want.
Q: What is one thing that everyone should experience at
least once in their
A: Sex. LMAO Okay, so for real. Everyone should see New
York City at least once. There's something about the sights, sounds, smells,
and the feel of that city. It's busy, it's crazy, but it's fun and comfortable.
It's the best place in the world.
Q: If you could personally tell your readers one thing,
what would it be?
A: Thank you! Just...really... THANK YOU! I've been
seeing some of my readers since the first chapter of my first fic, and they've
stuck by me no matter what I toss out there, so yeah... You guys rock. I love
you all. I love it when you laugh, cry, and yell at me. I love advice and music
suggestions. I love your impatience, your hatred of cliffies, and your love for
my characters.
Q: Do you respond to reviews?
A: I don't, and I'm sorry about that for those that
expect it. But it's a real life/time factor issue with me. I would rather post
twice a week for my readers than answer reviews, though I have answered
questions that have been sent my way. I try to address any issues in my A/N's,
but I prefer to give more story than anything else.
Q: If you could give someone who wants to start writing
any advice, what would it be?
A: Write. That's it. Just sit down and write. I heard
something the other day, and I found that it was true for me. You should write
two times. The first draft, you write with your heart. When you go back, you
write with your head. It hit home with me, because that's how I write. I let
the words flow, then I go back and add details and description. So yeah, just
start something. Sometimes, mapping it out isn't helpful. Sometimes, the
characters just need to be put down on paper...or doc writer, as the case may
be. I tell people all the time... Close your eyes, see it, then write it down.
The first time doesn't have to be perfect, because as we all know, the more you
do something, the better you get at it.
Links:
Fanfiction.net:
Blog:
Big thanks to Drotuno for stopping by to chat with us. We appreciate it very much and hope you will stop by her ff.net page or blog and check out her work if you haven’t already. Tell her A Slice of Lemon sent ya!
(Also big thanks to Nicci for the lovely banners!)
