Tygs ~How are you doing today?
WhitePen: I just got home from work and have the whole weekend off, so life is good. I’ve never been interviewed before, so this is very exciting for me.
Tygs ~So tell me about the how you came up with the idea for The Lost Soul?
WhitePen: I got the general idea for it long ago when I lived in a little house next to a cemetery. My daughter and I would take walks there and read the names on the stones. It was actually a very peaceful place.
One of the oldest headstones there was on the grave of a soldier from the War of 1812. When I decided to adapt the story for the Twilight universe I changed it to WWI.
Tygs: Where you inspired by a fanfiction or a book you've read?
WhitePen: Reading Twilight fanfiction inspired me to try my hand at actually writing a story. I love to read, and I do lots of technical writing for work, but creative writing was something I never thought I was capable of doing.
Tygs: What made you decide to write a such a unique fanfic? Did you have any concerns with how your readers would take the plot.
WhitePen: I had to go with the story that was in my head. I came up with the rough idea long before Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight. Given the great variety and far-fetched plots of some of the other AU-AH fan fiction I didn’t think it would be a problem. I found that if I tweaked a few names and circumstances, it actually fit well in the Twilight universe.
When I first began to write it, I had with only the most basic elements of the plot figured out. As I developed the characters, they naturally took on some of the elements that we love in the Twilight characters.
Tygs: Did you have your doubts about how readers would take the story?
WhitePen: I had lots of doubts. My greatest hope was that a few people would be amused and leave reviews. I never imagined that someone would want to write up such an awesome review or take the time to do an interview.
Incidentally, my husband, The Black Pen, is quite jealous.
Tygs: When you first began to upload the first couple of chapters of The Lost Soul, did you have any expectations on how Twilight fandom would receive your story?
WhitePen: Like I said I was hoping for a few reviews that would tell me someone out there was enjoying it. The reaction has been far better than I expected.
Tygs: Do the beliefs of the afterlife in your story reflect your views or was it just your imagination?
WhitePen: I don’t believe in ghosts. This is pure imagination for me.
Tygs~:Does this particular story come to you easy? Or is it more difficult to write than some of the other things you've written?
WhitePen: It depends. There are some sections that just pour out. I’ll be thinking of something entirely different and a scene will just pop into my head. I have to scribble it down on a scrap of paper before I lose it.
Other times, I seem to hit a brick wall and don’t know where I want to go with it.
Tygs: Can you give us a little insight on how Edward's nephew? Is he a villian? Or is he a sweet heart. Most of us are dying to know a little bit about him.
WhitePen: He’s really neither one. He’s caught somewhere in the middle. I’ve struggled with his character the most because as much as he looks like Edward, he really isn’t. We see more of him in Chapter 5
Tygs: Are your characters modeled after people you know in real life?
WhitePen: No. They are a product of my imagination.
Tygs: How long have you been writing?/How long have you been writing twilight fiction?
WhitePen: I published a one-shot early in 2010. That was the first creative writing I’ve done since high school. I started working on Lost Soul early in 2010 and spent a year developing it before I started publishing it. I wanted to make sure I could maintain a reasonable update schedule before I started posting chapters.
Tygs: Seeing as how some authors wing alot of their stories (including moi lol) are you following your outline to a T?
WhitePen: I just can’t wing it. I have a very detailed plot. I skip around too much to make much sense otherwise. That doesn’t mean I don’t make changes as new ideas pop into my head.
One of my favorite authors is J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame. I love how she planted elements in the first book that are key to the plot several books later. You can’t do that sort of thing without some kind of outline.
Tygs: Was the story that is posted now, the original idea, or did you have another route in your mind where the story would go, before choosing the current one
WhitePen: The story has evolved a lot, but it stays true to the original idea. I still haven’t decided on the ending. There are a few ways I can take it. I’ll probably flush out each one a bit before I pick one.
Tygs: Is The lost soul the only ghost tale you've written?
WhitePen: Yes.
Tygs: How does it feel to be fangirled over, or have so many incomming readers?
WhitePen: It was a real surprise. I hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations. I have a few exciting chapters coming up, starting with Chapter 6. I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions.
Tygs: Do you have any plans for a new Unique stories? the makings or are you just concentrating on the ones you have so far?
WhitePen: If you want me to finish Lost Soul, I need to concentrate on it and nothing else. Between my family and my very demanding job, I have very little time to write.
I do have an idea for another story, but the plot is going to need a lot of work before I’m ready to start writing it. I may just publish the first chapter or two as a one-shot.
Tygs: Who are your betas for the story? Are you close with them?
WhitePen: My beta is Spikey. She does a terrific job. She was one of my first readers, and volunteered for the job when I put out a request at the end of one of my early chapters. I thought I was a pretty good writer until she sent back the first chapter I gave her. It’s amazing how she finds errors that I can read right past.
Tygs: Your pre-readers (i'm jealous of them) what is their role for you? Do they just read for you or they make suggestions?
WhitePen: I don’t have any pre-readers. Any volunteers?
Tygs: Do you ever get emotional writing this story?
WhitePen: No. It takes a lot for me to get emotional, unless I’m pregnant. Then I’ve been known to cry over Adam Sandler movies. Normally I have a bit of an Ice Queen personality.
Tygs: Which character could you most connect with in your story?
WhitePen: Definitely Bella. I like how she made the decision to take charge of her life. It isn’t perfect, but she is out there living.
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About TheAuthor
Name: Ann
Country: USA
age (if u want lol): Over 30
favorite color: Blue
Pen name: The White Pen
Twitter name: @MyWhitePen
Favorite music to listen to while writing: My Saving Abel station on Pandora
Favorite fanfiction: My favorite of all time is “The Lost Boys” by hwimsey, but alas, it’s been pulled. In its place I would have to list “Femme Docs and Kevlar Knights” by A_Cullen_Wannabe.
Favorite author: hunterhunting
Favorite undiscovered (low reviewed) fic: Enchante by rpgirl27 – it has a respectable 804 reviews on ffn.net but it should be well over a thousand. There was also a one-shot called “Checkmate” that was posted by sweek539 on fanfiction.net last summer. It’s a little angsty and depressing, but for some reason I just loved it. I think I was the only one to leave a review.
First fanfic ever read and why you like it.:
Kidnapped by madcowre. It had an amazingly detailed plot and great character development. It really opened my eyes to the idea that you could find quality writing in fan fiction. I think she will have no trouble getting published someday.
Is twilight fandom only fandom your currently writing in?:
Yes. Nothing else has captured my imagination in quite the same way.
Do you a chapter by chapter writer or do you prepare before hand?:
I outline before hand and then skip around as inspiration strikes.
What is your muse? while you write?:
I don’t really have a muse. I need silence to write if I hope to accomplish anything. I listen to music sometimes when I’m just doing research for the story.
Favorite book?
This is going to sound so cliché, but one of my all time favorites is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. I must read it once a year.
Favorite site to update on?
Fanfiction.net - It was the first site I started reading.
Do you hand write your chapters then type? Or do you just type?
I just type. I only hand write if I don’t have a laptop handy and need to get an idea down before I lose it.
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Beliefs in fandoms?
Would you be ok if someone PDF'ed your story?
I would be ok with it. My favorite way to read completed fics is to copy them to my kindle to read. I would hope that if I decide to pull the story for some reason they would respect my wishes and not post or share it.
Would you let someone translate your fic? How would you feel if it was done without your permission?
I would want to know that it is being done in a quality way, but I probably would. Again, I would hope they would ask for permission first.
What about taboo subjects, that have be written all across fandom, incest, diaperward, fetish fics etc. Do you have a problem with some of the subject content?
Um, I think that if your story contains things like this, then you need to give adequate warning in your story summary. Not everyone wants to read something like this. I also think you need to respect and follow the rules of the site you post on.
That being said, I think fan fiction is broad enough to accommodate everyone’s tastes. I wouldn’t censor it.
What do you think about publishing fanfiction (the plot different characters) but the same story?
Authors put a lot of time into their work. I’ve read fan fiction stories that are much better than books I’ve paid money for. If someone can make a living from their writing then I have no problem with it. That being said, someone would have to offer me a movie deal before I quit my day job. Don’t see that happening. I don’t expect to make a dime from my writing.
What are your thoughts on the peak of plagiarism in fandom? Would you pull your story if you found out someone copied your story?
It depends. If I wasn’t finished, I think I would keep writing, but I would try to get the copy pulled. Once it is posted it is really too late to do much else. Pulling it would just punish your loyal readers.
Name two faults you feel you have when it comes to writing.
I worry that my characters are not realistic enough, and sometimes I can take forever to get a chapter completed. I envy those writers that can crank out a chapter a week like clockwork. That will never be me. That’s why I had to work on it for a year before I started publishing it.
Give potential readers one reason, why The Lost Soul should be on their favorite list.
It should be on your favorite list because it’s different from anything else out there, and we are just getting started.
Thanks for taking out the time sweets!
~*Tyggy~*
As you can see, not only is Thewhitepen talented, she is sweet, humble, and down to earth as well. A fanfic as unique as hers deserves the attention from many. Her work is truly fantastic, and utterly addictive as well as enchanting. You'll have no reason not to fall in love with this fiction. Read. Review. And Enjoy
Lost soul by TheWhitePen
Lost Soul- Fanfiction
Lost Soul- The Writers Coffee Shop
~*Tyggy!~*
I like the way you conducted your interview. This one was very interesting, and I will put this story in my faves.
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