Evai

What character in your favorite fandom do you most identify with?

Ah, ye gods this is a tough one. I’d have to say Rangiku Masumoto from Bleach. She typically seems like a happy, mildly hyper, friendly person but knows when it’s time to get the job done. She seems to be very serious in her loyalties, and that’s something that is really important to me. I stick by my family and friends. I am extremely protective over the people I love. Masumoto is also very deep in her own right. She’s hurt badly when Ichimaru betrays her, but she’s strong and gets through it. I prefer to keep going no matter how bad it gets and stay strong.

The funny thing is when you see her inebriated… it reminds me very much of myself. Loud, funny, and passed out eventually.

Who is your favorite creator?

I think that Hayao Miyazaki is absolutely amazing. He did Princess Mononoke, and between the storyline and the animation it was stunning. The characters and the situation were unique and the animation style very memorable.

I’m also a huge fan of the musician Tori Amos… her music has always been incredibly emotional… unique and always an inspiration to me.

What was YOUR first fannish creation?

I’ve always had story lines running through my mind from various shows and Animes that I’ve watched, but I didn’t start doing anything with it until this past year. I think I may have written a very short Mobil Suit Gundam Wing Fanfic in middle school, but otherwise my Pain’s Endurance story, from Naruto, is really my first true fan creation. I have to say it’s the story I’ve struggled with the most as well. Fan creations are great, but it can be so difficult to give proper tribute to it. There’s a reason why we are fans, and the last thing I want to do is destroy it.

What talent would you like to have that you don’t have?

The ability to finish something I’ve started? *laughs* Actually, I wish that I was able to have better art talent. I looked at some people’s paintings and drawings… I just go, “Wow,” I wish I could have done that. I can’t draw/paint people at all without some sort of reference. It’s terribly frustrating, but I still try! Art isn’t something that is just natural for me… I love it, so I push myself to try at it.

What’s something people would never guess about you?

Someone who truly doesn’t know me would probably be surprised to find out I’m an absolute automotive geek or petrol head as I like to call it.

Most people are surprised to find out that I hold an Associate Degree in Automotive Technology and that I work in the automotive industry. It’s an interesting thing because I did not grow up working on cars at all, and I absolutely love it. No wonder I just started a fanfiction based off of Initial D… my favorite racing anime.

On the contest front, Speed Racer’s first round comes to a halt tomorrow at 3 pm, so put the pedal to the metal and finish that submission in time! Finalists will be announced on Friday, and then we need you to help us choose the winner.

For those of you (like me) not gifted in the area of drawing, check out DGTrekker’s Drawing Classes on the FanLib Forum. The step-by-step instructions will have you dashing to the art store for new pencils before long (or at least a new eraser!).

If you’re looking to sharpen your writing skills instead of your pencil, stop by our Critique Group for an in-depth look at what makes your stories tick. To have your story critiqued by the group, simply join in and leave your thoughts on the current story. It’s a hands-on process, so you only get as good as you give.

Now all we need is a tutorial on making fannish videos. Any takers? Get it going, and we’ll be there!

TV

Ladies, did you know that BSG could save your marriage? I didn’t either. According to the folks at MSN Entertainment News, the dual personality of the show can save us some of those “snuggle-less” nights in front of a separate TV in a separate room. We get a sexy thriller, and our fellas can enjoy an explosive space opera. So this week, give him what he really wants - a night on the couch with Battlestar and you.

Movies

Her mother would be proud. Georgie Henley is back to play Lucy in Narnia’s Prince Caspian, and she’s bringing a new level of maturity with her. The thirteen-year-old told SciFi Wire that she found it slightly easier to play the youngest Pevensie this time around. “I felt, because I’ve grown, Lucy has grown…” Looking forward to seeing the older you (and Lucy) in action, Georgie!

Random Fandom News

Just in time for Mother’s Day: J.K. Rowling wins her case! No, not that case. Rowling won the right to go to court, Wednesday, over a photog’s taking pictures of her baby boy without her permission. The case had previously been dismissed by a judge, but the appeals court approved a “test case” to determine if English law allows for the pic-happy paps to pilfer public photos without parental permission. In case you missed it, that’s Mothers: 1, Photogs: 0.

Conventions

FedCon USA! Visit the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, TX June 13 -15 and see James Callis, Aaron Douglas, Paul McGillion, Connor Trinneer, Richard Hatch, Anthony Montgomery, Garret Wang - and that’s not even the half of it. That’s right, some of the hottest guys in Science Fiction all in one spot! Oy, do I wish I had more vacation time.

Future Fandom of the Day

All mothers need a strong female role model. If I had to choose, I think Agent 99 would do quite nicely. That’s why today’s future fandom is Get Smart. Whether you’re looking forward to the Anne Hathaway version on June 20, or you prefer the classic 99 from the 1960’s sitcom, as portrayed by Barbara Feldon, there is something to be learned from such a lovely and strong woman. For me personally, it was my dating mantra. “Men will never learn, so you might as well Get Smart.”

This weekend, it’s Speed Racer. This live-action take on the classic cartoon will have you saying, wow! All done with digital backgrounds and green screen work, there’s nothing Speed and his pals can’t do. Colorful, action packed and loads of fun — it’s the definitive “popcorn” flick.

Come May 16, it’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The Prince (Ben Barnes) sets out on a quest to defeat the king and claim his rightful place on the throne, but you can bet it won’t be an easy task. Great storytelling, a strong fantasy tie-in, and gorgeous visuals will makes this one worth seeing (and ficcing about afterward!)

The last week of May goes to that adventurer for all-time, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Okay, so it’s been awhile since Indy donned his hat and went off in search of. . . but he hasn’t lost any of his charm. I predict a flurry of fics exploring the relationship between Indy and Mutt (Shia La Beouf), and then there’s the charming but deadly Agent Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). I can see the romantic entanglements now. Indy, my boy, we’ve missed you.

In June, it’s yet another Incredible Hulk film. Edward Norton takes on Bruce Banner, and he’s close to finding a cure for his Hulkamania — but wait! There’s an even more dangerous creature on the horizon, The Abomination, and he may be more than even The Hulk can handle. Liv Tyler co-stars, and watch out for some fun cameos from other familiar faces. But will this Hulk capture the hearts of fan ficcers when the last incarnation left them cold? We shall see.

In July, the third superhero movie of the summer hits the big screen with Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman have created a movie that’s a little to the left of mainstream comic flicks, but it might just end up being the big winner of the summer. It’s truly “Hell on Earth” when an army of creatures is unleashed by a ruthless leader from the underworld. Great visuals, more emotion than most, and a deep-sense of character — that’s what sets Hellboy apart. Just ask ePalladino.

On July 18, Batman: The Dark Knight picks up some months after Batman Begins left off. Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne, and he’s even darker and moodier than ever before. If that isn’t heavy enough for you, add on the fact that this is Heath Ledger’s last big screen performance and that he was inspired by A Clockwork Orange and Sid Vicious. Yeah, this isn’t your father’s Batman, that’s for sure. Ledger’s involvement will likely bring an audience that might not have seen the film otherwise, and that’s going to translate into huge box office dollars. Will it translate on to the page? Fan ficcers have generally been enamored with films that have larger-than-life characters drawn into dark themes — sounds like The Dark Knight fits the bill.

In a summer just loaded with franchises that haven’t seen the light of day in awhile, you have The X-Files returning to the big screen on July 25. A bit rusty on your Mulder/Scully lore? Don’t worry about. Word is this movie will stand alone, though I imagine you’ll enjoy it more if you were a fan the first time around. And about that kissing sequence caught on film by movie stalkers. . . Chris Carter claims it was staged as a way of faking out the fans. Or, it could be the old double fake-out, and it really is true? Either way, you know this is going to cause a revival in The X-Files fandom, so dust off those UFOlogy books and finish that story you started back in 1994.

And speaking of the franchise that wouldn’t die, Brendan Fraser and (some of the) gang return in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, coming to theaters this August. This time, it’s off to China so they can make good use of co-star Jet Li. Joining Rick on his quest will be his son Alex, who’s a lot more grown-up since we last saw him. Jonathan is back, and Evy is too, but granted she’ll look a bit different. (Word is Rachel Weisz balked at being the mother of a grown son.) Full of action, comedy and excitement, the new father / son dynamic of this film should give fanficcers plenty to write about. And kudos to the first person who writes a story explaining why Evy doesn’t look like Evy anymore.

So there you have it, plenty of action, drama, laughs, and suspense — and that’s just the ride to the movie theater! Tell us, which summer flick are you most looking forward to and which ones will inspire you to write, vid, or draw?

Have fun at the movies. We look forward to seeing what you come up with.

And these here cowpoke are ready to head back to the stable and be voted on:

Ya’ll come back now, ya hear?

Are there characters you love to Whump? That you feel deserve Whumping? Do you feel like you’ve been Whumped?

Allura99

What character in your favorite fandom do you most identify with?

I would have to say Simon Tam from Firefly. Like him, I’m a young doctor. Also social situations can confound me. But thankfully, I’m not on the run from the government. No comment on the crazy sister thing, though.

Who is your favorite creator?

Joss Whedon, hands down. Everything he has done has just blown me away. I can’t wait to see Dollhouse.

What was YOUR first fannish creation?

I didn’t discover fanfiction until I was in high school. After months of reading it, I decided to try my hand at writing. A Voltron fanfic called “The Heart of a Lion” was the very first fanfic I wrote. But my Sailor Moon story “Jupiter’s Gone” was the first I shared with the rest of the world. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What talent would you like to have that you don’t have?

I would love to be able to draw. But anything beyond stick figures is just horrible.

What’s something people would never guess about you?

I’m usually reserved and quiet. However, when it’s time for karaoke, I’m a diva. It’s just so much fun.

We’re also celebrating the start of the summer movie season. Our carousel is themed with fics from some of the blockbusters that will be gracing the big screen in the next few months. And keep watching No Hiatus for our look at the summer movies.

Have a little spare time? There’s still one more week left to enter our Speed Racer contest. Grand Prize is a trip for two to LA! We’d also like to know what you think of the excerpt from the LJ Smith Night World book, Secret Vampire.

And if that’s not enough to keep you busy, we’re still looking for writers to take on our Fandom 411s. Leave your interests in the comments below, and if we haven’t covered it already, we’ll look you up.

TV

British actress Sophia Myles said recently in an interview with the folks at SCIFI Wire that a second season of the CBS hit Moonlight is “all but confirmed.” (Moonlight fans say “Yay!”) Myles plays the troubled love interest, Beth Turner, to Alex O’Loughlin’s troubled vampire, Mick St. John. Myles went on to say that the mostly female fan base could draw in more men by sharing in the sexy nature of the show. “So, guys, tune in, because you’re going to get lucky.” Whatdya say, boys? Watch party?

Movies

Narnia Sweepstakes! Most of you probably know about Prince Caspian coming to theaters May 16th. You may not know that until May 26th, the official movie site offers the opportunity to win a trip for two to the New Zealand set during the filming of the third Narnia flick, Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t resist a chance at such a juicy fannish experience. My entry’s in! How about yours?

Gaming

Speaking of Narnia: Caspian is offering fans two original scenes filmed in New Zealand exclusively for the official game of the movie. The scenes include a lesson in Narnia history as told by “Dr. Cornelius.” Platforms include PS3, N:DS, and PC, to name a few. Hmm. I’d better get some more hard drive space so my unit can handle Stargate Worlds and Prince Caspian. Oh yeah, I’m half way between fan and gaming junkie!

Conventions

I jumping ahead of myself on this one, but I couldn’t resist. It’s Armageddon! The Melbourne Armageddon, that is. This uber sci-con, presented by Culture Shock Events, is not for the faint of fandom. November 1st and 2nd at the Expo Center in Melbourne, Australia, fans from all over will converge on one of the hottest new venues in science fiction conventions. You won’t believe the guest list! Are you ready? Here goes: Adam West, David Hewlett, Doug Jones, Ernie Hudson, Susan Eisenberg, Lori Petty, Maile Flanagan, and many, many more! The best of toons, comics, anime, science fiction, and fantasy will all be represented. Sound off if you see your fandom represented! *raises her hand and says “Oh, Me! Me!”*

Future Fandom of the Day

So far, The Sarah Jane Adventures has flown under the radar of writers on FanLib, but I suspect that will not last long, (even if I have to do the writing myself!). The spin-off of Doctor Who features Elisabeth Sladen reprising her role as the companion of Doctors 3 and 4. She and her new friends, Maria Jackson and adopted son Luke, encounter alien life here on earth. Sometimes they fight for their lives and sometimes they fight for the aliens themselves, but whatever the adventure, Ms. Smith and company seem up to the challenge.

Happy R&W!

Marphlets

With a mother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and living in a nursing home, and a seven year long surgical residency at Seattle Grace Hospital ahead of her, Meredith Grey already has enough on her plate to deal with. But what happens when her drunken one-night-stand the night before her first shift turns out to be her new boss? Will she fall for his charm or manage to maintain a strictly professional relationship?

Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama (oh, I can hear you already; ‘oh, no, not another one’), but unlike previous shows in the same category, Grey’s focuses mainly on the interns, the grunts, the bottom of the surgical food chain: their ambition, their drive, their ability to screw up something fierce. Show creator Shonda Rhimes said that one of the reasons she wanted to make this show was firstly, because of her fascination for watching filmed surgeries and secondly because she thought it would be more interesting to show a different side of a hospital than the existing medical shows did, where the main characters aren’t established doctors/surgeons, but rather people still in the middle of the learning process.

The show is mainly told through Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) eyes, and focuses on her and fellow interns: Christina Yang (Sandra Oh), Isobel Stevens (Katherine Heigl), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight), their friendship, their rivalry and their individual struggles to make it through one of the toughest medical programs there is.

Other featured characters are (starting with my favorite character) the five interns’ resident, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), often referred to as “the Nazi”; the attendings Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) and their rivalry over who’s to become the next Chief of Surgery; and finally, the current Chief of Surgery, Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.).

As for why I love this show so much, I first have to point out that I’m not a fan of medical dramas at all, but for some reason, this show just pulled me in. I find the characters highly interesting, and I guess I can just relate to that hopeless feeling you have when you start a new job and feel like you’re the only person who has no idea what to do. The characters feel human, feel reachable. They are not on some pedestal, but rather are just as big of a screw-up as the next person; it feels empowering to then watch these characters find a way to deal with their screw-ups, overcome their fears, and just do whatever it takes to get the job done, to save a life.

Fan fiction for this fandom is mainly split into three types of stories. First there are medical-focused stories, where the plot generally centers around one or more abnormal medical cases. Then there are the more character-based stories, looking into the past or the current struggle with a particular character. And then, of course we have the romance stories, which happens in pretty much every fandom. Here we can find popular pairings, such as; Meredith/Derek, Christina/Burke, Izzie/Alex, and Addison/Derek to name a few.

The thing to be careful about when writing for this show, which is the main reason I haven’t attempted writing a fanfic for it, so far, is the medical aspect of it. The main scenery in the show is set at the actual hospital, and for most longer stories that aren’t AU, hospitals scenes are more or less bound to come up. Grey’s Anatomy, like any other show, uses artistic liberty to bend the truth of the world they are portraying, such as recovery time, but the actual medical cases presented in the show are thoroughly researched to match real-life cases. So to do the show justice, a background in health care or friends in that sector would be very helpful. If not, then research will just have to be your friend.