July Featured Story: The Nothing Fights by somandalicious
Hello! I’m somandalicious -or Manda-whichever you prefer and I am really surprised that The Nothing Fights was chosen to be one of this month’s Featured Stories. I really do appreciate all of you that voted for it and I’m glad I was able to share this story and this honor with you.
For those of you that don’t know me, I’ll give a brief (very brief) autobiography of myself. I’m Manda. I’m from Illinois. I have a son named Evan. A boyfriend-fiance-pain-in-the-ass called Trouble. A beast of a cat named Ziggy Stardust. I enjoy reading, writing, vocabulary, dancing, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Lady Gaga, Sims 3, Merlin and most importantly, all things Harry Potter. Especially Draco and Hermione.
How did you get into D/Hr?
I have a cousin, Catey, and she is like my best friend. Well I never see her read anything more than a cosmo and I went over to stay with her and she was reading OOTP. I teased her about it. Mostly because I found it hilarious that she was even reading a book. So she said, "I bet you twenty dollars that you will want to read the second book after the first." I scoffed derisively but agreed, borrowed her copy of the Sorcerer’s Stone and went home. Three hours later I called her up, told her I was coming by with her twenty bucks but she had to lend me Chamber of Secrets. Needless to say I devoured the books. Then I still wanted more. At that point, HBP wasn’t coming out for like … I don’t know … five months? But I wanted to read more about Draco, mostly. At this point, I was pretty active in the Orlando Bloom fandom (Yes I wrote RPFF, and I was pretty good at it too!) Then I stumbled upon HPFF.net, but was turned off by a lot of poor quality Draco/Ginny fics. So I googled Draco Hermione Fanfiction and found CV. I fell in love there. The art, Raffy’s Vault. I felt like I had come home.
How long have you been writing D/Hr?
Shortly after finding CV. I wrote Lick’em Lollies. So 6ish years? Dang.
What is your writing process like?
What is a writing process? *scratches head*
No seriously. I don’t really have a process. I used to tell floorcoaster and spadul everything I had planned, turn on some music. I would live off of coca cola and cigarettes while my son slept and just wrote. Now…it is really hard for me to write. I try to outline. I try to lock myself in a quiet place (there is no such thing at my house). I try to bounce ideas off of people I know. It just doesn’t seem to work anymore. It breaks my heart that I lost my drive. Now I just try to write whatever I’m thinking about. It is working out okay.
How did you come up with the plot for this story?
I had stepped in as a pinch hitter for dmhgficexchange and then got a prompt that did not inspire me whatsoever. I had this story that was loosely based on You’re So Vain that took place at the Kentucky Derby and Hermione was drunk on Mint Juleps…Yeah. Didn’t go so well. floorcoaster hated my Draco. So I tossed that Idea. Then I started this fic in which Draco was an agoraphobic and lived across the alley from Hermione and he watched her while he wrote… but it turned into something bigger than the time frame allotted to me. Then, Trouble and I were arguing over which side of the bed was comfortable and having tug of war with the blankets and he says very dramatically “You’re a Brat that likes to fight over nothing!” Then he pouted. And then I remembered the skit by Dane Cook.
How did it develop?
Because pokeystar is hilarious and I’m certain that I was working to make her laugh and she’d mention a plot device and I’d run with it. I owe her a lot to this story. Without her it wouldn't have been what it was and I consider her more of a collaborator than just someone that motivated me.
How long did it take you to write it?
Four days.
Did you write as the mood hit or on a schedule?
Neither? I just sort of tried to write as much as possible in order to make my deadline.
Did you have it all plotted out, or did the story lead you instead?
Mostly the story led me. However, I knew that each nothing fight would drive Draco and Hermione to a monumental milestone in their relationship. I also knew that I wanted to use “Oldie” lyrics to decorate each vignette. I knew that I wanted them to have a pretty ordinary go of things. Like…letting a relationship between them develop in a normal, everyday way, but their fights about nothing is what defines them as special.
What is your favorite thing about this story?
Wow, gosh. I don’t … Draco. Everything he says, his character, his ridiculousness. I love making Draco eccentric and absurd in a very endearing way.
Is there something about it that surprised you?
How much of my relationship I subconsciously put into this story. I never intended it to be like that, but I drew from my experience with Trouble. The little things, like the scratching of the neck.
Was there a part that was difficult to write? If so, why?
Because floorcoaster is a Very Important Person to me, I take her suggestions and advice VERY SERIOUSLY. And in the beginning of the story, she felt that Hermione wouldn’t take Draco seriously and would be quick to point out his absurdness. So I was always trying to give good reasons why Draco could rile Hermione up with his ridiculous notions. But eventually, she gets used to him and thus, doesn’t take his jibes as seriously.
Do you have a favorite line of dialogue from the story?
All of them. I really can’t just pick one. Draco comes up with some whoppers. I think.
How did you come up with the title?
From Dane Cook, obviously.
What inspired you to keep writing it?
My Deadline and the desire not to disappoint or anger the mods of dmhgficexchange.
What is one thing you want people to take away from this story?
A smile. At the very least, anyway. I like to make people laugh and I wanted the readers to get a good chuckle, but mostly I hope that the readers at least smile while reading it.
For those of you that haven't read it:
The Nothing Fights
For those of you that don’t know me, I’ll give a brief (very brief) autobiography of myself. I’m Manda. I’m from Illinois. I have a son named Evan. A boyfriend-fiance-pain-in-the-ass called Trouble. A beast of a cat named Ziggy Stardust. I enjoy reading, writing, vocabulary, dancing, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Lady Gaga, Sims 3, Merlin and most importantly, all things Harry Potter. Especially Draco and Hermione.
How did you get into D/Hr?
I have a cousin, Catey, and she is like my best friend. Well I never see her read anything more than a cosmo and I went over to stay with her and she was reading OOTP. I teased her about it. Mostly because I found it hilarious that she was even reading a book. So she said, "I bet you twenty dollars that you will want to read the second book after the first." I scoffed derisively but agreed, borrowed her copy of the Sorcerer’s Stone and went home. Three hours later I called her up, told her I was coming by with her twenty bucks but she had to lend me Chamber of Secrets. Needless to say I devoured the books. Then I still wanted more. At that point, HBP wasn’t coming out for like … I don’t know … five months? But I wanted to read more about Draco, mostly. At this point, I was pretty active in the Orlando Bloom fandom (Yes I wrote RPFF, and I was pretty good at it too!) Then I stumbled upon HPFF.net, but was turned off by a lot of poor quality Draco/Ginny fics. So I googled Draco Hermione Fanfiction and found CV. I fell in love there. The art, Raffy’s Vault. I felt like I had come home.
How long have you been writing D/Hr?
Shortly after finding CV. I wrote Lick’em Lollies. So 6ish years? Dang.
What is your writing process like?
What is a writing process? *scratches head*
No seriously. I don’t really have a process. I used to tell floorcoaster and spadul everything I had planned, turn on some music. I would live off of coca cola and cigarettes while my son slept and just wrote. Now…it is really hard for me to write. I try to outline. I try to lock myself in a quiet place (there is no such thing at my house). I try to bounce ideas off of people I know. It just doesn’t seem to work anymore. It breaks my heart that I lost my drive. Now I just try to write whatever I’m thinking about. It is working out okay.
How did you come up with the plot for this story?
I had stepped in as a pinch hitter for dmhgficexchange and then got a prompt that did not inspire me whatsoever. I had this story that was loosely based on You’re So Vain that took place at the Kentucky Derby and Hermione was drunk on Mint Juleps…Yeah. Didn’t go so well. floorcoaster hated my Draco. So I tossed that Idea. Then I started this fic in which Draco was an agoraphobic and lived across the alley from Hermione and he watched her while he wrote… but it turned into something bigger than the time frame allotted to me. Then, Trouble and I were arguing over which side of the bed was comfortable and having tug of war with the blankets and he says very dramatically “You’re a Brat that likes to fight over nothing!” Then he pouted. And then I remembered the skit by Dane Cook.
How did it develop?
Because pokeystar is hilarious and I’m certain that I was working to make her laugh and she’d mention a plot device and I’d run with it. I owe her a lot to this story. Without her it wouldn't have been what it was and I consider her more of a collaborator than just someone that motivated me.
How long did it take you to write it?
Four days.
Did you write as the mood hit or on a schedule?
Neither? I just sort of tried to write as much as possible in order to make my deadline.
Did you have it all plotted out, or did the story lead you instead?
Mostly the story led me. However, I knew that each nothing fight would drive Draco and Hermione to a monumental milestone in their relationship. I also knew that I wanted to use “Oldie” lyrics to decorate each vignette. I knew that I wanted them to have a pretty ordinary go of things. Like…letting a relationship between them develop in a normal, everyday way, but their fights about nothing is what defines them as special.
What is your favorite thing about this story?
Wow, gosh. I don’t … Draco. Everything he says, his character, his ridiculousness. I love making Draco eccentric and absurd in a very endearing way.
Is there something about it that surprised you?
How much of my relationship I subconsciously put into this story. I never intended it to be like that, but I drew from my experience with Trouble. The little things, like the scratching of the neck.
Was there a part that was difficult to write? If so, why?
Because floorcoaster is a Very Important Person to me, I take her suggestions and advice VERY SERIOUSLY. And in the beginning of the story, she felt that Hermione wouldn’t take Draco seriously and would be quick to point out his absurdness. So I was always trying to give good reasons why Draco could rile Hermione up with his ridiculous notions. But eventually, she gets used to him and thus, doesn’t take his jibes as seriously.
Do you have a favorite line of dialogue from the story?
All of them. I really can’t just pick one. Draco comes up with some whoppers. I think.
How did you come up with the title?
From Dane Cook, obviously.
What inspired you to keep writing it?
My Deadline and the desire not to disappoint or anger the mods of dmhgficexchange.
What is one thing you want people to take away from this story?
A smile. At the very least, anyway. I like to make people laugh and I wanted the readers to get a good chuckle, but mostly I hope that the readers at least smile while reading it.
For those of you that haven't read it:
The Nothing Fights