The Examination: A Q&A with Hannah R. Orlove

[namasteyoga]

Happy snowy December to everyone. (Some of you seem to be having it snowier than others.)

I wanted to bring back some profiles of writers and their work as a whole, and we've got one here with hannahrorlove. You can find others by clicking on the "author profile" tag. To suggest other writers to interview, please drop me a note in this post.

hannahrorlove has been

Comments

[topaz_eyes]

You always have great characterization in your stories. Do you find it easier to write the characters in an AU fic, or in an in-verse fic? Do you approach them differently?

[hannahrorlove]

I don't find one situation easier than the other. I always know the characters have to be recognizably themselves as established by canon, whatever the extenuating circumstances, and both AU and in-verse fics call for emotional fidelity. If the characters aren't believable, the story flat-out won't work - unless the work doesn't involve characters at all, in which case we've moved into some sort of existentialist European comedy

[pwcorgigirl]

Something I always notice about your fic is how your characters are attuned to the natural world. It's not something one things about with House canon, which is mostly urban and indoors, but I think it adds a subtle richness and note of realism to your writing. How does that element come to be there?

[hannahrorlove]

I actually hadn't noticed that myself! It must have sneaked in when I wasn't paying attention. I'm going to have to be on the lookout for that now.

My best guess is that I included those things because they're details I tend to be aware of, making this a case of an author's unconscious thumbprint.