Author Interview: Yarroway
Author Interview: Yarroway
On the House What-If Rec List there are 5 fantastic stories by yarroway, plus a photo gallery she contributed to srsly_yes' Karma on the Mississippi 'verse. You can find her online as yarroway on [LJ] and [AO3].
Please give her a warm welcome and interact in the comments section below.
The What-If Genre
As a writer and/or as a reader, what draws you to what-iffy fic?
I like taking the characters from their story and seeing what they do and who they are in a different kind of story or story setting. What if House weren’t in chronic pain? What if Wilson were the homeless psychotic? What if Chase was taken by body snatchers? What if the story was set in Imperial China?
As a Reader
What was the first House fic you remember reading, and why has it stuck with you?
I can’t remember the first House fic I read, but I think mer_duff's Paying The Price was the first House fic that I loved. I liked how the ‘villain’ was just one of the little things in life that can suddenly turn into disasters (though I like a good villain too). Add to that her beautiful writing, the hurt/comfort element, the humor and the very IC snark, and I was hooked.
What types of fics draw you in / are you drawn to as a reader?
One thing I've discovered from fandom is that sometimes I like things I never thought I would. I like all kinds of fics. Genre matters very little. Where I get picky is about characters. I’ve read some great fics focused on other characters, but my preference is stories about House, Wilson, or House/Wilson.
Some of your favorite House fics, and why? (Can be in what-iffy genre or any other type - categorize any way you like.)
Lately I've been craving apocalyptic and dystopian stories. Here are my favorites:
Alternatealto, Brain Creeper, the prequel to Menolly's Unbreakable A remarkably well-drawn dystopian universe that left me wanting more.
Bammel, Pandemic A plague is sweeping the globe. Every word of this short fic is perfect.
Curia_regis, Go Gentle into That Good Night This one hits you hard and just keeps hitting.
Housepiglet, Until Death Do Us Unite As much about zombies as it is about House.
Srsly_yes, Apocalypse House and Wilson right after some sort of huge catastrophe. This is the captivating fic that got me started on this whole apocalypse thing.
Starlingthefool, Rush Down Darkness A brilliant post-zombie apocalypse fic. House survives, and years later a journalist interviews him.
Tailkinker_au, Two Slaves Dystopian slave fic. Newly enslaved James meets old hand Greg, and we follow them through this chilling world.
Teawith, Moving to the Country Foreman and Chase after a pandemic. A different take on what the team might do, and I think a good one.
Triedunture, The Rampant Disease The Grand Dame of House zombie fics.
As a Writer
What do you struggle with as an author?
Commas. The little beasts get everywhere. I struggle with the last lines of fics, too. It’s tricky to bring a story to its conclusion. Endings can sound banal or pollyannish, but I have to wrap it up somehow.
I also have a lot of trouble evaluating my own writing. When I post a new work I feel good about it--sometimes I think it's the best thing I've written so far. Then I look at the same story a little while later and it's magically transformed itself into the worst thing ever.
Do you plan to continue writing House fic? (Please say yes.)
I'm not sure.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of the writing process?
If a story isn’t clear enough in my mind it will go into a stall and it is very difficult for me to finish it then. I just have no idea what comes next or how to get to the end, and writing becomes this plodding chore. What that used to mean is that I’d taken a wrong turn somewhere and needed to go back and take the story in a different direction, but these days it’s also a matter of letting a story sit for too long without working on it and having it go stale.
My favorite part is when the writing just flows and I can hear the characters in my head saying the lines I write for them. I’ve also had the experience of having a fan discussion turn into a fic idea, which was the spark for Dark Matter, and that was a great experience.
Self-recs - your favorite fics that you've written (and why)?
It really varies. At the moment it'd have to be Five Men Who…, which is one of the less popular things I've written and I love it for that, or Dark Matter because I thought I did okay with it and it gave the the season 8 I wanted. If I were in a mood for fluffier things I’d list Out and In and Bear.
How have you grown as a fanfic writer?
I like to think I’ve gotten better at writing. I hope I have. I feel like I have better control over my stories, and I’ve learned to tackle writer’s block.
What genres/works outside fandom have influenced you as a writer?
I bring myself to every fic, so anything I read or experience can come into play, but my primary influence is from within fandom.
What are you currently writing?
I know the basic idea behind the ending of Man In The Mirror, but I'm struggling with how to make it interesting. I’m also trying to write a story set it the Unbreakable universe, but I don’t know how successful I will be.
Describe how you collaborate with other writers to produce fic (co-authoring, betaing, etc.).
I have been so lucky. Srsly_yes is the best beta. A lot of the growth in my writing is frankly due to her. She doesn’t let me get away with sloppiness. Generally I send her a draft and she takes out her virtual red pencil and goes to town. Then I either make the changes she suggests, or I don’t. Sometimes I send a new draft back to her but that’s not typical. I beta in a very similar way, nit picky red pencil and all. Though if someone tells me they want something different from me I do my best to provide it.
I like reader feedback, and that’s been a great experience for me on LJ. There have been times that I changed things based on readers’ comments and it definitely improved the stories.
I’ve never collaborated. The closest I've come is writing two follow-ups to other writer’s fics. Damigella_314 wrote One Last Choice, which was a powerful story that just climbed into my head and demanded a response. So I wrote Wild, Wild Horses, and luckily she liked it enough to let me post. I also sort of collaborated on another project, but I'll get into that later.
What's one of the most memorable comments/reviews (sentiments) you've ever received?
They’re all memorable. I love it when someone leaves me a review, even if it’s just a few words. It makes me happy that someone liked the story enough to tell me so, and it motivates me to keep writing
Recently there was a minor incident where a reader left homophobic comments on a few slash fics, one of which was mine. I whined about it on my LJ and then Blackmare had the wonderful idea of running a slash challenge to sort of reply without replying to this person and their attitude. So Positively House/Wilson was born on House_Wilson and on AO3.
What was the most surprising turn your muse took in the middle of a piece (and do you know what inspired that to happen)?
That doesn’t generally happen to me. I typically know the story set up and have a sense of the ending before I begin to write, even though I am not sure how to get from point A to point Z. I usually also have a sort of theme or ‘feel’ in mind for the fic, and sticking close to that is how I blunder forwards.
I guess the closest I come is when I think a fic is done and it isn’t. Fire Pit started out as a one shot-the first chapter was a stand alone fic, and then somehow I ended up writing more. I had a love/hate relationship with the story while I was working on it, but much later I went back and realized I liked what I’d done with it.
Could you describe a memorable moment of fic inspiration?
This is the sort-of collaboration I mentioned earlier. When I read srsly_yes' haunting, evocative Confession I was entranced. I wanted more. She said all she had was Kyle and Wilson groping each other behind the high school bleachers. I wanted to know about this boy and Wilson and everything that happened back then… so I banged out the first version of Trespasses and sent it to Srsly as a present. She liked it and told me it was good enough to post. While I was polishing the story she asked if she could share it with hwshipper, which of course thrilled me. Then hwshipper told me she’d written a follow up, Kyle Calloway, Rock Star, and asked if that was okay with me, and I was just floored. Is it okay??? OF COURSE IT’S OKAY!! She captured everything I saw in Kyle and aged it forward and …and it was just a wonderful, amazing, perfect story.
I loved writing a trilogy with them. Constructing a fic out of what canon and Confession provided was a lot of fun, and seeing where Hwshipper took it was immensely satisfying.
What is the strangest/most interesting thing you ever researched for a fic?
The poisonous Hooded Pitohui for a Camp Sick!Wilson activity that I suspect we never used. Also food capitalization, but only after Flywoman's phone told me I had gotten it wrong.
Canon
Favorite House episodes? When did you start watching?
I started in Season 5. My favorite episodes are Damned if You Do, Poison, Histories, Three Stories, Skin Deep, Failure to Communicate, Son of a Coma Guy, Birthmarks, The Social Contract, Saviors, House, Divided, Under My Skin (the first half), Both Sides Now, Tyrant, Wilson, Known Unknowns, Black Hole, Transplant, C-Word, Post-Mortem and Holding On.
Personal headcanon(s)?
I don’t have a headcanon.
Which House characters speak to you (while you're trying to do other things…), or resonate with you?
I love House and Wilson best, but I also like Stacy and Dominika. Other characters I'm fond of include the Arnello brothers from Mob Rules, Georgia from Poison, Maddy from Merry Little Christmas and Dr. Cheng from Unplanned Parenthood. Over the years I’ve developed a real respect and liking for Foreman, too.
Other
Did you write fanfic before you got into the House fandom? What/when were your first fandom(s)?
Before House, most of my creative writing was done in my teen years and doesn't bear reading. Some of it was fanfiction and some of it was original. The less said about any of it, the better.
What are your favorite House comms on LJ, or other fan sites?
Sick_Wilson, of course!
Do you make fan vids or other non-fic fandom endeavors? Where do you post them?
I lack all talent at making vids. I'm one of the team of people who run Sick_Wilson and occasionally we hold fandom events here on LJ.
Anything else you'd like to share about yourself?
Umm… I like chocolate?
Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in your interview series. I’ve really enjoyed thinking about these questions and reading everyone’s answers.
On the House What-If Rec List there are 5 fantastic stories by yarroway, plus a photo gallery she contributed to srsly_yes' Karma on the Mississippi 'verse. You can find her online as yarroway on [LJ] and [AO3].
Please give her a warm welcome and interact in the comments section below.
The What-If Genre
As a writer and/or as a reader, what draws you to what-iffy fic?
I like taking the characters from their story and seeing what they do and who they are in a different kind of story or story setting. What if House weren’t in chronic pain? What if Wilson were the homeless psychotic? What if Chase was taken by body snatchers? What if the story was set in Imperial China?
As a Reader
What was the first House fic you remember reading, and why has it stuck with you?
I can’t remember the first House fic I read, but I think mer_duff's Paying The Price was the first House fic that I loved. I liked how the ‘villain’ was just one of the little things in life that can suddenly turn into disasters (though I like a good villain too). Add to that her beautiful writing, the hurt/comfort element, the humor and the very IC snark, and I was hooked.
What types of fics draw you in / are you drawn to as a reader?
One thing I've discovered from fandom is that sometimes I like things I never thought I would. I like all kinds of fics. Genre matters very little. Where I get picky is about characters. I’ve read some great fics focused on other characters, but my preference is stories about House, Wilson, or House/Wilson.
Some of your favorite House fics, and why? (Can be in what-iffy genre or any other type - categorize any way you like.)
Lately I've been craving apocalyptic and dystopian stories. Here are my favorites:
Alternatealto, Brain Creeper, the prequel to Menolly's Unbreakable A remarkably well-drawn dystopian universe that left me wanting more.
Bammel, Pandemic A plague is sweeping the globe. Every word of this short fic is perfect.
Curia_regis, Go Gentle into That Good Night This one hits you hard and just keeps hitting.
Housepiglet, Until Death Do Us Unite As much about zombies as it is about House.
Srsly_yes, Apocalypse House and Wilson right after some sort of huge catastrophe. This is the captivating fic that got me started on this whole apocalypse thing.
Starlingthefool, Rush Down Darkness A brilliant post-zombie apocalypse fic. House survives, and years later a journalist interviews him.
Tailkinker_au, Two Slaves Dystopian slave fic. Newly enslaved James meets old hand Greg, and we follow them through this chilling world.
Teawith, Moving to the Country Foreman and Chase after a pandemic. A different take on what the team might do, and I think a good one.
Triedunture, The Rampant Disease The Grand Dame of House zombie fics.
As a Writer
What do you struggle with as an author?
Commas. The little beasts get everywhere. I struggle with the last lines of fics, too. It’s tricky to bring a story to its conclusion. Endings can sound banal or pollyannish, but I have to wrap it up somehow.
I also have a lot of trouble evaluating my own writing. When I post a new work I feel good about it--sometimes I think it's the best thing I've written so far. Then I look at the same story a little while later and it's magically transformed itself into the worst thing ever.
Do you plan to continue writing House fic? (Please say yes.)
I'm not sure.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of the writing process?
If a story isn’t clear enough in my mind it will go into a stall and it is very difficult for me to finish it then. I just have no idea what comes next or how to get to the end, and writing becomes this plodding chore. What that used to mean is that I’d taken a wrong turn somewhere and needed to go back and take the story in a different direction, but these days it’s also a matter of letting a story sit for too long without working on it and having it go stale.
My favorite part is when the writing just flows and I can hear the characters in my head saying the lines I write for them. I’ve also had the experience of having a fan discussion turn into a fic idea, which was the spark for Dark Matter, and that was a great experience.
Self-recs - your favorite fics that you've written (and why)?
It really varies. At the moment it'd have to be Five Men Who…, which is one of the less popular things I've written and I love it for that, or Dark Matter because I thought I did okay with it and it gave the the season 8 I wanted. If I were in a mood for fluffier things I’d list Out and In and Bear.
How have you grown as a fanfic writer?
I like to think I’ve gotten better at writing. I hope I have. I feel like I have better control over my stories, and I’ve learned to tackle writer’s block.
What genres/works outside fandom have influenced you as a writer?
I bring myself to every fic, so anything I read or experience can come into play, but my primary influence is from within fandom.
What are you currently writing?
I know the basic idea behind the ending of Man In The Mirror, but I'm struggling with how to make it interesting. I’m also trying to write a story set it the Unbreakable universe, but I don’t know how successful I will be.
Describe how you collaborate with other writers to produce fic (co-authoring, betaing, etc.).
I have been so lucky. Srsly_yes is the best beta. A lot of the growth in my writing is frankly due to her. She doesn’t let me get away with sloppiness. Generally I send her a draft and she takes out her virtual red pencil and goes to town. Then I either make the changes she suggests, or I don’t. Sometimes I send a new draft back to her but that’s not typical. I beta in a very similar way, nit picky red pencil and all. Though if someone tells me they want something different from me I do my best to provide it.
I like reader feedback, and that’s been a great experience for me on LJ. There have been times that I changed things based on readers’ comments and it definitely improved the stories.
I’ve never collaborated. The closest I've come is writing two follow-ups to other writer’s fics. Damigella_314 wrote One Last Choice, which was a powerful story that just climbed into my head and demanded a response. So I wrote Wild, Wild Horses, and luckily she liked it enough to let me post. I also sort of collaborated on another project, but I'll get into that later.
What's one of the most memorable comments/reviews (sentiments) you've ever received?
They’re all memorable. I love it when someone leaves me a review, even if it’s just a few words. It makes me happy that someone liked the story enough to tell me so, and it motivates me to keep writing
Recently there was a minor incident where a reader left homophobic comments on a few slash fics, one of which was mine. I whined about it on my LJ and then Blackmare had the wonderful idea of running a slash challenge to sort of reply without replying to this person and their attitude. So Positively House/Wilson was born on House_Wilson and on AO3.
What was the most surprising turn your muse took in the middle of a piece (and do you know what inspired that to happen)?
That doesn’t generally happen to me. I typically know the story set up and have a sense of the ending before I begin to write, even though I am not sure how to get from point A to point Z. I usually also have a sort of theme or ‘feel’ in mind for the fic, and sticking close to that is how I blunder forwards.
I guess the closest I come is when I think a fic is done and it isn’t. Fire Pit started out as a one shot-the first chapter was a stand alone fic, and then somehow I ended up writing more. I had a love/hate relationship with the story while I was working on it, but much later I went back and realized I liked what I’d done with it.
Could you describe a memorable moment of fic inspiration?
This is the sort-of collaboration I mentioned earlier. When I read srsly_yes' haunting, evocative Confession I was entranced. I wanted more. She said all she had was Kyle and Wilson groping each other behind the high school bleachers. I wanted to know about this boy and Wilson and everything that happened back then… so I banged out the first version of Trespasses and sent it to Srsly as a present. She liked it and told me it was good enough to post. While I was polishing the story she asked if she could share it with hwshipper, which of course thrilled me. Then hwshipper told me she’d written a follow up, Kyle Calloway, Rock Star, and asked if that was okay with me, and I was just floored. Is it okay??? OF COURSE IT’S OKAY!! She captured everything I saw in Kyle and aged it forward and …and it was just a wonderful, amazing, perfect story.
I loved writing a trilogy with them. Constructing a fic out of what canon and Confession provided was a lot of fun, and seeing where Hwshipper took it was immensely satisfying.
What is the strangest/most interesting thing you ever researched for a fic?
The poisonous Hooded Pitohui for a Camp Sick!Wilson activity that I suspect we never used. Also food capitalization, but only after Flywoman's phone told me I had gotten it wrong.
Canon
Favorite House episodes? When did you start watching?
I started in Season 5. My favorite episodes are Damned if You Do, Poison, Histories, Three Stories, Skin Deep, Failure to Communicate, Son of a Coma Guy, Birthmarks, The Social Contract, Saviors, House, Divided, Under My Skin (the first half), Both Sides Now, Tyrant, Wilson, Known Unknowns, Black Hole, Transplant, C-Word, Post-Mortem and Holding On.
Personal headcanon(s)?
I don’t have a headcanon.
Which House characters speak to you (while you're trying to do other things…), or resonate with you?
I love House and Wilson best, but I also like Stacy and Dominika. Other characters I'm fond of include the Arnello brothers from Mob Rules, Georgia from Poison, Maddy from Merry Little Christmas and Dr. Cheng from Unplanned Parenthood. Over the years I’ve developed a real respect and liking for Foreman, too.
Other
Did you write fanfic before you got into the House fandom? What/when were your first fandom(s)?
Before House, most of my creative writing was done in my teen years and doesn't bear reading. Some of it was fanfiction and some of it was original. The less said about any of it, the better.
What are your favorite House comms on LJ, or other fan sites?
Sick_Wilson, of course!
Do you make fan vids or other non-fic fandom endeavors? Where do you post them?
I lack all talent at making vids. I'm one of the team of people who run Sick_Wilson and occasionally we hold fandom events here on LJ.
Anything else you'd like to share about yourself?
Umm… I like chocolate?
Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in your interview series. I’ve really enjoyed thinking about these questions and reading everyone’s answers.