GETTING INTIMATE WITH XXMIRABELLAXX AKA _MIRABELLA_
THIS PART IS ALL ABOUT THE PROCESS INVOLVED IN WRITING FAN FICTIONS THEIR THOUGHTS AND FRUSTRATIONS BEFORE GIVING US THE FINISHED PRODUCTS WHICH WORM THEIR WAY INTO OUR HEARTS..
PART 2 ALL ABOUT WRITING FANFICTIONS.......
TINA: How and when did you decide to be a fanfic author?
MIRA: Weelll… Funny thing. I never thought about writing fanfic myself, even though I was a big reader. Even when I got ideas for stories,I’d just google the idea and read the closest version that popped up. Then last January I had an idea for a fic I wanted to read, but nobody had written about it yet. And I thought, “Maybe I should write it, then.” So I did.
TINA: What made you to sit down and actually write something?
MIRA: I wanted to read that story! At the time it was a small idea, sparked by aquariuslover’sFragile Essence, about YunJae growing up together at SM. So I thought, “I’ll just write a little drabble and get the idea out of my head.” But then it kept GROWING, until it became the extravaganza that we now know as Circling Fireflies.
TINA : What is the first fanfic you completed?
MIRA : If you don’t count tie-in oneshots like Hot and Dirty, then it’s At His Command. I wrote the whole thing in about a week at a (really boring) conference.
TINA : How did you get your idea for your first fanfic?
MIRA : Well, as I mentioned earlier, I was reading Fragile Essence, and I loved the idea of YunJae growing up together and their friendship turning into something deeper. And I could totally imagine that happening in their real lives, you know? So those two ideas-growing to love each other and dealing with all the IRL drama of being SM trainees-came together into one story.
TINA : Have you had any prior experience of writing before your first fanfic?
MIRA : Yes, but not this kind of writing. No, wait! I guess I wrote some super emostories in school, but I never wrote anything like the stuff I write now.
TINA : Have you ever plagued by doubts on your storyline?
MIRA : Oh god. Oh god. You have no idea. I’m getting a little better now, but when I first started writing, I would agonize over every detail. “This reader doesn’t understand why Jae would do that. Is he out of character? How can I fix that in the next chapter?” And even recently, with my dark and sexy Water God fic, I’m a bit out of my element (ha ha), so I wasn’t sure what to do with the plot. But I read the comments and saw what people liked and responded to, and finally found my way. Fingers crossed it works for everyone!
TINA : How did you promote your fanfic to readers?
MIRA : Promote? Hahahahahaha! I’m so new to that concept. I’ve relied almost exclusively on readers reccing me to their friends. I’d send out reminders on Tumblr sometimes that I was posting a chapter, but it was more to alert people who were already readers. And once I asked someone to rec me to one of those YunJae ficlist sites. But the site never added my story. But after a while, I had all these karma points on AFF and didn’t know what to do with them, so I decided to place an ad. I’ve done that three times now, with varied success. But that’s really it. I don’t know what else I could do. I’d love some advice. Anybody have any suggestions?
TINA : Have you ever been anxious about how the readers receive your story?
MIRA : Yes. Always. Even now. Even after all the support and the kind comments, I still get nervous when I post a new chapter. There’s usually a little pause after posting while everyone reads it, then I’ll get hit with a bunch of comments and messages at once. If they seem generally positive, I relax. But a few times,everyonewill notice the same problem: a cheesy line or unclear motivation. And that’s when I rush to fix it.
TINA : Thoughts on how you felt when you see the first comment on the first story? Do remember who is the first commenter?
MIRA : This is a very timely question! I just celebrated the first anniversary of Circling Fireflies and went back to look at the first comments on the fic. I was very insecure about my writing back then, and I expected people to tell me I sucked. But they didn’t. Neng2ovid and jjjung_jjjungee were the only commenters on the first chapter, and they both encouraged me to keep writing. And then I got eight subscribers that first week. EIGHT! I was blown away. (laughs at how naïve she was) I thought to myself, “Maybe I don’t suck at this. Maybe I can keep doing it.” It made all the difference in the world to hear some kind words.
TINA : How do you prepare yourself before writing a fanfic?
MIRA : Like…mentally prepare? I don’t. I’m usually writing the story in my head as I go through my day, figuring out plot points or thinking of things I need to add. So when I finally get time to write, I sit down and let it all flood out onto the page.
TINA : Do you work out plot line or do you prefer to see where your ideas or inspiration take you?
MIRA : Uhhh…both? I’ll leave Fireflies out of this, because it requires ridiculous amounts of planning and research and prep and is not a typical fanfic in any way. But my other stories… I start with an idea and a loose idea of the plot and characters. “It’s a story about a jaded cop and a young chaebol, and they’re both wounded in some way. And they’re the only people who can heal each other.” And then I’ll sit down and write a bit to see how that plays out on paper. “Oh. Oh! The cop rescues the chaebol and there’s an attraction, but the cop thinks it’s just gratitude.” And then I’ll keep writing and revising until I understand what I want to do with the plot from start to finish. Then I write in the details a chapter at a time as I post it.
TINA : When and how does your inspiration or muse come to you?
MIRA : I’ll see a YunJae video and wonder “What was really going on behind the scenes in that moment?” Or I’ll see a movie or read a story and think, “That’s perfect for YunJae.” And I’ll turn the idea over in my brain until I know what I want to say about it. I was inspired to write At His Command in a freakin’ FEVER because of Jaejoong’s enlistment announcement. So I guess the answer is “all the time” and “everywhere.”
TINA : What is the weirdest place you were struck by inspiration for your fanfic? Did you write the plot?
If yes what is the title of the fanfic?
MIRA:I guess the weirdest place is a sound booth at work. We were recording something and the sound designer had to go in and adjust the microphone for the guy talking. It was awkward because they were two straight guys having to stand really close and were clearly uncomfortable. And I thought how different it would be if it were YunJae in there. So I put a sound booth in Fireflies as Jae’s secret hiding spot, hoping to use it someday. And eventually I wrote Noisy.
TINA : How much research do you do for your story?
MIRA : For most of my fics, not much. Enough to make it believable. But let’s talk about Fireflies. Every chapter of that fic takes about eight hours to write. And I’m probably underestimating it. I watch all the videos I can find from that era in their lives. I read interviews and look at pictures. And then I consult all the charts and diagrams and character sketches I have and figure out how to fit DBSK’s real-life story into the AU story I’m trying to tell. And then I do even more research to make sure I get all the little details right. Like, recently I read a lot of information about Bora Bora. What are the resorts there like? What activities do they offer? What food do they serve? Who is likely to go there? What are the local sights? And so on. And I try to use as much of that information as I can so the story feels authentic. It’s a LOT of work.
TINA : What is the easiest part of writing?
MIRA : Oh, getting the ideas is the easy part. I have thousands of ideas knocking around in my head at any given time. I could start a new fic every day if I had the time.
TINA : What is the hardest part of writing a story?
MIRA : Actually sitting down and writing it. There are very talented authors out there who write fast and can bang out an8k chapter in no time at all, but that’s not me. I agonize over every word. It takes me so long! OTZ
TINA : The writer’s worst nightmare the dreaded writer’s block.When is the worst writer’s block you ever had? How did you overcome it?
MIRA : It was so bad I can’t even talk about. No, really. I’m serious. It was awful. My whole life shut down. It finally broke after I made some major life changes.
TINA : Any useful tips on how to overcome the writer’s block?
MIRA : I’ll be honest…there have been weeks when I haven’t felt much like writing and the chapters I post feel lackluster to me, but I try to push through it. I make myself write something every day, even if it’s just a few sentences. I find that if I sit down and start writing, then something comes out. It may not have anything to do with the story I wanted to write, but it might be something I can use somewhere else.
TINA : Have you written any collaboration with other author’s? If yes name of the fanfic.
MIRA : Nope. I sort of collaborated with some gifset artists: saramoonwolf and skellington. But it’s more accurate to say they inspired me.
TINA : How do you describe your writing style? Do you think you have your own personal writing style?
MIRA : I like to think I have my own style. I tell myself that I do. Readers have told me it’s “poetic”or “emotional.” But I would describe it as…detailed.
TINA : How do you think you have evolved creatively throughout the years? Do you notice any change in the way you write?
MIRA : I haven’t been writing long enough to notice much change. The biggest difference is in my confidence. When someone comments that something in my story doesn’t make sense, I used to assume it was my fault they didn’t understand and that I’d failed as a writer.Now, I think that it could be that they weren’t reading carefully or misinterpreted something. I don’t automatically think that I’m a bad writer.
TINA : How important are readers and their comments?
MIRA : They mean EVERYTHING. You can’t imagine how much I treasure them.I’ve had a few people write to tell me that they read my fics during a difficult time in their lives and it helped them through. Or it helped them feel better about themselves. Or it just distracted them when they were feeling low. I will save those messages forever. They touch me profoundly. I love knowing that my words have made a difference in someone’s life. Also, let’s be honest here: I write for the comments. The only reason I post this stuff online where other people can read it is so I can get feedback and become a better writer. The day people stop commenting is the day I stop writing. Because what would be the point then? Just shouting into the void all by my lonely self? No thank you.
TINA : I have been a silent reader for few months before taking the steps to comment. Any words for silent readers?
MIRA : Argh, this is tough. Because silent readers are so frustrating…but I used to be one, too. I could never think of anything to say except “I love your story” and that seemed so stupid. Especially when so many other people were saying it. But I didn’t know then how much writers NEED that comment, no matter how dumb. It was only when I started writing that I understood. Here’s my advice: if you’re afraid to comment, then message the author. I have several very shy readers who do that, and I love hearing from them. Or upvote, if you’re on AFF. It’s a quick and painless way to show you care. But finda way to give some sort of feedback. Even just “great job!” Otherwise, the author might stop writing because they think no one cares about their story. It happens.
TINA : Do you read other yunjae fanfics? If yes name of the fanfic you loved?
MIRA : I used to read a lot of them, but I’ve mostly stopped these days. I’m afraid that other authors’ stories will influence mine. Now, I just write. If you made it this far, you know that I’m a big fan of aquariuslover’s work. Her Damaged is hands-down the best YunJae story ever written, IMO.
TINA : Are you friends with any other author’s?
MIRA : Maybe not true offline friends, but I know a lot of people who create YunJae fanart and fanfic. They’re so talented!
TINA : How do you make your stories standout when there are heaps of other stories with similar plot lines?
MIRA : I don’t really worry about that, to be honest. I just write what I like and hope that other people like it, too.
TINA : Has anyone stole your story and published under their name?
MIRA : Not that I know of. What kind of soullessperson would do such a thing?
TINA : Thoughts on others stealing your work?
MIRA :Don’t do it! Or I’ll challenge you to a write-off in the style of my fics to prove who the real author is. And then I will stand over your defeated, humiliated corpse and laugh and laugh… (pauses) That doesn’t sound creepy, does it?
TINA : How do you manage your time between your daily activities and updating stories?
MIRA : Not very well. (cries) Seriously, I somehow ended up writing three chaptered fics at once. I try to update very week, so it’s a LOT of work. ISTG, once I finish Water God and JJ’s Hot Tips, it’s nothing but Fireflies until the end of the year…
TINA : DO you have any favorite time of the day to write stories?
MIRA : Late at night. Early in the morning. And recently, Saturday afternoons. Whenever I can grab a moment.
ALL ABOUT STORIES..........
TINA: What is the inspiration behind the fanfic “CIRCLING FIREFLIES”?
MIRA: Well, I talked about this a little earlier in the interview, about how I wanted to read this story but nobody had written it yet. But I can say in all honesty that without Aquariuslover’s “Fragile Essence,” there would be no Fireflies. I read her FE during a rough part of my life, and I got really into the story as a result. I was kind of escaping into that world for a bit. But I was so smitten with the idea of YunJae growing up together. Of them knowing each other so well and sharing all these little moments of friendship and daily life-and then their love and passion growing out of that. And I imagined what it would be like if they were trainees at SM Ent when it happened, with the whole world watching and waiting to condemn them. How would they handle it? And that idea is where Fireflies came from.
TINA: What factors contributed to the enormous success of this fanfic, and the reason behind creating a community dedicated to “CIRCLING FIREFLIES”?
MIRA: Hmm. I don’t think you can call it an enormous success. It’s not even my most popular fic, sadly. But it’s definitely my personal favorite. ^^ And Fireflies subscribers really “get” the story. They understand what I’m doing and are passionate about the characters and plot. It feels like we’re all on a journey together to see this semi-history of DBSK through to the end. That’s why I’d created the community. I wanted a private space for people who were committed to the story. The community is closed now, though, because I stopped posting on LJ. But I’ve seen most of my die-hard fans on AFF, so they’re hanging in there. ^^
TINA: A few words about the fanfic “JJ’S FOOLPROOG GUIDE TO SEDUCTION”? Thoughts and inspiration behind it?
MIRA: Oh wow. I don’t even know, honestly. That story is a fever dream for me. Pure crack! I just wanted to write something fun and fluffy, so I sat down and the first chapter practically wrote itself. I didn’t have a chaptered fic in mind at that point. But it was so much fun to write 4D, clumsy JJ infatuated with his hot neighbor and finding himself in these absurd situations-and readers seemed to really like it-so I kept going.
TINA: A few words on its ongoing sequel?
MIRA: I have neglected the sequel shamefully. But that’s about to change! We’re getting close to the end, so I’m devoting myself exclusively to JJ’s Hot Tips for a month or so until it’s done. This sequel is tricky to write because it starts with Yunho lying and them breaking up. But I think it’s becoming obvious that these two awkward souls belong together. ^^
TINA: Thoughts and inspiration behind the fanfic “AT HIS COMMAND” and its sequel “A GIFT FOR HIS COMMANDER”?
MIRA: I wrote AHC over the course of one week at a boring business convention. The news was full of Jaejoong and Yunho’s military enlistment and as the saying goes “Cassies are the only fandom that’s happy their oppas are going into the army.” I kept searching for YunJae military reunion fics, but there wasn’t much out there. So, I sat down, got possessed by the Smut Gods, and wrote AHC. And then so many people asked for a sequel, that I continued YunJae’s kinky adventures in AGFHC.
TINA: A few words about the double shot “UNBOUND”?
MIRA: It was my first completely AU story. Everything else I’d written before that was either semi-AU (Fireflies related) or based on YunJae’s real life. I was nervous that readers wouldn’t like characters that weren’t completely YunJae. But it went over well! The comments I got on chapter 2 are some of my all-time favorites. (laughs) The sex scene left readers speechless. (laughs harder) Did I mention that I really enjoy writing smut?
TINA: What about your one shots? Anything to say?
MIRA: Just that I wish I could still write one shots! Everything turns into a chaptered fic these days. (cries) But seriously, most of my one shots are fluffy or fun and should be considered the fic version of bonbons. Except Messy.
TINA: What are your thoughts and inspiration behind “MESSY” and its sequel “COME CLEAN”?
MIRA: Messy was a bonus fic, written to say thank you to my Fireflies readers. I wanted to play around with reader’s expectations a bit, especially when it comes to some of the clichés we see all the time in YunJae fanfics. So, for a change, Jae was the wealthy, successful businessman seducing shy, penniless Yunho. The role reversal was fun and made for an interesting story, I think. It felt refreshing, to me. Some commenters asked suspiciously “Are you sure this isn’t JaeHo?” which made me smile. The whole story was me messing around with tropes, but readers liked it. So, I wrote Come Clean as my next bonus story. Oh! And of course, I got the original idea for the fic from saramoonwolf’s hilarious gifset. One of her gifs inspired Unbound, too, so yeah…she’s really talented.
TINA: Any new fanfics we readers should watch out for?
MIRA: I just started a vampire story that readers might enjoy. It’s based on a prompt from my beta-readers about sophisticated older vampire lord Yunho and young, damaged newly-turned vamp Jae. I didn’t think I had much to say about vampires, but it looks like I do! This going to be one dark and sexy fic. Also, if The Water God gets 1000 comments (and it’s close), then I have an EXTREMELY smutty epilogue planned.
TINA: Are there any invite-only fanfics? What should a reader do to get invited?
MIRA: Yes, there are! I write a bonus every ten chapters or so of Fireflies. It’s my way of saying thank you to the readers who stick with me through this rollercoaster-ride of a story. In the past, I’ve invited anybody who commented on, say, chapters 18-20. But the final bonus fic for Mad Love is coming up in a few chapters, and I want to reward readers who always comment on every chapter. So, I’m making it harder to get invited. When I post chapter 30, I’m going to randomly select a chapter between ch 24 and ch 29 and only invite the people who commented on it. It’s like a lottery: the more chapters you comment on, the better your odds of winning. Oh! And the bonus fic will be the conclusion of Messy/Come Clean. Can that mismatched, topsy-turvy Yunjae couple build a life together? Or will all the messy parts of their lives tear them apart? We’ll see. ^^
TINA:Coming to my favorite fanfic "THE WATER GOD".What is the inspiration behind this much loved fanfic ?
MIRA: I was on Tumblr one day and saw a gifset by skellengton of Jae lying down by a pool. The images were sooo beautiful and sensual. There was one gif where his arm lazily dips down toward the water and the reflection makes it look like another hand is reaching back from under the water’s surface. I got this idea about a water god living in the pool and falling in love with Jae. At first, it was supposed to be a quick and smutty double shot where Yunho snatches Jae away to his palace and they have filthydirty sex and that’s pretty much it. But you know me. I always have to develop the characters and put in more plot (cries), so the story kept growing. I wasn’t sure where it was going at first, but pretty soon it had turned into this big, epic story of star-crossed lovers separated by an evil god and had all these dramatic twists and turns. I’ll never understand how I got from lovely, serene gifset to THAT, but people seem to really like it.
TINA: Have you done any research for this fanfic?
MIRA: No, not really. I mean, I’ve read lots of mythology in the past and seen some fantasy/supernatural shows, so that’s where I got some of my ideas for stuff like Yunho’s powers. It’s honestly just a big mishmash of influences from all over literature and history. I deliberately kept the location and mythology vague so it would work for whatever readers wanted it to be.
TINA:Why the limit to 1000 comments before posting an epilogue?
MIRA:The 1000 comment thing is for two reasons:
1) to give myself a little break before writing it. I figures it would take a while to get there and give me a chance to work on other stories
2) to encourage readers who usually don't leave comments to say something. There are a LOOOTTT of silent readers on my fics and it can get really frustrating. :/
But mostly #1, to give myself a little break. ^^
My favorite topic SMUT ........
TINA : Before we go in to the topic. What is that yunjae has that makes us all perverts..I swear I wasn’t this perverted before in fact I’ve never read a gay smut before yunjae..Now I absolutely love it when I am reading the smut, and to makes us be tolerant to incest, bdsm, rape (only yun and jae) and other dark arts we don’t really like them in real life..LET’S FIND OUT:
TINA : So tells us why are we so interested to read these taboo topics when it comes to yunjae?
MIRA : Well, we aren’t all that tolerant. Many people won’t read incest or underage stuff. And I even have some readers who don’t like smut at all, hard as that is to imagine for the rest of us. But that’s how they feel and I respect it. But I think that YunJae gives us a chance to let our imaginations run free. It’s fantasy, you know? Why should there be limits? And, speaking for myself, I look at a love like I imagine for YunJae in my fics, and there are no boundaries to it. It’s true love. It accepts everything. So why not let your mind run wild?
TINA : How difficult or easy is writing smut?
MIRA : Oh boy. It didn’t come naturally to me at first, but I’ve gotten better at it. I hope. The hard part is trying to make each smut scene unique and interesting. I mean, there are only so many ways to describe an orgasm. But I try to make each scene appropriate for what the characters are feeling and the events they are experiencing in their lives. And maybe add a little twist here and there.
TINA : Do you blush or get embarrassed while writing smut?
MIRA : Not anymore! But getting to this point was a journey.I started out writing some sexy thoughts in Hot, then tasteful masturbation in Dirty. Then some discreet making out in the early part of First Love. Then Jaejoong announced his enlistment and BOOM! I was held prisoner by the smut gods for a week until I had written At His Command. I still can’t believe that fic came out of me. After that, the seal was broken and I wrote Unbound, which is probably my smuttiest fic. And that destroyed any remaining scrap of shame I still had. Nothing fazes me now.
TINA : How do you write the sex scene? What is the inspiration?
MIRA : YunJae, always. Their real story or the story I’m writing. The sex has to fit into the narrative. I’ll never write a sex scene because I’m thinking, “Oh, it’s been three chapters, better have some sexytimes!” No. Never. It’s always, “The characters have had an emotional breakthrough and need to express these strong feelings somehow. If only there was a way…” Of course, sometimes the story is mostly about sex (cough A Gift for His Commander cough), but it still fits in with what YunJae is feeling in the story. As for inspiration, I’ve lived a fun life, and I have a good imagination. ‘Nuff said.
TINA : Have you ever watched GV before writing a smut scene?
MIRA : Nah. I’ve read some yaoi, but never as inspiration for any of my writing. I read it because yaoi is hot as hell. (laughs)
TINA : Has any family member or friends have ever walked on you while writing a sex scene?
MIRA:I wrote the main sex scene for Unbound while sitting in a crowded room with people coming and going. They all thought I was writing up a project. “Look at you, concentrating so hard!” Hahahahaha!
TINA : Thoughts after writing your first ever sex scene?
MIRA :“I can never show this to anyone.” (Three minutes later posts it on AFF)
TINA : What is the secret of writing a sex scene that turns on your readers?
MIRA : I don’t know. Are people turned on by the smut in my fics?(Turns to readers in surprise) Are you? Hmm. What readers tell me is that they like the combination of tenderness and heat in my sex scenes. No matter how steamy or kinky things get, you can feel how much YunJae love each other. Even in Unbound, where their true feelings are an enigma, you can tell they need and care about each other. If that feeling isn’t there, they aren’t having sex. Not in my fics. I mean, look at Messy.
TINA : Still writing or you stopped now?
MIRA : I WRITE SO MUCH. (collapses to the floor)
TINA : Future yunjae projects?
MIRA : Reuniting them after they get out of the military! (laughs) But getting serious?No. My current plan is to finish up the two shorter chaptered fics I’m working on in the next few months and then devote myself to finishing Fireflies. I want to finish Mad Love before the end of the year.
TINA : Have you anytime in future have plans on deleting your journal?
MIRA :Nah. I’m good right now.
TINA : Any words for the readers?
MIRA : I love you! ♥
End of part 2.
PART 2 ALL ABOUT WRITING FANFICTIONS.......
TINA: How and when did you decide to be a fanfic author?
MIRA: Weelll… Funny thing. I never thought about writing fanfic myself, even though I was a big reader. Even when I got ideas for stories,I’d just google the idea and read the closest version that popped up. Then last January I had an idea for a fic I wanted to read, but nobody had written about it yet. And I thought, “Maybe I should write it, then.” So I did.
TINA: What made you to sit down and actually write something?
MIRA: I wanted to read that story! At the time it was a small idea, sparked by aquariuslover’sFragile Essence, about YunJae growing up together at SM. So I thought, “I’ll just write a little drabble and get the idea out of my head.” But then it kept GROWING, until it became the extravaganza that we now know as Circling Fireflies.
TINA : What is the first fanfic you completed?
MIRA : If you don’t count tie-in oneshots like Hot and Dirty, then it’s At His Command. I wrote the whole thing in about a week at a (really boring) conference.
TINA : How did you get your idea for your first fanfic?
MIRA : Well, as I mentioned earlier, I was reading Fragile Essence, and I loved the idea of YunJae growing up together and their friendship turning into something deeper. And I could totally imagine that happening in their real lives, you know? So those two ideas-growing to love each other and dealing with all the IRL drama of being SM trainees-came together into one story.
TINA : Have you had any prior experience of writing before your first fanfic?
MIRA : Yes, but not this kind of writing. No, wait! I guess I wrote some super emostories in school, but I never wrote anything like the stuff I write now.
TINA : Have you ever plagued by doubts on your storyline?
MIRA : Oh god. Oh god. You have no idea. I’m getting a little better now, but when I first started writing, I would agonize over every detail. “This reader doesn’t understand why Jae would do that. Is he out of character? How can I fix that in the next chapter?” And even recently, with my dark and sexy Water God fic, I’m a bit out of my element (ha ha), so I wasn’t sure what to do with the plot. But I read the comments and saw what people liked and responded to, and finally found my way. Fingers crossed it works for everyone!
TINA : How did you promote your fanfic to readers?
MIRA : Promote? Hahahahahaha! I’m so new to that concept. I’ve relied almost exclusively on readers reccing me to their friends. I’d send out reminders on Tumblr sometimes that I was posting a chapter, but it was more to alert people who were already readers. And once I asked someone to rec me to one of those YunJae ficlist sites. But the site never added my story. But after a while, I had all these karma points on AFF and didn’t know what to do with them, so I decided to place an ad. I’ve done that three times now, with varied success. But that’s really it. I don’t know what else I could do. I’d love some advice. Anybody have any suggestions?
TINA : Have you ever been anxious about how the readers receive your story?
MIRA : Yes. Always. Even now. Even after all the support and the kind comments, I still get nervous when I post a new chapter. There’s usually a little pause after posting while everyone reads it, then I’ll get hit with a bunch of comments and messages at once. If they seem generally positive, I relax. But a few times,everyonewill notice the same problem: a cheesy line or unclear motivation. And that’s when I rush to fix it.
TINA : Thoughts on how you felt when you see the first comment on the first story? Do remember who is the first commenter?
MIRA : This is a very timely question! I just celebrated the first anniversary of Circling Fireflies and went back to look at the first comments on the fic. I was very insecure about my writing back then, and I expected people to tell me I sucked. But they didn’t. Neng2ovid and jjjung_jjjungee were the only commenters on the first chapter, and they both encouraged me to keep writing. And then I got eight subscribers that first week. EIGHT! I was blown away. (laughs at how naïve she was) I thought to myself, “Maybe I don’t suck at this. Maybe I can keep doing it.” It made all the difference in the world to hear some kind words.
TINA : How do you prepare yourself before writing a fanfic?
MIRA : Like…mentally prepare? I don’t. I’m usually writing the story in my head as I go through my day, figuring out plot points or thinking of things I need to add. So when I finally get time to write, I sit down and let it all flood out onto the page.
TINA : Do you work out plot line or do you prefer to see where your ideas or inspiration take you?
MIRA : Uhhh…both? I’ll leave Fireflies out of this, because it requires ridiculous amounts of planning and research and prep and is not a typical fanfic in any way. But my other stories… I start with an idea and a loose idea of the plot and characters. “It’s a story about a jaded cop and a young chaebol, and they’re both wounded in some way. And they’re the only people who can heal each other.” And then I’ll sit down and write a bit to see how that plays out on paper. “Oh. Oh! The cop rescues the chaebol and there’s an attraction, but the cop thinks it’s just gratitude.” And then I’ll keep writing and revising until I understand what I want to do with the plot from start to finish. Then I write in the details a chapter at a time as I post it.
TINA : When and how does your inspiration or muse come to you?
MIRA : I’ll see a YunJae video and wonder “What was really going on behind the scenes in that moment?” Or I’ll see a movie or read a story and think, “That’s perfect for YunJae.” And I’ll turn the idea over in my brain until I know what I want to say about it. I was inspired to write At His Command in a freakin’ FEVER because of Jaejoong’s enlistment announcement. So I guess the answer is “all the time” and “everywhere.”
TINA : What is the weirdest place you were struck by inspiration for your fanfic? Did you write the plot?
If yes what is the title of the fanfic?
MIRA:I guess the weirdest place is a sound booth at work. We were recording something and the sound designer had to go in and adjust the microphone for the guy talking. It was awkward because they were two straight guys having to stand really close and were clearly uncomfortable. And I thought how different it would be if it were YunJae in there. So I put a sound booth in Fireflies as Jae’s secret hiding spot, hoping to use it someday. And eventually I wrote Noisy.
TINA : How much research do you do for your story?
MIRA : For most of my fics, not much. Enough to make it believable. But let’s talk about Fireflies. Every chapter of that fic takes about eight hours to write. And I’m probably underestimating it. I watch all the videos I can find from that era in their lives. I read interviews and look at pictures. And then I consult all the charts and diagrams and character sketches I have and figure out how to fit DBSK’s real-life story into the AU story I’m trying to tell. And then I do even more research to make sure I get all the little details right. Like, recently I read a lot of information about Bora Bora. What are the resorts there like? What activities do they offer? What food do they serve? Who is likely to go there? What are the local sights? And so on. And I try to use as much of that information as I can so the story feels authentic. It’s a LOT of work.
TINA : What is the easiest part of writing?
MIRA : Oh, getting the ideas is the easy part. I have thousands of ideas knocking around in my head at any given time. I could start a new fic every day if I had the time.
TINA : What is the hardest part of writing a story?
MIRA : Actually sitting down and writing it. There are very talented authors out there who write fast and can bang out an8k chapter in no time at all, but that’s not me. I agonize over every word. It takes me so long! OTZ
TINA : The writer’s worst nightmare the dreaded writer’s block.When is the worst writer’s block you ever had? How did you overcome it?
MIRA : It was so bad I can’t even talk about. No, really. I’m serious. It was awful. My whole life shut down. It finally broke after I made some major life changes.
TINA : Any useful tips on how to overcome the writer’s block?
MIRA : I’ll be honest…there have been weeks when I haven’t felt much like writing and the chapters I post feel lackluster to me, but I try to push through it. I make myself write something every day, even if it’s just a few sentences. I find that if I sit down and start writing, then something comes out. It may not have anything to do with the story I wanted to write, but it might be something I can use somewhere else.
TINA : Have you written any collaboration with other author’s? If yes name of the fanfic.
MIRA : Nope. I sort of collaborated with some gifset artists: saramoonwolf and skellington. But it’s more accurate to say they inspired me.
TINA : How do you describe your writing style? Do you think you have your own personal writing style?
MIRA : I like to think I have my own style. I tell myself that I do. Readers have told me it’s “poetic”or “emotional.” But I would describe it as…detailed.
TINA : How do you think you have evolved creatively throughout the years? Do you notice any change in the way you write?
MIRA : I haven’t been writing long enough to notice much change. The biggest difference is in my confidence. When someone comments that something in my story doesn’t make sense, I used to assume it was my fault they didn’t understand and that I’d failed as a writer.Now, I think that it could be that they weren’t reading carefully or misinterpreted something. I don’t automatically think that I’m a bad writer.
TINA : How important are readers and their comments?
MIRA : They mean EVERYTHING. You can’t imagine how much I treasure them.I’ve had a few people write to tell me that they read my fics during a difficult time in their lives and it helped them through. Or it helped them feel better about themselves. Or it just distracted them when they were feeling low. I will save those messages forever. They touch me profoundly. I love knowing that my words have made a difference in someone’s life. Also, let’s be honest here: I write for the comments. The only reason I post this stuff online where other people can read it is so I can get feedback and become a better writer. The day people stop commenting is the day I stop writing. Because what would be the point then? Just shouting into the void all by my lonely self? No thank you.
TINA : I have been a silent reader for few months before taking the steps to comment. Any words for silent readers?
MIRA : Argh, this is tough. Because silent readers are so frustrating…but I used to be one, too. I could never think of anything to say except “I love your story” and that seemed so stupid. Especially when so many other people were saying it. But I didn’t know then how much writers NEED that comment, no matter how dumb. It was only when I started writing that I understood. Here’s my advice: if you’re afraid to comment, then message the author. I have several very shy readers who do that, and I love hearing from them. Or upvote, if you’re on AFF. It’s a quick and painless way to show you care. But finda way to give some sort of feedback. Even just “great job!” Otherwise, the author might stop writing because they think no one cares about their story. It happens.
TINA : Do you read other yunjae fanfics? If yes name of the fanfic you loved?
MIRA : I used to read a lot of them, but I’ve mostly stopped these days. I’m afraid that other authors’ stories will influence mine. Now, I just write. If you made it this far, you know that I’m a big fan of aquariuslover’s work. Her Damaged is hands-down the best YunJae story ever written, IMO.
TINA : Are you friends with any other author’s?
MIRA : Maybe not true offline friends, but I know a lot of people who create YunJae fanart and fanfic. They’re so talented!
TINA : How do you make your stories standout when there are heaps of other stories with similar plot lines?
MIRA : I don’t really worry about that, to be honest. I just write what I like and hope that other people like it, too.
TINA : Has anyone stole your story and published under their name?
MIRA : Not that I know of. What kind of soullessperson would do such a thing?
TINA : Thoughts on others stealing your work?
MIRA :Don’t do it! Or I’ll challenge you to a write-off in the style of my fics to prove who the real author is. And then I will stand over your defeated, humiliated corpse and laugh and laugh… (pauses) That doesn’t sound creepy, does it?
TINA : How do you manage your time between your daily activities and updating stories?
MIRA : Not very well. (cries) Seriously, I somehow ended up writing three chaptered fics at once. I try to update very week, so it’s a LOT of work. ISTG, once I finish Water God and JJ’s Hot Tips, it’s nothing but Fireflies until the end of the year…
TINA : DO you have any favorite time of the day to write stories?
MIRA : Late at night. Early in the morning. And recently, Saturday afternoons. Whenever I can grab a moment.
ALL ABOUT STORIES..........
TINA: What is the inspiration behind the fanfic “CIRCLING FIREFLIES”?
MIRA: Well, I talked about this a little earlier in the interview, about how I wanted to read this story but nobody had written it yet. But I can say in all honesty that without Aquariuslover’s “Fragile Essence,” there would be no Fireflies. I read her FE during a rough part of my life, and I got really into the story as a result. I was kind of escaping into that world for a bit. But I was so smitten with the idea of YunJae growing up together. Of them knowing each other so well and sharing all these little moments of friendship and daily life-and then their love and passion growing out of that. And I imagined what it would be like if they were trainees at SM Ent when it happened, with the whole world watching and waiting to condemn them. How would they handle it? And that idea is where Fireflies came from.
TINA: What factors contributed to the enormous success of this fanfic, and the reason behind creating a community dedicated to “CIRCLING FIREFLIES”?
MIRA: Hmm. I don’t think you can call it an enormous success. It’s not even my most popular fic, sadly. But it’s definitely my personal favorite. ^^ And Fireflies subscribers really “get” the story. They understand what I’m doing and are passionate about the characters and plot. It feels like we’re all on a journey together to see this semi-history of DBSK through to the end. That’s why I’d created the community. I wanted a private space for people who were committed to the story. The community is closed now, though, because I stopped posting on LJ. But I’ve seen most of my die-hard fans on AFF, so they’re hanging in there. ^^
TINA: A few words about the fanfic “JJ’S FOOLPROOG GUIDE TO SEDUCTION”? Thoughts and inspiration behind it?
MIRA: Oh wow. I don’t even know, honestly. That story is a fever dream for me. Pure crack! I just wanted to write something fun and fluffy, so I sat down and the first chapter practically wrote itself. I didn’t have a chaptered fic in mind at that point. But it was so much fun to write 4D, clumsy JJ infatuated with his hot neighbor and finding himself in these absurd situations-and readers seemed to really like it-so I kept going.
TINA: A few words on its ongoing sequel?
MIRA: I have neglected the sequel shamefully. But that’s about to change! We’re getting close to the end, so I’m devoting myself exclusively to JJ’s Hot Tips for a month or so until it’s done. This sequel is tricky to write because it starts with Yunho lying and them breaking up. But I think it’s becoming obvious that these two awkward souls belong together. ^^
TINA: Thoughts and inspiration behind the fanfic “AT HIS COMMAND” and its sequel “A GIFT FOR HIS COMMANDER”?
MIRA: I wrote AHC over the course of one week at a boring business convention. The news was full of Jaejoong and Yunho’s military enlistment and as the saying goes “Cassies are the only fandom that’s happy their oppas are going into the army.” I kept searching for YunJae military reunion fics, but there wasn’t much out there. So, I sat down, got possessed by the Smut Gods, and wrote AHC. And then so many people asked for a sequel, that I continued YunJae’s kinky adventures in AGFHC.
TINA: A few words about the double shot “UNBOUND”?
MIRA: It was my first completely AU story. Everything else I’d written before that was either semi-AU (Fireflies related) or based on YunJae’s real life. I was nervous that readers wouldn’t like characters that weren’t completely YunJae. But it went over well! The comments I got on chapter 2 are some of my all-time favorites. (laughs) The sex scene left readers speechless. (laughs harder) Did I mention that I really enjoy writing smut?
TINA: What about your one shots? Anything to say?
MIRA: Just that I wish I could still write one shots! Everything turns into a chaptered fic these days. (cries) But seriously, most of my one shots are fluffy or fun and should be considered the fic version of bonbons. Except Messy.
TINA: What are your thoughts and inspiration behind “MESSY” and its sequel “COME CLEAN”?
MIRA: Messy was a bonus fic, written to say thank you to my Fireflies readers. I wanted to play around with reader’s expectations a bit, especially when it comes to some of the clichés we see all the time in YunJae fanfics. So, for a change, Jae was the wealthy, successful businessman seducing shy, penniless Yunho. The role reversal was fun and made for an interesting story, I think. It felt refreshing, to me. Some commenters asked suspiciously “Are you sure this isn’t JaeHo?” which made me smile. The whole story was me messing around with tropes, but readers liked it. So, I wrote Come Clean as my next bonus story. Oh! And of course, I got the original idea for the fic from saramoonwolf’s hilarious gifset. One of her gifs inspired Unbound, too, so yeah…she’s really talented.
TINA: Any new fanfics we readers should watch out for?
MIRA: I just started a vampire story that readers might enjoy. It’s based on a prompt from my beta-readers about sophisticated older vampire lord Yunho and young, damaged newly-turned vamp Jae. I didn’t think I had much to say about vampires, but it looks like I do! This going to be one dark and sexy fic. Also, if The Water God gets 1000 comments (and it’s close), then I have an EXTREMELY smutty epilogue planned.
TINA: Are there any invite-only fanfics? What should a reader do to get invited?
MIRA: Yes, there are! I write a bonus every ten chapters or so of Fireflies. It’s my way of saying thank you to the readers who stick with me through this rollercoaster-ride of a story. In the past, I’ve invited anybody who commented on, say, chapters 18-20. But the final bonus fic for Mad Love is coming up in a few chapters, and I want to reward readers who always comment on every chapter. So, I’m making it harder to get invited. When I post chapter 30, I’m going to randomly select a chapter between ch 24 and ch 29 and only invite the people who commented on it. It’s like a lottery: the more chapters you comment on, the better your odds of winning. Oh! And the bonus fic will be the conclusion of Messy/Come Clean. Can that mismatched, topsy-turvy Yunjae couple build a life together? Or will all the messy parts of their lives tear them apart? We’ll see. ^^
TINA:Coming to my favorite fanfic "THE WATER GOD".What is the inspiration behind this much loved fanfic ?
MIRA: I was on Tumblr one day and saw a gifset by skellengton of Jae lying down by a pool. The images were sooo beautiful and sensual. There was one gif where his arm lazily dips down toward the water and the reflection makes it look like another hand is reaching back from under the water’s surface. I got this idea about a water god living in the pool and falling in love with Jae. At first, it was supposed to be a quick and smutty double shot where Yunho snatches Jae away to his palace and they have filthydirty sex and that’s pretty much it. But you know me. I always have to develop the characters and put in more plot (cries), so the story kept growing. I wasn’t sure where it was going at first, but pretty soon it had turned into this big, epic story of star-crossed lovers separated by an evil god and had all these dramatic twists and turns. I’ll never understand how I got from lovely, serene gifset to THAT, but people seem to really like it.
TINA: Have you done any research for this fanfic?
MIRA: No, not really. I mean, I’ve read lots of mythology in the past and seen some fantasy/supernatural shows, so that’s where I got some of my ideas for stuff like Yunho’s powers. It’s honestly just a big mishmash of influences from all over literature and history. I deliberately kept the location and mythology vague so it would work for whatever readers wanted it to be.
TINA:Why the limit to 1000 comments before posting an epilogue?
MIRA:The 1000 comment thing is for two reasons:
1) to give myself a little break before writing it. I figures it would take a while to get there and give me a chance to work on other stories
2) to encourage readers who usually don't leave comments to say something. There are a LOOOTTT of silent readers on my fics and it can get really frustrating. :/
But mostly #1, to give myself a little break. ^^
My favorite topic SMUT ........
TINA : Before we go in to the topic. What is that yunjae has that makes us all perverts..I swear I wasn’t this perverted before in fact I’ve never read a gay smut before yunjae..Now I absolutely love it when I am reading the smut, and to makes us be tolerant to incest, bdsm, rape (only yun and jae) and other dark arts we don’t really like them in real life..LET’S FIND OUT:
TINA : So tells us why are we so interested to read these taboo topics when it comes to yunjae?
MIRA : Well, we aren’t all that tolerant. Many people won’t read incest or underage stuff. And I even have some readers who don’t like smut at all, hard as that is to imagine for the rest of us. But that’s how they feel and I respect it. But I think that YunJae gives us a chance to let our imaginations run free. It’s fantasy, you know? Why should there be limits? And, speaking for myself, I look at a love like I imagine for YunJae in my fics, and there are no boundaries to it. It’s true love. It accepts everything. So why not let your mind run wild?
TINA : How difficult or easy is writing smut?
MIRA : Oh boy. It didn’t come naturally to me at first, but I’ve gotten better at it. I hope. The hard part is trying to make each smut scene unique and interesting. I mean, there are only so many ways to describe an orgasm. But I try to make each scene appropriate for what the characters are feeling and the events they are experiencing in their lives. And maybe add a little twist here and there.
TINA : Do you blush or get embarrassed while writing smut?
MIRA : Not anymore! But getting to this point was a journey.I started out writing some sexy thoughts in Hot, then tasteful masturbation in Dirty. Then some discreet making out in the early part of First Love. Then Jaejoong announced his enlistment and BOOM! I was held prisoner by the smut gods for a week until I had written At His Command. I still can’t believe that fic came out of me. After that, the seal was broken and I wrote Unbound, which is probably my smuttiest fic. And that destroyed any remaining scrap of shame I still had. Nothing fazes me now.
TINA : How do you write the sex scene? What is the inspiration?
MIRA : YunJae, always. Their real story or the story I’m writing. The sex has to fit into the narrative. I’ll never write a sex scene because I’m thinking, “Oh, it’s been three chapters, better have some sexytimes!” No. Never. It’s always, “The characters have had an emotional breakthrough and need to express these strong feelings somehow. If only there was a way…” Of course, sometimes the story is mostly about sex (cough A Gift for His Commander cough), but it still fits in with what YunJae is feeling in the story. As for inspiration, I’ve lived a fun life, and I have a good imagination. ‘Nuff said.
TINA : Have you ever watched GV before writing a smut scene?
MIRA : Nah. I’ve read some yaoi, but never as inspiration for any of my writing. I read it because yaoi is hot as hell. (laughs)
TINA : Has any family member or friends have ever walked on you while writing a sex scene?
MIRA:I wrote the main sex scene for Unbound while sitting in a crowded room with people coming and going. They all thought I was writing up a project. “Look at you, concentrating so hard!” Hahahahaha!
TINA : Thoughts after writing your first ever sex scene?
MIRA :“I can never show this to anyone.” (Three minutes later posts it on AFF)
TINA : What is the secret of writing a sex scene that turns on your readers?
MIRA : I don’t know. Are people turned on by the smut in my fics?(Turns to readers in surprise) Are you? Hmm. What readers tell me is that they like the combination of tenderness and heat in my sex scenes. No matter how steamy or kinky things get, you can feel how much YunJae love each other. Even in Unbound, where their true feelings are an enigma, you can tell they need and care about each other. If that feeling isn’t there, they aren’t having sex. Not in my fics. I mean, look at Messy.
TINA : Still writing or you stopped now?
MIRA : I WRITE SO MUCH. (collapses to the floor)
TINA : Future yunjae projects?
MIRA : Reuniting them after they get out of the military! (laughs) But getting serious?No. My current plan is to finish up the two shorter chaptered fics I’m working on in the next few months and then devote myself to finishing Fireflies. I want to finish Mad Love before the end of the year.
TINA : Have you anytime in future have plans on deleting your journal?
MIRA :Nah. I’m good right now.
TINA : Any words for the readers?
MIRA : I love you! ♥
End of part 2.