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snarrymod (snarrymod) wrote in snarry_games,
@ 2008-04-27 21:45:00

Entry tags:

interviews, team phoenix

CHAMPION INTERVIEW #49, Team Phoenix Member, Pir8fancier!

Your Name (lj and/or Penname):pir8fancier
Your Team:Team Phoenix

1. 'Canon compliant' is a hot button topic in Harry Potter fandom (thanks to all the 'After-Book Specials' JKR is hosting). What is your definition?

I think anyone that writes slash needs to take a very close look at what is canon and what is not canon. That in as of itself is NOT majorly canon, so we slashers are particularly vulnerable on that score. Being the author of Snape: the Home Fries Nazi, I consider that story to be entirely canon when it was written. Why? Because it's so very true to the characters as written by JKR. I might have plonked them down in Arizona and taken away their magic, and shaved Snape's head, but I honestly do believe that these are as "canon" a rendering of Snape and Harry out there (considering that this story was written pre-DH). They do not deviate from their established characterizations one whit.On the issue of slash, I'm definitely vulnerable.

2. Has fanfic influenced your writing? If yes, was it a particular story you can name for us?

I would say that there are a number of Harry/Draco writers that have influenced my writing in that they raised the bar considerably and being the competitive bitch I am, I've strived to get as close to their "bar" as possible, but in Snarry, I haven't felt that way as much. Of course, the Snarry writers are just as brilliant as their H/D counterparts, but I think that H/D had been so well established that you couldn't help but be influenced by those who came before you or your characterizations of those two are at least similar in tone and construction.. Snarry wasn't as established a "ship" when I stumbled into it, so I wasn't as influenced by the writing, if at all. Not that I don't admire other writers, because I do. But I can honestly say that my Snape is my Snape. He does not borrow or is not influenced by any one else's Snape.

3. What element(s) about the relationship between Snape and Harry do you find most intriguing?

I do not think any story of them can have any sort of viable resolution without forgiveness on both their parts. Harry needs to forgive Snape for being a bastard of the first order. Snape needs to forgive Harry for being his father's son and for surviving his mother's sacrifice.

4. How would Severus Snape find your team mascot most useful?

I would say that Snape has a phoenix like quality about him. He is/was a survivor.

5. What would you consider your greatest strength in writing?

My dialogue.

6. Is there something your beta(s) constantly catch you doing?

Um, I tend to use a variety of betas, but I will say that when writing I tend to let the grammar go. Which is seven different kinds of ridiculous as I am a professional editor! But when I write I hear my characters speak, truly, and that tends to fuck with grammar.

7. Have you ever collaborated/partnered with another author or artist? If yes, please describe it for us. If no, would you consider it?

I haven't collaborated with either another author or an artist, but I'm open to the idea.

8. Now that canon is complete, do you find it more freeing or less when it comes to writing or enjoying fanfic/fanart?

She killed Snape. That says it all.

9. In your opinion, what kind of kink/theme does fandom need more of?

I think that the HP fandom is so large, that any sort of theme or kink is pretty well out there if you want to find it. I would say that now that canon is closed (sort of), I'd like to see the fandom tackle some of the meatier (and, unfortunately, potentially wankier) issues, like race relations.

10. How do you feel about participating in this year's Snarry Games?

I am thrilled and I thank the mods for including me. This will be my last Snarry story. I really don't have anything more to say, but I do have ONE more thing to say.

Thank you, pir8fancier! On days we post longer stories, we may post an interview in the evening to give you extra reading time. Don't forget to read, comment and vote! pir8fancier's story is not posted yet, but you can read her team's newest post, Leela Cat's Imaginis, while you're waiting.

(Post a new comment)

	sniffle laeticiav 2008-04-28 03:55 am UTC (link)
	Only the one more story? I'm so sad. I'm off to reread HFN and sulk a little now. (Like your comments on canon, by the way - I agree entirely.) (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: sniffle pir8fancier 2008-04-28 03:38 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks! It's equally sad for me because I love writing about him. But. I have nothing more to say in this particular world. I might toy with an AU. I've never done a proper AU, and Snape is the perfect character on which to anchor an AU. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	alisanne 2008-04-28 06:08 am UTC (link)
	I would say that Snape has a phoenix like quality about him. He is/was a survivor. So very true. Which is why he's not dead. :) Go team Phoeniz! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	pir8fancier 2008-04-28 03:38 pm UTC (link)
	HEE! (Reply to this) (Parent)

pir8fancier
2008-04-28 03:06 pm UTC (link)

ETA: Can I clarify something. I can't believe that others are reigning scorning down on my neck for the comment about snarry not being as an established ship. When I meant to say was that for ME it wasn't as established. Before I started writing H/D, I had read gobs of it, and I can't help but think my characterization of certain characters was influenced by their take on them. However, in snarry, I'd read like four (although one of them was callgraphy's So Lonely without Me, my favorite snarry story to this day), so I had a fresh palatte to work from. I had very little influence, so the Snape you see in my stories is very much MY Snape. What callgraphy's story did was alert me to just the possiblity of Snape as a sexual character, but one who does not sacrifice a single ounce of scorn or wit. Or heart.

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	djin7 2008-05-09 05:21 pm UTC (link)
	Pir8 - i've only just noticed this, did you want us to ETA your Interview with this? Is someone bothering you about your comments? I don't see anything in the comments- but let me know, that's what I'm here for. DJ (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

pir8fancier
2008-05-09 05:42 pm UTC (link)

No worries. It was so long ago that I did this, when I read my answer to that particular question, I went, "Yikes, that's sounds arrogant. Like snarry didn't exist until *I* came on the scene, aren't I marvelous." So I just wanted to clarify that I hadn't done a lot of reading in the ship before I started writing, which was diametrically opposed to Harry/Draco where I had read a ton. Not that there wasn't lots of lovely stuff, just that I hadn't gotten into it and was sort of a Snape virgin. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

But on a more serious note, I think being a newbie really made a tremendous difference. I might feel that certain stories that I write in other ships are decent reads, but I'm alway conscious of having contributed to the gestalt that is Draco Malfoy. Me and 500 other writers. Not having any sort of gestalt about Snape, I pretty much crafted who I wanted him to be, with basically the only influence being the book. I can say that there are other Snarry writers who are better than I am, but I can't really say that their rendition of Snape sings to me (personally) the way my Snape sings to me. It's different and I think it's because I entered this "ship" late.

Anyway, NO problem. Just trying to stem my own arrogance.

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snarrymod
2008-05-10 01:37 pm UTC (link)

One thing about Snarry is the way Snape can morph into anything one wants. Harry's POV during the (first 5) books is so two-dimensional about Snape, and we know so little about him, that you could give him any kind of personality you'd want. That is one of the reasons I love Snarry so much. There are a few writers to whom I credit my perception of Snape, and none are JKR. I get that.

I have some Snarry arrogance, meself. No worries.

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eriador117
2008-04-29 02:37 pm UTC (link)

Well, I've never really read much H/D as I'm not that great a fan of Draco at the best of times, LOL, so Snarry was my first foray into reading HP fanfic and then writing it.

I loved your story Snape the Home Fries Nazi and I agree with you, that although you plonk them down in Arizona with no magic, it did seem canon-compliant to me.

Most of my stories tend to be AU of some sort or another as there are so many things in canon I don't like :)

take care,
Annette

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pir8fancier
2008-05-02 10:29 pm UTC (link)

You and regan_v; the readers who hate Draco. He is also a fun character to write. Not as much fun as Snape, who is, really, just like a total GIFT, but still fun. And he is young. You have the luxury of projecting his possible fate. With Snape, it is more of a backward study. As a writer, I struggle to develop a backstory that has made him who he is. Which is no less fascinating! Thanks!

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lovesseamstress
2008-05-01 02:08 am UTC (link)

I do not think any story of them can have any sort of viable resolution without forgiveness on both their parts.

I so agree with this--stories that try to skip over this issue are rarely convincing.

I know HFN has been well recc'd and raved over, but I have to take this opportunity to say that I think it is one of the best HP fanfic stories out there. You achieve that elusive goal of good fan fiction writing--keeping the beloved characters true to their canon selves, while taking them well above and beyond where their creator left them. I found HFN to be a very visual story, and elements of it come back to me in mental "snapshots"--Harry and Snape in the bell-tower, watching the sunset; bald Snape in a baseball cap and sunglasses, riding in the pickup truck. The images and feelings from your story have stayed with me in a way that the original books have not. I'm sorry that you don't plan to write more Snarry, but hope you'll still be writing in the HP universe. If you decide to write some AU Snarry, I'll be delighted to read it!

--C

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pir8fancier
2008-05-02 10:27 pm UTC (link)

Yes, I do think it critical that any story that features Snape and Harry must have forgivness in some form play a part. Otherwise, I do not think the story can move forward realistically. I think before HBP it was possible, but not now, not after Snape killed Dumbledore. There must be a context for that act.

Regarding the visuals: when I write I "see" all these things happen in my head. I move my character physically as if blocking a play. Therefore, I need to have a visual of them moving on the stage, so to speak. I don't want to overwhelm people with the visual, because I am, after all, a character-driven writer, but the visuals can serve the character, yes?

Thanks for very nice praise about HFN. Truly, I thought people would HATE it.

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(Anonymous)
2008-05-03 03:22 am UTC (link)

Hey, It's Shoeboxer4life, the one with the red/pink hair from LJ. Just wanted to say that I avoided HFN for a long time because I just thought it sounded like it would stray too far from HPverse. But I found that to be unequivocably NOT the case once I read it. Canon characterization? Absolutely. Believable situation? Check. Grab my heart at the vulnerable moments? Absofuckinglutely. I haven't read it in a while, but Harry's speech about--"I thought we were having a reliationship here, but if I was mistaken, I can pack those bags as quickly as I unpacked them" God, my heart was in my throat. And I really liked you OC--the hispanic soccer player from the restaurant--for some reason, I really liked how he could relate to Harry and Snape from his gansta background. It actually felt real.

You know my OTP is H/D but I have a strong weakness for Snarry. Snape is so complex--thank GOD Rowling let him play out in a real and deep way. I wish she had done more of the same for Draco. Not that Draco didn't have his moments in HBP, but I would have liked to see more in DH.

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pir8fancier
2008-05-03 03:53 am UTC (link)

Yes, you're right, Snape is the ONLY fully realized Slytherin. Which makes him harder to write because there definitely is a "canon" Snape. I think that Draco is so poorly drawn that you can pretty much make up a whole bunch of shit and whose is to say it's NOT canon. My dream is to write a book in that DH year from Draco's POV. Sort of do a "Lestat" to Harry's "Louis."

I am continuously surprised by the reaction to HFN. I thought taking them out of England and cutting off their magic was a sure fire recipe for disaster, but I purposefully wanted them removed from Hogwarts and, yes, even, England because I think Hogwarts is a character and sometimes distracts from the "real" characters. I wanted to see if I could write them as "them" without ANY distractions, including the magic.

And, um, I worked with a bunch of guys like Juan when I was cooking. And there is not just a little wish fulfillment going on. I would LOVE to own a diner where I determined the menu and no one could give me shit about what I served.

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