LEA
Writer
Lea’s work online:
Who are you?
Tell us a little bit
about yourself and your interests in general.
I (gasp!) turned 50 in
2005. I've been happily married for 24 years and have four children, only two
of which still live at home. After being a full-time wife-and-mother for 18
years, I started working again four years ago, teaching English in elementary
school. My interests...vast question! <g> I was a bookworm from the
moment I could read and enjoy all kinds of literature, from
"heavy-duty" classics to the latest shallow little thing, from
historical novels to science-fiction, from candy-pink romance to the darkest
serial-killer stuff. A matter of mood, and moment. I'm also a movie buff, and
have very eclectic tastes there, too. Generally speaking I'm curious and
interested in a lot of things, and even if science matters are a bit beyond my
scope I try to keep informed in that domain as well. And of course I love
watching TV shows! I've been hooked on a number of them throughout the years,
and still am, but B&B stands one step above even my most beloved ones. It's
special in a unique way.
What drew you to the Beauty
and the Beast TV series, and why did you/do you feel the need to write
about B&B? Was writing something you had done before being involved with
Beauty and the Beast or something that developed out of it?
It's the love story that
drew me, like it did many people, I guess. Yet unlike many people, I wasn't
hooked from the start. When B&B was first aired here I was too busy (my two
youngest kids were born in '88 and '89) to really "enter" the B&B
world. But it had touched me, stayed in my heart, and when it was aired again
in '99, I decided to watch it from the start, without missing a single ep, and got drawn into the magic. We'd had the internet for
a year, then, so I naturally went surfing for info about the show...and found
out about S3! It nearly broke my heart. Fortunately I also found out about
fandom, and fanfiction. Finding out about fanfic was a revelation. Not only had
people found a way to give V&C the happiness they deserved, but I also
discovered that the solitary, compulsive, almost shameful writing I'd been
indulging in years before about a couple of my favorite TV shows had a name,
and lots of other people did it! I read,
and read, and read, and finally felt the urge to write something too.
How long have you been
writing? If you started when you were a child/teenager, do you still have some
of your work from that time? Did you share it with your friends then?
I wrote my first fic
(without even knowing such a thing existed!) in the 60's, about "Man From Uncle". I never shared it with anyone, would have
died of shame if anyone had known what I was doing. I finally burned it, to be
sure it wouldn't be found.
Who most influenced
and/or encouraged your talent? What training have you had for writing/literary
techniques, and where, if it was formal training - or are you self-taught, working
from instinct and lots of reading?
My favorite B&B
writers were my influence, having readers was my encouragement. I didn't get
any formal training apart from what I learned in High School, but I've always taken
writing seriously. It's about the only domain in which I'm a perfectionist,
even for a simple letter. I do trust my instinct, too, but I take a lot from my
readings, especially as I write in a foreign language. I work like a sponge,
soak up words, expressions and turns of phrases, give them my own twist and use
them for my own purpose. I want my sentences to have a "native"
flavor, so I have to rely on native writer's work, but must always be wary not
to let "borrowing" slip into plagiary. "Take, not steal".
<g>. I learn as I go along.
Does it feel natural to
write in your second language? Do you get a surprised reaction when people
discover that English isn't your native language?
I've often found it
easier to write in English than in my own language, especially when it comes to
steamy stuff <g>. I just have to "switch" my mind into English
mode. Yes, I did get surprised reactions, but not so many. Native English
speakers are used to English-speaking foreigners.
Was your fluency in
English already at an advanced stage, or did your discovery of B&B help you
perfect it?
I literally fell in love
with English in Middle School, and was fluent in the language by the time I was
16. I managed –mostly by reading a lot of books in English- not to lose that
fluency during my wife-and-mother years. In '94 I took classes to brush it up,
and passed a degree. So I was good, but not yet bilingual, when I found the
B&B fandom. Since then my abilities have grown by leaps and bounds. I live
part of my life in English, think in English, often dream in English. And now I
teach English, thanks to B&B!
When you
write:
Describe the space in
which you do most of your writing.
The family computer is
in a corner of the living-room, facing a big, north-oriented window from which
I can see the apple-tree in the garden. It can be a very noisy place, and I
have to compete with the boys for the use of the computer, so I only write when
I'm alone at home. A more and more scarce occurrence, sigh...
How do you work when you
write - outline the story, start from an image, a word, an individual
section... have an idea that tugs at your mind and practically writes
itself...? Where do you start on a story... beginning, end or middle? Or does
it just depend on the story?
Mostly I start with a
plot idea, and work out the developments of it in my mind for a while. Where to
start the story, where to end it, what main stages, etc.... At one moment some
key scenes will just scream in my mind to be written. Those almost write
themselves, and sometimes in the process new ideas spring up that may change
the general outline of the story. Then I decide to keep them, or not. I often
write the strongest, most "emotionally rewarding" scenes first, then fill in the gaps afterwards. But it can vary a lot depending on the
stories.
Do you have endings in
mind for works in progress when you start them or do you just let the stories
go where they take you? Do you always know what you want to achieve at the end?
Well, I always have the same
ending in mind: V&C happy ever after. <g> But I do have my
self-imposed rules for endings. I think it's important to close a story at the
right moment, leaving the reader satisfied, but not "overfed". The
angst must be solved, the various issues addressed, and no doubt remain about
V& C's happiness, but some should be left to the reader's imagination, too.
Also I like an ending to "sound like an ending". The last sentence
should have a closure feeling to it.
How often do the
characters take off on their own once you've started writing? Do you ever end
up with a story entirely different from the one you started, or maybe two or
three spin-offs?
It happens rather often,
especially when I'm writing dialogs, because I hear the characters speaking in
my head as I write, and they're "Real" enough to me to sometimes say
things I hadn't planned. <g> I've had even newly created characters do
that to me! Then I either decide to follow them where they're taking me, or to
keep them in line. Depends on whether it changes the storyline or not, and if
it does, whether I like the new one better or prefer to stick with my first
idea. I've never ended up with real "spin-offs" yet, but I always
keep the scenes or dialogs I discard because they don't fit in the storyline I've
decided on, and a couple of them finally found their place, with a few changes,
in other stories.
What are your sources of
inspiration? Do your ideas come from things you see around you, start from a
seed and gradually blossom, or spring, fully armored, like Athena from the head
of Zeus...? What do you imagine first - the content or the emotion you want it
to convey? What was your most interesting inspiration for a story or poem?
Hard question
(scratching my head). I don't know. The ideas just are...there. I could say my
sources of inspiration were the Trilogy and learning about 3S. I felt the need
to "right the wrong", give V&C the happiness that had always been
meant for them. The good thing with fic is that you can make them fall in each
other's arms as many times as you want, in many delightful ways. I just try to
think of new ways, of things I've always wanted them to say, or do, and come up
with logical, consistent reasons for that to happen.
My most interesting
inspiration for a story, though, was of a totally different kind. It came from
another story. In her lovely "For Thy Sweet Love Remember'd",
Joan Stephens had Vincent become amnesic after the Trilogy. He forgot all about
Catherine, and in despair she went away and gave birth to their son in hiding.
It took a dramatic event Below to have them re-united. Then I thought "And
what if Catherine decided to stay anyway, claim shelter Below
and start a 'new' relationship with Vincent?" And that became "How
Could I Forget Thee?”.
What was your
inspiration for Take Me Home?
That one was of the
"fully armored" kind! To write a First Time story, one of the ways is
to come up with one event likely to change V's or C's –more often V's!- point
of view about their relationship so things can start to evolve between them.
The idea came just like that, out of the blue.
You seem to prefer
writing adult fic. Does that come more naturally to you, than the tamer fic you
write?
Hey, I only wrote three
really adult stories! What I prefer writing are First Time stories, but my
first ones, including "Take me home"
were suggesting rather than telling. My first steamy fic was written for a
friend who loves adult stories and kept urging me to write one. Real life was
being tough with her so I wrote "Told You So" as a little gift to boost her morale. She
showed it to Lynn Wright, and it ended up in TST. That's when I decided to
become "Lea". But I can tell you it didn't come to me naturally. I
had to force myself at the beginning, even if it became gradually easier
afterwards. OK, now I must admit I'd have trouble keeping a consummation scene
soft R. <g>
Why did you choose this
special way to celebrate Vincent and Catherine's love?
You mean writing steamy
fic, or writing fic? I'm artistically challenged, but words have always been my
friends. Discovering fanfic was like finding Ali Baba's cavern! It felt natural
to add my own little contribution to the treasure. And since First times are my
favorite stories, that's what I wanted to write, too. They grew bolder as I
did.
Where do you get the
inspiration for those steamy scenes? Or is that a trade secret?
Part
from reading, part from personal fantasies...and part from personal experience.
The trade secret lies in the exact proportions.
You write a wide range
of stories, from G to R and beyond. Is one type of story easier to write than
another?
G? Who, me? <g>
Even the softest of my stories (Lion Pride)
has a rather suggestive ending that makes it PG! Each story has its own tone,
that imposes itself as I write. I will only put a steamy scene in a story if
it's essential to it. So some stories remain soft, some not, but I don't find
it easier or more difficult either way.
Is writing a
"suggestive" sexual scene more difficult than writing a scene that is
more sexually descriptive?
Never
had to ask myself that question. I only wrote suggestive
scenes when I was unable to write anything stronger!
When you're putting
together a steamy fic, do you ever chuckle as you work or proof read, knowing
you're leaving your readers in need of a cold shower? Dare we ask if you might
need a cold shower, too, now and then?
Yes, I do chuckle
<g> thinking 'Gee, I don't believe I'm writing such things!' or 'I know a
few people who're gonna like that one!' No cold shower for me so far, but quite
a few cigarettes!
Do your stories ever
include some of your own life experiences? Have any of the characters you have
created in a story been a reflection of yourself or someone you know? If so, to what extent?
Definitely not, as Mary
Sues are one of my pet peeves. The new characters I’ve
created always served a well-defined purpose in the story, and I created them
only when I couldn't use an already existing character for the plot I had in
mind. I tried to give them flesh and make them believable, but they're totally
invented.
Do you adhere to any
self-imposed set rules or boundaries?
I'm my own first reader,
so my rule is the Golden Rule "Do onto others...etc." In the fics I write I try to avoid all the things that usually put
me off in those I read: grammar and vocabulary mistakes, bad characterization
and inconsistencies. I do my best to be as true to the B&B characters and
universe as I can. Not always true to the story canon as the episodes show it,
because it would be too restrictive to my writing freedom, but true to the
spirit of it. Well, I try, at least.
If you introduced
especially painful developments, were they a priority in order to make the
story eventful, hook the reader...? How did you feel about making the characters
suffer - it would make them or their determination stronger, eventually solve
their problems...?
Sigh...I hate angst!
When reading a story I often skim through the "hurt" parts to go
straight to the "comfort" ones. But much as I hate it, I use it. Have
to! I didn't at the beginning. My very
first stories either have no hurt part at all (Lion Pride)
or just solve the angst already lavishly provided in the Trilogy. Then as I
began exploring further I realized I'd have to throw my own angst in, too. Not
especially to hook the reader, but rather to provide a dramatic trigger to a
change in V& C's relationship. That was in "Take Me Home",
and I put in all the angst I deemed necessary to make the story believable, but
I still don't enjoy doing that. I'm much more at ease with scenes that solve or
heal.
You mention a
*speakeasy* in the story "Safe
House". Do you do much, if any, research about certain matters you
wish to include in your fic?
Rarely, I must admit.
Mostly I stick to things I already know, though I did look once or twice for
exact legal terms I needed. Whatever research I do is more often about B&B,
a piece of dialog, a literary quote or a particular detail of "canon"
I need to check on.
What is the hardest part
of writing a multi-chapter story? Do you prefer to post a completed story or a
work in progress?
The hardest part is
undoubtedly to keep the inspiration going, and the story consistent! Especially so with my bad habit of writing the most meaningful
scenes first. I then find myself with a bunch of scattered scenes, and
an awful lot of linking and filling in to do. But though I sometimes post in
chapters, I always consider the story as a whole, and won't post a line of it
till it's complete, because I can never know exactly when I'll finish a story,
and besides I'm likely to change things until the last minute! One exception
was "How
Could I forget Thee", my longest story so far, that was written in
three independent parts.
If you wrote
"what-if" stories or stories outside of your own preferred
boundaries, how did you feel about those developments? Did you write them just
for fun, as an intellectual exercise, some other reason...?
All my stories so far
have remained in the "canon" universe, but I have a half-written one
which is an "Alternate Beginning". It's C who finds V wounded and
takes care of him in her apartment. Maybe I'll finish it one day, maybe not,
but it was real fun to explore in that direction!
Do you have one or
several favorite happy endings and/or developments in the characters' lives? If
so, have you written about them yourself? Are there similar stories from other
authors that you enjoy as much as your own?
Well, any ending that
has V&C in a bed together is good for me, <g> but I just love the
"house-above-with-tunnel-access" happy life storyline. I used it
myself, sometimes only as a suggestion at the end of a story, but quite a few
authors I love have developed it beautifully. Edith Crowe, Lee Kirkland, Edna
Grice, Lynn Wright...my apologies to those I forgot! I
also like Joe, Jenny or Nancy to be introduced to the tunnels. And of course I
want V&C to have children!
Do you ever have a case
of writer's block? If so, do you have a technique to get past it?
Tell me about it! I'm
having one right now. None of the half-written stories I have in my files seems
to appeal to me enough to have me sit down at the computer and work at it. Yet I managed to write my Winterfest Online
Round-Robin chapter, so it would seem that the technique that works best for me
to go past writer's block is...a deadline. <g>
Is there any particular
part of a story or poem that you had an unusual amount of trouble getting the
way you wanted it and how did you resolve that problem?
The "Kristopher's painting come to life" scene in "How
Could I Forget Thee?". I sweated, deleted and rewrote a lot to make
it exactly as I wanted it. Finally I went to get the poster in my bedroom
closet and put it on the wall near the computer so I could look at it while
working.
If you could change one
thing about your writing, writing habits, style, etc, what would it be?
I'd be more regular,
force myself to sit at my keyboard and write. When I do, it generally works.
I'm also very slow, but I don't think I can change that, and I'm not
sure I'd want to anyway. Where I'm concerned, fast always means sloppy.
Tell us about the story/stories
you are working on at present, if any.
Technically, I'm not
currently "working" on anything, but I've got several unfinished
projects in my files that I intend to tackle someday. One is a "new
beginning" where V&C meet in a different way. Another one is about a
new Helper trying to seduce V at Winterfest. I've also started an adult
alternate third part for "How
Could I Forget Thee", this time for TST.
After you’ve written:
Do you have your stories
edited and proofread? Do you consider this important? Do you involve beta
readers? Do you have favorite editors/proofreaders/beta readers?
Of course! It's very
important, out of respect for the readers. I didn't do it with my first
stories, though, because they were published at a time when I knew almost no
one in fandom, and had no clue about how those things were done. Now I often
ask two people to proofread my stories. One close friend I trust to
–mercilessly <g>- point out any
flaws in the plot, dialogs or characterization, but she's not a native
English-speaker either, so I always have my work edited by one of my English or
US friends as well.
You, as well as the
other guest authors we are interviewing, have allowed your work to be posted
online for the enjoyment of all B&B fans. Why did you decide to do it? How
did you/do you choose the sites to have your stories posted?
When I wrote my first
two stories ('The Best
Hands There Are' and 'Lion Pride')
back in 2000, I wasn't on the discussion lists yet, and didn't know what to do
with what I'd written. I had subscribed to Lisa Howard's FOL mailing list, but
it was hardly active anymore then. Lisa advised me to submit my stories for the
2000 Conzine, and, boy, was I awed and smug when they were accepted! Then I
subscribed to CABB's mailing list, and it just felt natural to give my next
stories to CABB.
What do you like to hear
from someone reading your story? What do you find most helpful or rewarding
when reading reviews of your writing?
Well, it always feels
good to hear that people like my stories. <g> I appreciate constructive
criticism, but usually get it from my beta-readers before the story is posted.
What was the most
interesting response you've had to your work? What do you consider the greatest
compliment you've received? Did you ever get a review that really touched you?
Something a reader wrote that really inspired you?
One comment really
touches me. I've heard quite a few times, about several of my stories. It's
when people tell me that my work warms their heart, makes them feel happy in a
warm, safe B&B world, because that's exactly what I mean to achieve, for
our beloved characters, for myself, and for the readers. Some people even told
me that when they've inadvertently stumbled on something that hurts their
classic heart they go and re-read one of my stories, to "wash the taste
off" <g> and reassure themselves that V&C are well and happy
together. I consider that the greatest possible compliment my work could
receive. It means I've succeeded in making V& C's happiness
"Real" enough to offset the 3S anguish.
Which of your B&B
writings do you like best, and why? If you were forced to pick one passage,
scene or line from one of your stories as a favorite, what would it be? What
are your favorites of other things you've written?
I'd say "Take Me Home"
is my favorite. I tend to think of it as my first "mature" story. I
had it so well planned in my mind it practically wrote itself, and I enjoyed
every minute of it. Except maybe the necessary violence at the beginning, all
the scenes in it were scenes I wanted to write, there was no boring
"filling in the gaps" work with that story. I have a very special
fondness for V and the children's "lion chase" at the Mirror Pool in
"Told You So". I chuckled all the way through that one. It
felt so good to imagine him having fun! I love creating scenes that give V an
opportunity to express "lighter" facets of his personality that I
know are there, but we were too rarely shown in the episodes. I very much
enjoyed writing V& Joe's encounter in "Lion Pride",
and V&C's fit of laughter at the end of "The
Best Hands...", with a puzzled and somewhat
outraged Father listening behind the chamber curtain. And I must admit I like
having Father hear a few truths, too. <g>
Who are
some other B&B authors who might inspire you or whose work you particularly
enjoy?
Edith Crowe was my first
inspiration. I got so immersed in her universe that I set one of my first
stories (Lion
Pride) in it, "borrowing" her brownstone and her Jacob and
Caroline twins. I hope if she ever stumbles on it she can see it as a
respectful homage rather than a shameless plagiary! I admire Rosemarie Hauer a
lot. A non-native writer like me, her writing is both strong and delicate, just
like her art, and her lovely "Night of Miracles" is one of my
all-time favorites! I love Lynn Wright's healthy, happy steamy fic –especially
"Journeys"-, and JoAnn Baca has such a way
with words... all right, I'll stop there or I'd need hours. There are others,
many talented others, whose influence has inspired and shaped my own writing.
Let them all be thanked!
What aspirations do you
have for your writing? i.e. Do you wish to write
professionally or keep it as a hobby? In either case, what do you hope to
achieve?
For the moment it's only
a hobby, and will probably remain so, since I've never written anything that
wasn't based on someone else's story and character, and don't feel any urge to.
What I'd like to do professionally is literary translations, but it's very
difficult to find work in that domain.
Any advice you would
give to beginners?
Enjoy yourselves! You're
your own first readers, and if what you write gives you pleasure and warms your
heart, it's likely it will please other fans, too. But don't expect it to
please everyone, and don't resent criticism, if and when it comes. Use it to
grow!
Being a
B&B fan:
In RL are you a closet
"beastie" or do all your friends and family members know you're a
fan? How do they feel about your Beauty and the Beast involvement? Do they
worry about your sanity?
I'd say I'm a
"semi-closet beastie". Only my family and closest friends know about
it, and yes some of them did worry about my sanity, especially at the
beginning. Both my family and in-laws are "intellectuals", and they
frown on the idea of being crazy about anything, much less a TV show! And my
leaving my husband and kids alone to fly to the USA to attend cons all but
scandalized some of them. I had to make it clear to a few people that nothing
they could think or say about my involvement in fandom would change it. Told my
sport-buff father who was asking me if I had "nothing better to do"
that yes, I could sit down like him in front of every football-rugby-tennis-athletism-you-name-it match available on TV, but
unfortunately I didn't happen to like sports. He never mentioned it again.
Most of my loved ones
accept my passion for B&B, because they understand it's become a part of
what I am and they love me. Hubby grumbles a little when I spend too much time
at the computer, my kids joke about my alleged "zoophilia",
and no way I'll be allowed to hang my life-size poster of Vincent anywhere in
the house (sniff!) but that's it.
They all know I write,
too, but only my husband and sister know about my steamy fic. And only my
sister has read it. Hubby says he might if I translated it, but I could never
be so bold in my own language!
How did B&B affect
your life?
In countless ways! I was
a dreamy housewife who sometimes wrote in secret. Now I've got a job I love,
friends all over the world, I've visited NYC and San Francisco, written things
for other people to read. Hey, I'm even getting interviewed!
<g> I'm more self-assured, more independent, and much less afraid of
other people's opinion. B&B helped me grow stronger.
Do you ever get the urge to use anything B&B related
when teaching in the classroom?
Whilst teaching in the classroom, has anything ever made you smile to
yourself as it reminded you of something you’ve seen on B&B?
Well, apart from the fact that I've got nine little Vincents
among my pupils this year, and that two of "my" teachers are named
Catherine and another one is named Mrs. Vincent...no, B&B has no part in my
classes. Even my cloak, which I use as a winter coat and often wear to school,
only evokes Harry Potter to them.
Do you write in any
other fandoms besides B&B? Are you or have you been involved with any other
fandoms?
Never.
I'm in no other fandom. B&B is unique.
Do you want to say
anything else to the readers of this interview about yourself, B&B, the
writing art, or the fandom?
Just want to say to all fans: thank you for
being there. Go on keeping the dream alive!