Welcome back to Interview with the Author! Tonight, I'm very pleased to introduce one of the most talented authors our Board ever had, the fabulous Jaime Girl.
*audience cheers*
I can assure you, it was not easy to reach her, but eventually, she agreed to be here with us tonight and answer to some questions. So, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... Jaime!
*soft music plays in the studio, and Jaime walks in. She sits down on an armchair, crosses her legs and gives a light wave*
So, let’s begin with an easy question: who is Jaime?
Have you got an hour?? Lol Jaime is eccentric, she’s a drama queen, she’s shy, she’s loud, she’s quiet, she’s a dreamer, she’s a realist, she’s unashamedly narcissistic, she’s naughty, she’s nice. She hates Christmas and loves New Years’ Eve. She wants to be a diva but can’t quite bring herself to stop caring about others. She doesn’t want to care what people think, but she can’t help it. I think all she wants to do is find the meaning of life and then…move on. She doesn’t want what was she has and the things she wants are just out of reach. She gets impulses to do a pirouette. She’s not much of a dancer, but what she lacks in technique she makes up for in sheer nerve and personality, and if anyone’s gonna f*** up onstage, it’ll be her, and she’ll laugh the hardest afterwards. She can be a long-winded bitch at times…
She’s a joker, she’s a smoker, she’s a midnight talker…lol Now I’m just making shit up. She does that too…
How’s your life, outside this board? What do you like to do, and what you are forced to do?
Like to do? Sleep. Have to do? Work. My life is pretty frantic, the kind of twenty-six hours in one day type situation. Theatre is my passion, and I sing, dance and act, and of course film holds the great allure for me. Of course I’ve tried it (see Charlotte’s Web, starring Dakota Fanning when it comes out, and keep an eye out in the fairground scene!) and I found it incredibly strenuous…all the clichés are true, it’s a lot of sitting around waiting, but I figure if I keep theatre as my passion and film as my ‘work’, then I’ll be okay with hating my work, and still get to keep my passion.
In the ‘RL’, I actually manage a café that’s part of a bigger restaurant (which shall remain McNameless) in the heart of Melbourne. The hours are long and the customers are a**holes, but it pays the rent.
When did you start writing fanfiction? Were you already familiar with the whole writing experience then?
I was probably about thirteen, and fell madly in love with Joshua Jackson in the Mighty Ducks. As for just plain old storywriting, I’ve been doing it since I can remember. I was always that really over-imaginative kid who loved pretend games, and as well as eventually going into acting, writing was a good outlet for me to just kind of release all the stories that were swimming around in my head.
Tell us a bit about your life outside the board, some of us know (tee hee) you’re a very good entertainer, do you think this affects your way to see the relation between the real world and a world of fiction, or helps you to understand how fiction should be presented to people?
Absolutely it helps, even today I still use ‘improvisation’ techniques that I learned at drama school in my writing. The biggest thing I learned about character development especially, was to keep it real. What would the character say and do in this situation? You need to get your plot from point A to point B, what would this one particular character do in order to keep the story moving forward? It relates incredibly easily to both writing and acting. As for the ‘real world’, well, let’s face it, I pretty much live in a fantasy world of my own anyway! Lol At my 21st birthday my dad made a speech and he said “We’re very proud of her…she lives off with the fairies, but she always has…” And I think in both mediums, writing and acting, the author or entertainer HAS to shroud themselves in that fantasy world…show me the artist who’s led a perfect existence, and I’ll show you a liar, if you know what I mean. Everyone has their demons that they wish to hide from, everyone has had something happen to them that makes them retreat to that dream land to escape from it. And in my case, that’s definitely where my passions stem from.
Back to your stories, how many have you written so far, and, which one is your favourite?
Oh God, make me count them? Since joining the EW forums (first on EWFN, then here) about thirteen, off the top of my head. Before that…countless! And I’d have to say my favourite is Intimate Portrait, the one that’s posting at the moment. It’s so different to anything I’ve ever written before, and I really managed to put a lot more of myself into the main character than I usually allow myself to. It’s scary, laying all your flaws out like that, but it’s kinda cleansing at the same time.
Do you think you’re a passionate writer, or you tend to follow a regular scheme? I mean, inspiration usually strikes at you and you follow it spontaneously, or you’re the kind who plans a story ‘til the last scene, and try and cut and smooth it to perfection?
I honestly couldn’t say how my stories piece together. I find that if I overplan I get to the point where I just can’t find the words to write to make these grand plans come true, but if I don’t plan I end up staring at a blank screen. Usually I’ll kinda write a rough plot outline and have it all in my head, with a couple of lines of plot on paper for each character. But I tend to develop scenes in my head (especially when I’m bored at work), and if something strikes me as a keeper, I’ll jot down the dialogue in script form and eventually work it into a scene. ‘Intimate Portrait’ was written almost entirely that way, completely out of sequence, just finishing scenes as they came to me, and I think that’s why it’s my favourite.
What inspires you to write, and to create your characters? I noticed you tend to picture situations that are quite realistic, maybe a bit improbable, but you’re not likely to write about aliens or ghosts, and your characters are definitely very human in their perks and flaws. Why?
My ideas come from all over the place. There’s honestly nothing I could point out to say ‘this is a source of inspiration…’, although I do tend to get a lot of ideas at work, late in the afternoon when I’m tired and slightly delirious. If you asked me to name the source of inspiration for every fic I’ve written (and please don’t!) you’d find that they’re all incredibly different. I tend to discard a lot of ideas though, too.
Do you have any upcoming project you want to share with us? Mind, the “no” tag is not included. (aha!)
No. :neene:
I am currently working on something that I hope will be different again. Ever since ‘La Ville de Lumieres’ (which I hate, by the way) my muse has decided that she now hates me and is being kinda funny on sticking with ideas, but I think this one’s a winner, so fingers crossed that it’ll be up soon-ish! And no, I’m not saying anything about it at this stage. I’d give you a title, but it doesn’t have one yet…
Is there any genre or plot that intrigues you and you haven’t tried yet?
Fantasy always intrigues me, although I can’t write it to save myself. Drama school drilled into my head to keep characters real, so I have no ability to create other worlds and species and stuff. Even back in the days of my true Star Wars geekdom, I could never write a fan fiction.
Tell us about the writers you enjoy, in real life and in this board, if there are any, and why.
You’re just fishing for compliments, aren’t you, you cheeky girl?:P
*audience laughs and the interviewer blushes*
We’ll start in the RL…Stephen King is my God and I want to have his babies. His characters are incredible…as David Keopp said on the DVD special features of ‘Secret Window’, they just have this really clear psychology. He also has the ability to blend those incredibly REAL characters with this fantastical fantasy world that he’s created.
Another favourite author in the RL is John Marsden, an Australian author, who actually lives not too far from where I am. I’m not usually a fan of Australian literature (and theatre), I find it a little stereotypical and a little…empty…but John Marsden can write the Australian bush like no one else in existence. The ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’ series is the most powerful piece of literature I’ve ever read in my life…so if you get the chance, read it!
On the board, I do have my little band of friends that I love and admire. Firstly there’s Stacy (Elijahfan14) who has just amazed me of late with ‘The Unspeakable’ and ‘Vampirism’. Her plotlines are incredible, and with every chapter she writes her style becomes more mature and more powerful.
And of course the lovely Blondie, whose fics just crack me up. In the theatre we use a term called ‘presence’ for someone who really stands out onstage, and those with presence are generally the ones who look like they’re having fun. And I know it sounds weird, but there’s that same presence in Blondie’s fics, just an overall sense of joy in the writing, like the author is taking these characters and this hilarious dialogue and just having a ball with that. I think writers tend to take themselves a little too seriously at times, and it’s so refreshing to find someone with such joie de vivre about what they do.
Ambrosia is one of my best friends in the whole world, and one of my favourite authors. She has this beautiful poetic style, without sounding pretentious, and her characters are amazing. A little like Stephen King, there’s a very clear psychology, in that you know right from the start what they want, what their goals are. Then she throws in a twist and a cliffhanger and you want to kill her, but in a good way! Lol
I’m not gonna crap on too long so I’ll just mention one more…my dear Mena, who honestly does inspire me to go different places with my own writing (she also makes a really great character if you cast her in a fic!) What can I say that I haven’t said before, except that she’s probably the most talented person on this board. And I KNOW I’ve said this before, but there’s something about the fact that English isn’t her first language that makes it seem like she’s almost appreciating the words she’s writing more that the rest of us. A simple sentence written by us slang-dwelling Aussies and Americans and Britons and all the rest can sound flippant, but when Mena writes that same sentence in a fic it suddenly becomes poignantly simple.
Man, now I sound pretentious…lol
Do you like joint fics? Would you ever write one, and with who? And, possibly, what kind of?
I have tried it before, but I’m incredibly unreliable, and I’m always the one to let them team down. I do like them to read though, it always amazes me to think of all the planning and communicating that has to go on between the various authors.
Do you ever suffer from Writers Block? How do you deal with it? And, what makes you stop writing a story for good?
Doesn’t everyone? I don’t know how to combat it, just try handing it to the characters, change perspective, always keep the storyline in sight. I find that when I’m starting to get frustrated with a story, then it’s time to start wrapping up and get to the conclusion as quickly as possible, before the writing can turn bad. It’s time to stop when I don’t know what that conclusion is.
What do you dislike reading most in a story? When you read something, what makes you tell whether it's good or not?
I probably dislike that over-used plotline of “Big Famous Movie Star Is Lonely And Meets The Girl Of His Dreams In A Coffee Shop” plotline. Any of the typical ‘fan fic’ stereotypes I tend to avoid like the plague. I like stories that are different – give me a plotline I’ve never seen before, or even better, give me an old one and give it a twist. And it should grab me right from the first chapter. I’m a big believer in Prologues and Epilogues (as we all know by now), and I think they can be an incredibly powerful tool in grabbing your readers’ attention.
Pick up one or several stories, yours and others’, (including published books), you would like to see turned into movies.
1. The ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’ series by John Marsen
2. The ‘Star Wars: Heir to the Empire’ trilogy by Timothy Zahn
3. ‘White Lies and Wild Nights’ by Mena
4. ‘Vampirism’ by Elijahfan14
5. ‘Under Your Spell’ by Ambrosia
And, about the aforementioned stories/movies, pick up the character you would play, and tell us why.
1.Ellie, because she’s just the most amazing character ever written. Actually, in all the fics I’ve written where my character is an actress, she’s almost always gotten her big break in that role.
2.Mara Jade. She’s tough, she’s slightly evil and slightly confused, she’s one of the very few strong female roles in the whole Star Wars saga, and she’s a REDHEAD. I found myself drawn to her straight away…
3.This one’s tricky, ‘cuz in the fic I already play two roles. I think the character of Mena is my favourite, but then again Bria is a lounge singer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, so it’s a tough choice…
4.Again, Mena (I told you she makes a good character!). ‘Cuz she’s a tough biatch.
5.Starla, definitely. I see her as the Willow in Buffy role, and she was always my favourite! And her name is STARla. Hehe!!
Do you believe in online friendship? Do you think you’ll change your mind?
I absolutely do, and I absolutely believe that I’ll be in contact with certain people on this board for the rest of my life. I have an incredibly short attention span, so the fact that after two years on this board I’m still kicking around and am in no way bored with it, shows that I really have met some people that I care deeply about.
How do you see yourself in fifteen years?
In my mansion in St Tropez with two Oscars on the wall, a vodka martini in one hand and a cigarette in a holder in the other, watching my hot pool boy through the French doors that open onto the paved courtyard…nah, let’s face it, I’ll probably still be working at McDonalds and working in community theatre. And trying to be a ballerina…
How do you see ‘the world’ in fifteen years? Will Stephen King, Johnny Depp, your favourite actors and your friends be different?
Are you conducting social experiments on me now? Lol
I think in fifteen years the world will be so far advanced in technology that there’ll be nothing left to dream up. Just please leave some things out of reach, or us dreamers will have nothing left to live for. I think Johnny Depp will still be hot, and that Stephen King will have retired, having thought up every possible demon there is to dream up. I think teenage girls will still get crushes on celebrity boys, and I think teenage boys will still be stupid. I don’t think even by then we’ll know what the opposite sex is thinking, and I think in a world so jam-packed with technology, people will be wanting to simplify again. Maybe the world as we know it will end, and we’ll all have to start over, maybe that’s just the cycle (it’s the ciiiiircclllee of liiiiiifffffeeeee….ahem, sorry).
*The audience is now cheering madly, and Jaime leans in to whisper at the interviewer, covering her microphone with a hand.*
You know when I start singing it’s time to end. I hope that last question didn’t disappoint, Mena m’dear! You know what’s weird? When I read these Interviews I always thought “Man, that is so cool!” Now that I’m doing it I just feel like a bit of a knob, really. But an honoured knob! Thanks Anna darling, and thanks to all the girls who actually read right through my ranting bulls***!
*she looks around, looking for the camera, oblivious it's still rolling*
Should I sign my autograph now, or later??? Hehe :P
---The end.---
Now, I must confess, the 'off-camera' sequence is an idea of mine only, so, sorry my dear Jess, but your comments were too hilarious for me to wipe them away!
I will reply nice and proper in a post, like everybody else, but before I would like to thank you for this interview, I had ben waiting so much time for it, and it's been a honor to be the one to carry it out.
And I swear, no lip service paid, you know I'm one of your biggest fans!
Love
Mena
Oh, Jess, you know, dearest...I have been waiting for this interview for a long, long time. You really deserved it, and I'm so happy the chance finally came around.
And, I must say, the entertainer in you definitely came out! ^_^ This interview was so enjoyable from beginning to end! You made me laugh so hard and also say, awwww, several times. You're such a great girl, seriously, you deserve a hug for making me all smiley and happy today. :hug:
Now, for a few things that made me shriek with laughter and were also destiny!
| QUOTE |
| She’s a joker, she’s a smoker, she’s a midnight talker |
How about that is secretly one of my favorite songs to sing along to, and I just heard it on the radio the other day for the first time in forever, and I shrieked with glee. So, I was quite happy to find it here.
| QUOTE |
| I was probably about thirteen, and fell madly in love with Joshua Jackson in the Mighty Ducks |
Uh, totally had a crush on him too and was obsessed with Mighty Ducks!!!!!!! That is such destiny that we both felt that way. And, it made me laugh so hard!
Also, I wanted to say I think it was really cool what your dad said about you always living off with the fairies. It seems very fitting. :love:
Now, missy, thank you so much for what you said about my writing. It's always so amazing for me to hear what people think of my style, because you said some things I never even considered before...and it was really cool! I have to thank you from the bottom of my heart, because your words mean so much to me.
Don't hate on La Ville!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved this interview so much, it really just cemented the idea in my head that you are one of the coolest girls I know. You're one of the greatest writers on this board, and each day I am so thankful to have met someone with such a charming, fun, and beautiful spirit. I heart you! And, when you are living in your mansion and drinking your vodka martinis whilst watching the pool boy, I wanna be invited to visit!!!!
Lastly, big props to Mena for a very creative and cool interview. I loved the questions you asked, hun, and the on stage setting. *applauds*
I FINALLY have the chance to reply to this!
First, Jess, you know we're nuts. That's why you love us, don't try and deny it!
Then, ditto everything Amber said. You're one of my first online friends, and one of the best, and you would be anyway, besides your talent. If you add that you ALSO have a peculiar talent, well, it's just no loose situation.
I remember about the first times we chatted and how you felt guilty because you didn't tell your name to anyone... and then, your first stories. Yous was the first story where I got Viggo as a partner, so you probably broke me slowly into my crush, aha!!
Finally, I WAS NOT fishing for complimets!!
Right, maybe a little, but I didn't expect to get so many of them! Being not a native English speaker is not a perk when it comes to write, actually, is a pure pain in the neck, so I got so happy and giddy when I read what you wrote!
Of course you're biased, it's clear enough since you enjoy what I write and despise La Ville. I think that poor story is like Pirates of teh Caribbean, like, a lot of people ( in this case you) say it's silly and such, but true connaisseurs appreciate it because it's fun and cool and puts a smile on your lips.
And remember that when Amber comes to visit you in Malibu, I'll tag along!
:hug: