Hello to all of you out there, and let me say I am proud to present our next interview with the author. This month, our spotlight falls upon Ninque Elen, as we try to dance with Miss Mystery and figure out maybe a few of her secrets. ^_^

I hope you all enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed conducting it. Thanks Dana, I am so glad you agreed to the interview. And, Dana has chosen to pin her joint fiction, Lofters in the Lads section. Be sure and check it out, as well as her other current fiction, Chosen...also in the Lads section.

*spotlight shoots to a figure dressed all in black*





1. To begin our interview we must delve into the mystery that is ninque elen…why don’t you tell the readers a bit more about yourself?

My name is Dana, I am 26 years old and I study literature at the university of Amsterdam.

Ninque elen is very much me, only a bit bolder and more present than I am in company. The name self means white star which is a bit funny if you consider the fact that I always wear black and am a true goth (which has nothing to do with worshipping the devil or any of that rubbish the media tells....it means for me being yourself, believing in yourself) I am an idealist and I care passionatly for nature and what we are doing to our world but that is not the only thing I am idealistic about. I am also a dreamer which is handy if you want to write stories and I am a perfectionist...which is a bit harder cause I am never really satisfied with what I am doing.

In my spare time I like to read and paint, though I have little time for it anymore. I love hanging out with my friends, listening to music and writing stories. I know something of psychology *blushes* which all my friends know about and if I can help someone I always try. I am not the most patient person in the world and also not much of a team player. What more can I say.....I guess that if you really want to know me, come look me up on msn *smiles*



2. When and why did you decide to start writing fan fics…were Lord of the Rings character/actor based fics the first you attempted? Did you have any sort of experience in writing before this?

My first fanfiction was indeed Lotr based but it was not really a fanfiction when I started writing it. I had just read the book, and this was for the movies came out, and I was very much in love with the elves Tolkien wrote. The fact that they left middle-eath struck me as a particular sad story. I decided to write a story with elves in it, elves so similar to those of Tolkien that they are almost a complete copy. I wrote the story in the summer of 2001. Shortly after that Fotr came out. I was particularly taken by Elijah Wood and decided to go online to look up some information. There I found a forum and joined. I met Ursi and she convinced me to post my story.....at that time my story had none of the actors of the movie in it...but I simply changed the names and appearances of my lead characters and voila a fanfiction was born.

Before that I had written some stories but not many...and all of course in dutch. So for me it pretty much started with writing fanfiction.



3. Where do you get your inspiration, is it something that hits suddenly and demands you to write out your ideas…or is it a gradual sort of experience?

The first idea for a story comes to me in a sudden flash and it can come from anything. When I am writing it is a bit different. I find that it often helps just to sit down and start writing, usually ideas get born then. And when I am writing a story it is always on the back of my mind, which gives it time to stew and for me to get ideas. Of course there are certain things that can help me, but they don't always work. Music is for me an enormous source of inspiration, especially if I try to reach for a certain emotion. Other things I sometimes do to get inspiration is walking around in a forest, read a book about the subject or daydream.



4. How does your real life affect/shape your stories? Do you draw out themes from your own personal experience, or do you like to make your stories showcase the opposite of what is familiar to you?

The themes of my stories do often come from my own experiences but not in a very literal way. I often transform a personal experience into a theme that works on a deeper layer and is not so easy recognisable as a personal experience. Chosen for example seems to be about slaying vampires (and I can assure you I have never had to do that....besides the people who know probably doubt if I would *grins*) but underneath it lays a theme of accepting who you are (now that is something I can relate to). The lead character is not willing to be a slayer at all so she fights this with all her might, the moment she accepts herself she will be much better in fighting vampires cause she can put all her strenght into that instead of putting it in fighting herself (another theme that comes from personal experience). So I do use personal experience and I do it with something that is not so familiar at all.



5. Name a few authors you admire on this site (if any) and in the real world and what draws you into their stories.

I have not even read close to everyones stories on this forum, sadly, so if I might not mention you it probably has more to do with the fact that I have not read anything of you than that I do not admire you.

A writer I admire very much is Mena, her characters have such depth, are so real that I can even make a psychological analysis of them. She has a way with words, descriptions and metaphors that leaves me in total awe. Her stories have many layers and I wish I could write like that.

I also admire Amber. Her characters are fierce, loyal and utterly realistic. She has an incredible imagination and she can make it seem all very real and natural. Under your spell is one of the best witch stories I have ever read.

Other people I admire on the forum are: Celandine, Blondie, Ursi, Stacy and Donna. I could rant forever on why I think all these people are so good but you just have to read their stories.

Outside the forum: E. A. Poe, J. Austen, A. Rice, O. Wilde, Tolkien and Shakespeare. And yes I realise it is an odd mix....but *grins* it suits me.



6. Is there any genre or plot that intrigues you and you haven’t tried yet? What do you feel would challenge you the most?

Detectives and romantic stories would challenge me the most. They would be very hard for me to write and I never really tried it. Of course both genres are somewhat present in my stories but they are not the main genre. I couldn't write a comedy.



7. What words would you use to describe your own style of writing? Do you consider yourself an organized writer (make outlines and notes) or do you have a more whimsical, creative approach?

I am not really an organized writer. I do have a general outline of what I want to happen in a story and I do know towards which end I am working but besides that I like to be surprised by my story and the things my characters do. I would feel restricted if I planned it all in advance and that is the best way to get a writersblock.



8. How does your writing make you feel…is it a type of therapy that helps straighten your thoughts, or is it just a fun escape from reality? How important is it to you?

A little bit of both I think. Writting is a wonderful way to clear my head and deal with certain issues. It is at the same time a fun way to escape reality and make a world exactly as I like it....or more accuratly a world that I can make up the rules for. I do think there should be a bit of both in it, but that is purely a personal opinion. Writing self makes me feel like trying to catch the wind with your fingers. I love doing it but I never get it exactly as what I aimed for. It is striving to be better and never quite getting there.



9. Have you ever suffered from a writer’s block? If so, how do you deal with it?

Oh yes, I have suffered from writer's block. I only have recently recovered from the one I had for Chosen. I was horribly stuck until I remembered something I had read. It was a book about writing and there was a particular sentence the writer had written down about being stuck. And that was; don't aim on the scene but on the story. Which for me meant I was putting to much weight on the scene and had forgotten its purpose storywise. The scene was only meant to elaborate something and I had put way to much detail in it for that and because of that it became an obstacle. It was meant to be a small scene and I was blowing it up. When I realised that and cured it I could go on again.

Other things I do is talking to a friend about the story, asking what they think, what they would do, re-read everything again and think what would be logical for this character to happen next. Trying to get under the skin of your character. That is how I deal with it.



10. Are the characters you create inspired by people you already know or are they just a creation of your mind? Basically, what shapes them?

They are usually a creation from my mind. Most of the time I don't intentonally make them match the people I know. However I do see sometimes resemblances between my characters and my closest friends. My friends obviously have a great influence on me and it is only logical to see certain personality traits back in my characters.



11. In your stories there is sometimes a strong female lead character that is battling with a seemingly insurmountable problem. I know you are a feminist, do you like writing strong female leads to convey that women do have the potential and ability to do anything a man can?

Gosh, this is a difficult question. I think I write strong women because I like and believe in strong women. I do not like women who depend completly on men (if there is no reason for them to do so). I guess part of me likes to convey that message to women, that they can be and have the same potential as men. I however don't write stories with that in the back of my head. I think they would become very limited and boring. I like my stories to convey a lot of emotions, ideas and thoughts. I am trying to put something in them that people can relate to, they recognise and might find helpfull. I try to convey things that I think are universal truths though I am very aware of the fact that people might feel differently about it. And one of those truths for me is indeed that women must stick up for themselves and show that they can be strong, resourceful, independant and talented. I like women who are like that so that is why my lead characters often seem that way.



12. What is your idea of the perfect story? What do you dislike reading most in a story?

My idea of a perfect story would be a story that shows me something of life, that learns me something about it. That shows the beauty and the pain there is in living. It should have characters that have psychological depth and are realistic...which means they also have flaws and sometimes do stupid and nasty things. I like it when characters develop in a story and are changed at the end. I have thing for metaphors and beautiful language. I am a big fan of fantasy stories but a perfect story doesn't have to have that necessarily. I am a fan of sarcasm but most of all I want to be able to believe in a story.

I hate stories that are easy and unbelievable. Stories that are so sappy and corny that my tooth start to ache.



13. Choose one or several stories, yours and others, (including published books), you would like to see turned into movies.

Published books: The vampire Lestat (yep big fan of the VC) The elf queen of Shannara, Sword of Truth serie. Hmmm I think most of my favourite books, like pride and prejudice are all ready made into a movie.
On the forum: Under your spell, All through a lifetime, Lofters, Collide

There is a story of mine I would like to see turned into a movie but it's not on the forum yet. I plan on posting it when I am done with chosen devil2.gif



14. Is there anything you would like to share with us that you think is important/ funny/ handy to know…about writing, or the real world?

Be yourself and be the best person you can be. It might sound corny or logical but I think it is very important and not as easy as it sounds.




*spotlight goes off*

Yeah!!!!! An interview with Dana.

Oh I am so excited to see this interview, for I must admit, despite me following along with Lofters, I do know that much about Dana the person. So this was very fun and insightful to read.

First of all, excellet interview, as always Amber. Loved the questions, especially the one about which stories (real and on the forum) you would like to see made into a movie.

Dana, what a great interview. I loved your answers to so many of the questions. It was really great "getting to know you" through this interview, in fact, I just might look you up on MSN, I would love to chat you up some more.

I have to admit that I was nodding my head furiously as I read your info about writers block and how to deal with it. I often find myself trying to focus too much on one single event and trying to make it "perfect", which in itself is a problem. But more often than not, the scene I am agonizing over really isn't all that important to the main storyline, it is just something that I am blowing up into nothing. Thanks for the tips on letting go and focusing on not making everything into this complicated mess. ^_^

Total random comment...but I just had to say this....

I love this comment. It is just so beautiful and true.

Okay, I think I am done rambling for the moment.

In conclusion, god I sound like I am writing a damn english paper, excellent interview, loved your very truthful and honest answers. Keep up the fantastic job with Lofters!

P.S. Thanks for the shout-out. That made me blush a whole lot. ^_^

Hooray for Dana's interview! Great job on this, Amber, you asked thought-provoking questions and let me get to know this great reader of mine!

I'm so glad you did this, because I had no idea you wrote a LotR fic before the movies even came out, that's amazing! *feels like a sheep a bit since she wrote hers after the movies* I love the elves too! Well, heh, you knew that already. *hides Legs somewhere safe*

I can definitely relate on a bunch of your answers, I mean, inspiration for a chapter might come from a fortune from a fortune cookie or a random song from a musical, and sometimes when I'm just sitting there minding my own business.

:blush: And I feel so loved after reading that you admire me! Aww! :hug: Thank you! I admire you too. ^_^

And writer's block, I think we might be WB sisters, because I have that exact same problem, trying to make it perfect and getting carried away with the details or other aspects of the chapter that makes me lose focus completely.

Reading these answers makes me want to check out your story, Chosen, and wonder why I haven't read anything of yours before. ;-)

:eeeek: :faint: That's one of the highest compliments someone could ever give me, I grinned like an idiot when I saw that you'd want my story to be a movie. But hey, if that, by some lucky shot, happens to become a reality, I promise you can have a part in it! You could be "awesome girl window shopping" or something like that in the credits. :lol:

Thanks again for doing this, Amber and Dana! :hug:

*beams*

It was great fun to do the interview..I enjoyed it very much.
and I thouht the miss mystere comment very funny :devil:
:hug: Amber

*bows*
Thankies....and I look forward to meeting you on msn :lol: !

*blushes*
Happy you thought so.

*bows*
And eh...*grins* I hope this wasn't as tiresome as writing an english paper *winks*

:hug: thanks girl!

*smiles*
Well *grins* your free to do so now :laugh:
j/k

:lmao:
Now who could say no to that?!

Twas about damn time!!

Ahaha, I'm joking, I feel quite grumpy these days around.

Truth is, I had been wanting to mail Amber in a month or so, o tell her that danna needed an interview. And, I gotta say that Amber can lead interviews like a few ones can do. Questions you asked were very interesting and basically spanned through the whole range onf whati wanted to know.

Now, Dana... I am happy that, despite the wonderful answers you gave, I knew pretty everyhing of what you said beforehand. Tha is why I have the privilege to know you enough, and I swear, I was grinning at the screen, nodding and whispering: I know this chick! I know her!!

I saw al lot of you in your words, but having them all before me helped to get a better view of the amazing person you are. You already know I respect yo as a writer and I am so fond of your stories (ALL of them, and I'll be the happiest person in the wolrd when you-kno-what will be posted, eheheh!!), and I am happy we are writing Lofters together, because it's fun, and if you hadn't pulled me in I would have missed the chance of a great experience with three fabulous girls.

Another thing I wanted to say is that you are also one of he best readers I know, and this is the resul of two great sides of your personality, at least to me: the fact ou are such a supportive person, that makes you stick to our works, makes of you such a safe rock when I personally think my inspiration is fading out, and also, probably because of the education you're getting, knowing so much about Literatre and Psychology, makes of your feedback something unique and very deep.

When you comment on people's stories, you can pull out meanings and things I didn't notice and that make me thik, and love the stories even more. And, if the story you commen on is mine, well, the effect is breathtaking. You always manage to make me feel smart and talented, and I guess is something we all need badly, because we put a lot in this pasttime, dspite we're not always willing to admit it.

So, I really, really want to thank you for it, and believe it or not, I'd do it even if I didn't know you the way I do.

Great interview, Ladies!!!

:love:

Lovely interview, darling, gave us some great insights. :)

I love Dana to bits and it was great learning more about her. Awesome interview Amber! and you rock Dana!

:heartbeat: Pat

STUART LOVE FOREVER.

Thanks for the great reactions girls.
:hug:
Just a few things I cannot help from refraining to comment on (all right scrap the few :blush: )

*grins*
I all ready guessed you would.
I don't think there are many people who know me as well as you do :hug:
You mean a whole lot to me and I am glad you know me so well.
I feel as if I can be myself with you...and that is a precious feeling.
:love:

:hug: thanks and same back!

Awwww
I am so glad to hear that....I feel really flattered I do that.
:shine:

Thanks ^_^

*beams* same back girl!
Oh and this

couldn't agree more :devil:

YAY DANA!
*Blows horn*
:yahoo

This was a great interview and I really enjoyed reading it. It's nice to find out new things about each other that we hadn't known in the past.

Awe shucks... thanks for mentioning me doll!

:hug:
~Stacy~

I was so happy to see that you were this month's chosen author Dana!! I loved your interview; awesome questions and answers! I'm so glad I got to know more about you!
:blush: This would probably be a good time for me to catch up in Lofters, which I unintentially feel behind in. And Chosen sounds like a great story to dive into too!! I like how you make your female characters kick-ass hardcore ^_^