Better late than never! Here are the Scoobies of the Month interviews for December 2022. 

Commenter of the Month for December 2022, scratchmeout:

When and why did you start reading fanfiction for the show?

I started reading fanfic during season 7, working off of recommendations on an old Spuffy site/message board, Crumbling Walls, and then moving to LJ and following favorite writers and recs. 

I believe my first fics were by Herself, Eurydice, and Mary and I was hooked. "Journeys" (by Mary) is still season 6 canon for me and I won't hear differently! I wasn't entirely unhappy with what was happening on the show, but I wanted more and certainly needed more Spuffy goodness. In fic, they could be happy, angsty, fluffy, sexy...all of it and everything and being able to read these characters that I loved being written by people who also loved them, who wanted to care for them, wanted to explore the complications and intricacies of Buffy and Spike as people and as a couple, was amazing. They were treated with respect and love in fanfiction and that made me want to dive into it.

What words of advice would you give other fans who comment or are considering maybe commenting on fanfiction?

Don't feel like you have to leave a hundred word comment. I put this pressure on myself, as well, but as a person who also receives comments, even a simple "Loved it!" or even just an emoji makes me whole day. You're commenting to encourage them, let them know their on the right path, that you're enjoying it. 

Once you start commenting, you'll feel more comfortable the more you read and before you know it, you'll be writing in caps lock and swearing (nicely, of course) at the authors! I try to remember the feeling I have while I'm reading it and try to convey that when I leave a note.

Questions for scratchmeout from the lovely Chelle:

What is your Spuffy weakness that you will read every time and love? (for me, I have a little bit of a Spike takes care of Buffy kink)

It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I devour it: Buffy and Spike communicating and being open about their feelings, thoughts, etc. Even if it could be angsty, it ultimately leads to a better place and happiness. I just want to surround them in joy because it didn't happen so I tend to read a fic that will give that to me.

What is your favorite fanfic you've ever read in any fandom? One that you've read multiple times?

My favorite has always been "Journeys" by Mary. It was a perfect retelling of season 6, for me.
My go-to rereads: Fangs Out by Dynamite, The Time We Had by Dusty, Teach Me How by Grief Counseling, The Tutorverse by Holly, Swipe Right to Connect by ashedcrashed, The Lawyer and Cop Series by MaggieLeFay, Crave by Nautibitz, and last but NOT least, Aeternum in Anno by Chelle. Currently reading Aloof Rocker Kryptonite by JustTiff and unless it suddenly goes off the rails, it will be added to this go-to list. OH, and I don't read a lot of not R/NC-17, but I have to mention violettathepirateaqueen and especially Inhuman Behavior.

Is there a Spuffy trope that you're tired of?

PAIN. Allllll the pain. Let's take our collective trauma, grief, and pain out on each other. I get it, I can appreciate the need for it, and I get why people want it, but I can't do it. Ultimately, it's why fic is so great - there's something for everyone. 

Author of the Month for December, Chelle:

When and why did you decide to write fanfiction for the show?

I started writing fanfic in the first season. OMG, I can't believe I'm admitting this. I wrote a TON of Buffy/Angel. A TON. Novel length tonnage. I can't escape it. It's out there and it lives. But the second Spike showed up ... I was all in. ALL in. The minute he watched her dance in his first episode ... I wanted THAT. Before Buffy, I was writing My So Called Life and Santa Barbara and movie fanfic like crazy. It's just something I've literally done since the 80s. God, I'm old.

Which three fanfics that you’ve written are your favorite? Why are they your favorite?

First, my all time favorite isn't in the Spuffy fandom. It's in the Grey's Anatomy fandom. It's called One Heart Too Many and it's the first time that I've written something that truly resonated with thousands of people *and* me. I was asked to do radio shows because of it and a newspaper article was written about it. It just truly blew me away to be accepted and told I contributed something to people that really made them FEEL things. I was asked to officiate weddings and use my words from that fanfic in the ceremonies so that was beyond touching. It was so well received but more important than that ... the story itself was my way of saying goodbye to my nephew who died at age 21. The character he's based on survives in my fanfic and it let me write my own memories growing up with him to share with the reader. It allowed my nephew to come back to life on the page and in my heart that I will never experience again in life. He was my first best friend and that came through so loud and clear in the story. And it was my first real foray into writing a bisexual character who is stuck between a man and a woman and a homophobic family and following her heart. It just meant so much to me. I truly learned who I am as a writer from that story.

My favorite Buffy fic I've written has to be Waiting on My Spaceship. It's not finished yet, but I do know the ending and I'm beyond proud of the fact that I didn't let my fear of how it would be received stop me from going full steam ahead with taking Buffy into darkness. I wanted to see how low I could believably make her go and I think I really pulled off what I was aiming for. I think the story, to this point, has remained true to where I wanted it to go and I'm excited to see if I can maintain the enthusiasm I feel and passion I have for keeping Buffy's struggles as real and HUMAN as possible in a vampire story. Surrounded by the supernatural, Buffy's human issues are even bigger than the real demons she's facing. And that's been incredible to dive into and has my complete interest.

My third ... I think it's probably going to be Walking After Midnight even though I think Aeternum in Anno is written better. Walking was written while the show was airing in Season 4 and I created this entire backstory about how/why Spike was turned into a vampire and what The Initiative was actually up to. I remember some readers falling apart and having issues with who Spike used to be but the majority of people loved my idea of who he was as a human. It was so much fun to write and share in between episodes, too. I remember people had a tally on what I'd get right/wrong with The Initiative storyline. I truly miss those days when the show was airing and people were so excited but knowing how it all ends? Wouldn't trade it for the world. :)

What words of advice would you give other fans who write or want to write fanfiction?

Spellcheck is your friend. I edit my stuff in Google docs because I really like the editor there. Then I paste it into email and check it AGAIN and then I paste it into SunnydaleAfterDark and reread it AGAIN because the SAD editor usually finds anything I've missed. Don't ignore those blue underlines the editor displays ... scroll down and check it out. And don't be afraid to ask for a Beta to help. We're all in this together and we all do it because we love the show so much. I feel like putting your very best out there is the key to engaging a reader and finding your voice. And if you write because the story inside you is demanding to be told ... if you open a vein and bleed with it ... it deserves those little touches that make it as perfect as you can get it for publishing. :)

Questions for Chelle from the lovely scratchmeout:

What’s your process for how you begin a story? 

Oh, it's usually a LOT of sitting and staring at Google Docs trying to figure out the opening words. Honestly, there's also the building of a playlist to put me in the right frame of mind for whatever tone I'm going for. I usually write in complete silence, but sometimes I need the background noise so I build a fic specific playlist to keep me in that zone. That helps me more than anything because I never outline and never will because I like to see what happens with the reader ... I almost always know a few things that MUST happen, but the rest will surprise even me. Then there is a TON of backspacing and deleting and questioning and doubting and almost tossing my laptop out the window before I get through the first full paragraph. But then the joy comes when I get to the end of the first chapter and send my baby out into the world to be read. It's so worth it.

Top 5 Buffy episodes? Bottom 5?

My Top Five:
Once More With Feeling (I'm a music whore!)
Fool For Love (Spike's past!!)
Hush (So damn creepy!)
Touched (Spike's speech!)
Something Blue (OMG, they were so happy!)

My Bottom 5:
Incan Mummy Girl (Xander bores me!)
I Robot, You Jane (Even thought I do still whine about Moloch being in my computer.)
Superstar (I just didn't love Jonathon doing that spell. Or Briley.)
Where The Wild Things Are (Briley sex. And more Briley sex. MY EYES!)
As You Were (I hated Riley showing up with his perfect wife and seeing Buffy working fast food.)

Besides naked Spuffy, what do you find to be essential to tell a good story?

I love snark and banter so much. Buffy/Spike work best when they're bantering and poking at each other ... even when they're totally in love. Reading them finding new and exciting ways to push each other's buttons is always a pleasure for me. Angst is also my oxygen so I love a bit of that in a good story. I also love it when writers pay attention to detail. This might sound strange but sometimes writers will jar you out of a story and make you have to scroll back up to reread because you suddenly went from riding in the car to everyone being naked on the roof without understanding how/why. So, I think attention to detail is important for a story to keep flowing and keep you immersed in it. 

I also think that spellcheck is a writer's best friend. Seriously. It is. I've misspelled my fair share of stuff and never see it even on a third or fourth edit (because our brains tend to read it how we intended it and not how it actually is) so I absolutely love and rely on spellcheck since my fingers fly faster than my brain. And getting a beta reader, especially when you're a new author just starting, will teach you more than you'll know what to do with. I learned so much when I was just starting out by having a beta who would put [all my many mistakes between brackets with an explanation] so I'd have to manually go back in and read that and apply the changes. When I beta for someone, that's how I send their story back to them, too. Because it's the best teacher in the world.

A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to the people who voted for me to win Author of the Month. I can't overstate how amazing it feels to share my fanfic hobby here and for it to resonate with anyone. I've gotten some of the most beautiful feedback and profound private messages since I started to write Spaceship. You guys are incredible and your support and comments mean the world to me. Coming back and playing in the Spuffy fandom after literally years away has been the best part of 2022 for me. And being a part of SAD is beyond anything I've experienced in other fandoms. It's a truly supportive community here. So, thank you. Thank you thank you thank you! You are all wonderful and I'm so happy to be here. (And let's just never talk about my drunken antics during White Elephant, okay?)