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Hi, y'all! Here are the Scoobies of the Month interviews! Hope you enjoy reading them. :o) 

Commenter of the Month for February 2023, bruskiboo: 

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

I watched Buffy for the first time in 2019, when my friend extended her Hulu account to me, and I saw it listed and thought “why not finally see what all the fuss is about.”

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

I wasn’t super interested in reading gen fic for the show. But then someone in a FB group told me there was an entire website just for Spuffy fic. And when I checked it out and started reading the stories, I couldn’t believe my luck – that this specific ship of a niche show from years ago had such a huge collection of stories and a still-active community. I came for the Spuffy goodness and haven’t had my fill yet. (Doubt I ever will.)

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

Oh man, I could write a novel. Let’s go with bullets to rein it in somewhat and call this more of the *top* reasons, and not in any particular order.

They both are inspirational in their efforts to do and be good, but are also flawed and not always good.They are funny and goofy and unique and have their own quirks. They are smart and passionate but also stupid and stubborn.They’re so INTERESTING! They both have depth to their characters and incredible arcs through the series.Spuffy together has *undeniable* chemistry and sexiness.Spike and Buffy seem meant for each other. They have so much in common, their differences complement each other, they get on each other’s nerves, but they also can’t seem to let each other go.Spuffy is a beautiful ship because they have a deep and lasting bond, formed from many years of going through just about everything imaginable together. Even as enemies, they started with a mutual respect for each other and recognized the strengths of the other. And then they traversed a very long and winding journey, through good and bad and the worst times experienced together, where in the end they probably know each other better than they know themselves and are at their very best when there for each other. It feels like a real, adult, weathered, inevitable yet chosen relationship – the kind of relationship I can’t help but believe in and root for.

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

Do it! I mean, I totally get the hesitation. In all honesty, I’m still working my way through commenting on the fics I favorited when I first came to Spuffy fanfic and was lurking a bunch without commenting. But all it takes is a few obviously humbled and heart-felt responses from authors to realize what an impact even a small or simple comment can make.

My personal opinion is that the only wrong way to comment is to be negative. The most “negative” I probably get in a comment is to note a choice or character action that I think differently about, but even then I always make it into a positive - like maybe the author did a good job of making it realistic or their take brought up an interesting point or made me think differently about something. Our authors give so generously of their time and talent for absolutely no money, that it really doesn’t feel like the space to be critical. “If you can’t find anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” is probably a fitting philosophy for fanfic commenting.

Beyond that, I would say try not to feel self-conscious or pressured to comment like other people. And just comment however you feel! A few words or lots of words; epic sharing of emotions or vague summary of thoughts; commenting while being posted or waiting until all done to comment; listing things you liked, picking out quotes, or using our fantastic set of emojis – WHATEVER! Comment in whatever style you want and change it up whenever you want. Just remember how meaningful it can be to an author to write anything.

Another thing I suggest is to be open to reading and commenting on stories that don’t have as much attention. There could be a variety of reasons why a story hasn’t collected many comments, especially on SAD, since it’s a new archive. And I’ve read so many great fics that made me wonder “why doesn’t this have more comments?” So be bold, be the first one!

And lastly, I would encourage commenting on fics even if you know the author is inactive and unlikely to read your comment, because comments can also be helpful to readers. Not only can they bring attention to stories others may enjoy reading, but some readers find it helpful to reference the comments before reading a story, especially if they’re unsure whether they will like a story based on the description or warnings.

From violettathepiratequeen:

What are some tropes you’re always really excited to see in a Spuffy fanfic?

All of them! Tropes are the best and I will read just about any of them over and over again. As far as a fave trope, I do really enjoy hurt/comfort, especially with Spuffy. Cuz there’s something about either of them being forced to let down their guard and be a bit more vulnerable, and the other person wanting to be there for them through it. Also, I don’t know if I’d call it a trope, but I have a major yen for TALKING, for Spuffy finally having CONVERSATIONS with each other. There is so much in canon that is frustratingly NOT discussed that it’s super cathartic when stories fill in those gaps and give us that delicious exchange of actual words and understandings.

Is there any kind of Spuffy fic you WON'T read? Is there an author who you'll read anything from even if you're skeptical?

Yes. I will read *almost* anything, but I do have a handful of story types and warnings I won’t read. BUT, I’m not going to list them here because I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading or writing what they like. Something I love about our rich and diverse community is that it includes all kinds of readers and writers, so we can all find something we enjoy. And just because we don’t like something doesn’t mean someone else won’t.

As for authors, I’ll happily give the shout-out to Grief Counseling. She is the one who originally talked me into trying all human fics, and then basically spoiled me with her amazing examples of AH, lol! And her writing is so consistently strong and often hits that lovely balance of sweet and funny, that besides my no-read list, I will gladly try out anything she posts.

Are there any fics you've read that have changed the way you view a character or episode?

Yes! Too many to name them all. But… *goes to reference my Excel of favorited stories, cuz I’m a total nerd who made one of those*… Can I name 4? I’m gonna name 4, that are here on SAD:

Tempting Fate, by sabershadowkat: This is an interesting AU series envisioning Spuffy coming together in a totally different way, starting in s3. Not only did it open my eyes to what fic could be as an early reader, it also cemented the idea for me that Spuffy would eventually get together no matter what that journey looks like.

Sandcastles, by MissLuci: This one’s actually a featured story right now, so go read it! This sweet little fic made me think about ‘As You Were’ differently, it made me reflect on the amount of rage and depression that Buffy is dealing with in s6, and it made me wish Buffy had way more revelatory dreams about Spike in canon!

The Wind Beneath My Wings, by slaymesoftly: I don’t want to give too much away, but slaymesoftly makes an interesting choice in this fic about Angel and the Shanshu that I never would have thought of. The story also highlights the differences between Spike and Angel and provides a unique take on a post-NFA story.

Undeniable, by Chelle: I personally don’t headcanon that Spuffy slept together during the last night before the Chosen battle. BUT Chelle did a version that made it so realistic and delightful, that I had to concede it as a possibility for that fade-to-black moment.

Author of the Month for February 2023, violettathepiratequeen: 

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

I started watching in February 2020, because I had some friends at the time who just kept constantly pointing to it as their favorite show, even though I’d never heard of it before! I went into it knowing nothing except for a handful of random things, including that Buffy’s primary love interests were named Buffy and Spike. What’s so funny to me now is how sure I was that between Angel and Spike, one had to be a vampire, and one had to be a werewolf. I never got into Twilight but surely that was the formula, right? Once Angel was revealed to be a vampire, I was all set for Spike to be a werewolf, and it took me a minute to grapple with the fact that they were both vampires, lol! 

Anyway, I was hooked on the show, and Buffy herself, from episode one, though I actually didn’t like Spike at ALL until “Becoming Part 2”, I wasn’t receptive to the idea of them as a couple until “Who Are You?” and I finally PROPERLY started shipping them to the ends of the earth during “Fool for Love.” But I binged both shows in the span of four months (which ended up being the lockdown months, not that I could have known that when I started!), and obviously I’m now part of the fandom and it’s become a whole lifestyle for me at this point.

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

So I’m fairly new to the fanfiction game just in general; I avoided it for so long because of the stereotypes and bad rap that it often gets… until I realized that I’d been writing fanfiction in my head for the things I’ve watched since I was a child. The “Violetta” in my username is an OC I created to enter every fiction world I’ve ever loved, and to become part of the universe and interact with the characters and create new stories with them, and she’s been with me since I was eleven (but if inquiring minds want to know, the “pirate queen” part is just because that was the first thing I thought of when I made my A03 account a few years ago). So once I had THAT epiphany, in 2017, it was like a bottle uncorking and I couldn’t get stories written and posted fast enough.

All of that was way off topic, so back to the question. I wasn’t sure if Buffy would be a fandom I wanted to write for… until I watched “Fool For Love.” That porch scene changed everything for me, and I knew it’d only be a matter of time before Spuffy fanfic consumed my every waking thought, and oh my gosh I have never been more right about anything in my life. I resisted it until I’d finished both that show and AtS, but then churned out my first Spuffy story, When Buffy Knew, which was a small series of missing scenes from S7 of the moments I am SURE Buffy knew she loved Spike. And my next completed fic was When Spike Knew, which was, unsurprisingly, a series of missing moments from S4 and S5 during which I know he must have fallen in love with her. And now I don’t even write for any other fandoms anymore. This is it for me, until the well runs dry, which I hope will be a long time from now!

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

I have sort of an answer to this in my current bio, and so without completely blathering any more about my life story than I have already by naming all the ways they’ve meshed into my psyche so comfortably and effortlessly, let me just make this simple and copy and paste some of that here. Buffy and Spike mean the world to me, and that's all there is to it. I love them to bits, every part of them, and I dimly remember having other characters who were contenders as my favorites, but now it's clearly these two. She keeps me strong, and he keeps me sane. There's a lot of media out there that represents poor mental health, and I used to cling to them and feel seen by them... but I think this show is special in the way that it shows it, but doesn't wallow in it. It doesn't embrace the darkness, and it doesn't coddle the weakness, but gives room to feel it and work through it, and then rise above and overcome it, and I never knew how much I was missing that in shows until this one! 

I love Spike and Buffy because they try. I love them because they’re both light and darkness, and live in both. I love them for having so much of the same pain and problems, a century and a half apart and opposite sides of the coin, but with so much connection underneath. I love that they’re so strong and tough and brave, but still soft and sensitive when they’re permitted to be. I love that they strive for goodness… Buffy especially, she never compromises her values, and her ideals may be reshaped but they are never sacrificed, and Spike works against his very nature to become someone worthy of being close to her.

And it’s been a long time since I’ve seen two characters who care, so much… Buffy for her friends and family and all the people of the world she tries to save; Spike for his mother and Dru and Dawn and Joyce, and then both for each other. That kind of unbreakable love, that isn’t just passionate and romantic (though with a very healthy helping of that too) is just so rare to see, and probably so difficult to portray in the media, and that, like everything else about them, is just so unbelievably inspiring.

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

Train to Nowhere. This wasn’t even a contest… I had to really think about my other two choices for this list, but this one is so very special to me. It wasn’t prompted by anything other than an image that randomly popped into my head of Spike and Buffy just lazily riding a train similar to the Hogwarts Express, and I was obsessed with figuring out how they could get in such a situation, while staying within sight of canon, as I like to do! I cranked the whole thing out that weekend, which is unheard of for me— to have an idea pop into my brain and immediately execute it. I should maybe do that more often, because this is still my best received one-shot to date, and I adore it and its dreamlike feeling so much, and I haven’t written anything since that I love quite as much. 

Unconditional. THE most self-indulgent piece I have ever written, and if you’ve read it and know what my absolute favorite things in a fic are (canon fix-its, angst, sleepy cuddles, Buffy caring for Spike, and a happy/hopeful ending) then you will understand why. I was only following a loose prompt for this, which was “walk through the fire,” but otherwise I just wrote exactly what I wanted to write without setting any rules for myself. I called this “Cuddling w/o Plot,” and I got comments calling it things like “cuddle or die” and “loving him back to life” (actually I’m pretty sure that one was Dusty!) and, yeah, I didn’t think I’d ever write something that I would consider a comfort fic for myself, but this one definitely is!

Restful Souls. This one came about because I got a comment on a different story saying they wanted to see Spike really read the riot act to the Scoobies when he came back in “Touched,” and I took that as a challenge, especially because I don’t like character bashing, and wanted to see if I could point out everyone’s faults without it becoming that! But then, of course, we were too close to some of my FAVORITE scenes in the show, in my FAVORITE season, and I ended up just writing the remainder of those episodes in a sweeter and more fleshed-out way, while staying somewhat in the realm of canon. And I actually took the time to try and make it good, and there is not enough of a perfectionist in me to do that to every story, but for this one I really did, and was happy with the results!

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

Find your happy place, and don’t ever leave! Okay, that’s bad advice, of course you can leave if you want to, and you should try new things, as with anything in life! But with fanfiction there is VERY little pressure to do anything you don’t feel like doing, and it’s such a wide and diverse world that you can literally do anything and there will be an audience for it, so stay with the things you love to write anyway! On the technical side, my pet peeve is always if a character's voice sounds off, because I think that more than anything can make or break a fanfic, so, keep those voices fresh in your head; keep the show on repeat in the background if you have to!

And I feel slightly hypocritical saying this when I only send about half of my stuff to a beta, but a beta is really invaluable. They’re another pair of eyes to catch stupid mistakes, they’re an outside perspective to tell you what isn’t coming across as clearly as it did in your head, and really they’re your first mark of approval on a story. I know I stress way less about how my stuff is received if I’ve already had a beta give it a thumbs up!

From bruskiboo:

Is there anything you would want commenters to know from an author's perspective? Are there any types of comments that especially make your day?

Well, mostly commenters should know that UGH you guys are everything, you mean so much to writers, and no matter how humble we try to be, we ARE writing to make a connection with those who are reading, so thank you for being there to confirm that the connection was made! Please know that we adore EVERY single comment, no matter the length, and your reactions to our stories mean so much to us. On the flip side of that, know that your words have an impact on us. Remember that authors have written stories that they love, so, just being careful and respectful of the work that goes into them, and staying aware of the vulnerability authors exhibit through these characters we all love (not just Spuffy!) goes a very long way!

But for the record, on this site I’ve been properly spoiled by you guys in the comments, so thank you so much for that! Also, any comment that mentions an emotion I evoked in them (smiles, tears, laughs, melty puddles that need caution signs) makes my day. Every. Single. Time.

I always love to hear about different authors' writing processes. What's usually the start to your stories, and then how do you typically build from there? Do you ever get any curveballs from your muse or the characters along the way?

I really like having something to launch off of, so challenges, events, prompts, tropes… that’s my favorite way to start a story, because it’s like, okay, I’m given a couple pieces of the puzzle, now let’s find all the rest of them! (It’s what makes fanfiction such a comfortable place to live in, too, and why OF sounds so daunting to me, much as I want to write it.) But when I’m NOT starting off with any of those things, my stories are born when a single snapshot appears in my head, and I just have to find out how they got there, and what happens next. If I was an artist of any kind I would totally draw that one snapshot and showcase it as the thing the rest of the story was born from, and I think that would be really cool, but alas, all I have to offer are words. I already said what my Train to Nowhere image was, but as another example, Unconditional came from the image of a desperate and exhausted Spike collapsing onto Buffy’s bed, and I had to craft a reasonable scenario for why he needed her bed specifically, and why Buffy let him have it.

My characters I’d say are fairly obedient; they go where they need to and they sit when I tell them to and they don’t wreck my outline too badly. But sometimes they’re having a heated, or deep, conversation, and they start branching off into topics all by themselves and I frantically check my notes like, what the hell guys, don’t go off book on me now! But I love them, so I usually let them have whatever they want, even if they’re completely rewriting scenes, or just bypassing them completely. 

However if my muse throws curveballs at me I just start a new story like a responsible adult.

Are there any tropes that you haven't written yet and would love to try sometime?

I submitted “fake dating” as a prompt for the White Elephant event, because I love reading that but thought I would never write it, and then as soon as I submitted it I was like, who am I kidding, of course I’m going to try my hand at that some day! I’ve also made some notes for a Randy and Joan fic, and I have a challenge saved that calls for an amnesiac S2 Buffy, so the memory loss trope will be well explored by me, eventually. 

Some more Spuffy specific tropes on my to-do list include Feral Spike, Buffy falling in love first, Dawn jumping off Glory’s tower instead, and William, of course! (My ideas doc is absolutely staggering under the weight of all my notes and snippets and plans. My brain runs faster than my fingers, as it turns out.)

Whoever nominated me for author of the month, thank you so much, it made me very happy! I'd also like to thank my dearest honeygirl51885 for handling my anxiety like a champ when I asked her to read over these answers before I submitted them, lol!



--sandy_s, Dusty, Chelle on 02/04/23 03:35 pm 12 Comments

Comments

Awesome Q&A bruskiboo and violetta!  Thanks so much for sharing your stories with us.   It’s always so much fun to find out how everyone first fell into this fandom and what they enjoy about it. clap

-- honeygirl51885 on 02/04/23 05:14 pm

Ahhh I loved reading this and am so grateful you're both a part of this place. @bruskiboo I loved your thoughts on commenting and agree whole heartedly. @violetta, I'm now curious what other fandoms you wrote for! And so pleased I made a comment on your fic that stuck with you! Like @bruski said, just a few words can be so impactful and stay with us. 

-- Dusty on 02/04/23 08:17 pm

Aw, I love these answers! Congrats to the both of you!

-- scratchmeout on 02/04/23 08:19 pm

These were such great interviews, congrats to you both!

-- ashcrashed on 02/04/23 10:58 pm

Amazing intervews, thank you guys for sharing your wisdom! clap

I actually started taking notes of the things that resonated with me from both interviews and then I realized I was gonna end up quoting half of it all... so I hit the brakes for everyone's sake. 😅 

And thanks to your fic recommendations it seems like my bookshelf is going to keep increasing in size. Hahaha 😄💕

-- VeroNyxK84 on 02/05/23 12:51 am

Congrats to you both, great interviews. I’m always so excited to read how other Spuffies came to the fandom. 

-- Tessa on 02/05/23 02:22 am

Love reading these Q&As! So much fun to get some insight into everyone’s own fandom journeys. Congrats guys!

-- Lady Emma on 02/05/23 07:28 am

Love reading these Q&As! So much fun to get some insight into everyone’s own fandom journeys. Congrats guys!

-- Lady Emma on 02/05/23 10:18 am

Love reading these Q&As! So much fun to get some insight into everyone’s own fandom journeys. Congrats guys!

-- Lady Emma on 02/05/23 11:54 pm

As a very recent newcomer, I really enjoyed these interviews. There is so much to discover, and I'm so entirely up to it. I wish I had nothing else to do in life but read these... and for the past 5 days, that's literally all I've done. It's great to get through these interviews both a reader's and an author's perspectives. More is more than welcome!

-- marinaeulalia on 02/22/23 10:47 am

Great interviews. Thanks to you both and congrats on being the new SoM.

 

I loved this:  However if my muse throws curveballs at me I just start a new story like a responsible adult.

-- Slaymesoftly on 03/03/23 02:56 pm

@Slayme 🤣 I don't like confrontation. Even if it's between me and my open doc. 

-- violettathepiratequeen on 03/04/23 01:03 pm