We have new Scoobies of the Month Interviews! A huge apology for the delay on my end in posting these...RL has been a bear this month. 

Commenter of the Month for June 2023, Gabby

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

I first started watching Buffy when I was 12 or 13 (if anyone is wildly curious I'm 30 now). The show would be on before school so I have very vivid memories of like, random S1 and S2 episodes and daydreaming while in class (oops) about fighting vamps alongside Buffy. I also watched it a ton during high school and the first few years of college, but only focused on S5-S7 for reasons that are not hard to guess. I had no recollection of S3 or S4 whatsoever (sorry Faith, Riley, Maggie, and Adam, love u <3). 

And then I quite literally forgot about the show for like a decade! Didn't watch it, didn't even think about the characters, even though it's tied with Gilmore Girls for my favorite show of all time - it was like it just didn't exist. Then on a whim I jumped into S6 in 2021 during the pandemic, followed that up by rewatching the whole show several times (bizarrely, this was the first time I had ever watched Buffy in linear fashion from episode 1 through 144), and haven't looked back since.

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

In 2021 when I got back into the show! I'd never read any fic before for any fandom, but BtVS and this couple in particular just compel me in a way no other show or couple does. That's not to say there aren't other pairings that I enjoy! Spike and Dru are the goth vampire couple of my dreams, and I'm actually a huge fan of Angel and Cordelia. Even though I'm sure I'm missing out on incredible work by super talented authors for other couples, my fic reading habits basically revolve around Spike and Buffy.  

And I decided to dive into fanfic because I wanted to see more of this duo. I'm just never completely satisfied with what we got on the show (see question #5) and since I'm not a comics person the only other place for me to turn to is fanfiction. But luckily new authors are joining the fandom every day even though the show ended 20 years ago, so hopefully I'll never run out of new material for our favorite couple!

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

Buffy and Spike are perfect for each other, in this essay I will

Okay but for real, I just think they complement each other SO WELL. They're both excellent fighters so they make a great team in battle. Buffy has a tendency to get a little too serious and Spike's great at injecting some levity into her life. Their banter is top tier. They're brutally honest with each other even as their support never wavers. Buffy inspiring Spike to better himself and get a soul and his speech to her in Touched prove that they bring out the best in each other. BUT they both also see the darkness in each other and in themselves, and rather than run away from it they embrace that aspect of their natures and are whole together. In conclusion, their relationship has it all.   

As for each of them separately, I mean…Buffy's so strong and brave but also kind and selfless and is funny and smarter than she gets credit for. She's a hero, you see! She's not like us. And Spike is endlessly fascinating to me. There's so much depth to him. He's an evil vampire who's killed thousands but loves his girlfriend and his mom. He's impulsive. He's emotionally intelligent. He's charming. He's rude. He likes soap operas and Manchester United and the Ramones. There are so many layers to this man he's practically an onion, and it makes him one of the best characters of all time imo.

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

Like a lot of people I was just a lurker at first. I'm extremely outgoing in real life but am a shy little lamb on the internet, which is kind of funny because it's usually the opposite right? I think it's because whatever you say on the internet is more or less permanent and public, and it's easier to misinterpret because there's no way to read tone or facial expressions, and I'm constantly worried about saying the wrong thing or offending someone. Plus, I don't think my thoughts are particularly clever or insightful so like, who cares what I have to say? In any case, those fears and insecurities held me back for a while. But I eventually reached a point where I was like, these authors put so much time and energy into their stories FOR FREE, and deserve to be showered in love and appreciation and have people engage with their work even if they find what I personally have to say uninteresting or long-winded. 

All that is to say, if you're considering commenting but have misgivings, maybe it'll help if you think about how it'll make an author's day for you to drop a note, whether it's just an emoji or straight up essay, so that they know they aren't just shouting into the void. They put in so much work for us, we can absolutely return the favor! I also think it's best to stay positive. If I come across something I'm not a fan of or disagree with I just don't mention it, or couch it in a compliment sandwich if I do. We're all about the love here.

From LJ94:

What’s your favorite genre of fic? Are there any tropes you never get tired of reading?

I'm a huge fan of the established relationship genre. I feel like we saw plenty of Buffy and Spike in a tumultuous relationship on the show, so I'm just always desperate to see what a healthy relationship between them looks like. How do they talk through their issues? What are their dates like? Who is doing the dishes between all the apocalypses? Getting them together is always fun, but I wanna see them actually work through the trials and tribulations of a long term relationship. Established Spike and Buffy in a drama or comedy is my go to. And I have a thing for reunion fics. It's what naturally follows after the end of AtS for me, and I just wish we could have SEEN that. Sigh, alas.

Relatedly, what might inspire you to read a fic outside of your usual repertoire?

If I trust the author! For example, I'm not a huge fan of baby/kid fics just because I feel like those have a tendency to get too sappy and I need my Spike/Buffy to be snarky, but Dusty is a literal queen so I took a chance on her But Baby and loved it. I also don't read a lot of all human fics because part of the appeal for me is the vampire/vampire slayer dynamic, but because Maggie is another brilliant Spike/Buffy author I read her The Lawyer/Cop Files a while back and was so glad I did - it's incredible! And Violetta just started a feral!Spike story which is another trope I haven't dabbled in too much, but I'll read anything she blesses us with.

Thank you SO much to whoever nominated me! This was fun, and I'm very glad to be a part of this community even in my own small way.  

Author of the Month for June 2023, LJ94

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

So, this is a bit of a funny story.

I had this weird period in high school where I would watch TV shows based solely on the DVD box cover. Sometimes I’d read the description on the back, sometimes I wouldn’t. I had just finished FarScape, and the cover of Angel caught my eye. I had literally never heard of the show before, and went into it totally blind.

Let me tell you: jumping into S1 of AtS with zero context of Buffy, or that this even was a spin-off in the first place, was confusing as all get-out. I spent the first two or three episodes convinced we were going to get flashbacks that gave us some backstory about this girl Angel kept pining about, and how the hell he knew this Cordelia chick who he seemed to have nothing in common with, but only getting increasingly confused. I eventually caved and used the power of the internet to deduce that there were a whole three seasons of a completely different show that preceded this. I HAD heard of BtVS before, I’d just always thought it sounded silly so I’d never given it a shot. But now I was intrigued, and the Buffyverse had me in its clutches. I put my Angel watch on hold, watched the whole of Buffy, and the moment I finished “Chosen”, I watched the whole thing again. Now it’s been over a decade, and it remains my favorite show.

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

I’ve always been a writer! I used to take creative writing classes, I have thirteen journals dating back to 2015 in my closet, and several unpublished novels on my hard drive. But I didn’t start writing Buffy fanfic until a few months ago. I was on my 7th full rewatch of the show along with my roommate who was watching for the first time, and I was inspired to read some fic. Combine that with the fact that I now have a job that allows me enough free time to get back into writing – the fanfic writing was basically inevitable!

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

I love Spike and Buffy for the same reason I love most of the characters on this show; they’re flawed. Everyone is imperfect, nothing is black and white, sometimes the ‘heroes’ act like villains and the ‘villains’ act like heroes. I love that. I also love how both of them change and grow so much over the course of the show, and how a lot of that is through their relationship with each other.

I will admit, Buffy herself took some time to grow on me. I haven’t exactly been a teenage girl and find it pretty hard to relate to her in earlier seasons. I didn’t actually come around to connecting with her until S6 – her mental health struggles resembled some stuff I was going through when I first watched the show and I finally felt like I understood her.

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

So, I only have five Spuffy fics under my belt at the moment (although my brain is always bouncing with ideas). But for now I’d say:

A little more time – It was the second story I wrote for the fandom, and despite being just over 3000 words apparently it made a lot of people cry. It’s a post-Chosen fic – Buffy grieves Spike, and talks to some headstones.

Amateur Night – This was the first story I wrote with a friend / beta (the wonderful Tessa!) and that was super fun. It was also my first crack at anything remotely smutty, and my first illustrated story! So, a lot of firsts, combined with the fact that its just a really fun romp, makes this one an easy fave.

Dawn the Vampire Slayer – My current WIP. I’m incredibly proud of this one for plot reasons. Not only is it a non-linear story, but it also features a Wishverse that posed a really fun challenge to construct. Basically, Dawn wishes she was the slayer, and I challenged myself to go through canon and write flashbacks that ONLY make changes that would result from this one difference.

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

I think one of my favorite tricks since I’ve started a multi-chapter is to have a few chapters ahead pre-written. If you’re like me, and you feel pressure to post consistently but your life isn’t exactly consistent, it can alleviate a lot of stress! So if life decides to screw you over for a week or two, you still have something to post, and when you find time to get back to writing it can just be fun.

And I think my second piece of advice is that if a chapter or a section feels like a slog to write, there’s a chance it might be a slog to read. Step back, figure out whether its actually writer’s block or the scene just isn’t working. My favorite trick for getting past this is to swap perspectives, or jump right into the middle of a scene if I’m struggling to start it.

From Gabby:

What's your writing process like? Do you have everything planned out ahead of time or do you just wing it?

I’m a big ol planner XD. Mostly because I love foreshadowing and recurring themes and that kind of calls for foresight! For my current WIP I had pages and pages of planning for all 22 chapters before I even started writing, because there’s mystery I want to build up to and timeline shenanigans I want to get right. That being said, sometimes things come up organically, and I can’t say no to where the fic wants to go!

I also have a bit of a strange writing process in that I don’t write linearly. I’ll write a few paragraphs of one chapter, then a bunch of a another.

How do you stay inspired/deal with writer's block? I imagine there are times when words just pour out of you and times when writing is like pulling teeth!

The non-linear writing helps! Like if I’m stuck on a chapter or a scene, I’ll just hop to another part of the story, and that sometimes helps to get the juices flowing for the part I was struggling with. Also if I’m bored I’ll also sometimes change POV, or tell something with a flashback instead of exposition, because that helps keep writing new and exciting. I tend to be of the mindset that if it feels like pulling teeth, there’s something wrong with the scene, so I usually stop and give it a total overhaul.

Are there any characters/genres/concepts you haven't gotten to yet that you'd still like to explore?

Hmmmm, so as I said, I’ve only been writing Buffy fanfic for a few months now, so there’s a lot I haven’t gotten to yet. I will say I’ve always wanted to write a Hell’s Bell’s rewrite, because that episode GUTS me, and I already have a few ideas. I want to save that wedding gosh darnit!

As for characters, I’ve actually written almost everyone from the main cast. Love me an ensemble fic, the group dynamic is one of my favorite things about the show. I definitely want to write more Cordy and Spike friendship - I think we were robbed that they barely overlapped on both AtS and Buffy, because their banter would have been legendary.