Thank you all so much for all the signups for our SADvent! It's gonna be fun!

But before we get to that, we're stoked to bring you our interviews with the November Scoobies!

First up, we have our Author of the Month: Harlow Turner

Tell us how you got into Buffy the show and Buffy fanfic.

I started watching Buffy in... 2022 maybe? That sounds about right. It took me a bit to warm up to it, but even from the first episode, I found the characters compelling. I started reading Buffy fanfic after finishing S4 of BtVS. I stumbled across a rec list and started reading. I posted my first BtVS fanfiction in April of 2023. 

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Here, there, and everywhere! Re-watching episodes often gives me inspiration, along with asking "what if" questions about canon. Conversations with friends on Discord. Fanart, fanvids. Occasionally dreams. 

Who is your favorite character to write and why?

Honestly, I don't think I can pick just one, because I love most of the characters and they're what compel me to write fanfiction most of the time. However! I really love writing Dawn, she's one of my favorite characters. She's so fun and sassy! I also enjoy writing (hear me out) Riley a lot. He deserved a lot better than what he got on the show, and I think he can really shine as a character when given the opportunity. Also, (really hear me out) I'm very fond of writing Maggie Walsh. I really enjoy her character, and I don't think she gets as much attention in the fandom as she deserves. She's got this sort of dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and while we don't get to see it too much in canon, it's definitely there! I could go on but I think I've rambled about my favorites long enough; really, I enjoy writing most of the characters. 

Which story of yours are you most proud of and which was the hardest to write?

Going just off the stories I have posted to SAD (I also post to my AO3 quite a bit), I think I'm most proud of anything in my Night Shift 'verse, specifically the second story, "Turning the Tables." Despite the dark subject matter, I really am proud of the exploration of grey-and-grey morality, twisting more positive traits into something darker, and generally playing with concepts of "right and wrong" in that fic. Because none of the characters in that 'verse are perfect or without flaw; most of them have done some bad stuff, for various reasons.
 
The hardest to write might be...hmm. "Binding" or "When the World Went Cold, You Were Brighter Than Gold," which is probably why both of those remain works in progress. For the former, I have the rest of it plotted out and I just need to write it, but keeping the pacing feeling right in a relatively short fanfic that only covers a couple days has been difficult, to say the least. For the latter, I've changed my mind on so much that I think I want to change a lot of it, and I just might start over at this point. 

As a writer, what would you have changed on the show and why?

Overall I'm pretty happy with how the show went, I love the characters and I'm just so happy that it's a part of my life. However. In my self-indulgent fantasies there's a lot that I would have changed. Here's a couple of the bigger ones:

Season four, aka my favorite season. I love season four. But I do not love everything about the second half of season four. I won't say too much about what I'd change, because I'm actively working on a "fix-it" fic for most of the things I want to change. 

This one might be a bit of a hot take for this site, but I would have axed the Spike's Buffy obsession plotline entirely. I'd have gotten rid of most of Crush and Intervention. I would have had Spuffy get together in season six with a "slap-slap-kiss" dynamic; I wanted to see the enemies to loves develop more mutually and have the "ohhhh we're attracted to each other" realization come at about the same time for both of them. I wanted to see a scene where they're fighting and arguing and then bam! they grab each other and kiss. But I think that really boils down to personal preference and what kind of relationship dynamics one prefers. 

Thank you so much for having me as your author of the month! It's really an honor. 

No, thank YOU for sharing your gift with us! You rock!

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Next up is our Commenter of the Month: Lilacsandorangeblossoms

Tell us how you got into Buffy the show and buffy fan fic:

I had first watched Buffy in 2013 before I found out about fandoms, I liked the show but I didn’t have anyone to talk about it with I had drifted away from it, then in 2023 I was flipping through the channels looking for something to try to get my dog Hazel to stop barking, I click on Buffy, Hazel was fascinated and stopped barking. Now we watch it every day.

How I got into writing Buffy was I was falling asleep one night and an idea for a Dawn and Connor fic as I thought about it more I came up with multiple Buffy and Spike fics.

What motivates you to leave comments:

The happiness, the smile that it brings someone. You work so hard on a fic, hoping that at least one person will read it and when you get a comment it brings a smile to your face and all the work and the stress was worth it. 

Do you also write or are you strictly a reader:

I also write a ton.

Were you a lurker before you started comments or did you comment right away:

I commented right away, I have a short attention span Spuffy fics hold my attention when I leave a comment I am enthused about it and want to know what happens next.

How important is it to receive a reply from the writer when you leave a comment.

Very, commenting makes people happy and showing love to people for their fabulous work. And then to get a reply is everything. Whether the reply is thank you or answering a question in your comment it means a lot. The back and forth a relationship builds. 

Thank you, Lilacsandorangeblossoms! We love having you here! <3

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And that's a wrap! You guys have a great one!
Chelle, Dusty, GetItDone, and GriefCounseling