We want to start by thanking you guys again for making Short & Spuffy such a success! Everyone who participated nailed it! And all the commenters were amazing, too! Thank you, everyone.

Our April Scoobies of the Month Interviews are ready! 

We are starting with our Author: SomeKindofDeviant

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

Oh man, I started watching it shortly after it started airing on the BBC, I must've been 11 or so. I don't remember which episodes I started with, but School Hard is the one that got me hooked, I was obsessed the moment Spike and Drusilla appeared. Alongside rifling through the Young Adult section of the library and discovering Point Horror and Christopher Pike and the like, it kinda opened up this chasm of a supernatural/vampire hyperfixation that may have stuck around a lil while. 

My tween internet time was pretty much a mix of neopets, aol chat, and searching Buffy. Somewhere in between quizzes, windows themes/wallpapers, and wondering who on earth Buffy Sainte-Marie was, I discovered fanfiction and fell in love. Though it'd take me a couple decades or so to read Spuffy fic for the first time, after a rewatch where I finally came to see how much there is to love about the ship and to jump on board with it, and til last year for me to try my hand at writing fic myself for the first time. 

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Chatting with friends about this, that, and everything and then noodling away on things. Poetry and music and fragments of dreams, too, often spark inspiration when it comes to vibes and themes, but all kinds of things can throw something up in the air to latch onto and chew on.

Who is your favorite character to write and why?

Drusilla. When I first started writing, I thought I'd find her hardest, but I think I've come to find her headspace the easiest to slide into. Which may say something worrying about me, but there we are. Writing her lets me have all the fun I want with imagery and the bits of my brain that fit together oddly, to let them run free and chase them down tunnels. It's oddly comforting. 

I will say I've enjoyed writing Buffy more than I expected and had a great deal of fun with her in my last story, which helped me work through a lot of the nerves I had about it. Her dialogue and thoughts are so bouncy!! 

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

I've only written a couple of Spuffy pieces, and I'll stick to those in this answer! I'm proud of both, for different reasons, but my chapter of The Mystery of the Disappearing Scoobies was the first time I tried my hand at the pair, and so there were all kinds of nerves there. I'm very proud about how it came out. I tried to bring a lil bit of something fairytale to it and I think I managed to achieve it.

I think The Dreaded Lurgi was the hardest of the two, for all that it's a bit of a crackfic, because it required actually considering an arc and plot resolution rather than just throwing things in the air and letting the next author handle the consequences of where those things landed. 

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

I am torn because, flaws and all, the show was lightning in a bottle and has managed to keep such a place in my heart and the hearts of so many others for so many years in just the shape it is. Still, we do all have our pet peeves. I think I would change Lies My Parents Told Me. It was such a wonderful opportunity to show growth and painful confrontation of the past that I think was in some ways quite wasted, and I really wish Robin had been centred a bit more, framed more sympathetically, and that Spike had given him the coat. 

Thank you so much, SomeKindofDeviant! We appreciate you and your contributions here so much.

_____

Next up is our Commenter of the Month: bee_davie

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

My older brother was always in charge of what we watched on television, so five-year-old me watched Buffy as it aired in 97. The episodes I specifically remember watching were Witch, Teacher's Pet, and What's My Line, parts 1 & 2. I wholeheartedly believed in magic, and that the evil creatures from the show really existed, so I was obsessed with fighting bad guys like Buffy. I even had a game plan for stomping out bugmen in my white Reeboks. 

I watched a lot of reruns and episodes here and there, but I didn't watch the show in order or anything post-season 5 until I was a teen. As a teen, I made mistakes and was initially into Angel. As soon as I saw him kissing Buffy through her bedroom window, I knew he was the one. Their story had all the elements I thought I wanted in a romance until, of course, our blonde baddy hit the scene. Spike has had a chokehold on me ever since.

I loved the show, but I always wanted more from the ending. I need my love interests to be together. FOREVER. This led to many late nights trying to fix the show in my head and create a happy ending for Spike and Buffy. My journals throughout the years are full of times when I am rewatching the show for comfort, questioning what Buffy would do in my shoes, and going through lots of Spuffy thoughts. I went through phases where they would walk around the house with me (in a totally normal, not at all obsessive way.) I was just not over them.

Fast forward to my first real job out of college. I sat beside a girl on the bus who told me she wrote Buffy fanfiction. She was the second person I ever met who loved Buffy. That conversation sent me on a hunt for fanfics and into a land where all my dreams came true. The first fic I ever read was The Butterfly Effect by cousinjean, followed by A Chance in Hell by SAD's very own Grief Counseling, who went by a different name back then. (When I discovered this connection, I was so chill. So. Chill!) 

What motivates you to leave comments?

Fics that cause:

• Deep, intense emotions
• Nonstop squealing 
• Glances in the mirror that say, "Oh my god, did you just read what I just read?!"
• Honest and true fangirling thoughts

Do you also write or are you strictly a reader?

I am strictly a reader with ideas that I wish to write. I get preoccupied with a scenario or a witty/sexy sentence and then construct a story about it in my head. I have a dedicated Spuffy ideas notebook, but that is as far as it goes at this point.

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

I used to hardcore lurk. Spuffy was my guilty pleasure, and I didn't feel the need to share it with anyone, until one day I did. I got into a fic bingeing cycle, and after reading banger after banger, I needed to talk about it. I joined Discord to discuss, but I still didn't leave comments until The Time We Had (as everyone probably knows). Props to Dusty, who made me cry for days with such a lovely fic that led me to leave my first comment. It is what brought me to SAD. The rest is history.

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

I am not going to lie—the endorphins I receive when I see "New Reply" in my inbox are spectacular. I love and appreciate getting replies, but I understand that responding to every comment is impossible. I never wait for an answer or feel bad if someone doesn't respond. I comment because I want to. All the work writers put into stories is more than enough for me. 

Thank you SO much, bee_davie! You are incredible and we appreciate you! 

Happy April, everyone! Ready for the world-ending eclipse? ;) 

Chelle, Dusty, GetItDone, and GriefCounseling

We're stoked to bring you the interviews with this month's Scoobies! So well deserved. 

First up, we have our Author of the Month: Girlytek

Girlytek politely declined our offer for an interview but she had this to say: Swonderful writes amazing comments and I’m super glad to see them here, and I’m honored to be SotM with them. <3

We agree, Girlytek, and you totally earned your spot as author this month! We're so happy to have you here posting your stories.

_______

Next up, we have our Commenter of the Month and as the name implies, they're wonderful: Swonderful

Thank you so much for naming me Commenter of the Month!  I'm honored to be recognized for what I consider a small repayment for the many, many hours of joy I get from the works of so many talented and generous authors, artists, betas, editors, admins, and mods. 

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

I was channel-surfing and caught the very first minute of the very first episode when it first aired, and was instantly hooked.  I was soon online, reading everything I could about episode recaps and upcoming episodes, and from there, I found BTVS fanfiction.  It's such a pleasure to see the characters evolve, live on, and often improve. I particularly enjoy it when fanfiction rights the wrongs of the show but in realistic and logical ways.  

What motivates you to leave comments?

It's a combination of wanting to thank and encourage writers and becoming so invested in their stories that I feel compelled to react. I try to make it clear that when I'm annoyed or irritated by something a character does or says, I'm annoyed at the character, not the writer. It's much like Spike getting impatient with Pacey while watching Dawson's Creek. He was not upset by the writing, he was responding to the character as if he was a real person. When I get excited, or angry, it's not a criticism of the author, and it's almost always a compliment to their skill. I think that's true of many other reader comments, although sometimes authors seem to feel personally attacked, although that doesn't appear to be the commenter's intent.  BTVS characters are imperfect, as they should be. When readers are incensed, they don't always think to mention that they're upset at what Giles, Angel, Xander, or Buffy did, not at the writer who created that scenario.   

Having written for and edited national newspapers and magazines, I'm amazed at the caliber of writers here. The quality of their writing is better than some professional writers I worked with, who had to be heavily edited. These authors continue to write without financial compensation, which is remarkable, and very generous of them.  And for some writers here, English is a second or third language!  

I also appreciate the emotional maturity and psychological and political insights many authors bring to their stories, and, through their writing, to readers. BTVS, unfortunately, normalized a number of flawed perspectives, such as the TA/student personal relationship between Riley and Buffy, and I appreciate it when writers bring those issues to readers' attention so they can be better informed in their personal lives. 

  Do you also write or are you strictly a reader?

I was a non-fiction writer and editor for national news media (magazines and newspapers), as well as a university journalism instructor. For fanfiction, I am strictly a reader, although often I will privately message writers when I see errors. In rare cases, if it's a medical or similar error that could have RL repercussions, I will mention it in the comments. 

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

I was a lurker for decades before I started commenting. When I registered on sites, I didn't even use my real name; I combined the names of my friends Marilyn and James. Once I felt safe commenting, I  felt an obligation to support all the contributors who have created and sustain this community.   

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

Unless it's a WIP, I often skip the other reader comments, thereby missing any replies to my own, and until recently, I didn't even know I could have replies sent to me. A moderator, either here or at another site, told me how to opt in for that, although it may be automatic here. 

It's amazing that authors take the time to respond because they're doing the heavy lifting of writing, as well as their Real Life responsibilities.  I think it's kind of them, but nonessential and unexpected.  It's been a pleasure to have discussions with several authors, both in the comments and private messages. Most recently I discovered  VeroNyxK84 here and have been reading and commenting on her old stories.  To my surprise, when she responds, it's clear she's not only read my comment, she's gone back to re-read what she wrote a year or more ago. Dusty also does that, even when I'm rereading and commenting on The Time We Had for the second and third time.  I appreciate that, but it's well above and beyond an author's role.  You're already giving so much! There are many, many other authors who have similarly responded. I'm not going to name them because I don't want to inadvertently leave someone out. 

The often unsung heroes who deserve a plethora of positive comments are the admins, mods, and other support who keep the site going and manage all the glitches, and also each person who supports it financially.  Where else can we go for excitement, distraction, support, and comfort 24/7 without leaving our homes? 

For a variety of reasons, some readers comment rarely or not at all.  Sunnydale After Dark is giving more pleasure, insight, hope and satisfaction than is evident from the comments. I'm so glad the site exists to support, disseminate and preserve these wonderful works.   Thank you, everyone!

_______

Thank you both so much for helping to make SAD such a wonderful, welcoming, and encouraging place to be. We wouldn't be here without every single one of you and we are so grateful every day that you choose to be here with us! 

Chelle, Dusty, GetItDone, and GriefCounseling

Hello hello, everyone!

Hold onto your hats because starting in March, Short and Spuffy will be back!

This event is one that we knew we had to repeat, and based on our community survey last year, you all agree!

Here’s how it will work:

We’ve gathered up drabble prompts from January’s Top Commenters. For the first 30 days of March, a new prompt will be chosen daily and at random on Discord. Join us there for lots of fun discussing the day’s freshly revealed prompt! The prompt list will also be updated in a centralized Sunnydale Press news post for easy access. 

Just like last year, we’re embracing the challenge of writing exactly 100 words per drabble! Feel free to interpret the prompt in any way you want. You do not have to use the literal words from the prompt in the drabble.

Never heard of a drabble? Wondering what this funny word is? Want loads of inspiration? Check out last year’s event here.

You may post the drabble at any point during the month of March, so it does not have to be shared on the day the prompt is revealed. This also means that if you want to wait, you can post your drabbles in the order you see fit to use the prompts. March 31 will serve as a catch-up day with no new prompt. If you’d like to write a promptless bonus drabble on this day, you are welcome to!

Your drabbles do not need to connect narratively (unless you want them to!), but please organize your drabbles for the event into one story and post each drabble as a new chapter. This will make it easier for us to count at the end. You’re welcome to make your drabble story part of a series if you want to connect it to another work of yours, possibly even last year’s drabble story!

Now for the awards, which we know you’re going to want to collect as many of as possible since loveisntbrains has graciously agreed to design them for us!

You can earn awards in three ways this year: by writing, by commenting, or by designing a banner. 

For commenting and writing, you will accumulate more awards the more drabbles and comments you write.

For commenters:
15-39 Comments = The Comment Hero Award
40-69 Comments = The Comment Champion Award
70-99 Comments = The Comment Slayer Award

If you write 100+ comments, you earn the ultimate grand prize! The Naked Buffy Award.

For writers:
1-9 Drabbles = The Drabble Hero Award
10-19 Drabbles = The Drabble Champion Award
20-29 Drabbles = The Drabble Slayer Award

For completing all drabble prompts, you will earn the highly coveted Naked Spike Award!

Artists will earn an award for banner contributions. Writers, please be sure to credit your banner artist!

So, in total, there are 9 pretty awards up for grabs for this event! The more you do, the more you earn. 

As always, don’t forget to check the event box when you post! And reach out if you're unsure about anything.

We can’t wait for the March madness to begin!

Hey, all!

Just a quick update to let you know that all Top Commenters for January (writing 15 comments containing 15 or more words) will be eligible to submit a prompt for the Short & Spuffy drabble event in March. Yes, drabbles are returning for our next event! And so is the infamous Wheel. So

And get commenting!

Much love!  

Happy New Year, Sunnydale After Dark!

We hope everyone had a blast with 2023’s ‘Tis The Season Event and had a chance to read some, if not all one hundred and one gift submissions! 

You read that right… 101 gifts!

We admins were so amazed by the love you all shared that GC created an additional award. We didn’t want it to be a competition, which is why we were secretive little elves about the Spuffy Santa Award, an award to the member who generously gave the most gifts for this event. Everyone who participated was generous, but we were a little floored by this particular member’s holiday spirit for giving out stories to sixteen lucky members! YOWZA-WOWZA!

Congratulations to honeygirl51885! You are one big-hearted Spuffy Santa!

And to everyone who participated, your artist, author, and beta awards are now posted! 

The comment scavenger hunt awards will be posted this week after the holiday winds down, so be on the lookout for the bronze, silver, and gold awards to grace your profiles if you submitted your forms in time. We’ll make an announcement in the Scooby Chat once they’re all posted.

It cannot go without mentioning another part of this event that members took into their own hands and created something magical. SAD Members all_choseny and Dynamite rallied together on Discord in secret to create The Merry Month of Magnus. Magnus374 has been such a huge supporter of Spuffy fanfic for years, and the thoughtfulness that went into giving him a gift every single day of the month was truly remarkable. Claire made a gorgeous banner for everyone to use, too, complete with author names and dates to keep everything organized! The talent, love, and holiday spirit you all shared was an event of its own. 

That’s what it’s all about, guys. This turned out to be one of the best events ever!

From the absolute bottom of our holiday hearts, thank you for making this community so special and full of joy. Let’s all say goodbye to a wonderful 2023, and look forward to an amazing 2024!

Good Tidings to ALL! ‘Tis The Season has finally arrived! 

This year our holiday event is centered on gift giving, and we know there’s no one we'd rather thank more than the authors and artists who have spent countless hours sharing their work with us. To show our appreciation, we’re issuing 12 Days of Commenting Challenges! Simply read and leave comments on fics (and art) as described below. You can use this form to track the comments you’ve left. (The link above will prompt you to make a copy of a Google Doc. If you don’t use Google Docs regularly, feel free to access it in PDF format here.) Submit it back to us by December 31st and earn one of three commenting awards! 

• Bronze: At least four ‘days’ of challenges

• Silver: At least eight ‘days’ of challenges

• Gold: All twelve ‘days’ of challenges

(Note: Because some of the challenges incorporate multiple comments, there are actually 16 comments to leave over 12 days.)

Most of the logistical details are included in the first page of the comment tracking form linked above, so I won’t bore you with them here. You can send/share your form with sunnydaleafterdark98@gmail.com when it’s completed; if you’re having trouble with this process please reach out to GetItDone through the site admin email, site PM or Discord PM.

We strongly encourage you to discuss these challenges and use them as an opportunity to share recommendations with each other! We’ll be setting up Discord threads for each challenge, or you can use the Chat on the home page!

More good news! The incomparable Grief Counseling has gifted all of us with a brand new ’Tis the Season skin, now available! And the incredible Girlytek and bookishy have gifted the community with a new themed holiday drink menu as well! We are truly spoiled around here.

Finally, we’d also like to use this month to highlight a new feature at Sunnydale After Dark: The gift-giving feature! This feature is here to stay, but anyone who gifts a fic or art to another SAD member in the month of December will also earn an award! Be sure to check the event box when publishing. Credited artists and betas will receive an award, too! 

So now, without further adieu… I bring you the 12 Days of Commenting:

On the first day of commenting, my SADmins said to me… pick an All Human fic and leave some cheery words of glee.

On the second day of commenting, the SADmins encouraged us… to find a story with no comments and leave it lots of love (three if you please!).

On the third day of commenting, our SADmins told us to adore… a story by an author you’ve never read before.

On the fourth day of commenting, my SADmins said to go… read a Something Blue fic and let that author know.

On the fifth day of commenting, those SADmins said to find… a story where Spike and Buffy use some tech to share their minds (texting, the internet, etc).

On the sixth day of commenting, the SADmins said to try … finding a fic where lots of magic goes awry.

On the seventh day of commenting, SADmins said, “Don’t wait … rush on out and find a fic where Buffy and Spike go on a date!”

On the eighth day of commenting, your SADmins want you to comply… go and find a fic that makes you laugh but also cry.

On the ninth day of commenting, your SADmins did pester… and send you off to find a fic with a big romantic gesture.

On the tenth day of commenting, your SADmins said, “Don’t dally! Go find a fic that happens at least ten years post finale!”

On the eleventh day of commenting your SADmins said to ye, find some art that when you see… one makes you feel nostalgic, another tugs your heart, the final one is scorching hot or maybe just flirty.

On the twelfth day of commenting, your SADmins want you to savor it. Go find a fic that’s on one of your favorite author’s favorites.

Happy Commenting!!

What to your wondering eyes should appear, but a new SAD event full of good cheer!

‘Tis the season for giving! Here are the deets on this year’s two part holiday event.

We really want all our members to feel like they can be a part of the event this year because this community isn’t a community without celebrating and supporting each other. So the first part of this event will be a commenting challenge. 

We will unveil the “12 Days of Commenting” challenge on December 1. Think of it as a fic scavenger hunt where you will comment along the way on all the treasures you’ve found! All 12 days will be revealed at once so that everyone can fit the fun into their holiday schedule on their terms. We will have a chart for participants to share and record their progress as they explore the challenge. Members who complete all the challenges will receive a special award! More details to come on December 1.

Writers and artists, we know you also want to create. So, in the spirit of giving, we ask that you create something new for a special someone of your choosing. Maybe that person is a commenter who always inspires you and makes you smile. Maybe it’s a beloved beta who doesn’t get nearly enough credit for their hard work. Maybe it’s another writer who talked you through your writer’s block this summer. Whoever it is, make it meaningful to the two of you! 

Your creations do not need to be holiday themed, but if you need inspiration, Grief Counseling has put together a fresh seasonal prompt list to stoke the fires of your imagination:

1. Unwrapped
2. Festival of Lights
3. Down My Chimney
4. Stockings
5. Under the Mistletoe
6. Last-Minute Shopping
7. Mittens, Mittens, Mittens
8. Red-Nosed
9. Holiday Hell
10. Nine Candles
11. Blanket of Snow
12. Crackling Fireplace
13. Winter SOULstice
14. Spike the Eggnog
15. Ugly Sweater
16. I Saw Buffy Kissing Santa Claus
17. Sleigh Ride
18. The Gift that Keeps on Giving
19. Bah Humbug
20. Baby It’s Cold Outside

D’Hoffryn has been hard at work developing a new site gifting functionality. Now, when you create a new story, you have the option to gift it to a fellow member of Sunnydale After Dark! You’ll find this new feature in the Add New Story page. Recipients will automatically receive an email alert notifying them that they’ve received a gift when your new story is posted. (You can also edit past stories to name a gift recipient, but they will not receive an email notification for this.)

Your giftee will appear along with all your other story’s info:

Anyone who gifts a fic during December should check the ‘Tis the Season event box in order to receive an award and be listed on the event page. Credited betas and artists will also receive an award.

Lastly but not leastly (yes, this post is A LOT!), we are excited to announce the return of the holiday party on Discord! We will post in the 'Tis The Season event channel a few proposed times for our winter bash and let the community vote on their preferred time. Expect a lot of chatting, a return of last year’s delightful (and optional) Spuffy themed drink menu, and perhaps a few surprises!

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to one of the admins!

Cheers!

Greetings, Spuffy fam!

We’d like to pop in and let everyone know we’ve added another admin to the Sunnydale After Dark team. Everyone please welcome Grief Counseling! (AND wish her a very happy birthday! )

She really needs no introduction as she’s been a fixture in the Spuffy fic community for so many years. We all know her as an incredible writer and artist, but she’s also been instrumental in developing this archive. Grief Counseling is the creator of all our adorable site emojis. She’s designed graphics and skins for us (check out her latest, Scarlet Night!). She’s helped us troubleshoot issues and brainstorm events and, in general, been one of our loudest, proudest cheerleaders. We love her to pieces! 

We’re so thankful she’s agreed to join in and officially admin with us! We’re also thankful for this kind community full of people who always seem to step up and support each other. Keep cheering each other on!

Much love. 

Greetings, After Dark-ers! Can you believe it’s October already?!?

There’s a lot happening here at Sunnydale After Dark! First, we wrapped up our Spooky September event this weekend. You all have graced us with 30 new works for our site, including a mix of one shots, chaptered fics, art work, videos and drabbles. Awards have been distributed to 18 artists, 25 authors, 13 betas and 23 commenters. A huge thank you to Double Dutchess for designing our Spooky September awards - Look at these pretties!

Since October is still spooky season, you’ll see our Spooky September fics cycling in place of the ‘Stories that Slay’ this month. Be sure to check them out and leave our participants some love. Thank you to everyone who contributed! 

Secondly, we have some site updates to share with you! D’Hoffryn has been busy as usual. Under Browse → Events you’ll now see a more visually appealing ‘Events’ page highlighting the banners from our past events. These banners are clickable and will take you to a listing of all the past event fics. Enjoy this walk down memory lane! 

We’ve also added a much-requested category to the site - META-ANALYSIS! If you’ve written any sort of meta-exploration of Spuffy as a couple, feel free to post it under ‘Essay (Spuffy)’. If you’d like to share analysis of any other individual characters or themes of BtVS, these can be posted under ‘Essay (BtVS)’. 

**Seeing as how we are a Spuffy site, please keep any ship analysis focused on Spuffy only.

Finally, we must bring you one bit of bad news… One of Sunnydale After Dark’s founders, sandy_s, has chosen to step down from her admin role here at SAD. Sandy has done some phenomenal work here and was a critical force in launching Sunnydale After Dark and making it the place it is today. Sandy has been very passionate about her work here, but she has a very full life outside of fandom and was having a hard time keeping up with the pace here at SAD. She leaves us on good terms and we remain forever grateful for her contributions to the site. While we’ll miss her as an admin, we look forward to her continued contributions as a member of the SAD community!

Happy October, all! Holidays will be here before we know it… 

We can’t wait to see all your spooky Spuffy fics and artwork! Remember that you only need to post your first chapter by the end of the month. You still have plenty of time!

We’d like to thank Double Dutchess for the spooktacular event banner she gifted us. She’s also designed some incredible spooky awards that will be revealed at the end of the month

There is a new and thrilling “fall” skin designed by Dusty for your viewing pleasure! Tis the season. Select your skin with the box in the bottom right corner of the site. Go to Account Info > Edit Preferences to change your default skin at any time.

And lastly, we wanted to highlight some major updates to the site this week, made of course by our resident techromancer, D’Hoffryn:

• All text editor boxes throughout the site have been modernized.

• Scooby chat comments can now be edited.

• Blurred warnings are now a personalized setting under Account Info > Edit Preferences. All accounts are set to blur by default, but to have all warnings always be visible, just uncheck the box! 

As always with new updates, there will be hiccups and bumps. Please report any issues to D’Hoffryn via the D’Hoffryn Support Channel.

We hope you have an excellent September. Thank you as always for your positivity and support. It’s gonna be a great month!

We have new Scoobies of the Month Interviews! :o) Hope you enjoy them! 

Commenter of the Month for August 2023, American Aurora

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

I have to admit that I never watched BtVS when it originally ran. I had several friends who were fans and they were always trying to get me to watch it, but I was always flooded with work and theater projects.

The only episode I ever saw was the musical episode Once More With Feeling because that's my field. Of course, all of the Broadway musical theatre community at the time could talk of nothing else, but I freely admit that it didn't really appeal to me at the time because I had no idea where it was coming from. I only continued to hear about Buffy sporadically until the end of Season Seven, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I actually sat down to watch it.  And I was hooked! 

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

When I was a little kid, I was a voracious reader - gorging on Shakespeare and Dickens and other lit like candy – but I was also obsessed (like most kids) with movies and television shows. And fanfiction became a particular passion of mine. 

I was always drawn to art that reacted to previous works in a perpetual ripple of influence like Dante’s Divine Comedy that took so much from Virgil. I also loved fan-created stories that transformed an already existing work into something intensely communal and dynamic. So, like any typical Gen X-er, I started to read fan fiction and became familiar with the art form.

In sixth grade, we were assigned to write an essay comparing categories (breeds of cats, for example) and I thought it would be clever to do an essay on fan fiction. So, I turned in a long twelve-page paper detailing the various fanfic genres of Star Trek – Gen, Mary Sue, Hurt/Comfort, Alt Universe, K/S, Crossover – and my very conservative older teacher wigged out and accused me of making it all up.

You should have seen his face when I showed him various fan fictions. Slash, in particular, was not as familiar to the general public as it is now and it shocked him that this kind of thing existed. He kept shaking his head as he looked at fan art of Kirk and Spock kissing, muttering, "My GOD! What has this world come to?" 

I graduated with a film degree (and ended up working in theater as a script editor/writer) but I’ve fought ever since against academic and critical disapproval of fan fiction throughout my entire life. It comes down to an inability to see beyond the highbrow/lowbrow dynamic.  Sadly, there’s also a tendency to disparage art forms like fan fiction that are associated with women creators.

Fanfic fascinates me - because I like to see the mirror reflecting back on the original work. It works on so many levels because fan writers and readers aren’t just passive consumers, but creators that engage with the original and often act as a second layer of cultural meaning.  I believe fan fiction has had a major effect on the way in which audiences perceive the original creators/copyright holders – often creating a communal wave of transformative texts that find their way into new reiterations of that world.

So, once I watched Buffy, I immediately searched for fan fiction and was really taken by the sophistication and incredible creativity of the authors in expanding the scope of the show while still staying true to its essential meaning.  I think it’s one of the strongest fandoms out there and I‘ve enjoyed reading both modern fics and exploring the Internet Archive for older fics from the late 90s when the show first ran. 

And I’m very grateful to posters from several wonderful sites like Buffy Tube and Buffy Forums who made numerous suggestions of fics to read and fan fic sites to explore – Sunnydale After Dark becoming my absolute favorite place for Spuffy!

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

Outside of the fact that both are fantastic original characters who bring a tremendous amount of charm and pathos to the show and are played by two dazzlingly brilliant actors, I love the two of them together because I adore what their relationship says about identity and the sense of self. 

We watch bit by bit as William Pratt makes his journey from timid momma’s boy to heartless monster to chipped menace who sometimes aids Buffy and her friends – and sometimes undermines them. And as the various outward layers are added to Spike – his accent, his name, his scar, his coat, his hair, his chip – he tries out different identities to figure out what he should be – each identity is continuously built from the ground up.

But Spike, Slayer of Slayers, begins to fragment as long-repressed emotions of his former identities as William Pratt and William the Bloody began to emerge when he falls in love with Buffy. The drama of the choice that Spike has to make – to remain Spike, Big Bad and killer of two Slayers – or become someone else entirely underlies so much of the complex meaning of their relationship.

And Buffy faces many of the same issues. She’s unwillingly called as a Slayer to fight the forces of darkness, moving from sheltered valley girl to heroic fighter who never quite fits in anywhere and struggles to maintain some sense of normalcy.  She suffers the fragmentation of her family, the sense of dislocation in moving to Sunnydale and falls in love with a vampire – albeit, with a soul.

But due to her training, Buffy psychologically separates his vampire side utterly from the Angel she grows to love, treating it almost like an affliction or a disease that Angel has to bear. There is a clear line made between Angel and the vampires she dusts – for he has a soul and they have no soul. And a Buffy who longs for normal – who doesn’t want to even think that she can be attracted to the freakish, the bizarre, the monsters – clings to this difference as justification for why she can love Angel.

She is still in this mindset (as is the audience) when she meets Spike, the unsouled monster of her nightmares. She clings to the belief in a soul as the decisive factor in determining worth – and this is why she sees him through that distorted lens. But when Angel turns into Angelus, Buffy realizes what a knife edge her trust of Angel’s souled state rests upon. Ironically, it’s soulless Spike’s love for Drusilla that creates the alliance that finally defeats Angelus.  And his growing love for her that changes their dynamic from enemy to ally to friend to lover.

And we slowly learn that Spike’s transformation is driven by his past self – his former memories as a human with all the psychological pathos that entails. And this really throws a monkey wrench into the Buffyverse – because the insistence that a soul is needed for moral compass has now been superseded by the idea that a continuous identity can override monstrous instincts. That the memories of who a vampire was can actually have an effect on the actions of a soulless vampire.

And whether Spike stays soulless or gets a soul in fanfiction, his character is driven by this apparent contradiction.  And that forces Buffy to make a decision of her own – instead of Spike dragging Buffy into the darkness as he had hoped, Buffy begins to pull Spike into the effulgent light instead through their mutual love.

I absolutely adore this dynamic – the complexity of their relationship is in so many ways at the heart of the show because it reaches to the core of our own sense of self.  The possibilities for real change – for a fundamental growth in personal identity – are glimpsed through an awakening of love.  And that love – as personified by mortal Buffy – connects immortal Spike to human time and therefore allows for the possibility of change and escaping the unchanging life of a vampire. His awareness and concern for her mortality – her burden of a short life, her courage against an impending death and her human ties to others around her – links Spike to find his own identity in a changing world. 

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

To avoid a neat correlation between artwork and artist where you fit the right shaped block into the right shaped hole. For some people, analyzing art works are akin to solving little ity-bity Fisher-Price wooden puzzles. Real life doesn’t work that way, of course – and I think the arts are the same.

In fan fiction, an author starts with a loosely bound series of plots and characterizations that vaguely shape their way.  But when they find the real truth and purpose driving their story – the character, the theme, the plot, the essence, whatever it may be – the author deviates from the original intent of the work to follow that discovery wherever it may lead them.

A fanfic writer has to rely on their instincts - not concentrating on mundanities like grammar or word choices or characterizations that necessarily hew closely to the original work, but slowly developing a certain flair, an original style, a unique way of expressing new ideas in the verse that are shaped into something really fine.

So many times, I’ve seen a playwright’s work coalesce around a theme that they were completely unaware of while writing their play – yet embrace it when they see it played out on a stage. Writing is a way of cutting away the marble – of shaping the clay – without necessarily knowing the ultimate form. This is why they call writing “the process.” Whether novel, play, screenplay, or fanfic, what comes out is never what the artist originally intended.

And it’s the same for commentary. Art reaches us on an instinctive level. It works beneath the surface so that we use our own experiences to “read” what is happening.  In that sense, commentary becomes a symbiosis between the author and the commentator with multiple streams of meaning enhancing the enjoyment and analysis of the work. 

Any given artist has umpteen impulses that lie dormant in their work – the job of the commentator is to tease out the unconscious and conscious themes and make meaningful connections.  So, a commentator should be open to being engaged on several different levels – some intentional by the author and some unintentional – as they read a transformative work that engages with the original in such an intense way.

There’s an old saying – strong artists don’t put others down – they lift them up. I think it’s an intensely humbling and thrilling experience to engage deeply with a writer’s work and offer one’s own unique perspective.

From womanaction:

You write such gorgeous, detailed comments - can you walk us through your process?

It’s the same process that I use when reading a new work – carefully examining the work while teasing out themes and trying to divine the author’s intention. I try to become emotionally and intellectually involved with the work to the best of my ability to understand on an instinctive level the process which led the writer to make certain decisions.

There’s nothing more exciting than experiencing a writer consciously or unconsciously expressing themselves through plot and characters. I love how it slowly reveals their viewpoint and beliefs regarding all aspects of the original work.  The time, the place, the situation, the point of view, the character reactions, the plot points all expressing a unique take on BtVS and the Spuffy relationship.

It may be that I’m too influenced by the theater, but I try to imagine the surroundings, the expression of character and the dialogue as if it were on a screen or on stage and try to viscerally react to that immediacy by marking out acting beats and subtle shifts in attitude. But I’m also often taken with the descriptive prose which creates a kind of symbiotic bond between reader and author.

And when certain passages stand out as particularly dramatic or humorous or suspenseful, I love to quote them back to the writer and spin them around and contextualize them within the whole piece to let the author know how much I enjoyed them.

What are your top 3 Spuffy genres or tropes?

Oh, I love all Spuffy genres from Fluff to Hurt/Comfort to All Human.  But I’m especially taken with post-series fics which feature a complex reunion, slow burns in which it takes FOREVER to develop their relationship and psychological studies of a dark nature that explore real-life issues such as Depressed Buffy/Depressed Spike.

Author of the Month for August 2023, womanaction

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

I had caught a few episodes when it was originally on, but I didn’t really watch it through until 2012. I had a suspicion it would be right up my alley – I even had an OC at one point I named after Willow, who had always been my favorite character as a casual viewer. I also spent a lot of time in the 2000s on TVTropes, which began its life as a Buffy-specific site, and I had absorbed a lot about the show from there. Plus, I was already a Firefly fan! But I knew it was a big commitment, and that I would probably be obnoxious about it forever once I got into it (which turned out to be 100% correct), so I was saving it for the perfect moment, and that happened to be it for me. I had a couple of free hours to kill before I needed to be somewhere, and after I watched the first two episodes I was forever changed.

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

At the time I started seriously watching, I had been writing fanfiction and publishing it to fanfiction.net for around 8 years, so it wasn’t surprising to me when I wanted to start exploring the world of Buffy fanfiction. I wrote some Angel/Cordelia and some gen before finally tumbling headfirst into the Spuffy writing world, although I do sometimes write other ships (and gen, still – see my AO3, same username, if you’re interested).

I was really resistant to shipping Spike and Buffy at first, which is why my username on Elysian Fields is kind of embarrassingly 2000s (though it may be changed by the time this is published – thanks, Dusty, for letting me know that was possible!) – I never really expected to do anything but lurk and maybe write a few comments, so I just used my old fanfiction.net username as something I’d remember!

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

Okay, like I said above, I definitely never intended to ship them. I was aware they were a big ship in the fandom, but I was firmly set against it. My impression of the ship was that it was all about the sexiness of mortal enemies getting it on, and I had always been someone that was more into “Friends-To-Lovers” (or, okay, “Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers”, but the friends part was important!).

And then I got to Becoming Part 2, and they were working together like they’d known each other all their lives, making little side comments and shooting each other looks and generally living in their own little world and I was like well, okay, I kind of get it. I don’t ship it, but you know, I get it.

I was mostly able to put it out of my mind over the next couple of seasons even as I enjoyed Spike’s character and then, well. Out of My Mind happened. And even though I knew it had to be a dream sequence, I felt my heart leap. Against my better judgment, I was all on board, even in parts of season six when I really wished I could take it back.

I say this to emphasize what first drew me to Spuffy: the way they work together, even as professed mortal enemies. The way they get each other, from day one – undeniable weirdos, “embarrassing freak couple” that they are, they get each other down to each last poetry-reading, thrill-seeking, never-have-a-normal-life inch. And what kept me away from them, the fact that they are supposed to be mortal enemies. Even when they get past actively trying to kill each other, they’re still resisting any identification or partnership with the other. The push and pull of these dynamics are infinitely fascinating.

Even more, what keeps me coming back is the sheer number of “eras” we could say they go through. From mortal enemies to reluctant allies, from unrequited obsession to confidantes, from the hottest hookup on the show to two people who are indescribably tender after hurting the other one so much…each of these phases is just one side of the complex dynamic that is Spuffy, and there are always more depths to plumb.

Plus, you know, they’re both utterly gorgeous, hilarious, and two of my favorite characters on the show. That helps.

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

This is hard, because I think I’m immediately drawn to the multi-chapter fics, and I only have a few of those that are Spuffy (two of which I’ve written in the past year, which I never expected to happen!).

But I am going to pick those two anyway. For “ever waiting airports,” I’m really happy with the characterization and the pacing. This one was not especially easy for me to write – I probably did the most rewriting of any fic I have ever written, and I constantly felt like I was threading the needle in terms of this theme of semi-infidelity. I really wanted to tell this story in a way that honored all the characters and left them all in a good place, but also wasn’t afraid to look at the ugly parts. I also expected it to only be a few chapters – oops! But I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Second, I’ll go with “If Only” (which is not on SAD yet at the time of writing this – sorry, I’m working my way back through and editing in reverse alphabetical order!). I’m pleased with where that one landed tonally, and it’s literally my only Season 4 fic. I can’t say the idea is especially original, as a Something Blue canon divergence, but I found it outrageously easy and fun to write. I really like when I get to write Spuffy sort of silly and stream-of-consciousness.

Finally, I think I’d pick “It’s Wrong!” I have written so many “season 6 but not depressing” Spuffy fics at this point that I’m worried it may just be my brand, but this one is probably my favorite. On a reread I’m always pleased at how packed and parsimonious it is in telling a little arc for Buffy, and while it’s entirely indulgent (of myself) that suits me just fine.

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

Write what you want to read! If you’re not enjoying writing something, there may be a reason for that. I saw a post the other day that said “fanfiction should be funfiction”, and I think that’s right on the money. There were a few years I hardly wrote anything because it wasn’t bringing me much joy (probably not a coincidence this was during the most intensive years of grad school), then one day I felt like writing again and so I did! If I stop enjoying it, I’ll stop. Similarly, never forget the Two Cakes Rule. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel or write the best fic ever on your first try (or your hundredth try!) for people to be really excited to read your story.

That said, there are ways you can push yourself to make sure you stay in the habit if that’s something you value. For me, it’s writing a chapter ahead on a multi-chapter fic, so I can look forward to the fun of posting and potentially receiving some great comments. For others, it’s writing on a schedule (a total joy-suck for me). I like outlines; some people hate them. There are some challenges/events I really enjoy, like gift exchanges or the recent Spiral Spuffy event, and there are other ones I know will feel like more of a stressor to me so I sit them out and enjoy being a reader. Don’t be afraid to try new things, but you don’t have to do everything. 

From: American Aurora:

Reading all of your fics, they seem to be divided between one-shots and longer pieces. Which do you prefer to write and do you approach each type of fic differently?

This is a hard one! I really like the feeling of things being done. I have abandoned lots of fics in my time (mostly not Spuffy, although there is one over on EF that I won't be moving here since I abandoned it in 2015), and I hate doing that, so I tend to have a constant level of stress when writing something multi-chapter. So I probably enjoy writing one-shots more, but the ultimate sense of accomplishment is better when I do manage to finish a MC fic! Because of this, I do tend to plan out my longer fics more, but otherwise my process is really similar. Honestly, even for longer fics, I tend to get the first chapter or so on the page before I really decide what the rest will look like (because if I don't have fun writing that first chapter I probably won't write the rest - I have a lot of first chapters on my computer that will probably never see the light of day). Sometimes I have an idea for a longer fic and then it turns out I'm happy with it as a oneshot when it's done.

I was really taken with the level of understanding and empathy that you extend to almost every character in your work despite their flaws. How difficult was it to keep certain characters sympathetic despite some rather dubious actions (such as Riley or Angel)?

That means a lot to me, thank you. I'm very character-driven (in my writing and in what I like to read - and what I take from the things I read, watch, etc.) so I'm always trying to work through different characters' mindsets. Sometimes I will write at least an outline of a chapter/story from multiple character perspectives to make sure I'm not losing their story and POV. In fics like "airports" I have a clear place I want the characters to end up, and in some ways the plot is shaped mostly to allow them those chances (even if the development ends up "offscreen"). I enjoy this approach, but I don't think I could do this for characters I don't already have some level of empathy with. Warren stands out as a Buffyverse example of a character I would find it difficult to write as a character and not just a plot device with dialogue.

You do an incredible job of depicting both Buffy and Spike’s POV in so many fics so that the reader sides with both of them equally – how hard is it to keep that delicate balance?  

I feel like these questions illustrate what makes you such an effective and amazing reviewer, because you really get at the heart of what different authors' goals are and there is no better feeling as a writer. This is the thing that keeps me up at night sometimes. I'm currently working on a sequel to "Magic Fingers" in Spike's POV and the biggest roadblock has been trying to get a real sense of where Buffy's mindset should be and how much Spike (and readers) can pick up on it. Sometimes I find it much easier to write Buffy's POV because she often holds back on her thoughts and feelings much more than he does, and her actions can be opaque (or even seem irrational) if we don't get a good sense of what's going on internally. My biggest worry with writing Spike is more about making sure he doesn't come off too well, lol. I love a trying-to-be-good!Spike, but emphasis on trying, so my biggest struggle writing him is usually about striking that balance between his instincts and his better angels and figuring out when he's likely to listen to each. Luckily, they are my two favorite characters, so I don't mind spending some extra time with each of them to try and figure these things out!

We have new Scoobies of the Month Interviews! From this month on, the interviews will be posted on the 15th of the month to give the Scooobs time to respond and the rest of us a deadline. Where did July go?

Commenter of the Month for July 2023, Marina Eulalia

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

My daughter has been watching Buffy at least once a year for the past twenty years, and she'd occasionally tell me that she wanted to watch it with me. I kept wondering why in the world? She knew I was not into sci-fi, fantasy, horror... and teen shows? I was 73, and my TV and film tastes were pretty well established. Then her dad passed away quite suddenly last April (2022). As he was truly my BFF, even after we separated eons ago, his loss and the subsequent grief hit us both like a freight train. The following September, I went to her place to spend some time and share some mutual comfort with her, and she got me started on the show. I was immediately fascinated by the unusual mix of genres, and the constant humor lacing through it, which we both really needed. Not to mention the exceptional way it was filmed, the wonderful dialogs, the outstanding acting. Each episode seemed to me to have been produced like a feature film. We watched all 144 episodes in record time, then once I was back home, I did two more rewatches back-to-back. Needless to say, it took half a second for Spike to become my favorite character—I have a history of attraction to bad boys who are also smart, have an acute sense of sarcasm, great looks, can show deep devotion, and are basically rebels, all of which was made evident as soon as we met him. Of course, given the circumstances, "The Body" had me shamelessly sobbing. I love musicals, and when we reached "Once More With Feeling" I was jumping out of my shoes. The growth over the years of each of the characters blew me over. The whole show was both cathartic and gripping, with its myriad levels of depth and meaning, even triggering a lot of metaphysical thinking.

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

Along the way, I discovered that YouTube had an infinite amount of BtVS videos, and Spuffy videos in particular. I watched, and watched, and watched. I joined and became active on the James Marsters Facebook page, where I documented his entire acting career, because I'd found him to be such a superlative actor, surely he'd have been given other formidable roles (IMHO, no, not really). In this overall tableau of my basically Spuffy obsession, I kept returning in my mind to the fade-to-black scene:

18 INT. BASEMENT AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Spike holds out the amulet in front of him, letting it dangle from its chain, and stares at it thoughtfully. Buffy walks down the stairs. Spike stands and faces her. [Thank you, SAD Transcript  Library!]

I'd read that Whedon had decided to leave how that night played out to the viewers' imagination. Okay, but I needed that imagination to be properly fleshed out. I'm primarily a reader. I can't remember when I haven't started and ended each day with some reading, sometimes whole week-ends and the bulk of my vacation time. I'd never even heard of fanfiction, but in my various Facebook BtVS wanderings I began to see some references to it, so I pulled up my search engine with a single goal, which was to find how others had written out that "missing scene." The first of these that came up was on SAD (yay!). I decided to join last November, but I got all muddled with remembering my ID and password, couldn't get back in, and finally in February, I wrote to the SADmins, got an immediate and very friendly reply, and then just... closed my eyes (metaphorically speaking) and dove into the deep end. And WOW! I had no idea! The multitude of genres, the brilliance of the writing, the warm and fuzzy sense of community among the authors... I was thrilled to say the least. At first it was something of a maelstrom. My first read was The Time We Had, by Dusty. Not a sci-fi fan, remember? But I kind of liked time travel, so I tried. Can say I was enchanted but mostly confused, and then, whamo! It was a WIP! WTF? Then the March drabble event kicked in and I gleefully joined the daily crazy spinning of that carousel!

Anyway, long story short, after nearly drowning in a whirlpool of long and short completed or WIP stories and trying out every genre (I had never read any smut, and was quite taken aback! though not unpleasantly...), figuring out the acronyms (most of them, anyway), the frequency of updates, I managed to whittle my appetite down to what I pretty much knew I was going to like, what parts of the show I needed to have "fixed" (because yes, to me BtVS as is, is pure genius, and part of that is the absolute NEVER a happy ending for anyone, ever, and that is pure frustration, which is part and parcel of, well, life... so thank you you talented writers, for mitigating the inherent frustration of life), how to pace myself in the reading, etc.  It's been quite a ride :).

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

Well, first it was Spike (see above). I was running around feeling like a teenager in love with a fictional character. Geez. That had never happened to me. I was totally Spike POV and was angry at Buffy. On the rewatches, though, I began to be able to put myself in her shoes too. And bam! Their story crystallized in the form of one of the truly Great Love Tragedies—The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, The Tragedy of Tristan and Isolde, The Tragedy of Bérénice and Titus (Racine), The Tragedy of Spike and Buffy. They may be characters in a pop-culture TV show, but to me they are way up there among the Greats, in how they materialize, in a sense, the impossibility of absolute love. They trigger a lot of thinking on the power of love (I'm from the peace-and-love generation, Love has been the only form of power I have mostly managed to wield in this life, and by now I know it's not enough. Essential, but not enough). Not to mention that Spike personifies unconditional love, and devotion, with and without a soul. Also, Taoism has been a great help to me in the often hard task of living. Buffy and Spike, to me, are like the Yin Yang circle of life; she is the light with a permanent spot of darkness, and he is the darkness with a permanent spot of light. Without both, there is no life. I was a Philosophy student way back then, and that never stops, somehow. Oh, and did I mention that I'm in love with Spike? And Spike would not be Spike in all his depth without his love object, which can onlybe Buffy. Voilà.

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

Just do it. You have a legion of authors of all ages, all degrees of experience, living in different parts of the world, in the midst of their very busy or not-that-busy part of their respective lives, simply giving you the fruits of their talent, creativity, and imagination! If you're an avid reader, you know books are expensive. And all of this is yours for free. Now, you also know that when you've "created" something, anything (could be a fancy meal) your reward is for those to whom you've offered it to tell you that they liked it, and even better, how they liked it. So do it. 

At first, I was just "liking," Facebook style. Sometimes adding a this-made-me-feel statement. I read others' comments, and was a little intimidated. Mostly they seemed to come from other authors (I later found that was not always true), and how could I be up to such standards! Not a writer, here! Just a reader! I soon overcame that obstacle and just went ahead, in the above-mentioned diving fashion. It is, for me, the best way to show my appreciation. I'll write all kinds of comments, depending on the time of day, on whether I'm reading on my phone or on my computer, how much time I have, and many other factors. Sometimes I wonder if what I write makes any sense. It can be a description of my emotions, I could be zooming in on the effulgence of the writing, could be wondering about what's actually happened and what will happen next. Don't feel there is any particular "format" for commenting. Write what comes naturally. I actually always read others' comments, which are fascinating, and also useful because some commenters actually help to get a "previously on" for WIPs that you don't remember well since their last installment—Magnus comes to mind: thank you, Sir! Many authors respond to your comments (don't forget to set your notifications for those), which is totally wonderful, and sometimes delightful conversations ensue. Some authors do not appear to respond to the comments, but I will provide comments anyway, because I assume other readers must also, like me, read the comments too, whether or not the author has responded. I also have a bunch of stories set aside with a "review!" injunction tagged to them because I hadn't had time to comment when I'd read them and really wanted to. I will. Maybe. Eventually. Hopefully.

So comments all around, everybody, and yeah, just do it.

From Maggie:

As a commenter myself, I like receiving responses to my comments and/or seeing in the author notes that authors are happy to receive feedback. Do you have a favourite kind of interaction with authors, in this sense?

Of course, I love to receive responses to my comments. It's kind of like the beginning of a distance relationship ;), and in any case makes the authors a lot more real to me and gives me some insight into what fuels them to offer their creative work so generously, which remains something of a mystery to me. So that is definitely my favorite kind of interaction. I always read the author notes, which may very well inspire me to give some feedback even if my time is short when I'm done reading. In fact, I sometimes respond to the author notes instead of to the story! I am particulary impressed that beyond the time the authors carve out of their real life to write, they also take time to respond, even if it's just a "Thank you!"

Again, though, even if there is no response from the author, which I totally understand (see above, not enough extra time, or maybe even they might have taken a break from fanfic... I sometimes read stories that were written quite a while back and anything is possible), that will not necessarily keep me from commenting, because I may not be the only person who also reads pretty much all the comments attached to a story. There are many factors that will determine whether or not I comment, but I never, ever force myself to do so.

Do you have a favourite kind of genre/category of fic to comment on, and why?

That's an interesting question. But I have no real answer to it. I do have genre/category preferences to read, so those will be more likely to inspire me to "say something"... sometimes anything, really. I could possibly be "categorized" as a canon-nut. I'm still mesmerized by Whedon's genius (and that's unlikely to change)--which included putting together outstanding actors, writers, and crew members--but obviously, if I'm here, it's because I need more, or simply need things to turn out differently. I believe I've tried out all the available genres and categories, to find that for instance, Horror is not my cup of tea, so (in that one experimental instance), that's all I was able to say, all the while impressed with the talent involved in the writing of it. Discovering the wealth of genres and categories has been quite a ride! Back to canon, though, since I will never read the comics but I'm still very post-series curious, my comments will probably involve questions (did this really happen or is this you making it happen?). Dunno. I'm really kind of a haphazard commenter :).

I’ve seen from your bio that you’ve discovered this fandom (and Spike!! Same on the falling madly in love with him!) recently, and that it makes you feel young. I love that! Do you want to tell us more about that side of your fanfic experience?

This is almost an embarrassing question, innit? Having a humongous, all-encompassing, mad, teenage-type crush on Spike at my age was a complete shocker to me. I did not resist it, though. On the contrary. That crush energy is so good and delightful. Also, it was a first, because even as a pre-teen, the objects of my fantasy crushes were real people (singers, or actors--not the characters they may have played), unattainable but real. Then as I grew older, said objects became attainable real people, not necessarily attained but attainable. The fact that Spike was a fictional character made the attainability factor disappear. So no holds barred, and nothing to expect ergo no heartbreak or disappointment on the horizon. No pain, all pleasure. Does that make sense?

Giving it some deeper thought and consideration, though, and if I really must pinpoint what makes me feel young, particulary in the fanfic I've discovered, I can safely say that it's given me a place in my imagination to rekindle my, ahem, long-expired-in-real-life sex drive, a.k.a. Eros, a.k.a. the life drive, which, I have to say, is a great asset in the very latter part of the life cycle, which is basically where I am now. Having, I might add, fully taken advantage of the life drive in the part of my life when it could be fulfilled, so no regrets.This is just an unexpected bonus, and is adding enjoyment to my life overall. Powerful stuff, you witchy, talented writers!

And okay, the age regression can materialize in the fact that I sometimes imagine that the pillow I'm hugging when I'm falling asleep is... Spike's sexy-and-also-comforting chest, which I read so much about in fanfic. I can almost feel his arm around me as I'm drifting into dreamland. 

I hope anyone who's reading this is laughing. I am!

Author of the Month for July 2023, MaggieLeFay

How did you come to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

I’ve never been a fan of vampires (I’m still not, with the exception of the BtVS ones haha), and I had a bit of internalised misogyny back then, so whenever I encountered mention of Buffy online, my first reaction was “A blonde girl killing vampires? Noo thank you”. (Yes, I was that obnoxious. I apologise to the world for my past self.)

But then I watched Firefly by Joss Whedon, and fell in LOVE. Back then I still used facebook (it was 2015!), so when the same nerdy page that raved about Firefly kept sharing Buffy posts… I had to give it a chance.

And then I fell in love again! This time much, much more long-term.

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

My memory isn’t the best, so I honestly don’t remember a precise moment, or a precise reasoning behind it. I just know that at some point I started imagining a post-series reunion, and slowly but surely I started writing more and more of it, until it was done! It was incredibly exciting for me, because while it wasn’t my first-ever fanfiction, it was my first-ever in English (not my native language) and definitely my first-ever LONG story. Before writing that I genuinely did not think I’d be capable of writing a story longer than 2-3 chapters and finish it. It was amazing!

Why do you love Spike and Buffy?

The very first reason is that they make me laugh. I’m not the greatest fan of the bad boy trope in general, but Spike worked so well for me because he was ridiculous so often. Absolutely NO shade to anyone who loves the trope through and through, but my favourite thing about arrogant characters is when they’re ridiculed, so the fact that he was fun and hot AND that at some point he became comic relief, too, was part of the charm for me! And then, the writers kept giving him real feelings, passion, development, and real growth… all that mixed with the fun made such a powerful mix that I’m still smitten haha.

And Buffy, of course, is absolutely hilarious too. Her language is one of the very first things I fell in love with! As I mentioned, I used to have a bit of internalised misogyny, so some of her more feminine-coded characteristics made it harder for me to like her at the start. But I am so glad I grew out of that, and through rewatching the series I’ve fallen in love with her, too.

I love the two of them together so much because I find them brilliant. I didn’t like the s6 sex era because I don’t like seeing characters I love hurting each other like that, but the rest of their story is just, beautifully captivating. And the ending, with Spike’s sacrifice and the fact that they weren’t back together, has made me thirsty for more, so here we still are!

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

This is not super easy to answer! But I’m gonna go with:

The (Demon) Parent Trap: this one is the first one that came to mind, even though when I started it I didn’t like it. But it is so full of banter and UST and flirting and tenderness and shameless fun, basically everything I’m looking for these days in fics haha. (Well, there’s smut too, but I haven’t written that yet!)

Wrong Place, Perfect Time: I have fallen so in love with these characters, it’s almost stupid! This is also full of banter and fun, and when I was writing this story I was really starting to try and be more realistic with my writing (of course, not always managing that!), and I love the result of that effort.

The Blue Eye of the Storm: I consider this story far (faaar) from perfect, but it’s my second long story that I’ve finished, and I’ve learnt soo much about writing while doing so (THANK YOU BOOKISHY!!). I remember writing it so consistently, and for so long, and being worried about it being too basic and not entertaining enough… but in the end, it’s just as slow and tender as I wanted it to be, so I love it for what it is.

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

Try! And if the SAD drabble event taught us anything, maybe try with drabbles. ;) They’re so much fun, and the word count limit can be helpful, when you’re not sure you could write a long story!

The other big advice I’d give is to fantasise. Not all writers do it this way (fantasise about the story first, write it after), some want to discover the story as they’re writing. That sounds like magic to me! But personally, fantasising a lot about a certain story makes me want to tell it.

Last but not least: if you can, find a beta. Someone who can help you out and join you on the journey as they help you write your story the way you want to tell it. Try to be as clear as you can with what you’re looking for in this relationship, and go for it!

Is there a particular Spuffy moment from the show that you go back and rewatch for inspiration in your writing?

Ah, I hope you won’t retract my Spuffy fan card for this but I don’t really rewatch the show anymore haha. But the Spuffy moments that might have inspired me the most are probably the Fool For Love slayer-killing speech (with all those amazing Spike flashbacks!), the Intervention kiss (after Glory’s torture), the conversation between them in Never Leave Me (after the First has triggered Spike to kill people) and the Touched speech (after the Scoobies send Buffy away in s7). I think it’s these scenes because here I can really see the best in their character development, and the way he and Buffy can actually be so incredibly good for each other, if given the chance.

From Marina: 

I've noticed that you sometimes write in the All Human category. To me, it's hard to imagine Spuffy without Spike's status as a vampire. What is it that pulls you in the All Human direction?

You know, I think there’s several factors! The first thing that really matters is probably inspiration. The AH stories I’ve written so far are all part of the same “universe”, and my inspiration for the very first story in this collection was quite casual (a podcast that has nothing to do with Buffy, ‘Welcome to Night Vale’). From there, I kept going back to this version of the characters… and I fell in love with them. 

The other big factor is that AH versions of Spuffy, while usually a bit further from the original characters, can still retain some chore Spuffy characteristics that I enjoy a TON. To me, what truly matters is that I can enjoy a fic’s version of these characters, whatever that may be.

Plus, it might also help that I’m not a fan of vampires in general. I’m a fan of and love these vampires, and these characters, but I love them even as flawed and complex human beings with no supernatural elements added to them.

There's also a fair amount of your work in the Erotica, Porn with or without Plot, etc. genre. If it's not too personal, can you elaborate on your source of inspiration?

Oh, I love this question haha. I think there are two versions of my answer, the short and long one.

Short version: I am rather horny, plus I’m a bit of a nerd about sex. ;)

The long version is that, aside from my own (pretty compelling) imagination, I actually have plenty of sources of inspiration when it comes to smut scenes. First of all, other fics! Fics have taught me so much about my interests, my curiosity, my kinks, and all the things that aren’t for me but that I still find fascinating.

Then there’s my nerdiness. When I say I’m a bit of a nerd about sex, I mean that I love love love learning about it. All of it! Psychology, relationships, physiology, sex toys, kink and sex (kink and no sex, too!), how things can be done, how they can go wrong, communication, bodies, connection, mistakes, improvements… I find everything about sex endlessly fascinating. I realise that for many people, it’s better to have sex than to learn about sex, but honestly I’m equally interested in both (if not more in learning about it, if I’m honest!).

So, this nerdiness is a HUGE fountain of ideas when it comes to smut scenes. I read fics with smut, read straight-up erotica, watch educational videos on these topics, listen to podcasts, read articles, and all these things give me ideas and make me think, What if Spike and Buffy did that? What if they tried this act/kink/position, but did it differently in X and Y ways? And then, well, I want to write about it.

I could honestly go on and on about this, so thank you for this question!

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.

Hello beautiful After Darker people,

We are working on a little celebration for Sunnydale After Dark’s 1 year anniversary, which is only two weeks away!!

The lovely and creative Dynamite and Dirtyaim are putting together something very special to help us celebrate. This project will showcase all the artists of this community who make a submission, but they need your help!

We’re asking anyone who would like to contribute to submit 1-5 pieces of new or old Spuffy artwork, manipulations, and/or banners they’ve created and love the most to this Imgur account. To upload, you will need to login with the username SunnydaleAfterDark1YearCelebration and the password SADart2023. Make sure you name your images (either in the title or caption) with your artist penname so that you can be credited for your contribution.

If you encounter any difficulty with Imgur, you’re also welcome to email images to Dynamite at pass.the.dynamite.molly96@gmail.com.

Please submit all artwork no later than June 16! Thank you, all!

Greetings, Spuffy lovers!

June approaches! Can you believe it? We cannot. Because June means one whole year of Sunnydale After Dark!! We are so thrilled to celebrate our one year anniversary with you all, but to do it properly, we are going to need your help!

See, this community was founded with the goal of being inclusive. Every reader, writer, and artist matters. Everyone gets to share their voice and every voice is important. It’s what makes this place so great. It truly feels community-led, community-inspired, community-grown.

Which is why we hope you'll love our next event

In honor of collaboration, our next event will be a round robin style writing event. There will be multiple stories written a chapter at a time by different teams of writers.

Here’s the plan! 

Fill out this form where you will indicate what genre of story you are most interested in writing. The SADmins will do our best to put everyone on the right team to have the most fun and tell the best stories possible! 

After we’ve got our teams in place, the SADmins will share contact information and preferences amongst team members. You and your team members can use the communication method of your choice, and if you like, we can create a private Discord channel for your team to use to collaborate.

As a team you can decide how and to what extent you'd like to collaborate on planning your story. Your team may choose not to plan at all and surprise even each other or you may choose to have a rough outline! It’s completely up to you. 

An important note: each writer will maintain creative control over the chapter they're writing. 

Remember the goal is to have fun and celebrate the community! Nobody should ever dictate what other people do with their own contribution. Please contact an admin if there are any issues with the group dynamic. We’re always here to help!

Each team member will have one week to write and to post their chapter. Writing order will be decided upon by the teams themselves. 

Here’s the timeline:

Submit Interest Form by June 1.
Teams will be announced June 5.
Teams post their first chapter on June 23 (Sunnydale After Dark’s official anniversary!).

All dates are according to site time, which can be found beneath the chat box.

Naturally, when this event ends will depend upon how many people sign up! The story should be completed after each team member has contributed one chapter. Teams who may want to continue their story are welcome to do so with a sequel fic, but for this event we’d like only one chapter per author.

Artists, please note that there is a section in the Interest Form for you to indicate interest in contributing banners and/or illustrative artwork for these collaborative fics. You can sign up to write, to make art, or both! How artists contribute to the story will be left up to each team and artist to decide.

Commenters, anyone who comments on all SAD-iversary fics at least once with a comment of fifteen words or more will receive an award.

Betas, anyone who betas a SAD-iversary chapter will receive a beta award. Writers will need to credit their betas in their chapter notes in order for us to give this award.

We know you’ll have questions and we look forward to answering them, so bring 'em on! Here’s to an exciting summer of reading and writing!

PS, join us on Facebook to vote for the official event title!