Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Lois & Clark The New Adventure of Superman Writer's Showcase. At the bottom of this web site you will findlinks to past featured writers. Just click on the any writer's name you might have missed or want to read again and you will be taken to their interview.
Now, in keeping with Annie's famous words, without further ado I am proud and honored to present this week's Writer in the Writer's Showcase ...
Annette, Labrat, Kaethel, Avia
Personal Information
Author name
Paul-Gabriel Wiener
E-mail addresses
pgw@mit.edu
Residence
East Brunswick, NJ or Cambridge, MA
List, AOL, or web affiliations
I was on the fic list years ago, have an AOL account (but don't use AIM), am more frequently found on IRC or Zoom's boards (where I'm known as HatMan). I also slapped together a little
Homepage Lois and Clark or Superman Status How long have you been watching L&C? How long have you been a fan of Superman? How long have you been writing? How long have you been writing L&C fanfic? What types of Fanfic have you written? Most recent story posted? Where? Favorite story you have written? Why? Current project/projects? Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read? General Interview Questions What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy? What about the L&C and the characters do you like the most? Together, L&C are well-developed characters with personalities all their own. You may not think that's so unusual, but it's uncommonly strong in L&C. Most of the problems I've heard writers having were caused by Lois and/or Clark refusing to do what the author wanted. Their characters are so strong, they might as well have free will.
How did you begin writing in general? How do you feel about being nominated for a Kerth Award? What are you working on now and where do you see it going? What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic's?
In general, I care more about the quality of a fic than the type. I prefer "A"-plot, but I've certainly enjoyed my share of "B"-plot fics. I don't read Nfic. RR's, I've always felt, were more fun to write than to read (and when I say "write," I mean "Story Game" style, where the fun is in not knowing where the story is headed next). I tend to dislike songfics (which is why I wrote "Super Rap," a songfic parody), and I don't read poems. Other than that, it really depends upon the author's skill more than anything.
Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left? What do you think makes the best story? Would you like to add a link or URL to your favorite fanfic for the readers to sample your writing? Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work? Open Forum For Author Comments
(it's almost a requirement, when you're at MIT...), but am ashamed to admit that I did it with Netscape Composer.
Since season 3 was on the air.
I've loved comics about as far back as I can remember. I tend to prefer Marvel comics, but superman is simply quintessential.
I enjoyed writing for a few years before I discovered fic, but wasn't really motivated to write because I didn't have any readers. When I found out about the fic list, though, it wasn't long before I started writing l&c fic.
According to the archives, my first fic was posted in July of '96. Most of my finished stories (and a good number of my WIPs) were written in the first year or two after that.
I tend to write short (under 15k), humorous stories. Even when I mean to write something serious, I can't help but put at least a few touches of humor into it. Actually, I've discovered that I have to be in a bad mood when writing papers for class, or else risk writing an academic paper with too many jokes. Anyway, I've written one or two longer stories ("Future Shock" at 39k and "Web of Steel" at 121k) which are more drama/action. Most of what I write, though, falls under "funny, short, and sweet." Oh, and almost none of it is in continuity.
"Web of Steel" was the most recent story I posted to the archives, but I've written a few 1-part throw-aways on Zoom's boards. Eventually, I may submit them to the archives, too. The most recent of those stories was a 1-scene gag called "Song of Stuporman."
Probably "Web of Steel," if only because of its length. It had a good plot, some humor, and, imo, a really cool opening scene. OTOH, "A Purebred Superhero" was really fun (the sequel is one of my current WIPs). "Topa" will always be special to me, because it was my first "published" story.
Where to start? I've got a load of WIPs sitting on my drive- 10 of them, I think. I get inspired to write something ("hey, what if...?"), start on it (I write start-to-finish, letting the story guide me as it goes), and then get stuck at some point or other. Sometimes I'll get back to it, and work a little more, but I haven't finished a real story in just about 4 years now. That hasn't stopped me from coming up with new ideas for other ones, though. Btw, because of this situation (and because thinking about another writer's comments is the best way I've found to get around writer's block), I'm always on the lookout for a new co-author. Email me if you're interested.
Yeah right. I may not have been keeping up with the archives, but I've still read hundreds of fics. You're not going to get me to pin down any favorites. I'm not the type to choose favorites in general.
Well, like I've already said, I love to write. I get these ideas, and it just feels good to turn them into full stories. Probably the same thing that makes me an engineer... There's just something so RIGHT about taking an idea and turning it into a finished product- what it was MEANT to be.
Personally, I'm a Clark fan. Ok. Not original. It's just that I identify with him so much. I guess that's what made him so popular in the first place- there's something about him that resonates in so many people. L&C was special in that it saw Lois and Clark as real people. Lois had a character that made sense (see Zoom's comics analysis for comparison). She wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for him. As for Clark, L&C made it clear that Clark was the real person, Superman the disguise. That sort of attitude is what attracts me to Marvel (over DC) in the comics world.
I honestly don't remember. Maybe it was my Dad's influence. He used to tell us stories that he'd made up himself. Some were fables ("How the Raccoon got his mask" and "How the Zebra got his stripes"), but many were stories of a character he'd created called "The Spanish Lady." She was a librarian who had discovered a system of time portals (if you stood in just the right spot at just the right time, you'd be taken to a certain time and place), and would travel back into history. There, she'd have all sorts of adventures. Also, we had a car trip activity called "The Story Game." Someone would start a story, and we'd go around, Round Robin style, adding to it, twisting the plot, etc. It was fun, but sometimes frustrating. Between one turn and the next, you'd never know where the story would be. I remember trying to set up plot points, and being frustrated that they weren't going where I wanted. :)
So, anyway, with an upbringing like that, I guess it was only natural that I'd eventually start writing. Like I said before, I dabbled for a few years, but it wasn't until I had folcs to write for that I began actively writing. I did whip up a few short stories for English class, but I'm not sure they really count.
It would feel really, really cool, but I don't expect it'll ever happen. For one thing, there are so many writers out there who are far better than I. For another, I'm a fanboy, and fanboy stories aren't the most popular among folcs.
I've got about 10 WIPs. The intro to "Web of Steel" lists a little more than half of them. I have some ideas for each of them, but I'm never sure where a story is going until it gets there. Actually, that's been a problem for me with one story in particular. I had an idea of where it should go, and it didn't agree. I tried forcing it a little, but it seemed, well... forced. Some day, I may go back to it, and try to let it flow the way the story wants. We'll see.
I've got 10 WIPs. Somehow, I don't think *everything* has been done. ;) Besides, there doesn't seem to be any shortage of new stories and new ideas. I've even seen a few new revelations this year. What's left? The only way to find out is to wait and see. There are an infinite number of elseworlds out there, not to mention an infinite number of possible preludes, continuations, and in-betweens. The best part of writing is that you can write ANYTHING.
A good author.
A lot of my work is up on the archives (http//www.lcfanfic.com). Just look me up under the authors index. There are a couple stories there that I kind of regret posting, but I've gotten a fan letter or two about them. There really is no accounting for taste. :)
The archives have most of my work. Anything I do from now on (whether or not it eventually gets to the archives) will be posted on Zoom's boards (Currently at http//www.bluetights.com/boards/ but always linked off of http//www.zoomway.com :).
Well, there's always more to say, but I think that's enough for now. Quite possibly more than enough. :) If there's anything else you'd like to know, ask! I always respond to serious email (as opposed to junk mail), I jump in more often than people would like on IRC, and I post on the boards fairly frequently. Though I have trouble coming up with topics, I'm willing to talk about just about anything. I always love learning new things, and, in the same spirit, I'll answer almost any question you care to ask.