Dear Readers,

Welcome! I am glad you have decided to pay a visit to the Writer's Showcase. Here you will find interviews from past Featured Writers (links located at the bottom of the page) and the interview for this week's Featured Writer.

I am very happy to again bring you another very talented and creative male fanfic writer. He is imaginative and writes his fanfics with a great deal of feeling. He is also, heralded by many as being one of the best Editors for the L&C Fanfic Archives. He inspires praise from his fellow fanfic writers and his scores of readers.

Now without further ado, I am proud and honored to present this week's Featured Writer in the Writer's Showcase ...

Personal Information

Author name
Phil Atcliffe

E-mail address
Phillip Atcliffe@uwe.ac.uk

Homepage
None

Residence
Bristol, UK

List affiliations
Loiscla
L&C fanfic list
Nfic list
S6 ...and a host of others...

Lois and Clark or Superman Status

How long have you been watching L&C?
From the beginning on this side of the Atlantic.

How long have you been a fan of Superman?
What year was I born? Well, maybe not quite that long, but not too much less than that -- darn near 40 years.

How long have you been writing?
Depends what you call writing. I think I wrote down my first story -- the term fanfic hadn't been invented then, AFAIK, but that's what it was -- at about the age of ten (it was getting access to a typewriter that did it), but I'd been telling and acting out (with the aid of toys and plasticine figures) tales of my heroes and/or my own versions of them for quite some time before that. Add to that hobby stuff like games mastering, and I guess I've done that sort of thing, one way or another, for as long as I can remember.

How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
IIRC, I began writing my first story (which isn't finished yet! <g>) about 3 years ago. The first one that I *finished* -- "Beefcake" -- came along a couple of months after that. Since then, it's been one idea after another....

What types of Fanfic have you written?
Using the types listed below, my stuff is action/drama. I don't set out to write a specific type of story, though; it's more a case of what fits the story concept. I suppose that most of my stories have been strong on the relationship side, although I will happily throw in some action if it's needed -- and if I'm lucky or sufficiently devious, the two can inter-relate.

A number of my stories have been sequels to other people's work. Something about a story grabs me, and I can't let it go until I've resolved something that looks to me to need resolution.

I haven't written anything in the way of nfic, although I do have one story that just about qualifies. That one hasn't been put up anywhere, though I'm tempted to add to it and submit it to the nfic list.

Most recent story posted? Where?
"Montrose's Toast" was the most recent one to go up on the L&C archive.

Favorite story you have written? Why?
I don't think I have a favourite story as such. There are scenes in each story that I enjoy re-reading, for a variety of reasons. I suppose it would be fair to say that "Lois and Clark and Silver and Bruce" and "Much Ado About..." gave me the most satisfaction. Both stories as, how to do it? -- and I thought they worked out rather well.

Current project/projects?
Lots of 'em, as usual. Things "on paper" -- i.e., that have actually been started -- include a second "Couch Potato" story, a slightly different take on the AltClark saga, a "Luthor-bash", an L&C-of-the-future tale -- and, of course, that first story, which is still waiting for further inspiration to strike <g>. Plus some stuff for S6.

Others, which at present are no more than an idea in the back of my mind, or maybe a few notes, include more Couch Potatoes, a much-demanded sequel to "Much Ado About...", another crossover story, an Elseworlds in which L&C have an occasional friendship as they grow up... and whatever idea pops up next!

Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read?
Oh heck, where do I start? In order to keep this down to less than the length of a phone book, I'll just mention the creme de la creme (thereby slighting many writers whose works have given me a *lot* of pleasure -- but, as I try to write to them to express my enjoyment of their work, even if all I can come up with in the way of comment is, "gee, that was great!", maybe they'll forgive me <g>). Works that come to mind immediately include Chris Mulder's stuff, Kathy Brown's, and Debby Stark's wonderful "Dawning" series. And then there's Margaret Brignell, Zoomway, Pam Jernigan, Peace, Shiela Harper, Wendy Richards -- I could go on and on....

I should also mention the authors of stories that have inspired me to write sequels; it must surely indicate that there's something out of the ordinary about a story for me to be so caught up in it that I have to know "what happened next" to the point that I write it myself! So, kudos goes to Angela Kay Walthall, Erin Dawn McInnis and LadeeV.

Interview Questions

As a male, do you see your writing style to be different from a female?
If I don't, I suspect that other people do.... <g> Actually, I do think that I approach certain things in a different manner to the majority of L&C authors, and it may have something to do with being male -- or it may just be me! Certainly, I think I have a different slant on Clark's character than do women authors; possibly on Lois, too, but I'm not so sure about that.

My Clark is more active than many (I think), less likely to just sit there and take whatever life (and Lois) dishes out. In addition, as a long-time comics fan, I tend to have a strong sense of what Clark's super-powers enable him to do, and I work with and around that rather than adjust his abilities to meet the "needs" of the story. (Which was one problem with the series -- a man who can fly to Switzerland or Japan and back in five seconds will *not* have trouble getting across town, or even to central Europe, in half a minute!)

Any other quirks that readers may detect are more likely to have to do with me as a person rather than merely(?) because I'm male -- if, that is, there are aspects of me that are not influenced by my gender. I neither know nor care about that.

Do you feel being a fanfic editor has affected your own L&C fanfics? If so, how?
Not really; it's more like the other way round. The challenge of writing, both fiction and non-, honed my editing skills long before I began to do L&C. I'm slightly fussy as regards that sort of thing, partly because I have to read some awful "English" at times in my job, which means that I don't want to have to deal with that in my reading for pleasure. So, if I can help writers by advising them (always assuming that I know what I'm talking about <g>), then everybody's better off. Besides, it's a pleasant way to get in contact with other writers and seeing their work ahead of time is a perk well worth the time and effort it takes to be an editor.

What attracted you to writing fanfic, and what about it do you enjoy?
The answer to both halves of the question is the chance to make the characters, and any others that I might decide to include, do what I want them to do. To tell L&C stories *my* way, rather than have to put up with what TPTB supply. This is not to put the pros down -- after all, they did give us the series (although I could cite ABC's interference, and especially the Argh, in counter-argument) -- but fanfic allows me to explore aspects of the characters and their world that they would never even *think* of, much less consider as suitable material for a prime-time television show.

Then, too, many (most?) of my stories start out as a single concept, be it an idea -- "what would happen if..." -- or a scene, or even a picture in my head. I write that down, and see where it takes me. Usually, the "single moment" that inspired the story occurs somewhere in the middle, so I have to back up and fill in as well as move the story forward, and both processes can be exciting. I often have no idea where I'll end up, in either direction, and seeing the story unfold and change is a source of continual fascination. And when it's all done, and what I've created hopefully hangs together, it's very satisfying.

What about L&C and the characters do you like the most?
Their unity. The concept that Lois + Clark = Superman is what makes L&C unique as an interpretation of the Superman mythos, and what, I think, is at the heart of what made the show so popular. The main characters are not complete without each other (even if they don't know that!), and are at their best, both as characters and as "performers" (i.e., are best to watch) when they are together.

And then, as I have said before elsewhere, the series deserves a special place in the history of popular culture in the English-speaking world because it dared to develop a relationship that had been deliberately left in limbo (or worse, ignored or even discounted) for over *fifty years!* And it did it (when allowed) in a positive manner.

How do you interpret them in your work?
Since I like to see L&C together, that's what I tend to write -- if not at the start of the story, then definitely by the end. If I have an A-plot, then I try to have both Lois and Clark involved in resolving it, and not just in the "usual" Lois-figures-it-out-Superman-saves-the- day fashion. I liked the Action Lois(tm) that we saw in the early series -- the Tae Kwon Do- learning, yes-I've-got-great-legs-and-they're-*really*-great-for-kicking-bad-guys woman. Her personality was a pain at times, but it was as much fun to see her in action as it was to see Superman. So, if at all possible, I like to get Lois in there (wherever "there" happens to be) with Clark, one way or another.

However, there's almost always a heavy dose of L&C's relationship in my fanfic, and here I have to come out and flatly state that I am a hopeless romantic; it's one of the reasons that I like the series. So there's likely to be quite a few WAFFs lurking about, and L&C will usually either be a couple, supporting, defending and loving one another, during the course of the story, or they'll reach that state by the end of it.

I tend to do character interpretation in my head, and more by "feel" than by conscious effort. That is, as I write, I hear or see the scene in my mind, and this helps me get the characters "correct" according to what I've seen (or can remember) on TV. If I can believe my feedback, it seems to work.

How did you begin writing in general?
I began writing for public consumption, as opposed to creating stories for my own amusement, when I became the newsletter editor for the Melbourne branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, about 15 years ago. That inspired me to move into some freelance reviewing work for a couple of games magazines. I've always had to write reports as part of my various jobs (and if you think some fanfic is bad, you should try reading certain technical reports!), and I had to do more and more writing when I moved into academia. At the same time, my story-telling skills were being sharpened by running role-playing campaigns (I've had one adventure published by a British magazine), and discovering the net led me to a new challenge -- assembling a sometimes-complex argument into as succinct and clear a form as possible for posting on Usenet and to the various mailing lists that I'm on. So moving into fanfic was simply a case of starting to write fully-fledged fiction for the fun of it, using writing skills that I'd picked up from all over the place.

What are you working on now and where do you see it going?
Just finished something for S6, and am about to start another one. For once, I think I know where this one goes, so the fun will be to see how we get there....

What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfics?
Action?
I think that a little action is more-or-less mandatory in a Superman story. Having said that, there are lots of *excellent* stories out there with no A-plot whatsoever -- which, to my mind, simply means that the "action" is cerebral and/or emotional rather than physical. But an L&C story that only deals with A-plot events is unsatisfactory (unless, of course, it's *really* good); relationship aspects (especially between L&C, but not just involving them) make for a better tale, and is really what makes L&C stand out from other versions of Superman -- and, IMO, superior.

Drama?
Well, this is what it's really all about. What makes L&C special is the counterpoint between the different types of drama -- the A-plot, the relationship side, and any C-plot that happens to be involved. Of the three, the relationship is the core of L&C and its interpretation of Superman, and I find Superman (or Lois Lane) stories without it, be they comics, TV or whatever, unsatisfying. For better or worse, what I have come to want from a Superman story is a tale of Lois *and* Clark, together; without the partnership, even the most high adventure falls somewhat flat.

What I don't like in the way of drama are stories that push the characters in directions that I can't accept them going in. There have been some excellently-written stories of this type that have won a lot of praise from FoLCs, and I can admire them technically -- but I don't like them and won't read them more than once. This is obviously just my opinion, but it's something that I can't compromise on; however good the writing may be, I can't appreciate a story which makes my brain sit up and scream, "NO! This is WRONG!"

Humor?
Humour is very tricky stuff to write, because it's so individual. But it's been a part of L&C right from the start, and I hope it will always be so. There are some priceless moments -- slapstick, parody, satire and pure humour -- in both the series and fanfics, and snappy crosstalk between L&C is one of the pillars on which their characterisations rest.

I could never set out to write a "funny" story, but I'm not above chucking in something if I think it fits in -- which doesn't mean that anyone *else* will think it amusing. However, at least one kind(?) correspondent has threatened <g> to nominate one of my stories for the next Kerth Humor award, so while I know that my sense of humour and my perception of what is amusing (not quite the same thing) differs from that of other people, there are FoLCs out there who can appreciate whatever light touches I may decide to add to my writings.

Round Robin?
I like reading them, in particular the enhanced ones. Round-robins can be as good as any other sort of story, although sometimes the joins show a bit -- say, when one author wants to finish her part on a quasi-cliff-hanger. However, there's a tradition of that sort of thing that runs through both the visual arts and literature (for instance, Dickens), so one can hardly complain.

I haven't any experience of writing them, because I have neither the software nor the kind of net access that would enable me to join in IRC and the like. However, I'm about to do something along similar lines for S6, so I'm about to find out some of the joys (or otherwise). Ask me again in a few months....

Nfic?
I regard it on more-or-less the same basis as I do any other type of fanfic -- if the writing is good and the story fits into my concept of the L&C premise, then the fact that it deals with "adult" situations is irrelevant -- or, hopefully, fun, and can add something to the work. L&C the series dealt with the relationship between two mature (or at least maturing) adults who gradually became closer and closer to one another, eventually marrying; given that (and the fact that the characters look like Teri and Dean! <g>), to ignore the physical side of the relationship would be silly, and totally unrealistic. The December 3rd people should be commended for putting in as much "steam" as they did, given that they were making a "family" show for a network. A little more wouldn't have hurt though.... <g> With this in mind, nfic can be appropriate as one method of exploring the interaction between L&C, particularly at the point in their relationship at which the series ended. In addition, nfic stories can have a stronger impact than "ordinary" fanfics (*is* there such a thing? <g>), because emotions can be depicted with a greater intensity. The fact is, men and women in their late twenties and early thirties are sexual beings, and their lives can (will!) be strongly affected by that.

And, I admit it, I enjoy reading sexy WAFFs as much or more than "chaste" ones, even if that's all there is to the story.

Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left?
Ye gods, no! There's a whole multiverse out there, and FoLCdom has barely scratched the surface. And even if "everything" has been done, that is no reason not to keep doing it from different angles. My last two fanfics were a revelation story and L&C- confess-their-love-for-one-another story; both ideas have been done to death! Or have they? Not the way *I* did them, so there's life in an "old" sub-genre yet. And L&C have only just got married, so there's a lot more of their lives to be explored.

If I have any reservations at all in that way, it's that I see a small, but growing, trend for authors to explore areas out past what I, in my arrogance, see as the limits of the basic L&C premise. This is the kind of story that I mentioned before, the one at which my critical gorge rises.

I've seen this kind of story creep into other kinds of fanfic, and I didn't like it there, either. To give an example, there was a Star Trek fanfic series about 20 years ago in which Kirk lost the Enterprise, got kicked out of StarFleet and had to make his way alone. These were fine stories in themselves, but I wouldn't call them Star Trek; *based* on it, yes,but the basic premise of the show had been distorted to the point that it didn't really qualify as ST (IMO, of course).

Of late, there have been a few stories, or concepts discussed on the fanfic list, that go the same way. Some fans seem to like the idea of testing a character or relationship to destruction and beyond; well, that's their choice, but *I* don't like it. There's perhaps a touch of sensationalism about this -- the continual desire for something "new" and "different" leading to the basic concept of a series being considered "old hat". I don't share this perception, and I much prefer a more positive slant on things. However, to each their own.

What do you think makes the best story?
Ah, Delphic Oracle time.... which is to say that any answer I might give is likely to be ambiguous, and have exceptions... and is probably best considered whilst under the influence of the recreational mind-altering technique of your choice <g>. What makes a good story? How long is a piece of string? More seriously, some things that I like to see in a fanfic include a strong plot; lots of interaction between L&C (preferably friendly/loving in nature, although a little angst has its place); some humour, if appropriate; a challenge for our favourite couple which they can face *together*, and one which leaves them and their relationship stronger for having dealt with it; not too much helplessness on their parts -- I like both L&C to be active, rather than have one or both neutralised too easily; lotsa WAFFs; and probably other things that I can't think of right this minute.

Having said that, I now invoke my traditional oracular (defined by my thesaurus as "prophetic" and "authoritative", but also as "obscure" <g>) ambiguity and admit that there are many stories out there, including some of my favourites, that lack one, many or most of these attributes.

Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work?
The L&C Fanfic Archive. In fact, that's almost the *only* place to find it.

Open Forum For Author Comments
I think I've said it all already -- except, perhaps, to emphasize that none of the critical comments above should be taken personally by anyone except me! (The *praise* is meant, and should be taken as personally as the recipients see fit <g>) I enjoy FoLCdom, and writing and reading fanfic in particular, and I would never try to impose my views on anyone. Argue strongly for them, yes, but that's the limit. If I can be said to believe in any single philosophy, it is that of choice you are free to make your choices, and I am free to make mine, and that's the way it should be; if we happen to agree, so much the better.

And I should also give thanks to the people who help me -- proofers, editors, and especially those people who are kind enough to give me feedback. The Chorus in "Henry V" said it better than I can
"Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen,
Our bending author hath pursu'd the story;
In little room confining mighty men (and women <g>)
Mangling by starts the full course of their glory....