The Readers' Choice

This week it's The Readers' Choice team's turn to showcase one of our very favourite readers. This person has been a fanfic lover ever since she discovered Camping With Clark, and she's best known for being a "Beta-Reader With The Emphasis on READER" [tm] for many of her favourite authors. She's also been a wonderful friend to fanfic and nfic: she established what was then the only website, other than personal sites, where nfic writers could have their stories uploaded, and she later expanded Annesplace to take in PGfic, as well as music videos, Tank Endings, sillyfic of various types, the Writers' Showcase and a number of other features which couldn't find a home elsewhere.

She is the much-loved, WONDERFUL <g>

Annette Ciotola

Whereabouts in the world are you?
I'm in Pennsylvania, USA!

How long have you been a FoLC?
Although I've been a fan of the show since the pilot, I've only been online since the middle of Season 4 (1997). That's when I discovered what AOL had been hosting at the time. I'd read the viewer reviews and the top ten lists from the AOL chat rooms, though I was never in those chats at the time. Towards the end of the show, AOL had this contest, sort of like a scavenger hunt online, in which I had given a try. I ended up one of the top winners and it's where I received my first L&C poster. "Have you been to Metropolis lately?" autographed by both Dean and Teri.

What drew you to Lois and Clark?
The romance! I've loved Superman since Christopher Reeve. My dad also used to watch the old TV series and once in a while I'd watch with him. I've even got in to the comics for a while (but that got too expensive <g>). But, my favourite pair to take on the Superman/Clark Kent - Lois Lane are Dean and Teri. I don't know, maybe it was the modern twist to the Superman lore and in the end, the budding romance was what kept me there.

When did you first discover fanfic?
I remember this little fic called Camping with Clark. I had actually come across it, not on the archive, but this other site (name escapes me) that used to send fanfic out in volumes. You would get so many fics posted each week. I love it and wanted more, so then I hit the search engines and found the Archive! Now, I didn't discover Nfic until much later. The first Nfic I read was Winners and that was on a recommendation (which I am very grateful for.) Let's just say it went from there and the rest is history. <g>

What's the very first fanfic you read? Do you remember what your first thoughts were about the concept of fanfiction?
Again, Camping with Clark was the first. After that I could not get enough, the show just wasn't enough anymore, especially since some fanfic was just so much better than the actual show writers were.

What are your favourite sites for reading fanfic?
<G> The LCFanfic Archive and the Nfic Archive, of course. On recommendations, The Fanfic folder on the boards. (ofcoursefanficscanbesentdirectlytomeat*any*time)

List some stories you'd recommend to other readers.
I have these stored in my Palm Pilot . Just to name a few <G>:

A Conscious Choice - The Morning After, A Conscious Choice, A True Partnership, And The Answer ISNT, Big Boys Do Fly 1, Big Boys Do Fly 2, Big Boys Do Fly 3, Camping With Clark, Cause and Effect, Dimensions of Loving, Escape from the Prankster, Faux Pas, Fear of Discovery - All, Giving Thanks, GoingGoingGone, Hearts Divided, Heavens Prisoners, In the Beginning, It Happened One (Super) Night, It's a Super Life, Just Another Undercover Assignment, Love Beyond All Measure, Meet Me In Kansas City, PML Oh Boy, Revisionist History, SuperStud, That Super Man of Mine, The Devil's Bargain, The Healing Time, The One That Got Away, The Penfriend, The People v Clark Kent, The Real Honeymoon, This Can't be happening, Through the Years, Trading Places, Universal Union 3, Until Day Breaks and Shadows Flee, Walk in my Shoes, What It Means to Love You, When Friends Become Lovers, When Lovers Become More, When You Needed Me Most, Wine Wine Wine, Winners, Without Consent

A new story goes up on the Archive or MBs. You drop everything - and we mean *everything* - to read it. So who would it be by? <g>
Wendy, KathyB, Demi, MLThompson .

What type of stories do you most enjoy reading, and why?
Sucker for the romance. I actually like those that are on the cusp of the relationship, where they may not start out together, but end up that way. Like Just Another Undercover Assignment, they are together, yet not, but end up that way. <G>

What's your opinion of:
Drama?
I like these, though sometimes I can be tempted to skip to the end to make sure everything turns out okay. <G>
Action?
I usually don't really get into these so much. I guess depending on how well it's written.
Romance?
Love, love, love them
Tearjerkers?
Only when I need a good cry.
WAFFy vignettes?
Give me a good `ole B plot anytime!
Elseworlds?
Again, this depends on how well written they are.
Alternate Universes/Beginnings?
Give me a fic like Meet me in Kansas City or Cause and Effect anytime. I also adore the S5/S6 that dealt with the Alt Clark. I would have loved to seen Dean and Teri do Through The Looking Glass (S5-18).
Crossovers?
Not a big fan of these. It's hard to following along, especially when it deals with a show I know nothing about. <G> No chance of a Friends crossover, huh? <G> "Hey, hey, Big Guy, come on, put the couch down. I was kidding, you do not look like a sissy in the tights. Can you *be* any stronger?"

Can you choose one, possibly two, stories you'd consider personal favourites, and tell us what you like about them?
*glares* Are you kidding?? Meet Me in Kansas City, I think this appeals to me because this *is* love at first sight and just so good! This is one I've read about 1000 times and I enjoy it more and more each time! And I have to say The One that Got Away, I love just about any fic that can draw me in so I can feel the same emotions Lois & Clark are experiencing. In this, you can actually feel Lois' heartache when she honestly thinks she's *not* the one. Silly girl!

Has everything been done in L&C fanfic? Are there any unexplored scenarios? Or doesn't it matter? <g>
It doesn't matter, just give me a good romance. And for as much as writers love TOGOM premises, I love reading them! More, more, more!!!

In the words of a dear friend: NAG! NAG! NAG! NAG! NAG! NAG! NAG!

If you could be your favourite author's personal Muse, what would your dream story premise be?
Oh you're asking me to be creative . ya know, there's a reason I don't write, right? <G>

I'd love to see another spin on Alt Clark and how he finds his Lois . or . What if TOGOM happed to Lois and Superman were really able to bring her back using Dr. Hamilton's notes!

In your opinion, what makes for the best story? What ingredients, in your opinion, are essential to your favourite type of fanfic?
Oh this is a tough one, Lois, Clark, romance . TOGOM setting? <G>

Any other comments you'd like to make?
Just thank you for allowing me to participate in this and it's an honor to have been asked to host this feature on annesplace.net.

If you know someone who should be featured here write us: readerschoice@nfanfic.net