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
Shayne Lynn Terry

E-mail addresses
byron212@yahoo.com

Residence
Midland, Texas

List, AOL, or web affiliations
LOISCLA fanfic list, Zoomway's Message Boards

Lois and Clark or Superman Status

How long have you been watching L&C?
I began watching Lois and Clark in the first season. I can't remember which episode was my first, but I'd been a fan ever since seeing the first Superman movie with Chris Reeve when I was a child. I'd always been a sucker for romantic comedies, shows like Moonlighting. I was thrilled to discover a show that combined my love of superman, with my liking for romance. It quickly became must see TV.

How long have you been a fan of Superman?
The Christopher Reeve movie was it for me, making me a fan at the age of eight or nine.

How long have you been writing?
I think I first started writing fiction at the age of ten or eleven. I tried writing for myself all through my high school years, but I never managed to finish a single story. I wrote dozens of beginnings. Eventually, in college I tried to write a novel sized story, which was eaten by the computer as I was trying to make a backup. After losing 155 pages, I gave up on writing and wrote nothing for the next nine years.

How long have you been writing L&C fanfic?
I've been writing since the middle of July 2000. I began by writing a couple of small Silly revelation vignettes. I decided I'd try to get my feet wet by writing vignettes for a while, but things didn't turn out that way. I wrote Dear Lois intending for it to be a stand-alone vignette. Due to the encouragement of the community, and to Irene volunteering to beta read for me, I ended up writing a 350k story as my first one.

What types of Fanfic have you written?
I've only written a few stories to date. Dear Lois is a drama, Hearts and Diamonds is a next generation fic, and Fugue is set in the Alt Universe. I've written a few shorter fics as well- Moments- a romantic vignette, Seeking Asylum and A Pint of Guinness, both comedic vignettes.

Most recent story posted? Where?
I'm currently involved with Fugue, on Zoom's Message Boards.

Favorite story you have written? Why?
It is difficult to say. Dear Lois was my first story. Hearts and Diamonds was the easiest to write, and Fugue is what my imagination is involved with. I guess I'll say my favorite story is always the one that has yet to be written.

Current project/projects?
I'm currently involved in writing Fugue, a story about the Alt-Clark Kent after his encounter with his own world's version of the Nightfall asteroid.

Personal picks of other Fanfics you have read?
There are so many it's almost impossible to count them all. Anything by Wendy Richards or Dr. Klein's Labrat- Without Consent and Are you Lonesome Tonight are the first stories that come to mind. Chris Mulder's "Meet me in Kansas City" simply amazed me. The truth is, there are so many great stories out there that it's almost impossible to narrow the list.

General Interview Questions

What attracted you to writing Fanfic and what about it do you enjoy?
I always wanted to write, but I never had a forum. I would read my own work, and come to the conclusion that I really didn't have much talent. Lois and Clark was one of the first fandoms I discovered when I began lurking. I remember staying up all night long, devouring story after story at a time when there were fewer than 300 on the archive. When I decided that I'd read them all, I moved on to other fandoms and didn't come back for years. When I did return, I was impressed with how things had expanded. Then I discovered Zoom's message boards, and everything changed.

I'd never felt such a sense of community as I did when I joined the MB's, and if the community hadn't been so open to new writers, I might never have even tried to dip my toe in the water as a writer. Now, I enjoy the feedback, and the opportunity to present my work. It feeds an artistic need that went unfulfilled before.

What about the L&C and the characters do you like the most?
I enjoy the romance between the characters. I like the fact that Lois Lane is a strong, independent woman, and that Clark is a nice guy who doesn't finish last. The characters have great flexibility, and could be taken almost anywhere without losing their essence.

How do you interpret them in your work?
I tend to portray Lois as a strong, independent woman, one who tends to think about things first in the way they impact her world, and only later about how they affect others. Clark tends to be strong and ethical. Both are caring people.

How did you begin writing in general?
I started writing as a child, writing science fiction, fantasy and romance. I tried to write a few X-files fanfics about six months before writing Dear Lois, but all were abortive failures.

What are you working on now and where do you see it going?
I'm currently writing Fugue. I will probably write a sequel shortly after finishing. After that, I have any number of ideas for other stories.

What is your opinion about the following types of L&C fanfic's?
Action?
Like it.

Drama?
Love it.

Humor?
If it makes me laugh, I like it a lot. Humor is much harder than any other kind of fiction. If you are a little bit off on action or drama, people can still enjoy the story greatly. In comedy, there is only the bull's eye. People are either rolling on the floor, or they are laughing politely while rolling their eyes. Knowing the difference is a fine line, and so I really admire a story that can make me laugh.

Round Robin?
I don't read many round robin fics for some reason. I wonder why?

Nfic?
I can take it or leave it. My main interest is in a good story. If that includes naughty bits, it doesn't bother me at all. If it doesn't, that doesn't bother me either. I don't seek out nfics for their own sake. (That said, I've really enjoyed some stories that HAD to be nfics, like Wendy's "Without Consent".

Has *everything* been done in your opinion, and if not, what is left?
I absolutely don't believe everything has been done. I try to do something different with every story I write. It's true that there are areas that people like to revisit time and time again, such as Revelations. It's difficult to do something new there. But with Elseworlds alone, you have an infinite number of new possibilities. I can think of six new story ideas off the top of my head that haven't been done before, and I'm sure there are many more possible. The Lois and Clark archive has over 1500 stories; the X-files Gossamer site has ten times that many, and I know we can match that. Tell me ten thousand stories from now that we've run out of new stories to tell, and I might believe you.

What do you think makes the best story?
I think a combination of romance, an excellent and engaging a-plot, and a story that causes the characters to spread their wings and grow. Beautifully crafted mood and language, such as we find in Labrat's "Lonesome" are a bonus, but in the end, it is the characters that truly matter.

Where is the best place for a reader to locate your work?
The archive, Zoom's Message Boards and Anne's Place.

Open Forum For Author Comments
I've really enjoyed the opportunity to participate in Folcdom. I've discovered people whose opinions I really respect, like Wendy, Doc Klein's Labrat, Tank Wilson, Irene Dutchak, Jo March and a whole host of others. I've really appreciated the reception I've gotten here. People like Tank and Wendy take the time to give articulate and detailed feedback. Folcs overall tend to be a bright, friendly group of people, and it's been a privilege to get to know some of them. I'm flattered to be asked to do this interview, and I'm honored. I'm thankful that anyone really cares to read those things I have written, and I'm ecstatic that they choose to comment. Thanks for the opportunity, guys.