* Host1 clears her throat

<Host1> Okay, everyone. Let's get started.

<Host1> I'd like to welcome everyone to our Up and Cumming Writer's Chat. We have 7 writers who are hear to talk about their work and your response to it as a reader

<MJ> JiM sort of here again

<Host1> In one corner we have Te, and Alicia.

* Alicia raises cuffed wrist.

<Host1> We also have JC Sun who is also known as Valeanna

<Host1> Viridian5, and MJ and DMilan

<Host1> Drover and Jim who MJ is channeling

<Host1> I hope you've all had a chance to read some if not all of their work.

<Host1> Thanks to all of you for being here !

<Host1> Okay, let's start with a basic question. What appealed to you about the X-Files as a new writer?

<Te> Alex. Alex. Alex.

<DMilan> All the subtext and opportunities to play with people's motivations is what got me.

<DMilan> Well, him too.

<MJ> Mulder and Skinner ... and Alex, DMilan, I admit it.

<Viridian5> My psychic connection to Mulder, and the fact that I've been writing XF stories in my head for years

<DMilan> Existential lust... yes.

<Viridian5> Esistential angst, yes

<Host1> So the men? Is that what you're telling us? <g>

<Te> It becomes narcissism after a certain point.

<MJ> JiM: Strong characters and room for backstory

<Drovar> The characters definately, and the entire X-Files universe

<MJ> JiM: and all that lovely ambiguity of action and motivation

<DMilan> The whole mytharc just sucks you in.

<Viridian5> Well, I haven't liked Scully since Season 2

<DMilan> I'd do her.

<Viridian5> Mabiguity is beautiful

<MJ> Scully disappoints me. I'd do her anyway, though -- I have a thing for redheads

<Te> Well, Host1, Alex is beautiful, but the character was so wonderfully fascinating. Especially as portrayed in fan fiction.

<Viridian5> Uh, she's not a natural redhead...

<DMilan> Yeah, it's so fun trying to posit how such a gorgeous man got so damaged on the inside.

<Viridian5> Yet he is, and he just moves on with it

<Te> But she looks *good* as an unnatural redhead.

<Guest6> Well, GA is very different from Scully.

<MJ> Damn right, Te

<Viridian5> Scully's hair changes color every week. OK< I'm done with that subject

<Guest10> LOL... like her hair anyway!

<MJ> and let's face it <drool> -- XF has more male pulchritude per square inch than almost any other show.

<Guest6> I like the Platonic Form of Scully, not what she gets stuck doing.

<Viridian5> Definitely

<Te> Damned skippy, MJ. As for Scully.... I can pity her for the character assassination. Sometimes. When I'm feeling charitable.

<Host1> So is there one character that you focus on, or do you like exploring them all?

<Viridian5> :::looking away, whistling::::

<MJ> I'll explore as much as I can get.

<Viridian5> There are times when I *am* Mulder. The others talk to me

<Guest6> "Exploring?" Is that what the kids are calling it these days...

<Alicia> Alex, Alex, Alex... what was the question?

<Te> Alex. We were talking about ALex.

<Viridian5> Pendrell's fun because he's almost a blank slate you can project things on

<MJ> JiM says all the guys are worth it

<Te> Seriously, what V said about Mulder, that's how Alex is for me.

<Viridian5> Aside from the canan portrayal of "nice guy who finishes last"

<Guest10> MJ, do you feel the same with Skinner... being him when you write him (and first person, too;-)?

<Te> Byers isn't so much fun as.... *necessary*

<MJ> I hate to admit that I can't get into Pendy

<Drovar> Everyone like to do the Mulder stories, but the minor characters can be just as interesting. Also, peronally, I think they allow a lot more character exploration than the big 4. You can really get into the minor character's head without having to take a lot of backstory into account.

<MJ> Now, Skinner... whew. I HEAR Skinner in my head.

<JCSun> The voice of god, like.

<Viridian5> The thing speople have done to Holly, for instance...

<Alicia> MJ, I feel the same about Skinner. So it goes.

<Drovar> Viridian: About Pendrell, exactly!

<Alicia> That is, I can't get into Sk.

<Host3> MJ - that displays in your pencil series ;)

<Viridian5> Me neither

<MJ> For some strange reason, I don't "get into" Skinner, I get "into" Skinner.

<Viridian5> Tho I do like the Pencils series

<Te> Mulder only talks to me when I'm good and depressed.

<MJ> Know you like Pencils, V; thanx

<Guest10> ::smiles:: It sure sounds like it, MJ... very good! Just read the first "pencil" story, and adored it!

<DMilan> MJ can really write Skinner like no one else.

<MJ> I have Skinner heavily backstoried. I have much more than the show gives.

<MJ> I'll be disappointed if I ever discover I'm way off what CC and Mitcxh backstoried.

<Guest10> He is much more than the show gives, I think, and I like it you give him a poetical, ohilosophical side.

<DMilan> Like they'd ever tell us if we were right.

* Host2 loves to see Skinner backstoried.

* Guest10 does not care much anymore what CC does with the characters - they have a life of their own.

<Guest6> We are curious (yellow)

* MJ agrees with Guest10 wholeheartedly

<Te> What? Curious about which?

<Host2> And it's a slashy life!

<Guest13> yeah, viridian. <G>

<DMilan> Bi-curious?

<Guest6> Everything

<MJ> People miss that Skinner's been to college, almost certainly has to have a law degree... he's not stupid and he's not purely there to flex muscle (though he sure can do that...<g>

* JCSun drools. Skinner..Flex. Muscle. God.

<Host2> so, authior's backstories for the characters need to be based on what CC gives us (the little he gives us!)

<Viridian5> we fill in the blanks and extrapolate

* Te muses on the things Bobby taught.... decides to flirt some more. Well... to some extent. I mean, I can base backstory on a moment's expression.

<Guest6> Unless what he gives us doesn't make sense. cf. CSM

<Te> Oh yeah, Guest6. Then you just say fuck it and make your own assumptions.

<Drovar> I see Skinner as being just as sharp as Mulder, but in a different way.

<Guest14> Yes, exactly.

<DMilan> I don't have a clear backstory on anyone. I just go mainly by emotions, trying to put myself in the character's place. I'm not organized or experienced enough to do backstories.

<Alicia> My backstory changes somewhat from story to story.

<Viridian5> Te is stunned by my memory for useless show trivia

<JCSun> Ditto--my grasp of what's canon is extremely loose, so I don't dare start filling in the blanks.

<Viridian5> Mine too

<Viridian5> Inevitable with my love of first time stories

<DMilan> Oooh, yeah, a weakness of mine also.

<MJ> JiM: very little backstory herself

<Host1> Well, that leads to my next question which is do you see multi universes at once or can you only work in one?

<MJ> JiM has lots of eps to catch up on

<Viridian5> Getting them to that point for the first time is always fun

<Te> I just wanna get the angst outta the way so they can screw. I'll admit it.

<DMilan> Depends on how far apart those AUs are.

<Alicia> Well, I write multiple pairings, so I guess I'd better be able to see multi universes.

* Drovar is mising several of the 'essential Pendrell' eps

<DMilan> I can appreciate them and admire the writers who do them so well, just haven't done it yet myself.

* Guest14 curls up and purrs at Alicia's feet.

<Viridian5> I always have 2 or 3 stories going in my head at once

* JCSun has yet to see Piper Maru

<Guest14> Only 2 or 3?

<Viridian5> sometimes more

<MJ> For my series, I'm very consistent on backstory, but thank God for those AU's so I can change 'em

<Viridian5> I take advantage of gaps

<Guest6> Slash writers always take advantage of gaps

<Te> Part of the beauty of the XF is that they keep *so* many things ambiguous that there are *very* few things that you have to flat out label AU.

<DMilan> Yes, gaps can be very useful.

<Te> Let's face it, we can even say: "Mulder got Alex out of the silo and fucked him stupid for several weeks"

<Viridian5> I spent the Weaknesses series filling in gaps and trying to make sense of the senseless in the show

<MJ> Unless you talk to Hester on atxc!

<Viridian5> Oh, he did, he did

<Alicia> Oh yes, do let's say that!

<JCSun> Say? Who said anythign abotu *saying*?

<Te> And who knows? It might have really happened. See V's Weaknesses series.

* Guest7 hester - snort

<JCSun> Hester. Hester. Augh.

* MJ thinks Te has a beautiful and inspiring plot there

* Alicia stays far far away from atxc most of the time.

<DMilan> Never been there, don't plan to start now.

<Te> Oh, the flamewars can be *so* invigorating.

<Guest14> BAD HESTER!!!

* Guest7 I'm thinking of quitting atxc

<Guest14> She's forgotten to take her meds for several weeks now.

* Drovar credits Hester for introducing him to Dark Nascent's woderfully dark and humerous fanfic.

<Guest14> I have, mostly.

* MJ danmces on Hester's grave...

<JCSun> Hester needs to be forced point blank to read some smutty S/f fic.

<Viridian5> bitter much, folks? <g>

* Guest14 lights candles and invokes Kali to take care of Hester

<Guest7> I loved the story posted in "answer" to hester

<Viridian5> I did too

<Guest14> Hey, she drove me away, and her fanfic is sooooooooo bad. Even worse than the story where Mulder throws up into his bowel.

* Alicia would much rather play with her Beautiful Boyz than worry about idjits.

<JCSun> Dude, she writes fanfic?

<Viridian5> AU

<Viridian5> multiple Aus

<Guest14> Hey, I'm multitasking, I'm being mean to my list.....sort of.

<Host1> New question: Why slash?

<Viridian5> I don't get to see slash in too many other places

<Guest14> Why not slash, Guest14 says pertly.

* JCSun nods.

<Alicia> BECAUSE IT'S SO DAMN FUN! And Alex, Alex, Alex.Next question?

<JCSun> Besides, it pisses homophobes off. And Alex. Alex.

<MJ> Why? Because. Next?

<Te> Pretty boys, messy things, nary a moist, velvety fold.

<DMilan> It just hit me like a thunderbolt. Major sexual epiphany. So exciting to think of men losing control with each other.

<Viridian5> Because that's what's showing up in my brain

<Viridian5> There's that, yes

<MJ> Okay, I'm a dyke. I find MSR very unnatural and offensive. Unless it's very very tasteful and blurry.

<Viridian5> MSR is often so bad

<JCSun> MSR is cliche hell.

<Te> And PG., MJ. No more than PG

<Guest14> God, it's so formulaic and it seems to be more revelatory of the writer's personal fantasies.

<DMilan> Besides, I know what het sex is like. I want to read and write about something beyond my personal experience.

<Viridian5> Harlequin romance territory

<JCSun> ...teenboppers write MSR. 'Nuff said.

<MJ> Rather read / write gay male smut/romo than get NEAR the evil nasty filthy straight stuff that Hester likes...

<Te> I'm not as interested in Scully as in the other characters, who happen to all be male.

<MJ> JiM: why slash? Writing it is safe sex... as is reading it

<Alicia> Besides, who could compete with Alex, Alex, Alex?

<MJ> JiM: plus you get to work out amusing sexual issues with it

<Te> Alex.

<Guest14> Well, Scully's been turned into this vicious caricature, so I pretend she's been abducted and only the boyz are still real

<JCSun> Scully usually seems to have a reactive role. In addition, her past, family, neuroses have been explored so well...

<DMilan> If you've ever seen a well made male porn flick, this question will be moot.

<Guest14> Alex, Fox, Walter......

<MJ> JiM: also FUNFUNFUNFUNFUN

<Guest6> And amusing political issues

<Guest14> Hot men together having hot sex, dealing with issues of relating, territory, breaking new ground.

<MJ> JiM: has written gay male characters since HS

<Te> And I like the way the boys can chatter without stepping on gender issues.

<Viridian5> with the way things are, the passion has to overwhelm all the RL problems such a relationship has

<Guest4> what is gender issues?

<Viridian5> It's interesting

<MJ> I can't get into Scullywriting cause I don't have a good date for her... so I let the guys at it

<Te> When I write my female characters (in orig. work) I have these backstory things... What's gonna piss her off?

<Guest14> Listen, I know someone who can't write Scully at ALL any more, because she hates the way the character has evolved.

<Alicia> Guest4, gender issues in terms of M/F relationships.

<Viridian5> :::raises hand::: I have problems with her too

<Guest4> nowonder i had no clue LOL

<Te> YEs, but your Evil!Scully is a blast Viridian.

<Viridian5> Isn't she, just?

<Guest14> Cold as hell with the fires out.

<Guest10> Evil Scully?? Want toknow more...!

<Viridian5> Isn't she, just?

<Guest14> Cold as hell with the fires out.

<JCSun> Rip Mulder's balls off, fry 'em in batter and still want some yogurt.

<Te> "The Truth"

<DMilan> I find it hard to write Scully because she's so unemotional. She comes across as cold and unsympathetic a lot of the time.

<Viridian5> Winner and still champeen...

<JCSun> To me, Scully's unemotionality is what makes her fascinating. She's an icicle in a furnace of passionate people--Skinner, Mulder, Krycek, and it's a curious juxtaposition worth exploring.

<Te> I wrote a arelatively positive Scully. Once. But that was before I started watching the show.

<MJ> I do normally sort of like Scully, but EvilScully is so neat...

<Viridian5> I'm more likely to write her in my non-slash stories

<JCSun> Scully? Positive? Optimistic? *Nice*? Wha?

<Alicia> Er, um, I started out writing Scully. (ducks)

<Viridian5> I miss seasons 1 and 2 Scully...

<MJ> I normally like Scully mostly, but V's EvilScully rocks

<Viridian5> <g>

<JCSun> Alicia, I wrote MSR. My sins are worse than your sins.

<DMilan> Good point, JCSun. But that's a project for a writer much better than I.

<Te> <snickers> There was this one nearly MSR scene in "Aenima"

<Guest2> so, say the Scully in 'Iolokos' is a well written scully... especially for a het story

Guest7 Eeek MSR

<Viridian5> Comparing sins? This could be fun...

<Alicia> Hah! You opened the door! MORE AENIMA!!!

<Drovar> Someone remind me... who did the Scully rapes Kryceks story from a while back... fascinating stuff.

JCSun loves Iolokus Scully.

<Alicia> JC, so did I.

<JCSun> ...I believe that was Rachel Arlington...

<Guest14> Well, my problem with Iolokus is that I don't like either character and don't want to read it.

<MJ> JiM: can't find a Scullyvoice

<Viridian5> Yeah, Te, but she tied him up and pierced and raped him...

<Guest14> It's beautifully written.

<Guest14> But I don't care about either of them.

<MJ> I sagree about Iolokus

<JCSun> Well, did *you* write *mushy* MSR? Schmoop?

<Host2> How many of you have writtten MSR? I have two definites, and a couple more kinda MSRs.

<JCSun> To the tune of 'One Headlight' by the Wallflowers?

<Guest14> NEVER.

<DMilan> This might be sacrilege, but I sorta like the rougher Scully/Skinner stories.

<Te> But that was *later*, Viridian

<Viridian5> gah!

<MJ> MSR? NEVER! No unnatural vice flows off my keyboard...

Te cackles at "One Headlight"

<Viridian5> My Dead to the World wasn't MSR, some people just chose to read it that way

<Te> Joyce has done some *sweet* "MSR" though....

<Alicia> Host2, I never wrote explicit MSR. They were in a relationship, but nothing was onscreen.

<Guest14> Hey, when I wrote Pale Horse, Dark Rider, people THOUGHT it was MSR and I was horrified.

<Guest6> I write crossovers so I can pair Scully with someone more suitable.

<Viridian5> the dark secrets come out...

<Guest7> I've liked the couple of Krycek/Scully I've read

MJ burns a pile of MSR in disgust

<JCSun> Skippers!

<Te> Like who, Guest6?

<Te> And, we all see what we wish to...

<MJ> JiM: Never, no way, they're not supposed to have sex.

Te is working on a Sc-Krycek

<JCSun> The Alex Idol...

<Guest6> From Forever Knight, Natalie Lambert. LaCroix.

<Guest14> Not me, I see possiblities everywhere except with poor Scully.

<Viridian5> Profound!Te

<Host1> New Question: What other authors have influenced you?

<DMilan> If CC & Co. would allow Scully to have sex on the show every once in a while, she might be easier to write into a sex scene.

<Te> Well, see, that makes sense.

<JCSun> K/Sc! Woohoo!

<MJ> I'm working on Scully narrating HER POV in a "Pencils"

<Viridian5> fanfic, publishing, or both?

<MJ> but it's NOT MSR

<JCSun> ...as it is now, it's sort of like having the Virgin Mary having an extramarital affair.

<Te> CiCi Lean & Anna

<JCSun> ...What other authors have incluenced me?

<Host1> Start with fanfic

<Viridian5> I've been writing for years before I found fanfic...

<Alicia> I feel like I'm besmirching her name by claiming it, but  torch. And CiCi and Kassandra.

<MJ> Me? JiM, Mona (yes really!), Grey ("The Boss)

<Viridian5> I like Guest15 and Anna and my beloved Te among others

<JCSun> Te, for one. Te, Cassandra, Vicki and Summer Mosely the collaborative team...

<JCSun> Cody Nelson. Big one--first slash story I ever read and enjoyed.

<Viridian5> Te has influenced my Alex

<Te> Oh, Scully would be far more palatable after letting some nice woman fuck her stupid.

<MJ> Agreed, DMilan.

<DMilan> Yup, what she said.

<MJ> JiM: Jane Mortimer, torch, Maria M.

<Viridian5> I like JiM too...

<DMilan> Yes! Cody is awesome.

<Te> Oh Lord... and my Mulder would've gotten *nowhere* sans Viridian

<Viridian5> CiCi writes some great stuff... in like 10 minutes

<Viridian5> (blush)

<MJ> JiM and me: the slashwriters who have shown us what NOT to write could fill a page, too.

<JCSun> Cody...Be-yoo-tiful.

<DMilan> I love the Alicia & Te coauthored stuff.

<Te> I love everyone... but influences... A lot of JC Sun....

<Drovar> Influences? torch's wonderful Lovers/Ghosts stories, Te for the wonderful, effortless style of her prose, JiM, just because her hoseboat stories are just too sweet and lovely.

<Viridian5> I love too many people!

<Viridian5> They're just not influences though

<DMilan> There's so much great slash out there, many talented people.

<Te> bwahahahaaa! Effortless?!

* MJ JiM blushes, waves to Drovar

* JCSun passionately loved JiM's houseboat serious, esp. the Ski/Krycek.

<Guest14> The Houseboat series rocked.

<Host3> New Question Alert:

<Host3> This question was posted by a new writer for his fella writers: "Do you prefer to work in and develop a consistant AU for your fiction? Or do you prefer to let each story stand on it's own?"

<Host1> Do you remember the first slash story you read?

<Te> Seriously, CiCi's "The Revelation" just snapped it all into place for me, in terms of fanfic.

<Drovar> Te not to write, sweety, but reading it is like 'astroglide' no effort at all.

<Viridian5> I have multiple AUs and standalones. Each has its appeal

* Te loves being compared to lube

<JCSun> CiCi's revelation...very good.

<DMilan> Yes -the first slash story I ever read was Lyrica's 'A Routine Interrogation'. Blew me away.

<JCSun> Routine and consistent AU?

<Viridian5> Not sure, fanfic-wise. Been finding novels with m/m for years

<Guest6> You mean, you feel it on your skin and can't seem to come clean of it?

<Te> The first slash I read was torch's "Too Dear For My Possessing" Stole my soul.

<MJ> Mine? Scullyslash

<MJ> Started out with the Scullyslash on GAEB and on QueerXF. "Walking the Line" one of the first.

<JCSun> ...any of my consistent AU springs more from a comes from a consistent veiw of the characters and their backstories rather than any specific plot.

<Viridian5> My furst slash fanfic was devouring MKRA's contents over 3 weeks

<Guest6> Snarks? Never. I love you much more than lube.

<Guest10> With whom did you pair Scully, MJ?

* Host2 has always thought of AUs as being not just author-created universes, but ones that are completely different from the show.

<Viridian5> They can be either

* Te purrs

<Viridian5> taking advantage of the gaps...

<MJ> Didn't write it myself, forget author -- great though, anopther strong female, a Naval JAG Corps officer

<Drovar> Vir5, mine too

<Te> An AU isn't an AU until it actually *conflicts* with canon

<Viridian5> Hunh, never saw it quite that way

<Host2> yeah, that's what I thought, Te!

<MJ> I started on MSSS rather than MKRA. Confession: the first Krycek slash I related to was Mona's

* Guest10 nods thanks to MJ and thinks he'll try to find it...

<Viridian5> but I freely admit I may be mistaken

<Guest6> You can write several universes which don't conflict with canon, but with each other.

<Te> Now *that's* surprising, MJ.

<Viridian5> I see "alternate" as being my many different storylines

<Host2> Yeah, Guest6.

<MJ> JiM: "Passing an Open Window" 1st XF slash read

<Viridian5> That's it, Guest6

<Te> So long as it couldve happened it's not AU...

<Host2> Viridian, that's like "author created universe", I believe.

<DMilan> I've always thought of AU as more a time issue than an event one.

<Viridian5> not big on the terminology. I'm just a hack writer, like Guest14

<Alicia> Hey, I have an AU question. Is it AU if you're writing something that's consistent with, say, season 4, and is set before season 5?

<JCSun> Hack? *HACK?*

<Viridian5> Hey, good question...

<Alicia> Purely hypothetical, of course. <g>

<Host2> Aliciam I don't think so. Not really an AU.

<Viridian5> Guest14 claims to be a hack

<Alicia> Hah. Would that I could be a "hack" like Guest14. Sheesh.

* Guest14 says in reasonable tone of voice, "But I am, I can write this stuff up in minutes, give me an idea and I run with it."

<JCSun> Claims is the operative word...

<Guest6> Does it make a difference if you wrote it before season 5 or after?

<Te> Not an AU so long as nothing happens that directly conflicts with what we know occurred in S. 5

<Te> I mean, look at all the "Sleepless" stories...

* JCSun feels the over-whelming urge to slap someone.

<Alicia> Well, but what if it does conflict with S5.

* Te beats down her Byerself with difficulty.

<Te> If it conflicts, it becomes AU