Why we picked her:

She's written a lot of Roswell fic, and it's all good. Prolific and talented at the same time. Enough said. She's been involved in the Roswell fandom since roughly September 2000. She says that she'll read any fandom that catches her eye, and her secret ambition is to write "one hell of a Roswell/BtVS/Kindred: The Embraced crossover," or maybe Roswell/Highlander/Angel. I'd be interested in reading either of them. To check out her site, head to bennie.tvheaven.com.

I know everyone hates this question, but how do you get inspired? What would you recommend for people who have trouble finding story ideas?

What it comes down to is: it's fanfic. If it doesn't start with the show, with some aspect of it that you think could be developed more, better, or differently, then why are you writing it? The show is there for you. Use it.

Of course, this has to be balanced by the element of "you" that goes into the story, to take it beyond mere regurgitation and into the realm of creative writing. Are you a person of deep emotion? Explore that. Identify with a character or five, and find all the hidden or not-so-hidden depths that will make a reader sit up and empathise. Are you comfortable sharing your sensual side? Indulge it. Exploit the sexual tension that just emanates from every onscreen scene/ conversation/ blink of an eye.

But write what you know. Or do a lot of research. Or write anonymously, so later you can change your username and try again with a little more humility and respect for your audience, lol.

When you're reading, are there any aspects that can make or break a fic for you? What impresses you and what turns you off?

There are the obvious turnoffs: poor grammar, worse spelling, and an inexcusable ignorance of fundamental net posting protocol.

Shaky HTML is one thing. But if I have to zip back and forth along a horizontal scroll bar to read a story ... ha. Like I'm going to do anything other than hit the 'back' button. And I cringe when webmasters overuse graphics and cutesy fonts at the expense of legible text.

In terms of content ... I truly hate unnecessary bashing. It's one thing to exaggerate a character's established personality quirk, it's another altogether to simply reduce them to 'rabid psychobitch' or 'utter waste of space' without explanation, just because you don't like them.

That said, I love the passion that comes along with having strong feelings about a given character, even when I don't share them. A shared sunrise between friends, a vicious rivalry, or a night of mind-blowing sex ... nothing will make me gush as incoherently (and sincerely) as a fic that pushes the boundaries of canon to the point of originality. And great imagery - I live for those precious seconds when I can lose myself in the fantasy.

What do you struggle with when you sit down to write, and how do you overcome it?

Mary-Sueing. Or to a lesser extent, projecting onto and into a character. For instance, somehow I got it into my head that Liz is a screamer. That's right, with only a few scenes from one measley S1 episode to go on, I say she's vocal. And I think Michael likes oral, Maria's a pouter, and Isabel gets off on breast worship. I can just *see* it, you know? (Or in Liz's case, hear it. Kind of scratchy and gaspy, a neat little blend of girlish huskiness ... oh yeah.)

Uh, where was I?

Excessive verbosity. Failure to follow up on plot leaders. Overreaction to valid criticism. I plead guilty to all of the above.

My rehabilitation programme includes having a great beta reader, remembering to listen to her, and recognising that not every story has to be the end-all and be-all of storytelling. Sometimes, it's enough just to write.

Which is as it should be, I guess.

Do you ever get "blocked?" How do you deal with it? Any idea what causes it?

Ye gods, do I ever. Get blocked, I mean.

I get to points where I can barely write at all. (And no, that *wasn't* your cue to start cheering. Stop it. ;D) When it happens, I alternate between short forays into absolute foof and unintelligible angst. You know, just for fun.

In general, I think the best advice anyone can offer is:

1. Rewatch your tapes. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the show is All. It is the Source. The Fount from which Inspiration Cometh.

2. Push your limits, but don't push the writing. Try something new, a different character focus perhaps, or a different style of writing. It's supposed to be fun, remember? Give it a good try and then move on, try something else. Keep notes on all your 'failed' attempts, too. You never know when you'll be in just the right frame of mind to try one again.

3. Read, read, read. Re-read the authors and stories you like, take a chance on those you assumed you wouldn't, beta for someone else. Figure out what goes into a fic that you'd be proud to write, and when you're ready, write it. Then post it, so I can read it.

What are some common mistakes that you see new writers make in your fandom?

Premature posting. A good beta-reading can make a huge difference.

Writing in very short instalments just to 'get it out there' or to milk the feedback. It's tacky, like threatening to withhold fic pending some arbitrary feedback quota.

Ignoring canon. Let's face it - in the right hands, AU can be good. It can. But once you've made Maria an evil alien in disguise, Isabel a nomadic Gypsy vampire, and Michael (aka tomboy Liz's wacky sidekick) an alien who's spent his human upbringing terrified of alien abductions and worries about abducting himself, you're venturing into dangerous territory. Enter Kyle the Latino physicist who's dating both Max the mute but mischievous repairman and Alex the buff bush-pilot from Australia ... well, you have to ask yourself: am I really writing Roswell fanfic at all?

How do you select what to read and what to feedback? Do you mainly read stories written by your friends or do you branch out a bit?

I start by reading stories written or recommended by friends and then move to archives that update regularly. Every now and then I'll go through a search engine for new material, check out mailing lists, and scan 'message board' style sites.

Feedback ... that's a toughie. Don't get me wrong; I love coming across something incredible and then penning a long, detailed response about how much I enjoyed it and why. It can be a real rush. But when you read as much fic as I do *and* have limited time online, you get choosy. I still feedback a lot, but relatively speaking, I feedback a smaller percentage of the fic I read overall.

I'm better about leaving feedback for friends whose work I enjoy as much for the author as for the story itself, because I think it's important to remember the human behind the electronic document.

But I won't leave constructive criticism unless asked, and consider flaming pointless to give and tedious to receive.

What common mistakes do you see in your fandom in terms of characterisation?

It's hard to say with Roswell, but there are a few that make me cringe every time I see them. And I *have* seen them:

1. Tess as Evil Incarnate, huddling in shadows and cackling maniacally as her malevolent plans come together. What's with that?

2. Liz as the worst and most selfish friend ever (and I mean *ever*), or as a magical being who can do no wrong in the eyes of her hapless worshippers. (Okay, so a number of you are coughing 'hypocrite' none-too-subtly into your hands, but believe me when I say there are those who make me look almost indifferent.)

3. Maria as irredeemably flaky, or brilliant beyond compare.

4. Isabel as perky personified. Michael as snivelling. Max as mad-rapist-turned-repentant-lover. (I guess you could put the three of them together and wait for SuperMaria to save us all from Tess's evil clutches.)

5. Kyle as straight. (Oh, come on, you all see it, right? He's bi at the *very* least. ;D)

What advice would you give someone who is just entering the fandom?

Watch the show. Repeatedly. Make sure your tapes are dust-free, clearly labelled and in order, and then watch them again. Take notes.

Read a lot of fic. Get a feel for what's good and what's not, and what people want to read. Then write for yourself but be mindful of where you post it. Know your audience.

When you do post it, take a few minutes to learn how to do it properly. Oh, we all screw this up at first, especially with mailing lists. It's hard to figure out just how much formatting is appropriate. But learn from your mistakes.

Keep a dictionary on hand at all times and USE IT. I just finished reading a story where the author confused 'urethral' with 'ethereal'. Don't do this. As much as I laughed (somewhat hysterically, truth be told), the fact remains that this fic will be remembered not for it's touching drama but for one easily prevented spelling mistake.

Finally, be honest but nice. Sounds trite, but hold off on the attitude until you have a grasp on the internal politics and conventions that shape the community. You'll be a lot happier in the long run.

How would you summarize the state of writing in your fandom? Are you generally impressed with the fic you see, or does it make you want to bang your head against the wall?

First of all, if there wasn't a lot of good writing to be found in the Roswell fandom, I wouldn't put so much time and effort into looking for it. That said, there is a huge spectrum of fic awaiting the unwary and unsuspecting reader.

I have come across fic so bad I thought about waiting around for someone to laugh and tell me it was a joke. And again, I could do without the mindless bashing. (If I am subjected to one more snide "gerbil" or "lizbot" comment I may well lose it. Big time. I don't care how brilliant her fic is, how are you supposed to respect an author who stoops to such ... such ... ah hell, I can't even think of the words to convey just how disappointed I get every time I see this.)

But I've also read fic so heart-stoppingly beautiful, or breathtakingly clever, or otherwise emotionally evocative, that it makes me want to read more, to write more, even as I despair of ever reaching such heights myself.

There's good and there's bad, and I think there's more than enough of the first to make it worth the risk.

Any other pet peeves/advice/general thoughts?

My major squick-du-jour is rapefic. I think I've read two fics, three tops, where the use of sexual violence in the development of a character or storyline was both justified and appropriately depicted. More often than not rapefic consists of A raping B - but not *really*, you see, because A *loves* B, and B *knows* that A is *truly* remorseful, and everything will be just dandy once A apologises and pledges undying devotion.

(Anyone else feeling a tad nauseous?)

As fandoms go, you've gotta love Roswell. There's so much to work with, so many beautiful characters to play with, so many powers and possibilities to explore. I have no doubt whatsoever that between the plotholes, unresolved storylines, and roads untaken in Roswell canon, ficwriters will not lack for material for a long, long time. If ever.

You have to understand, this is my favourite show and I'll defend it to the proverbial end. But there's no way in hell TPTB will ever tie up all the loose ends they've created.

... Which of course makes me very, very happy, if only because it gives me the time and opportunity to improve my own writing. And I'll take all the help I can get.

Yay Roswell!

Bennie's recs:

"Go to http://bennie.tvheaven.com/slashpage.html and scroll down. I plan to add more recs regularly."