(no subject)

[novin_ha]

Gacked from junediamanti because I'm a minion, and minion attempts to imitate the master.

Also, because it's another excuse to talk about self without having to make up a subject.

I can't believe I admitted that ;)



1. How long have you been in fandom?

I'm not certain how long exactly - I guess I joined sometime in 2002, maybe a bit earlier. I definitely had a ff.net account by the time OoTP was published.

2. How did you discover fandom/what was your route into it?

I was looking for Snape-related sites (because yes, I became interested in Snape very early on, and the interest was reinforced after reading PoA because Snape was the mistreated character in that one for me - I was very angry at Sirius).
I discovered Snape-related fanfiction. A couple of weeks later I was looking for ff in English. First shippy story I read was Percy/Hermione and I loved it. Then I discovered Strega Brava. She wrote (still is writing, I guess) SS/HG.
I started to read stories on ashwinder much, much later, when I was seventeen and a half (before that, I wasn't ready to go to adult-oriented sites - I'm proud of myself for waiting until I was ready). I joined - got myself an account - on my 18th birthday. Yeah, really ;) Sticker to the rules :)


3. Do you actively participate in any forums you may wish to pimp? Any you joined then but would not set foot in now?

I am still a member of wiktt as well as wiktt misc, for two reasons - for one, I can pimp some story I think does not get enough attention, for another - very rarely, but it still happens, a discussion concerning canon is entered or an author I am interested in posts some info. Other than that, I am member of other fandoms related groups - a very active meber of one on Polish Ice&Fire series (and one of the leaders of one of the Forum's political movements... um, I mean, a kind of Sansa's Support ;)

4. How did you discover LJ, and what made you get one?

I saw "user's private website" on pigwidgeon37's profile. I was - perhaps am, I'm not sure any more... her fangirl. I wanted to read her stories and she was posting them on her LJ before going with them to the archive. Moreover, I wanted to read about her. I'm a stalker.

I got myself one to be able to leave comments in LJs of people who only accepted signed comments. And started to write because I like to talk about myself. Then I met real LJ friends (as opposed to just being a celebrity stalker) - some of them are Big Name fans, people I deeply admire for their fandom involvement and opinions - the rest I admire for just being terrific :D

5. How did you come up with your username?

I've been using Novinha as my e-mail address for ages because she is a kick-arse female character who is utterly pathetic at times and yet it's impossible not to love her. Moreover, Card's Ender series is for me one of the most important books I've ever read. It made me reconsider my beliefs, my attitude and my character. It shaped me to a great extent. It was a book in which I read what I believe in hugely - that you can't really know a person and not love them. Even if they're utterly unlikable. This does not extend to psychos, though, but that's because they need psychiatrical help.

6. Who is your favourite character?

Severus Snape. He is amusing, pathetic, cruel, nasty and yet I like to believe he's also capable of great sacrifice.
As to secondary characters, I adore Hermione. I really do! And Percy. And Dumbledore. Oh, there are too many to name - and post-HBP I have a soft spot on Draco. Because he's a whiny brat. Sometimes I like whiny brats. I did mention I fall for pathetic characters, didn't I?

7. Have your opinions changed towards any characters/ships in your time in fandom?

Have they? Oh, I used to think homosexuality is something weird and rare and OK, I'm not judging those people but I stay away because that's not for me.
Then I read a couple of SS/HG fics with HP/DM in the background (the first being probably From Hell by pigwidgeon37 - and I tell you, if you think you're a SS/HG true fan and haven't read it, then you should think again ;p)

8. Do you write/draw within fandom? What made you start?

I write - a bit. And translate, or perhaps used to. I intend to translate again. I love it. And I love writing. But my day is not long enough.

I am aware I am not a terrific writer, like some of my friends are. I always feel silly when they praise my stories, really, because I know their stuff is much better than mine - but I do love feedback (although I am going to be honest - I write for fun mostly and do not intend to become a professional, so unless you have something nice to say to me, I do not want the comment. I am honest about it. You needn't you to squee or praise terribly, but just... mention at least one thing you liked if you're going to criticise me. I am all for being criticised, but even a small compliment will make me take the criticism more easily and consider it fully and without hiding into my shell. My self-respect is a fragile animal.

What made me start... The end of OotP made me start. I wanted to write a defence of Snape and I did it. My first fanfiction was a story of his being accused of being a Death Eater traitor all along and being found innocent after Harry's realisation his hatred of Snape is not fair, not real, and his defence of Snape. Cliche, isn't it? The story was cliched, badly-written grammatically and so on - but it had its moments, you know? It made me believe I had something to say. It made me realise writing fanfiction was a good way to express myself.

9. Does what you write/draw differ from what you would read? How so? What are your biggest kinks/squicks?

I read much better stories than I write. That's a big difference.
I write stories that are more prudish than ones I read - I am young and inexperienced, and smart enough to realise 'an innocent' writing sex makes little sense.
My kinks? Do I have any? Hurt/comfort, I guess. I like angst that will make me ache for the characters, literally. That will make me so bleeding wanting for the end to be happy before I reach the end that will be bittersweet. That gets me every time. H/C is my porn.
As to squicks - as long as the characters are consenting, unrelated adults, I'm not likely to be squicked, except for heavy BDSM. I'm more likely to go "yawn" than "omg!yuck". But very good vanilla is teh best.

10. Of what piece of your work are you most proud, and why?

There is something I am proud of in each of my stories. In "Light" it was the fact that I wrote in English (very bad, but still English) and that I had readers tell me they saw Snape differently and were going to read novels I referred to in my story. "Light" was crap and it was written like a 16 years old would write. But there were thoughts and views expressed in it that I still hold.
I had lots of fun writing my one-shot "Personal Reasons" and I'm not yet ashamed of it ;)
I created a plotline I'd be interested to read in my Polish story "Wilcze dni" and my translations - especially the newer ones - are relatively good, for an amateur. Or at least so I believe. Not perfect, but something I could read.

Oh goodness, that got out of hand with its length, didn't it? ;)