Author Spotlight: fnurfnur
This feature is a collaboration with panempropaganda and everlarkedalways as part of Panem Propaganda’s 100 Days of Mockingjay: Shipping and Fanfiction.
This interview is a companion piece to an article written for Panem Propaganda, available at X.
With many thanks to panempropaganda, everlarkedalways, and fnurfnur.
Graphic by everlarkedalways. Interview by papofglencoe.
“[T]he first Everlark fanfiction I ever read was The Little Match Boy… omg the tears! I loved it. I will read anything written by her, sure that I will enjoy it.” -joshs-left-earlobe
What is so unique or special about Everlark to you?
I have always seen a lot of myself in Katniss, especially the imperfect, problematic qualities. And Peeta himself is not perfect, as much as fanfiction and Peeta lovers would try to convince you otherwise. But these two people, despite their imperfections and everything they have been through, still love each other and fight for each other. There’s something incredibly comforting in that- that two people who have been through so much hardship and who are incredibly flawed and human can still have life-changing, all-encompassing love. It may not be “happily ever after” like a fairy tale, but life so rarely is.
What inspired you to write Everlark fanfiction in the first place?
I read HG fanfic for almost a year before I tried to write it. At first I only read canon fanfic, then I branched out to AUs. And there I saw so much creativity and room for interpretation, I got inspired to think of different scenarios. When one of them stuck with me- Everlark in physical therapy- and a whole world started to develop in my mind. Eventually the only way to “fix” this problem in my mind was to write it. Once I started writing fic, I got addicted.
What’s your personal favorite of your own fics and why? What inspired it?
I love (almost) all of my fics for some reason, but The People of Panem v. Katniss Everdeen is my most favorite, probably. There were two time points that I wanted fanfic to help me fill in- pre-epilogue and Katniss’s trial. Fanfic more than fulfilled pre-epilogue, and there are several fics out there that have written that part so well I consider it canon. But I never found any that covered her trial, at least not without being AU in some major element. So I tried to think how it could have happened, without changing a single element of canon. I found that working within those constraints forced me to be creative in a new way. It’s also my favorite because I worked very closely with alonglineofbread/wollaston on it- having her as a coach AND teammate AND cheerleader (a.k.a. an amazing beta and friend) was an absolutely wonderful experience. She brought out the best in that story.
What’s the greatest challenge for you to writing Everlark?
Giving them conflict. Dangit, haven’t these two kids been through enough? Can’t they just cuddle and bang and be cute and naked? But as much as we would like that, the conflict is what drives a story forward. I still have trouble doing it- I do want to write one of those fics that just rips your heart out with angst and conflict- but until then, the conflict will be relatively mild and resolved within a couple of chapters.
When you’re pushing the limits of character or situation, what ineffable traits of Katniss and Peeta/Everlark do you keep intact to preserve their characters?
That’s a good question, and probably this question is the one I’ve been mulling over the longest. I suppose it’s that Katniss is by nature an introvert and Peeta is an extrovert. Katniss draws her strength- or at least, she thinks she does- from being alone. She doesn’t need anyone to survive. But there are a few people she allows “in” for lack of a better term, and they make her stronger and more complete than when she is alone (Prim, Peeta). Peeta is an extrovert- is naturally social and gains strength from being around others. But all of those people aren’t around when he really needs help (like after the first Games). So while Katniss and Peeta have personalities that may have a fundamental difference, it’s also what brings them together. She is the person who loves him even when he’s not friendly. He is the person who loves her enough to make her friendly.
What’s your favorite Everlark trope and why?
Probably none I can say here, this is a family website. M-rated tropes are all that are coming to mind right now. I can tell you I do not enjoy the Everlark trope of Katniss being a terrible cook.
What is an Everlark fanfic that has stayed with you? Why?
There are two in-progress fics that I have truly dropped everything to read when they update (even to the point where I was once driving home from work in my 45 minute commute, saw the email notification from FFn that it updated, and pulled over to the nearest parking lot and immediately turned off the car and read the update). Those would be When the Moon Fell in Love With the Sun by porchwood/mejhiren and Anywhere I Would Have Followed You by dracoisalooker76. I know there have been others but I am woefully behind in reading fanfic now but just thinking of those two fics makes me want to crawl into bed and cry because they give me SO MANY FEELINGS. Those two writers are ridiculously talented.
What is your favorite Everlark headcanon or fanon?
I will always believe that 1) one of Peeta’s brothers was named Rye, and 2) Caesar was feeding info to District 13/the rebellion. On the second point, I remember some people having trouble with that in The People of Panem v. Katniss Everdeen and I wrote almost as many words on why I stand behind that than I wrote in the actual fic.
fnurfnur is the author of works such as Range of Motion, Surviving Death, Sweat Equity, and The People of Panem v. Katniss Everdeen. She is on AO3 and on tumblr as fnurfnur.
