Better Know An Author (#25): I03I
The interview today is with the divine I03I.
FanFiction Name: l03l
Twitter or other: Twitter: l03l_ Tumblr: l03l
Why did you pick the name(s) you are using? Back when I (naively) thought I’d only ever read fanfic, I created an email address for alerts that was randomly generated and my username(s) became a version of that.
Where do you live now? Melbourne, Australia.
Anything you want to share about your life or family: My life is pretty much study and work at the moment, so there’s not much to say, really. I do have a cat who is pretty adorable. I’m quite close to my family, and I get on well with my brother.
Job: I’m a full time student, but I also have two part time jobs, one as an administrative assistant, and one as a ‘legal researcher’, I suppose I’d call it.
What do you like to do in your spare time, besides writing? I don’t have much spare time and it is usually spent writing, but other than that I like watching TV and spending time with family and friends.
How did you become a fan of Castle? It was on my list of shows to watch for years, and then about a year and a half ago I got sick and wanted to watch something new, so I chose Castle and by the time I got to Sucker Punch I was completely hooked.
Favorite episode(s): Sucker Punch, Knockdown, To Love and Die in LA, Knockout, Rise, Demons, Cops & Robbers, Kill Shot, Always, After the Storm, Murder He Wrote, Probable Cause, Still, Veritas, The Time of Our Lives…
When did you start writing? When I was a kid, I guess. I remember in primary school staying up at night and writing stories in notebooks.
Favorite place to write? At my desk.
Do you have a particular writing process? Kind of, usually words will just get in my head and I’ll need to write them down and I’ll end up writing non-stop until they’re all on the page. Then (eventually) I’ll look at what I’ve written and try to make it into a story. If I’m writing a longer story usually the initial idea will form the first few chapters, and then I’ll sit down and outline and write the rest.
How do you come up with your story ideas? I wish I knew haha. Sometimes it’s a line in a song that just sticks with me, sometimes a scene will just pop into my head, sometimes it’ll be a line of dialogue or a concept I want to explore. Prompts on tumblr have also been good sources of inspiration over the last year or so.
Which is your favorite story that you’ve written and why? “Flashlight”, definitely, just because I found the first few chapters on my laptop when I was feeling really discouraged about my writing and my ability to finish a story. I went back to it and really enjoyed writing it, so I told myself that I would focus on it and finish it, and I’m proud that I did.
What have you learned or improved on in your writing? So much. How to limit repetition and be concise, how to delete lines that I love when they aren’t working – how to recognise what isn’t working. My grammar as well has improved a lot, just everything. The more I write the more I learn and improve, I think.
What resources, if any, do you find helpful when writing? Thesaurus, dictionary, the Internet. Talking to people who know more about relevant topics than I do.
How long does it take you to write a typical chapter? A while. The first few scenes that pop into my head take no time at all, but it usually takes me about 3-5 days to fill in the gaps and do the necessary rewriting and editing.
Which of your fics has been the most popular? “Flashlight”, by far. I’m still staggered by the response it received.
Which of your fics are you most proud of, and why? See question 14.
Pick 2-3 of your stories and take us deeper into the process. Any frustrations or proud moments? Where did the idea come from, what were you trying to accomplish, etc. I’ll go with “Flashlight”, because it’s the longest story I’ve written that is complete and published. The idea came from the thought “what would happen if Castle and Martha died in the bank in Cops & Robbers”. I wrote a few thousand words, mostly about the development of Kate and Alexis’s relationship in the aftermath, but I struggled with it because ultimately I wanted Castle back in the story, so I left it for a while. Then 6x23 happened and I realised that I could use a lot of the ideas from the Cops & Robbers fic, just changing it to fit the 6x23 timeline and a situation in which Castle disappeared and was found years later. I wrote the first 8,000 words or so (as well as part of the ending) and then got distracted trying to work on other things, but I came back to it a few months later and committed to writing it and posting. There were many frustrations along the way, mostly because parts weren’t reading like I wanted them to and I couldn’t get the words right. There were also a few moments when the words weren’t there at all even though I knew what I wanted to say, and I was really tempted to shelve it but I kept going, which is why I’m so proud to have finished it.
Last story you wrote, or current if publishing? I’ve been posting my tumblr prompt fills to fanfic net (“Snapshots” and “Fate and Meant to be”) which is kind of cheating haha. I did write and publish a quick prompt fill for the last Castle Fanfic Monday, and I’m working on a few things at the moment, but lack of time is preventing any real progress.
Who are some of your favorite authors in fanfic? I honestly couldn’t begin to narrow it down, there are so many talented writers in this fandom and I adore them all.
Top 5 favorite stories, other than your own? “Dash It All” by chezchuckles because it always makes me smile. “Everything that Glitters” by chezchuckles because I’ve never seen more of myself in a character and a story than I did in Ellery. “Inchoate” by ColieMacKenzie because it makes my heart hurt in the best way. “Our Best Selves” by Trinity Everett; even though it’s in progress I am completely caught up in it, it’s absolutely wonderful. “Vice” by Sandiane Carter, because I can read it over and over again and I adore it every time. “Back to Where We Have Never Been” by caffinate-me because it was one of the first Castle fics I read and I love everything about it. That’s more than five and I could go on forever but I’ll stop here.
Advice to new authors or people thinking about writing? Write. Just write. Write the story you want to tell and write because you enjoy it.
Something you think will surprise most people about you? That I’m not a surprising person? Haha maybe that I do have the ability to talk your ear off even though I’m generally pretty shy and quiet.
Anything else you’d like people to know? That I’m always around to talk. I tend to drift away from social media at times, but I will respond and I’m always happy to have a chat. I’d love to meet more people in the fandom :)
Finally, please name a few authors you’d nominate to be interviewed. Maybe kimmiesjoy and leuska?
End of interview
Thank you, I03I! Please join me again tomorrow for an interview with encantadaa. I have been catching up on required work stuff and haven’t sent out invitations for some time. That should be remedied by tonight, in case you see your name and haven’t heard from me.