ShellBell's Interview with Racketghost, Author of "Gravity" and "Suicide King"

Of three things I am absolutely certain:

Racketghost writes THE best angst I have ever read.

She is adorable and a saint for putting up with my blatant fangirling.

And I had a total blast interviewing her.


At the time of this interview Racketghost was the proud author of three fics. Her first, Gravity, is a New Moon Au. It's complete and I'm fail for never reading it.

Forgive me for I have sinned... I have a good reason, though!

The reason is that I read her second (now complete) fic, Suicide King, first. It blew my fucking mind and made me cry like a baby.

It is that good.

When I realized Racketghost had written a fic before SK, I raced to read it. Then I saw this: "This is not a happy story". Yup, taken from the actual fic itself.

And if Suicide King was THAT good, and THAT angsty, then surely the fic with the ACTUAL WARNING on the first chapter would make me want to flounce life.

I'm a wuss and I'm proud.

Suicide King is a mysterious, scifi, dimension hopping, angst filled mindfuck. Plain and simple.

Shortly after Suicide King finished, Racketghost began posting Phantom Love. It is the missing months from New Moon with each chapter representing a lost month. It is brilliant and everything SMeyer missed when she attempted to write about Bella's heartbreak over Edward leaving. I physically hurt when I read it and I love the fact that Racketghost could possibly kill me with this achingly haunting tale.

During the interview, I asked about future projects... Her in depth answer is below. All I can say is, she has begun posting her new fic, and I am BEYOND excited.

I now present the actual interview which went from srs bsns to random craziness that left both of us laughing, me with a wet-tea-shirt, and had to be heavily edited to protect the innocent.

Michelle: I have a list of questions given to me. If you don't want to answer any just say so, you won't hurt my feelings ;)
Racketghost: okay! Not answer any? I fear no question.
M: LOL good!

R: bring it onnnn
M: YAY!
R: :-o i love these gchat faces.
sorry. continue.

M: LOL I do too, I abuse emoticons :(

LOL

ok, I want to talk about all your fics, cuz I'm greedy

although I have to admit I haven't read Gravity cuz i'm skeered ;)

R: okay!

bahaha skeered of what?
M: Your angst is so awesome, it takes me DAYS to recover
and I've heard it angsty
R: have you heard terrible nasty roooomers?
ohhh yes
i have an infamous warning at the top of the first chapter
THIS IS NOT A HAPPY STORY
apparently, it's scary.
M: I've never heard anything bad about your fics and even if I did I would not believe it.
Yeah and that too
scary??
R: well, the warning is.
M: yes, it is. so I skipped to the last 2 chapters
R: I've gotten reviews that say, "I like this first chapter, but i can't keep reading."
M: LOL
R: LOL!
M: well, I had to see if B and E were together
I'm a canon girl
R: I knew it. you're one of those people that flips to the last page of a book, aren't you?
I am too.
M: haha! guilty
R: Non-canon couples wig me out
M: O good to know
R: Except for Jake and Leah
I love jake and leah
M: Ew
R: LMAO
M: leah irks me
R: you're not a blackwater fan!?
She got the short end of the stick
M: jake does too, so I guess I could see it
R: I hate Jake in canon
he's a douchebag
M: SO DO I
he was such a PUNK
R: I skimmed every chapter in Twilight that he was in

I skipped the whole beach scene because he was so intolerable.

M: NM must have killed you

R: IT DID. but surprisingly, that's my favorite book.

M: Mine too

omg

R: lmao

M: I swear I'm not a stalker

R: we're gluttons for punishment

M: I do believe that's true

but from what I did read of gravity, jake seemed to be a nice guy? or tolerable at least?

R: hahaha, it's so strange.

It took me writing Jake in Gravity to absolutely love him

He's my favorite character from gravity.

easily.

M: Wow!

R: It's weird

M: I feel so fail! I will have to read it now

I'll put on my big girl panties

R: hahaha!

M: is it anywhere near Phantom Love's angst level?

R: It's an O.K fic.

I don't think so.

not at ALL.

But yet, I had people wrist-cutting over it

M: or even suicide king?

cuz you know what that did to me

R: I thought it was quite fluffy, to be frank

M: oy vey

LOL

R: hahahaha

I didn't think SK was angsty.

at all.

M: OMG

R: Maybe the end.

Yes. The end.

The end of SK was angsty.

But nothing else.

M: no, their 'past' stories

R: ....or maybe I just have a really skewed perspective of things.

Oh

M: maybe i'm just a wuss

R: ehhh, yeah. I guess that was kind of heavy?

M: the end was so very fitting

I loved it

R: Why thank you :D

M: heavy. yes. it caused my heart to hurt

No problem

R: D: I feel weird saying, "Thanks!" to that. Perhaps I should say sorry, instead?

M: No, it was a compliment ;)

R: hahaha, then thank you!

M: how did you come up with the ideas for your fics?

R: uhm

hm

well, I just started writing Gravity in my Arts of China class before I really knew what FF was.

I had no idea Twilight FF was so huge

So I just wrote what I wanted to happen and started posting it

it was a total 'choose your ending' kind of deal for me

Which is epically lame, in my opinion, but whatever. I liked writing it.

M: it's not lame!

isn't that what most ff is? LOL

R: hahaha, this is true.

at least, most NM AUs

M: yes

R: and, well, Suicide King was born from Godel, Escher, Bach: an eternal golden braid. Which is a book by Douglas Hofstradter.

Phantom Love came from a Scientific American Mind article about amputees who suffer from phantom limbs

and that's about it.

That was the worst answer ever.

god, no wonder people don't interview me. haha

M: Aww, not true! I know I'll be googling the book that inspired Suicide king ;)

R: It's SO GOOD. It's huge

M: is it scifi, or fantasy?

R: Well, it's not fiction.

M: Oh

ok

R: it's... a reference book?

I don't know how to explain it.

haha

M: the golden braid one??

R: yep

M: wow, now you've really got me curious

LOL

R: hahah Wiki it!

It's really fascinating.

M: ok, while I do that answer this:

Do you do anything special when you write? have a fave drink or candy nearby? Silence? or music?

R: I drink tea. I have to have tea in front of me. Black with lots of sugar.

I listen to the Amelie soundtrack exclusively.

For some reason, I have to write with socks on.

M: LOL! what kind of socks?

R: hahaha comfy ones! The bigger and chunkier, the better.

Ones that can't fit in shoes

M: haha, this is weird

I love my fluffy socks

R: right!? Socks are important.

M: yes

very

mine are pink

R: If socks are off, it's like all my intelligence seeps out of my feet.

M: have to be pink

R: MINE ARE TOO.

WHAT.

MY SOCKS. RIGHT NOW. ARE PINK AND FLUFFY.

.... sorry.

I got excited.

M: that is just so awesome

R: clearly, we are on the same page.

M: mine are pink and fluffy rn

ok, so

sorry

LOL

R: lololol

M: I lost my q's looking up that book, h/o

:)

R: Whooopsie

M: LOL just needed the tab

multitasking at it's finest

ok, so you listen to Amelie (which I will have to google as well...) do your stories have their own soundtrack?

R: yesss

absolutely

(wait, you've never seen Amelie?!)

M: No :(
R: My jaw is dropping
Go rent it!
M: OK!
ok, sorry I keep getting off track ;)
 

do you use an outline for your stories? or just write?
R: Oh boy
I don't outline and I don't edit.
I never ever write first drafts
M: O.O
R: Whatever is posted online is exactly what I wrote the first time around
M: Holy shit
R: I know, it's strange.
M: it's amazing!
you make me feel so dumb ;)
LOL
R: HAH! No way
I probably have so many typos
M: I never noticed any... but I wasn't looking ;)
R: oh great.
I just outted myself.
M: I'm kidding
R: hahaha

M: do you believe in Happily Ever After?
R: In life? Or in stories?
M: hmmm
let's go easy... stories
R: No way.
:)
M: o no
I thought SK was a HEA

R: It was. I kind of gagged writing it.

M: ROFL

R: hahaha

M: so I take it you don't believe in Real life HEA?

R: I totally believe in RL HEAs.

And I am a total romantic

M: really. I used to be too ;)

that's sweet

R: what happened!?

M: Life

hahaha

R: hahaha

good answer. ;)

M: but I have to have a HEA in fic

always

R: in fics you read or fics you write?

M: read

R: oh boy.

M: and write LOL

R: So I should uhm, advise you to not read any more of my stories.

O_O;;;

M: I couldn't take the heat if I wrote a non HEA

WHAT???????????????????

which one?

R: it's brutal

M: omg no

no

R: All of them hahaha

I'm hiding

M: shit

:*(

ok, so do you have any other fics planned to kill me?

R: hahahaha I never PLAN to kill you

M: LOL

R: You're my favourite reviewer, how could I ever plan something like that?

M: loving your fic is PURE masochism

OMG

::BLUSH::

R: This makes my heart SOAR

gahhh you blush in all caps

But to answer your question, no. I think you'll like Beet Heart

M: yes, I'm trying not to all caps this convo

LOL

ok, I need details...

R: so the title is Beet Heart Lullaby

it's told exclusively in Bella's POV

It's about vampires, really. using all of the old folktale/legends

M: sweet

R: No going out in the sun, no damn sparkling, no perfection

It's essentially about murder

M: OOooo

R: I like this Bella a lot

M: is she vamp?

R: nope

she lives with Charlie and her grandmother who has Alzheimer's.

M: :(

R: They raise moths

M: oook

R: The grandmother is probably the coolest character

I love her

M: LOL

R: hahaha i know

M: why moths?

R: granny rocks

I LOVE moths. I used to raise them

Andddd they have to do with the beets

M: wow, ok

R: and the beets have to do with the murders

M: cool

R: It's sounds positively absurd when I say it like that

I promise it makes more sense

hahaha

M: I'm sure it does. LOL

it definately sounds intriguing

R: yay!

I'm glad you think so :D

I'll have the prologue up, well, tonight

M: wow

you go girl

R: I've had it for about a month

LMAO

I'm raising the roof over here

M: like all written or just some?

LOL

R: I have two chapters written

I need to gain some momentum, right now I'm kind of stagnant

:(

M: you've written ALOT already

R: really?

I thought I was kind of slow

me: I kow how you feel though, the holidays zapped me.
well, yeah gravity, SK, and PL.

Lord

and you go to school also right?

R: Yep

woah

It doesn't seem like that much to me haha

M: LOL

R: I always see like, Big Name fics and they seem so much more serious to me

like, more professional or something

M: we all do

we see our flaws

R: it's a terrible feeling!

M: I KNOW

trust

esp since so many great fics are written by people whoe are younger than me! LOL

R: omg, I feel the opposite!

so many writers are in their 30s and I feel like such a noob.

M: awww

R: like I should go back to kindergarten

hahaha

M: LOL

I think everyone has their own style as well and maybe that comes off as better... to me anyway

like I envy the one's who can write a bazillion word chapter

and I can barely squeak out 3000

R: omg, I know

All of the chapters in SK were so short

M: I like it though and you were able to get the point across without talking us to death

ok, how did you get into Twilight?

R: hah, this is funny

I knew about Twilight from.. well, from the media and from being a rather bookish person

but I knew that it was about vampires

I have a confession: I have this horrible infatuation with vampires. Ever since I was very very small. My book shelf is packed with books like, "The Science of Vampires". So I told my family that if I ever read Twilight, I'd be addicted.

M: LOL!

R: So last year for Christmas, I was given a copy by my sister

It was allll down hill

hahaha
M: LOL!!!

R: I totally called my addiction, so it's okay

M: I love how that is how most twi addicts explain it... "I bought the book, or I was given the book, and well, you know the rest" Everytime! LOL

so who is your Edward when reading/writing?

R: hahah I know!

Who is he? hm

Well, I knew about the movie before I read Twilight.

So Robert Pattinson was in my head while reading

My Edward's all look different

SK Edward looks skinny and scrappy. Like Ewan McGregor from Trainspotting

me: interesting

do you have any real life and/or FF authors who inspire you?

R: Jeffrey Eugenides is my favourite author of all time. Followed closely by j.g. Ballard.

I'm positively horrible at reading FF. I'll start reading something, stop for a few days or weeks or months, then read it in one go when it's finished.

M: LOL

lucky

R: hahaha why lucky?

me: it's like a drug to me

hahaha

R: LOL!

Reading over a computer hurts my eyes. Besides, I can't wait for updates!

I don't know how people do it!

M: You get used to it ;) she says as she slowly goes cross eyed...

when you do read ff, what genre do you read?

R: I love angst. (ooo big shocker). Snap is one of my favourite pieces ever.

LMAO

omg, don't go crosseyed

I'd be so lonely

M: LOL

awww

R: I totally love UST too.

But I hate smut

M: so nothing explicit

or no sex period?

R: I like well done sex.

I like awkward first times. and good build up.

M: dont' we all ;)

R: But stories that are just sex bore me

LMAO

omgggg

Well played

M: ty

when I first started reading FF that was all I read, because that was all I found.

R: Me too!

M: now I find I skim sex to get to the plot

R: exactly.

M: although I have my guilty pleasure fics

for when I need something

R: don't we all? ;)

M: what's one of yours?

R: I think The List was great at first at staying in canon and being awesomely sexy.

then it got out of hand

M: YES!!!!!!

and yes

I agree

R: omg, the chapter Control!?

holy shittttttt

M: I haven't read it in so long...

R: when he rips the fucking couch!

M: dude the one where there at the rest stop??????

in the car

R: What?!

M: I love when Edward destroys things ;)

R: OMG

WAIT.

I'm totally looking this up on twilighted rn

hahaha

M: it's after they go to the club...

and they're heading home

it was some srs UST

R: YES.

I just found it

I totally didn't remember this chapter

M: LOL

R: ughhh SO GOOD

M: it has stayed with me

YES

there is another one that is LONG as all hell, A life extraordinary

that has some nice... um... moments

R: I see that recced all the time!

is it worth a read?

M: Lot of skimming on that one

I read it for the smexin

too mushy lovey dovey bs

*NO OFFENSE meant to the lovely author. I read every single chapter, loved the story, and rec it. But I'm a bitter bitch when it comes to love*

R: I can skim for good sexy times

bahhhh

M: it is vamp

R: oooh

M: Let your light shine was the first, a life extraordinary is the sequel.

let your light shine has THE BEST change scene.

EVER.

R: aghhh

M: he changes her in the 'heat of the moment'

R: oh shittt

M: and he's all naked and emotional

R: !

M: it's guh

R: Okay, I may need to skim for that scene

haha, I wish you read Gravity. It sounds similar

M: I will. I will read it now, I felt like such a fail fangirl :(

R: LMAO

omg

don't read it

M: WHY??

R: I think it sucks hairy balls

M: WHAT?????

R: I like chapters 10 and up

M: LOL

R: 1 through 10 kind of blow

NGL.

hahaha

M: I have to read it though cuz the end was so intriguing

R: omg

you srsly only read the end

M: yeah like the last 2 chapters

R: ?!

WHAT?

M: ikr

I KNOW

R: how the fuck...? Did it make ANY sense?

M: I had to see if I would be able to handle it

R: lmao

M: NO!!

LOL

R: the heartfail isn't in the end, silly

LMAO

I didn't think so

M: I know, but I had to see if B and E were together

R: omg, that is so freaking funny

M: I told you. I'm weird like that

R: ahahahaha you could have ASKED you know

M: I hardly KNEW you!!

some authors won't talk

LOL

R: I AM GARGOYLE, REMEMBER?

M: never

YOU SAID IT!!!!!!

LOL

R: lmao, soooo appropriate

M: do I need to c/p where you said it? LOL

R: I should change my penname to Gargoyle

me: omg, you'll confuse the fuck out of me

R: lmao

M: you already have enough names ;)

R: I love confusing people with my name changes

people were calling me NIGHTSHADED

IT HAD TO STOP

M: LOL

omg I think I did that

R: lmao

it's okay, it's okay. It WAS my twitter name

M: i'll have to go back and look at my recs

yeah I rec'd you on my fic and then you changed your name

I was like D'oh!

R: baahahaha

I made you look bad

people probably went searching for me and never found it

M: it's not hard ;)

LOL

R: that's what she said

ooooh

M: booooooo

LOL

R: I never, ever get to say the "that's what she said" jokes

that just made my life

M: I'm glad I could help

R: I am complete

M: they're rare for me as well

R: I feel like i should say something so that you can nail me with one

M: that one was close

LOL

R: i know

It was a teaser

hahaha

M: I probably wouldn't even notice it, I'm so fail

R: YOU ARE NOT FAIL

M: LOL

ok, so

um

anything else you want to say regarding your awesomeness?

R: I love being the LAST clap at an event

M: LOL

R: It's such a thrill

M: like having the last word in a fight

R: YES

TOTALLY

I knew you'd understand

M: cuz you were right anyway

R: yessss

MY clap was an INDIVIDUAL

wow, we are so epically distracted.

M: yes, you do not conform!

LOL I know, sigh

R: hahahaha it's fantastic.

M: I was afraid I would bore you

R: WHAT?

M: srsly

R: not possible.

M: I was all stage firght

fright

R: no way

you lieee

M: yup, i do

LOL

kidding

R: you are so freaking quick on the draw.

M: hahaha, i try

R: I fail at that stuff

M: shit was that my 'that's what she said' moment?

R: YES. IT WAS

M: omg no way, I am laughing so hard

DAMN

see I TOLD YOU

R: I LEFT IT WIDEEE OPEN

............

M: THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

R: LMAO

M: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

R: PARTY!

M: damn it feels good to be king!

R: LMAO

I'm dying

my cheeks hurt from laughing

M: :D

STOP

YOU LIE

R: I NEVER LIE

M: liar liar plants for hire

R: PLANTS FOR HIRE?

M: Spongebob

sorry

R: OMG

hahahahahahahahaha

M: yeah, my dork is showing

R: I feel like I should make a really inappropriate joke to that but I cant think of one.

so fail

Okay love, it's time for me to retire.

I hope I did a decent job being interviewed.

M: ok, thank you So so much!!

you did! I had fun

R: YAY!

thank you

it was awesome

M: :D

R: <3 we'll talk soon

M: OK <3

R: goodnight, darling!

M: night

ShellBell's Interview with Racketghost, Author of "Gravity" and "Suicide King"