Tanja's interview with Smishli about 'Homecomings'

Homecomings by Smishli

Summary: No one ever said your twenties were easy. Bella is forced on a blind date, Alice can’t get her boyfriend to propose, and Rosalie’s new baby-sitting duties go horribly awry. Will the ladies achieve self-actualization? Will they find the right men along the way? And why does everything seem to lead back to a sinister threat from an international organization that could take their lives? Eventually all-canon pairings. AU/AH.

Your twenties. You're happy to be out of your sometimes awkward teens. You went to college and had your fun. (Sorry if I'm wrong, I never went to college LOL) You can legally buy booze. You can't wait to start your first REAL job. Moving out from home. Finding the boy/girl to spent the rest of your life with. Maybe starting your own family. It's the first time you really step out on your own...

Sounds about right, doesn't it? But you'll find that life doesn't really change as much as you think it will as soon as you hit "2-0". There are times when you might still feel like the awkward 16-year-old you once where. Your first job might end up not being what you thought it would be. Moving out from home might mean dealing with your overbearing parents who don't think you'll be able to live on your own. And to find the boy/girl to spent the rest of your life with you might have to deal with heartache first.

That's one of the things I love about Homecomings. It shows that not everything is sunshine and roses and that happiness does not come about of its own. You have to bend over backward to make progress.

Another thing I really like is the fact that, even tho it's still a Bella/Edward fic, Smishli also talks about the other canon couples and tells their story. And she shows how everyone can play a major part in the story without being related or having known each other all their life.

So, if you want to read a great story about not only Bella and Edward but also Alice/Jasper and Rose/Emmet, that has some unexpected twists and turns, I highly recommend Homecomings.

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Here's what Smishli has to say:

1. Where did you get the idea for this story? What was your inspiration?

I adore Bella and Edward, but I was sick of how many stories underrepresented the supporting cast, particularly Emmett and Rosalie. Basically, I wanted to write all three main canon couples' stories told so that everyone was included and their interactions were woven together, like you'd see in real life - and I love mysteries, so it was fun and made sense to have a mystery pulling them together!

2. Why should readers read your story?

If you: have a love for the canon couples, you don't mind long swaths of dialogue (it's my guilty pleasure), and you like a twist of mystery in your romance!

3. Is there anything you would want readers to know specifically?

Don't be scared off by the Rose/Emmett sections. Though I've always loved Rose (she's a bitch, but she's loyal!), I know she's not everyone's cup of tea. I was a little nervous about posting her side of things, but from the reviews, it seems like the Rose/Emmett story-line is a reader favorite!

(Q courtesy of Mels) Give us a Random Fact about yourself

I love Buffy - I mean, obviously - but years of watching it has firmly implanted that canon as my go-to understanding of vampires. It's really frustrating when I can't shake it off. For instance, in the NM movie with the scene in the woods, all the tragedy was completely lost on me because when Edward turned away from Bella for a second, I was totally expecting him to go VAMPFACE when he turned back. You see the turn away and turn back so often on Buffy, I guess it's just a subconscious expectation? The idea of Rob with a bumpy forehead is seriously disturbing, though, so thank goodness Edward Cullen will always be pretty and sparkly!

4. Do you do anything special while writing a chapter like listen to special music, need total silence, eat a bag of M&Ms, drink heavily, whatever …?

Yep, I need absolute silence when I'm writing, which can be problematic on a college campus. I tend to be that girl you see in the library during finals period who gives you death glares if you breathe too loudly.

5. What do you do after you click the submit button for a chapter?

I try and do something entirely different, like go to the gym (okay, so only very, very occasionally) or more often turn on the television and hope for an America's Next Top Model marathon.

6. Do you have a soundtrack to your stories?

Not really, because of the whole need-for-silence thing, but there are songs that just grab me in the gut because they're so relevant. For instance, there are some lines in "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" by Stars that I can't listen to without identifying with Rosalie, and they'll be the chapter quote in an upcoming chapter.

7. What actor/actress do you picture as YOUR Edward and Bella?

I kind of picture them as faceless blanks when I write? Is that strange? (I feel like Sally in When Harry Met Sally.) When I think about it, though, Edward is definitely closest to Rob, and Bella's a mix of KStew and that contestant Anna on the current season of Project Runway.

(Oh, and Rosalie is 100% Mena Suvari in my head. Sorry, Nikki.)

8. Is the story all planned out or do you do it as a fly by the seat of your pants thing?

It's planned to a degree that is slightly embarrassing. I had a super detailed outline from the beginning and pre-wrote the first thirteen or so chapters so I had a good sense where the story was going. I've added a few story elements, and a few scenes have completely surprised me, but for the most part I knew I needed to plan ahead to accommodate the unveiling of the mystery plot.

9. Do you have a posting schedule ? If so what is it?

I try to post every week, but sometimes it's a little longer between updates. This story is very much on the front of my mind, though, so no need to worry that I'll abandon it :).

10. Do you believe in HEA?

Yes - as long as there's a proper foundation there to justify it! But I'm all about the HEA. Disney taught me well!

11. Give me a list of your current projects. Do you have any more fic plans in the future?

I have a story idea that's more E/B-centered on the backburner that'll require a fair amount of research, but I don't want to start thinking about it too closely till Homecomings is done! Homecomings is top priority at the moment.

12. What brought you to fanfic? To Twilight?

I was a major lurker in the HP fandom for years and years. People kept talking about the Twilight series there, and I was curious. Since I didn't want to buy the books blindly and there was a huge waiting list at the library, I took a quick look at some Twilight fics on LJ. What I saw seemed so intriguing but made zero sense without having read the books. It was enough of a recommendation - I zoomed off to B&N. Fanfic was an obvious next step, but I was strangely resistant to reading AU-Human for a while, which in retrospect is ironic!

13. What is your background in writing?

I've been writing, often badly, since I could pick up a pencil. I remember writing some particularly dreadful fantasy pieces about tomboy princesses when I was around eight. My mother wouldn't let me burn them when I got older so they're still kicking around somewhere and causing me shame. Nowadays I'm an English major with a concentration in creative writing, so I get my fair share of writing time.

14. FANTASY TIME
If you could have 15 minutes with any Edward FF or SMs which one would you choose and what would you do?
(If you do not LIKE any of the Edwards feel to substitute an actor here. Rob, Kellan, PFach or Jackson)

Oh. Hmm. Ooh. Well, I'd probably go classic and say canon Edward, and the fifteen minutes would either consist of us arguing about how he's too controlling and a prude, or headboard-breaking. Probably the first one - even in my daydreams I feel uncomfortable seducing married men! ;)

15. What is your FF pet peeve?

How people portray Emmett. Drives me NUTS. He's my favorite character, hands down, and when he's reduced to caveman sensibilities it's beyond frustrating.

16. What is your Fandom pet peeve?

People who leave anonymous mean reviews! If you've got something critical (and constructive) to say, do it, but take responsibility for your words.

17. Which character do you Identify with the most? Any character who would you like to see yourself with? Either as buddies or more?

Hm. As I write them, I'm a mix of Bella, Alice and Rosalie, but I'd say I'm closest to Bella overall. And I would love, love, love to be somehow magically matched up with Emmett. He's kind of an obsession of mine.

18. Which RL author inspires you?

As an English major, I read so many fantastic works! Still, I don't really think about Anna Karenina when I'm writing Homecomings ;). I love Philip Pullman in the fantasy genre - the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy has to be one of the best series I've ever read, child or adult. And I bow to the queen of mystery herself, Agatha Christie! The fact that she churned out page-turner after page-turner like that will never cease to astound me.

Did any FF authors inspire you?

There are so many that I adore. I think In_a_blue_bathrobe (ToV anyone?) has such absolutely gorgeous and poetic writing style - it's a gift to read her writing. Limona definitely inspires me with how deftly she handles action in the amazing "Hiding in Plain Sight." And really, do I even need to justify adding the divine Oxymoronic8 to this list?

19. If you could ask any Twilight Cast member a Question who would you ask and what would your Question be?

Rob: are you aware that your response to Bella's scent in the first biology classroom scene makes you look like you just jizzed in your pants? (Bwahahaha - that is all)

20. Anything else you would like to add?

Thank you so much for this interview! And all around, I've had the most fantastic experience writing and sharing Homecomings. Thank you!!

Tanja's interview with Smishli about 'Homecomings'