Sue's interview with Spanglemaker9 about her fic, The Wedding Party

 The Wedding Party

I have spent two days trying to figure out something witty and clever to say but my brain lately is not working, so I will just be all fangirly and blunt.

For those of you that follow the blog, you will know I am a fan of Spanglemaker.
I have interviewed her for her fic, Faking It, and for her collab Girl with the Red Umbrella. I have read all of her stuff, and have even gone so far as to read the stuff she has on her favorites list (I stalk this poor woman. SOMEONE SAVE HER!).

What I find fascinating about Spanglemaker is she is so dang humble. Really, dear, just take it from me.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!
She writes lovely fic.
NOW, let's talk about The Wedding Party.

IF you are looking for a smut fest, this is NOT a fic for you. Yes, there is sexin', but not every chapter.
IF you are looking for a well-told tale of growth in characters, with some UST and unrequited love, with characters you just wanna slap sometimes to get them to actually TALK to each other, this is IT.

OH and the biggest thing I love about this fic:
NO defined "bad guy". There is no axe-wielding murderer, no slutty, jealous girlfriend, it is just real.

Enough of my rambling, here is her summary:

The perfect person appears at the worst possible moment, and one unforgettable encounter changes everything.

Read on for my interview with Spangly.
You know the drill. Read the interview. Read the fic. Leave the love!



What was it that gave you the 'spark' for your story? Was it a picture? A moment or event? Can you remember the initial inspiration?

Umm...believe it or not (*shameful confession coming up*) it was sort of inspired by an event in my real life. My best friend's wedding, I was the Maid of Honor, he was the hot groomsman...yadda, yadda, yadda. Chapter 10, Bella's morning after "sprint of shame" to the airport really happened to me. I didn't get the wakeup call, the bride's father (who really was a bad-ass retired career military man) had to come track me down...Omg, so shameful. The big difference was that we were both single and he was no Edward. ;)
Originally, I thought I'd use the story as the basis for a racy one-shot. But as I thought about it (and thought about it, and thought about it) I realized that there was a lot more potential there.

Do you have a particular process when it comes to your writing, perhaps a certain mood, environment or music? Do you have any 'triggers' to get you in the writing mood?

I work and have a family, so I squeeze in writing time whenever I can, and I can't be too particular about the specifics. Typically, though, I write at night after the kid's in bed. Usually there's a glass of wine (or several) involved. Also, there is chocolate.

Give us an elevator pitch. Say you're in an elevator with a prospective reader for 2 minutes – what would you tell them about the story?

Two people who are made for each other, meet at absolutely the wrong moment in time. Complications ensue and they both have to do some growing before they can find their way back to each other. That's it. I don't think I could talk about The Wedding Party for two whole minutes.

Do you picture particular actors for your characters, or are they someone else entirely? If so, who?

Rob makes a pretty ideal Edward template, in my opinion. Although I am sort of particular about which kind of Rob I picture. I'm not such a fan of hobo Rob. I like him in a suit. And I go nuts for those rare moments when he's clean-shaven. That's the image that works well for TWP Edward, as well.

Kristen works for TWP Bella, too. I always imagine her taller than she is in real life, but otherwise, it's her face in my head.

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

All planned out, for sure. I started writing The Wedding Party almost a year ago, and the reason I held back from posting anything for so long was that I wanted to be absolutely sure I knew how it would end. The story has three distinct arcs. Arc 1 and Arc 2 were all set. Once I hammered out Arc 3, I finally felt ready to post. I have an outline that I stick to fairly closely. The only thing that really changes is how long I spend on something. I might have several events happening in one chapter, but then when I write it, the first one turns out really long. So I'll adjust the outline that way. But the basic storyline stays in place.

Do you have a Beta and would you like to give him/her a shoutout here?

I have the best beta! WriteOnTime is my beta and friend. She's also an amazing author in her own right. I'm such a fan of her work and I've learned so much from her.

Have you got any other projects going on? Any planned for the future?

Sigh...maybe. The Wedding Party has been in my head for a long time. It's been difficult and time-consuming for me to write. I told myself that when I finished it, I wouldn't start another multi-chapter for a while, if ever. But of course, there's this plot bunny in my head that's starting to demand attention. So much so that I'm having a hard time turning it off to focus on TWP! I can't work on two things at once, so I won't start it until TWP is finished.


What was it that brought you to Twilight fanfic? What is it that has kept you here (besides your own writing)

Like many readers, I devoured the books and then re-read and was still left wanting more. I was on some random message board (that had zero to do with Twilight) and wound up getting into a discussion with someone there about Twilight. She asked me if I'd ever read any fanfiction. I scoffed. She sent me a link. I said "no way". She said I just had to try it. So I agreed to read one chapter. It was Wide Awake and I didn't stop reading for days. I kind of haven't stopped reading since that day.

What keeps me here are the people. I love this community. The friendship, the support. I'm always amazed by the level of talent I encounter, but I'm even more amazed by the kindness. People who are essentially strangers, tied together by this shared love, reaching out to help each other through illnesses and deaths and just crappy days. The people here make me smile.

VERY hard to find NON scruffy Rob in a tux 

Do you have a background in writing?

None! I mean, I wrote as a kid, just for fun. But I gave it up when I started college and never once went back to it until last year. I still can't believe I'm doing this.

How about your creative self-confidence? By nature writers tend to be a notoriously insecure lot so how are you finding the online writing experience?

Oh, I have no creative self-confidence. I always say "I'm not a writer; I'm just going on instinct here", which is totally true. Every single nice, positive review makes me smile like a fiend. The idea that so many people would want to read anything I wrote just astounds me.

 Do you tell your friends and family that you're an online author with a devoted following, or is this something that you tend to keep for yourself?

Boy has permanent 5 O'clock Shadow! 

Absolutely not! My husband knows. I had to tell him because he was convinced I was having an affair. In comparison, Twilight fanfic seemed entirely harmless to him. He's actually been very supportive and listens to me chatter away about plot lines and character development. Outside of him, no one knows.

Is there a particular character in your story that you identify with the most?

Hmmm, tough question. Definitely not the earlier Bella. It was actually kind of hard to write her because I've never been faced with the hardships she's dealt with. So I really had to work to figure out what she'd think and how she'd feel. And I was never the kind of golden boy that Edward is. I understand Bella's life more in later chapters (the ones people haven't read yet), so I guess I'd say second-half Bella.

Which RL author(s) inspires you?

I will always, always, always happily pick up any Austen book. I like a lot of nineteenth-century writers. George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, the Brontes, etc. Contemporary writers; John Irving and Michael Chabon.

Not a Tux but who cares?

Did any FF authors inspire you? What was it that had you reading FF and
thinking "I could do this"?

I wouldn't say they made me think "I could do this", but blue_bathrobe's Tropic of Virgo and Gondolier's Hydraulic Level 5 made me realize just how far you could take the stories and the characters. They really opened my eyes to the possibilities, and they also blew me away with their talent.

I'm inspired by so many writers. As I said earlier, WriteOnTime. I'm a huge fangirl for WhatsMyNomdePlume's writing. It's so smart and witty. FiestyYBeden blew my mind with her writing in Sleepers, Awake. Yeah, just about every day I read something that makes me think "Why am I even here when there are people like this writing in this fandom??"

What advice would you give to an aspiring fanfic writer?

no reason really for this pic just felt like it LOL

Just do it. And don't take it, or yourself, too seriously. And develop a thick skin. You'll need it if your putting yourself out there.

Give us a Random Fact about yourself?

I grew up in Florida and I'm really thin-blooded. I'm always, always cold. It could be 85 degrees outside and if a 3 mph breeze kicks up, I'm reaching for a sweater, like an old woman. That's pretty random.

If you could have 15 minutes with any Edward FF or SMs which one would you
choose and what would you do?

I always say Breaking News Edward. He's so smart and funny, and he's been everywhere. I'd just fangirl and stammer and say stupid things, so I'd probably shut up and let him do all the talking.

What is your FanFic Pet peeve?

not Porn but one of the sexiest pics I have!

Oh...there are a lot of things, little and big, that are overdone. But I tend to be very forgiving. Plus, the things that drive me crazy in fics now, I'm guilty of having done myself in my first fic. So I'll keep my mouth shut!

What is your Fandom Pet peeve?

Drama. Seriously, people. This place is my escape from real life. It's my happy place. Leave the high school drama and snarkiness at the door. Be polite, that's all I ask.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I wish I knew. And I'm old enough that I'm supposed to know by now! I want to be happy and comfortable in my own skin, no matter what the externals of my life are.

Anything else you would like to add?

Just a huge thank you to everyone reading The Wedding Party. The response to the story has absolutely overwhelmed me and I'm touched by the enthusiasm.

Sue's interview with Spanglemaker9 about her fic, The Wedding Party