Sue's Interview with Tkegl about her fic 'Do Over'

Do Over 

Every Christmas Eve, Edward Cullen sits in a bar and regrets the decision he made ten years earlier that tore Bella from him. But when he gets a second chance to right that wrong, it's not quite what he expected

Christmas - that magical time of year when we gather together with those we love and enjoy the holiday. The gifts are all pretty. The decorations are all perfect. The food, OH THE FOOD, and the parties all bring together those images of perfection....


Well that is how we all hope it goes.
For many Christmas is not like this. Instead it reminds us that there are things we do not have. That missing something. It is elusive and haunts us.


This fic I am insisting you read today is such a story.


It is a story of regret, of love lost.
Edward is a successful reporter, Bella a successful author. They have not spoken in 10 years, not since Edward made a decision that changed both of their lives.


He did not propose to her and he has spent the last 10 years trying to get over that one choice. He gets what we all wish we could have. He gets a Do Over.
Lucky bastard - or is he?


This fic is based on two movies It's a Wonderful Life and The Family Man.


Edward gets to go back and see what his life would be IF he had proposed. He does not get to see all the things that he did in the 10 years since his proposal, he wakes up instead in the middle of a mess he created by DIFFERENT regrets.


Aren't humans fickle ?


So join me in listening to Tkegl talk about this fabulous bit of Christmas joy she is bringing to us. I know I know it is after Christmas but for me Christmas is not a day but a season. This fic will be complete by the end of the week!

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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?
I've always loved movies like "It's a Wonderful Life", "Miracle on 34th
Street", and "The Family Man" - those warm Christmas movies that also have a bit of magic in them. As I got ready for Christmas this year, I thought it
would be fun to write a story like that - kind of a warm-hearted, feel-good,
maybe-a-little-schmaltzy Christmas story. I liked the idea of an alternate-reality story, kind of like "The Family Man"...and that's where I decided the story would be about Edward getting a second chance to change what he perceived as the biggest mistake of his life - letting Bella get away.

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 just need lots of coffee - and for people *coughMyFamilycough* to leave me alone. I usually write when I'm alone, and for this story, I utilized WC's a LOT... those were a big help to keep me focused. I also like to have the story
completely outlined before I start writing, even if that outline changes once I start writing - as this one has.


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?
It's a story about a man who regrets what he considers the one big mistake of his life - not proposing to the woman he loved ten years earlier. He chickened out, and the "what ifs" now haunt him. He constantly wonders how his life would be different if he'd been stronger and braver back then. Through an encounter with a mysterious stranger, he gets the opportunity to fix that mistake, but the results aren't quite what he expected. Surprisingly, fixing that one mistake does not magically fix his whole life! He learns that happiness and love are things you have to work at and fight for... and that they're definitely worth the fight.


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

Oh, I picture the movie actors for the characters - Kristen and Rob for Bella
and Edward... Michael Welch, Jackson, Ashley... all of them. Tanya is a little
tougher since we haven't really seen her in the movies yet - and the actress
they've chosen for Breaking Dawn isn't really how I picture her. I see her as
maybe Mena Suvari or Amy Smart or possibly Scarlett Johansson. I know Tanya's supposed to be strawberry blonde, but in Do Over she's just blonde... sue me! Lol! She's also really nice. It's not a cover, not a plot to get Edward... she's just nice. Some people still don't believe that! Sometimes poor Tanya just can't catch a break!
 
Is the story all planned out or do you do it as a fly by the seat of your
pants thing?
It's all planned out an outlined before I start writing. Flying by the seat of
my pants just freaks me out.

Lucky thing one of my kids got a bike this year it fits this fic!

Do you have a Beta and would you like to give him/her a shoutout here?
*whispers* This story is un-betaed... I wanted to get it posted for the
holidays and didn't want to bother my beta during this busy time of year.


Have you got any other projects going on? Any planned for the future?
I promise, promise, PROMISE that I will finish up Just One of the Boys next.
(Did I mention that's a promise?) I have the next chapter already outlined, so
it won't be too long to get that updated once I get Do Over all posted.


What was it that brought you to Twilight fanfic?  What is it that has kept
you here (besides your own writing)
 The characters. I love them, and love reading about them in different
situations. I also love the amazing authors I've discovered and, in some
cases, have come to know. I think the fandom is for the most part a really fun
place to be!

Do you have a background in writing? 
Yes, but mostly in non-fiction writing. Beyond Time was my first fiction story
to be read by anyone.


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?
I'm trying to grow a thicker skin. I really take negative feedback personally, but I'm getting better about it. It's difficult not to take criticism hard because writing is such a personal thing. You have to remind yourself that in most cases people aren't trying to be mean, or even being critical. Sometimes, they're just caught up in the story.

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?
Nope. Nobody knows. It's a big secret...shhhhhh....


Is there a particular character in your story that you identify with the
most? 
Usually it's Bella, but in this story, since I'm writing it from Edward's perspective, it's Edward. I think most people can identify with the idea of regretting a choice made in the past, and wondering how things might be different if you'd made a different choice.


Which RL author(s) inspires you?
Many, but I can't think of any names at the moment. This story was mostly

inspired by movies anyway...

Did any FF authors inspire you?   What was it that had you reading FF and thinking "I could do this"?
Many FF authors inspire me. I've come to know some of them personally and
found many of them to be really sweet, encouraging people. That's why I love WC's... you get a bunch of crazy FF writers in a virtual room and it's
motivating, encouraging, and a lot of fun!


What advice would you give to an aspiring fanfic writer?

Just jump in and write. If you have an idea, why not share it? Get a good beta, and try to learn from criticism, but don't take it too personally.


Give us a Random Fact about yourself?
My new favorite cocktail is bubble gum vodka and sprite.


If you could have 15 minutes with anyone alive or dead real or fictional
who would it be and what would you say to them?
Edward, and "Since you're so cold, if I lick you, will my tongue stick?" Who
knows - maybe he'd let me try... ;-)


What is your FanFic Pet peeve?
Whiny Bellas with extraordinarily low self-esteem.


What is your Fandom Pet peeve?
Mean people - whether they're readers or writers... can't we all just get
along people? Seriously, it's not that hard to be nice...maybe that makes me
naive or Pollyannish, but I think we'd all have a lot more fun if we just
treated each other with kindness. And that's what FF is all about, right? Fun?
Oh, and dirty lemons, of course...


Anything else you would like to add?
Can't think of anything.

Sue's Interview with Tkegl about her fic 'Do Over'