|
| Merl Laurence |
Author has written 23 stories for Hawaii Five-0, Magnificent Seven, Hell on Wheels, and Walking Dead. Fifteeen questions for Fanfiction authors: 1. Share a little something about yourself. I'm 41 yrs. old and live in the Bay Area of California. A pastry chef by trade, I've always had an interest in writing and have been actively dabbling in it since the late 1990s. 2. Do you write with a pen-name and why? I do, because in real life I'm very shy about my creative/artistic work. So Merl Laurence is my alter-ego, who's not so shy about expressing herself through words. 3. What attracts you to writing fanfiction? A lot things. But I have to say, and I'm sure a lot of fellow writers feel the same way, I do it mostly because sometimes it seems like the writers of say my favorite TV show, don't get it right. Or, I'd rather see things happen a certain way. Or, I wish that certain dialogue was included, etc... Plus writing, I feel is an important mental exercise – as is reading, for instance. 4. What are your favorite shows (or movies) and what draws you to them? Currently I'm enjoying the TV shows: The Killing, Justified, NCIS:LA and Hawaii Five-0. I also very much enjoy The Walking Dead and Hell On Wheels – although both are currently on break. In the past I've been a huge fan of Magnificent Seven, Deadwood and BSG. Crime dramas in general, I just find interesting and admittedly a lot of that interest has to do with the characters. I guess I've always liked SciFi and Westerns, a familial influence, thanks to my bro and pops. Zombies on the other hand, I have no idea where that came from. LOL. 5. What types of characters inspire you? I wouldn't say they inspire me so much as they're just so interesting to watch and think about. But, I really, really enjoy the 'broken men' characters. Sadly, the more messed up they are, the more fascinating they become. Take for instance Cullen Bohannon from Hell On Wheels – his wife and son were murdered by Union soldiers upon the end of the Civil War and naturally he sets out to seek vengeance. Or G Callen from NCIS:LA – he passed through thirty-seven foster homes growing up and has no idea what 'G' stands for. For me anyway, it's just so appealing to watch these men struggle with themselves and their demons because they also happen to be bad-asses at what they do. 6. Are you more of a dialogue or action writer? I like to write dialogue because I find that it's more expressive and can showcase whether or not you've actually gotten the character down. I would love be able to write more action and fight scenes within my stories, but find doing so difficult. If I could marry the two within my fiction I might quit my day job. J/K – LOL. 7. What genres do you like to write in and why? General is a cop-out I guess. So, predominantly Romance. 8. What types of fanfiction do you like to read? The same as above. But Drama/Romance is good. If the author can incorporate Action/Adventure/Romance, I'm there too. 9. Do you 'ship'? Why or why not? I totally 'ship' because I'm a goofy romantic. But I'm not the mushy type. There are so many authors out there that do that type of fiction better. Currently I ship Steve/Kono from Hawaii Five-0 because from Episode One, there was just something about the way he looked at her and I've been running with it since! 10. Do you think fanfiction has a purpose other than entertainment and if so, what? Writing, like I've answered above is a great mental exercise. But it's also an outlet. I think if you find that one story that grabs your attention and evokes feelings or causes you to think about things differently, inspiring you and perhaps encouraging you to even try writing your own stories, it's incredibly cathartic and educational. 11. What are your thoughts on story comments/reviews? They're absolutely essential and encouraging. Plus it's just plain nice to reciprocate for being entertained, etc. It's something I've been slacking on lately and trust me, I'm very, very ashamed of myself. But I always try and leave diplomatic, encouraging comments. I've read some comments that say something like “you did this very well, better than other authors of this fandom.” What is the point in that? Leaving a comment like that just alienates all the other authors and makes them feel like shit. It's like a back-handed flame on everyone else. I get that fanfiction writing, reading, reviewing/commenting is all about freedom of speech. But it should always remain a diplomatic, positive and encouraging backdrop for everyone's ideas and voices. 12. What are your pet-peeves when writing and/or reading a story? What irritates me when I'm writing is never getting the chance to actually sit down to write. I have tons of random notes/dialogue on my iPhone, on my computer and in notebooks. One day, they'll all be one coherent masterpiece. LOL. What bugs me when I'm reading a story is spelling errors and using the wrong words like: 'their' instead of 'they're' or 'to' instead of 'too' or vice-versa. It's so simple to use spell-check and grammar-check, last I looked, it was just a mouse-click away. 13. If you could receive any advice on writing, what would it be? How to write action scenes, because even with all the TV that I've watched, I would still not be able to write one. I would also love to learn how to write a full case within one of my stories, because mostly I've just written character dialogue scenes with the case as the back-drop. 14. If you could give any advice on writing, what would it be? Spell-check before posting. It's extremely distracting to read a story that's riddled with misspelled words. In fact, I won't even read beyond the first paragraph if it's that bad. I get that you're excited about sharing your story, but it's a reflection of the type of writer that you are. If you rush and post without re-reading and checking your story before posting, I'm inclined to think that you don't really care about your story. Writing is a craft, take pride in the end result. 15. What is the best part about writing fanfiction or writing in general? It's about expressing yourself and being rewarded and encouraged for it. Similar I guess, to say a comedian on stage who gets the laughs after performing a joke. Plus I get a real kick out of bonding with the readers and discovering that other people out there share the same ideas that I do, as evidenced in the comments or PMs. The above questionnaire was created in part by my husband, who wanted to know why it was such a passionate hobby of mine. Feel free to copy the questions and use them for your profile as well. I'm always curious about my fellow authors. Thank you for reading and visiting. | |||||||
1. All's Fair In Love and the Zombie Apocalypse, Y'all reviewsA collection of drabbles, ONESHOTS and shortfics, unrelated to each other and mostly Caryl. See individual chapters for summary.Walking Dead - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 730 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 4-6-13 - Daryl D. & Carol2. Of Rails and Ties » reviewsA collection of drabbles about Hell on Wheels, mostly Cullen/LilyHell on Wheels - Rated: K+ - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 4 - Words: 889 - Reviews: 9 - Updated: 9-18-12 - Published: 9-14-12 - C. Bohannon & Lily Bell3. Fear, Not Love » reviewsSteve's "apparent death" elicits certain feelings: some strong, some not so much, some slow burning. Steve/Kono at the heart of it, but some Danny moments thrown in for good measure, as well as Lori and Chin.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: M - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 7 - Words: 24,494 - Reviews: 95 - Updated: 8-27-12 - Published: 1-13-12 - Steve M. & Kono K.4. Disappointed, Disillusioned, and Distracted reviewsONESHOT Kono gets introspective and just how did she meet Adam Noshimuri? Slight Steve/Kono.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,543 - Reviews: 8 - Published: 5-23-12 - Kono K. - Complete5. Ua Hopu: Additional Scene and Coda reviewsMy ONESHOT take on the 'aftermath' of Steve's return in S2:E22. Predominantly Steve and Kono moments. Sorry Steve/Kono fans, this one's unrequited and a bit angsty.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,576 - Reviews: 9 - Published: 5-17-12 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete6. Mixed Plate Lunch » reviewsA collection of short oneshots/drabbles/ficlets – unconnected to any current work in progress or each other. Mostly just writing exercises to get my muse going again. Featuring mostly – you guessed it – Steve/Kono.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 3 - Words: 3,828 - Reviews: 27 - Updated: 5-17-12 - Published: 4-13-12 - Steve M. & Kono K.7. Ha'alele: Missing Scene reviewsA Steve/Kono centered missing scene from Ha'alele. ONESHOT.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: T - English - Friendship - Chapters: 1 - Words: 898 - Reviews: 15 - Published: 4-13-12 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete8. What Are You Doing, New Year's Eve? reviewsA continuation piece to the fourth vignette of my fic "Mistletoe", picking up a little later on from where I left Steve and Kono. So, please, you should read that fic first if you haven't yet.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,151 - Reviews: 10 - Published: 12-30-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete9. Mistletoe reviewsFour tales of tradition as a result of this parasitic plant. Featuring: Danny and Grace, Max and Lori, Chin and Malia, Steve and Kono. Aside from fatherly love, the last three feature a bit of romance.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K - English - Humor/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 3,324 - Reviews: 13 - Published: 12-24-11 - Complete10. Not A Chance reviewsA missing scene from the end of Ki'ilua. Not really a coda, just a really short scene that I wanted to see between Kono and Steve. Features a bit of Danny and Lori - but not much.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,259 - Reviews: 13 - Published: 12-4-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete11. Someone Like You » reviewsInspired by the song of the same name by Adele. A Future-Fic where Steve struggles with the repercussions of the choices he's made and Kono and Charlie's evolving relationship is struck with tragedy. Kono/Charlie. Kono/Steve eventually. COMPLETEHawaii Five-0 - Rated: T - English - Romance - Chapters: 11 - Words: 24,058 - Reviews: 97 - Updated: 11-27-11 - Published: 8-30-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete12. Green Polo and Cargo Pants reviewsLet's just say, Kono gets even. A double drabble based on the title - exactly 200 words long. A teeny response to "Apples to Oranges" - which you could read it first, if you haven't yet.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K - English - Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 328 - Reviews: 11 - Published: 11-25-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete13. Apples to Oranges reviewsONESHOT. Steve and Danny observe Kono and Lori and make an interesting observation: "Is it me, or is Kono getting 'hotter?" No pairings – dang. Spoilers: Episode 1:1, 2:2.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,220 - Reviews: 18 - Published: 11-14-11 - Steve M. & Danny W. - Complete14. Pandora's Music Box » reviewsCollection of short-shorts inspired by Pandora Radio. See individual chapters for summaries. Will feature the team but also be KoVe centric.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: T - English - Romance - Chapters: 4 - Words: 7,063 - Reviews: 28 - Updated: 10-31-11 - Published: 8-3-11 - Steve M. & Kono K.15. Huaka'i Pō Night Marchers reviewsA ONESHOT Halloween treat – for my most favorite holiday, EVER...aside from Christmas! The team assist Kamekona with a Hawaiian 'phenomenon'. A bit of team bonding. No pairings, but who am I kidding? Steve/Kono if you squint real hard.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: T - English - Supernatural/Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,499 - Reviews: 7 - Published: 10-30-11 - Danny W. & Chin Ho K. - Complete16. Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate reviewsONESHOT. Set during the scene where Kono and the team prepare for her heading back to Delano and she says some ridiculous thing about how she "couldn't ask for a better 'back-up'."Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 890 - Reviews: 11 - Published: 10-18-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete17. The Outsider reviewsONESHOT. Chin and Officer Lori Weston have a conversation about Five-0 and Kono in particular.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 687 - Reviews: 10 - Published: 10-11-11 - Chin Ho K. - Complete18. Pencil reviewsVin takes writing lessons from Mary.Magnificent Seven - Rated: K - English - Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,436 - Reviews: 5 - Published: 9-8-11 - Vin T. & Mary T. - Complete19. Inevitable » reviewsA case leads way to impulsive behavior from Steve and Kono. KoVe centric fic. COMPLETEHawaii Five-0 - Rated: T - English - Crime/Romance - Chapters: 10 - Words: 21,427 - Reviews: 100 - Updated: 7-26-11 - Published: 5-27-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete20. On Love and Other Things » reviewsA series of shorts and collections of one shots, related and not, about relationships. Mostly to feature Steve and Kono, with support from Danny and Chin. See individual chapters for summaries.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 10 - Words: 23,587 - Reviews: 97 - Updated: 5-10-11 - Published: 2-19-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete21. Barefoot, in the Rain reviewsA short fluff piece on Steve/Kono.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,222 - Reviews: 10 - Published: 3-6-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete22. Mana'o: Missing Scenes reviewsA few missing scenes that I would have liked to have seen from this episode. Mostly centering on Steve/Kono, with a bit of Chin.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,919 - Reviews: 6 - Published: 3-3-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete23. Ko'olauloa: Missing Scene reviewsAfter losing Ian Adams, Kono feels the need to keep searching for his killer. Her Boss on the other hand would like her to take a step back.Hawaii Five-0 - Rated: K+ - English - Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,363 - Reviews: 7 - Published: 2-16-11 - Steve M. & Kono K. - Complete
USA