Interview with AnnieWrites13
LH
Annie, hi! Thank you for taking the time to chat to me!
AW13
Absolutely! Love our shared enthusiasm for all things Sanditon!
Absolutely! Love our shared enthusiasm for all things Sanditon!
LH
Tell us how your love of Sanditon began?
Tell us how your love of Sanditon began?
Well, it actually began upon accident. I was on my PRIME account, and Sanditon kept being prompted and I repeatedly rejected it actually. One day it began to play accidentally and before I knew it I was binge watching the whole first season. I could not believe how amazing the show was and proceeded to watch season 2 the entire next day. I then worked my way backwards and started reading articles about the cancellation, the Sisterhood effort, the actors and actresses and every detail I could find. I started talking about it with friends and began to realize how many loved the show here in the States.
LH
Yes, it definitely feels like it has the much bigger following over there. I did a poll recently and it was about 70% in the US and Canada. I’d be interested to know how many fans are my fellow Brits! I’ve not had many IRL conversations about the show. And I feel like there was so much buzz between seasons 2 and 3 which must have been so much fun!
AW13
YES, I hated the wait for season three but thoroughly enjoyed the dedication of many fanfic writers and show devotees. It was the creativity of so many fans that kept us all going while we waited for the third season. I admit with the beginning of season 2, and my first glimpse of Ben Lloyd Hughes as Colbourne,I was beyond certain he was end game for Charlotte. I mean BLH’s acting is phenomenal and really made Colbourne a fully developed character.
LH
Ah, another Colbourne fan. These interviews have unearthed a lot of us!
AW13
Yes, I have no doubt that he has a large admiration society amongst us. Sanditon was really a gift, it came at a bumpy time in my life and it was a fantastic reprieve and outlet for me to escape. I watched it entirely too many times, but it brought me great joy and I was so grateful for it.
LH
Gosh that must have been really tough. I’m glad you found in Sanditon somewhere to go that took you away from all the stress at that time.
So why do you write Heybourne?
AW13
Great question. I feel like Sanditon and Heybourne basically pulled me back into creative writing and I am more than grateful for it. In my career I have been a writer for the past twenty years and while my writing has ended up in many places like politics and in print they have been for others, never with my own name attached. I love that this show and its characters finally brought me into writing for myself.
LH
That must be very cool.
AW13
It was a new experience for sure. I was grateful for the encouragement of a favorite author who challenged me to pursue my own writing. I had already read so many great fanfic writers in the Heybourne space like String of Stars and DownaGravelRoad. Finally I just began writing about them. Before I knew it I had written notebooks full and then dared myself to share it. I nervously pushed publish and here I am.
LH
That’s great. So I’m interested in what you, as a writing professional, would say is the easiest part of writing for you?
AW13
The easiest part of writing for me is first description and then the dialogue. The characters feel very known to me. I enjoy banter, and so I love the flow of AC and CH when they trip over each other, or I find Samuel so fun to write. I often hear them having conversations in my head and their voices just literally flow. Many times it's hard to keep up with how fast they speak.
Ha, yes! I relate to that
AW13
One thing I find happening often is my need to fill in the blanks that Sanditon did not. There were so many scenes that were just fast forwarded through and could have much more backstory and side story accompanying it. I find it fun to submit my own version of the in-betweens. From there I try to take note of the scene as it plays in my head, the clothes, the colors, the facial expressions, the scents, all of it. I want to capture it all to put that reader most effectively in the scene. I want them to feel transported.
LH
I love that! So what is the hardest part for you?
AW13
The hardest part is editing it down, but honestly I feel as though it is a skill I am improving at and I am proud to be able to say that now. Many times I am eager to share every single detail the characters see and experience. I have tried to tighten those things up and improve the reader’s experience. I also want to give room for the reader’s imagination; so I work to find the balance that allows them some space for imagination but paints a vivid enough view that they are drawn to read more.
LH
I think that’s such an important balance, between too much and too little description.
I’m fascinated that I’m far more of a plotter than most of the people I’ve interviewed so far, and I’m interested to hear how you go about planning your stories?
Another great question! Sometimes the writing starts with a picture that forms in my mind or a simple conversation and I try to walk that scene backwards and forwards allowing my mind to go in storyteller mode. I begin to see and understand the beginning, end and middle of the story and then I write it down in a simple story. After I get that down I fill in details like a puzzle almost. It's always a much simpler process for writing challenges and short stories than long form stories, but it seems this process is the best for me.
LH
I really relate to that sense of it being a puzzle. I can see where there are pieces missing, and really enjoy wrestling with it until I can see all the lines joining up.
AW13
Exactly! And it doesn’t necessarily follow plot order, I often go to the scene or character that speaks loudest and move on from there. It amazes me how quickly my mind works and then how painfully slow it can be too. It just depends.
LH
I’m sure everyone who writes, or produces any art, can relate to that feeling! I’ve started experimenting with writing out of order recently, and its freeing, isn’t it?
AW13
Oh absolutely. Once I gave myself permission to write this way I have seen less writers block and alot more creative plotlines develop for sure. When you allow the characters to speak and run the words in this way it is much more fun in my experience.
LH
How do the characters form in your mind?
AW13
As crazy as it sounds the characters talk to me… and sometimes they talk alot-- or they just show up. My husband thinks I am crazy when I tell him that a character has been just standing there in my mind waiting for me to return and keep talking. But I think a scene can call to me too. I find that sometimes the scenes we saw in Sanditon leaves me with more questions and I feel the need to help figure out logically what those characters were seeing, experiencing and saying between. I love to connect dots and really am good at reading people, so I want to get a real life sense of what they experience, jump in their shoes. I think my writing shows that.
LH
I love that you do that, try and get inside their heads.
AW13
I think that's what makes Sanditon such a cult-like following now. The characters are so rich with background and opportunities to expand storylines. So many directions to go and our little group certainly has taken advantage of the opportunity.
LH
AW13
As crazy as it sounds the characters talk to me… and sometimes they talk alot-- or they just show up. My husband thinks I am crazy when I tell him that a character has been just standing there in my mind waiting for me to return and keep talking. But I think a scene can call to me too. I find that sometimes the scenes we saw in Sanditon leaves me with more questions and I feel the need to help figure out logically what those characters were seeing, experiencing and saying between. I love to connect dots and really am good at reading people, so I want to get a real life sense of what they experience, jump in their shoes. I think my writing shows that.
LH
I love that you do that, try and get inside their heads.
AW13
I think that's what makes Sanditon such a cult-like following now. The characters are so rich with background and opportunities to expand storylines. So many directions to go and our little group certainly has taken advantage of the opportunity.
LH
What research do you do for your stories?
AW13
I like to be fairly accurate so if I am focused on a subject or a timeframe I enjoy the research. I am currently in the middle of a historical fiction work and I have really enjoyed diving into learning that time. I did a chapter in Until Tomorrow about Leo on an adventure to find a flower for her new mama on the wedding day and its Declan who finds her. I so enjoyed doing research about the flower and that area of England.
LH
I love that scene! The details of the orchid, the burlap sack… the whole thing was really well done!
What’s the scene from the show that you go back to again and again?
AW13
Wow there are so many. Season 3 The cliffs, the concert, the cliffs again. I guess I love in Season 2 the scene of Xander peeking in on the girls dancing. It’s the first time you see him really taking in the sense of the house becoming a home. The girls are happy, he is happy it’s a quick foreshadowing of their life in happily ever after. Almost like Justin(the writer) wanted to give us a glimpse of happiness before we jump in the roller coaster about to happen. It strikes a shift in Colbourne’s character for me. And who doesn’t love BLH’s look or his smile in that scene.
LH
That’s a really good way to put it, what's happening in that scene. I love the way he steps back, not wanting to be seen, the writers are playing with the idea of thresholds I think there.
AW13
Absolutely he was!
LH
AW13
I like to be fairly accurate so if I am focused on a subject or a timeframe I enjoy the research. I am currently in the middle of a historical fiction work and I have really enjoyed diving into learning that time. I did a chapter in Until Tomorrow about Leo on an adventure to find a flower for her new mama on the wedding day and its Declan who finds her. I so enjoyed doing research about the flower and that area of England.
LH
I love that scene! The details of the orchid, the burlap sack… the whole thing was really well done!
What’s the scene from the show that you go back to again and again?
AW13
Wow there are so many. Season 3 The cliffs, the concert, the cliffs again. I guess I love in Season 2 the scene of Xander peeking in on the girls dancing. It’s the first time you see him really taking in the sense of the house becoming a home. The girls are happy, he is happy it’s a quick foreshadowing of their life in happily ever after. Almost like Justin(the writer) wanted to give us a glimpse of happiness before we jump in the roller coaster about to happen. It strikes a shift in Colbourne’s character for me. And who doesn’t love BLH’s look or his smile in that scene.
That’s a really good way to put it, what's happening in that scene. I love the way he steps back, not wanting to be seen, the writers are playing with the idea of thresholds I think there.
AW13
Absolutely he was!
LH
What are you most proud of having written?
AW13
Two stories in particular where Heybourne is concerned. I had fun with a Christmas themed one shot I wrote last year called And To All A Good Night and then I loved writing a story about their first child - it’s in my Until Tomorrow series, chapter 18. It's very sweet and I felt like Alexander stood there in my mind and literally narrated the scene. It really was a happy ending for them and I just got that moment of joy where I felt I did right by all of the characters.
LH
Aw thats lovely, that writing can do that.
AW13
It was definitely a great experience for sure. Outside of Heybourne, I have a fiction piece of an old woman struck with Alzheimers who is trapped in the memories of her dead husband, a casualty in WW2. She is trapped between today and her memories and I enjoyed really challenging the reader to figure out what was the present and what was a memory.
LH
Wow that sounds intriguing, where could we read that?
AW13
It is supposed to go to print in an official publication next year so I will definitely share when it comes out.
LH
Do you write in other fandoms? If so, what are they and why are you drawn to them?
AW13
I don’t but I have written other fiction pieces for competition and am currently writing a book. I am more than intrigued by this regency period so I am currently writing a book that takes place in the mid 1800’s and it is historical, has bits of faith, challenge and of course some romance with angst in it too. I find writing these little bursts of Colbourne and Charlotte help me sharpen my understanding of character and make me a better writer for the book as I write it.
LH
I don’t currently write elsewhere but I do know from chatting to others that say the same, than fanfic writing can be really good interludes that keep you fresh.
What scene by another writer (fanfic, screenwriter, or any writer actually!) are you most jealous of and wish you’d written?
AW13
Besides JA? That’s tough. Some of my favorite writers are both classic and modern. I appreciate some modern US writers like the hilarious Mary Kay Andrews or Patti Callahan Henry who I absolutely admire. Also great classical writers like Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth Gaskill and Eugenia Price and of course Jane Austen.
I enjoy many of Sandition fanfiction writers, particularly those who paved the way like DownaGravelRoad, Susan Firth, String of Stars, Hoodie, they all are wonderful.
I don’t think I would ever say jealous of other writers, I appreciate how diverse we all are. For instance,in the Heybourne world even though we might write about the same characters, it's clear we see them differently. I respect how everyone brings their own flavor of the character to life. I am amazed how I can understand a character and their motivations in a certain light and yet another writer whom I admire might see it completely differently. It speaks to our own experiences, beliefs and skills. Our writing diversity is a pretty beautiful thing to see and participate in. I am fairly certain in the day to day of life many of us, from many parts of the globe might not ordinarily be friends, or even cross paths but this JA world has drawn us together in a pretty unique way. I am grateful for it.
LH
Yes, I think you’re right!
So what is the essence of good writing, for you? What do you always hope people experience in yours?
AW13
I think it is the ability to transport someone into a scene, to be a storyteller. I want to allow them to fully immerse themselves. That immersion can be in the look and feel of a room, a view into the characters mind, or even their hidden emotions. Whatever it be, a good writer is able to step outside themselves and look into another character and be a true storyteller of that character’s honest experience. I also think it's important to always ask your character questions, to fully flesh out their strengths, weaknesses and motivations and a good storyteller is willing to look at a character and say, Wow I would never think or do that but that character totally would.
LH
I agree, that moment when you are challenged by the reaction of a character that feels so different from your own, and the way that makes you think differently about the world. Its a gift in good writing, isn’t it?
AW13
It is!I also think a good writer is someone who can write convincingly against what they want and write for the good of the story. And if they leave their reader asking questions of themselves about how they perceive something that's even better. To be a true storyteller that’s something I hope one day to achieve.
LH
Aw that’s a great answer and I think we all feel like we aspire to that one day. And as you say we are lucky to have such a supportive group of people to learn and grow with. I’ve loved hearing your story and journey back into writing, and thank you for taking the time to chat.
AW13
Thanks! Its been wonderful being part of such a wonderful community of writers.
AW13
Two stories in particular where Heybourne is concerned. I had fun with a Christmas themed one shot I wrote last year called And To All A Good Night and then I loved writing a story about their first child - it’s in my Until Tomorrow series, chapter 18. It's very sweet and I felt like Alexander stood there in my mind and literally narrated the scene. It really was a happy ending for them and I just got that moment of joy where I felt I did right by all of the characters.
LH
Aw thats lovely, that writing can do that.
AW13
It was definitely a great experience for sure. Outside of Heybourne, I have a fiction piece of an old woman struck with Alzheimers who is trapped in the memories of her dead husband, a casualty in WW2. She is trapped between today and her memories and I enjoyed really challenging the reader to figure out what was the present and what was a memory.
LH
Wow that sounds intriguing, where could we read that?
AW13
It is supposed to go to print in an official publication next year so I will definitely share when it comes out.
LH
Do you write in other fandoms? If so, what are they and why are you drawn to them?
AW13
I don’t but I have written other fiction pieces for competition and am currently writing a book. I am more than intrigued by this regency period so I am currently writing a book that takes place in the mid 1800’s and it is historical, has bits of faith, challenge and of course some romance with angst in it too. I find writing these little bursts of Colbourne and Charlotte help me sharpen my understanding of character and make me a better writer for the book as I write it.
LH
I don’t currently write elsewhere but I do know from chatting to others that say the same, than fanfic writing can be really good interludes that keep you fresh.
What scene by another writer (fanfic, screenwriter, or any writer actually!) are you most jealous of and wish you’d written?
AW13
Besides JA? That’s tough. Some of my favorite writers are both classic and modern. I appreciate some modern US writers like the hilarious Mary Kay Andrews or Patti Callahan Henry who I absolutely admire. Also great classical writers like Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth Gaskill and Eugenia Price and of course Jane Austen.
I enjoy many of Sandition fanfiction writers, particularly those who paved the way like DownaGravelRoad, Susan Firth, String of Stars, Hoodie, they all are wonderful.
I don’t think I would ever say jealous of other writers, I appreciate how diverse we all are. For instance,in the Heybourne world even though we might write about the same characters, it's clear we see them differently. I respect how everyone brings their own flavor of the character to life. I am amazed how I can understand a character and their motivations in a certain light and yet another writer whom I admire might see it completely differently. It speaks to our own experiences, beliefs and skills. Our writing diversity is a pretty beautiful thing to see and participate in. I am fairly certain in the day to day of life many of us, from many parts of the globe might not ordinarily be friends, or even cross paths but this JA world has drawn us together in a pretty unique way. I am grateful for it.
LH
Yes, I think you’re right!
So what is the essence of good writing, for you? What do you always hope people experience in yours?
AW13
I think it is the ability to transport someone into a scene, to be a storyteller. I want to allow them to fully immerse themselves. That immersion can be in the look and feel of a room, a view into the characters mind, or even their hidden emotions. Whatever it be, a good writer is able to step outside themselves and look into another character and be a true storyteller of that character’s honest experience. I also think it's important to always ask your character questions, to fully flesh out their strengths, weaknesses and motivations and a good storyteller is willing to look at a character and say, Wow I would never think or do that but that character totally would.
LH
I agree, that moment when you are challenged by the reaction of a character that feels so different from your own, and the way that makes you think differently about the world. Its a gift in good writing, isn’t it?
AW13
It is!I also think a good writer is someone who can write convincingly against what they want and write for the good of the story. And if they leave their reader asking questions of themselves about how they perceive something that's even better. To be a true storyteller that’s something I hope one day to achieve.
LH
Aw that’s a great answer and I think we all feel like we aspire to that one day. And as you say we are lucky to have such a supportive group of people to learn and grow with. I’ve loved hearing your story and journey back into writing, and thank you for taking the time to chat.
AW13
Thanks! Its been wonderful being part of such a wonderful community of writers.
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