Writing Fanfiction for Fun and Profit

I love fan fiction, it has been my home for many years. I think it is a safe place for writers and artists to do their thing and make their mistakes. It is an environment that helps you find a group of people who love you and support your work. It is a place where you find a following. It is place to meet a lot of friends. A great place.

I learned what my strong points and weak points are in this safe world. You get a lot of feed back both good and bad. There are some people who love to support and there are those who love to attack. It is the way of the world, the yin and yang of learning how to be your authentic self.

It led me to my original fiction and to my new Blogtalk radio show; Chatting With Sherri; http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rithebard . It brought me to own writing and when I sold my first piece I knew I was a real writer. There are several ways that fan fiction can lead you to a career in writing or art. I am going to teach a class at the Learning Annex in San Diego. So if your there in Sept please join me; http://www.learningannexlocal.com/courses/Writing-Fanfiction-for-Fun-and-Profit . Here is my fan fiction website; http://xenafiction.net/Ri/Ri.cfm thanks to the kindness of the talented people who support it at http://xenafiction.net/styles/athenaeum_deepblue/whats_new.cfm . They have always supported me and have been great friends.

I have written two new blogs, one is so cute, it is my kitty blog. Xena has written an update; http://akittysview.blogspot.com/ and a very personal movie blog about a movie and a special friend; http://rismovieblog.blogspot.com/ .

And now for the newest author that I am doing an exchange with Erin Zarro so please give a happy big welcome to Erin...

What was the first book you remember loving? Do you still own it?

To be honest with you, I really can't remember that far back -- I've been reading forever. One book that sticks out in my mind, from back in my contemporary romance days, is Mirror Image by Danielle Steel. Pretty amazing book. And yes, I still own it. :D

What kind of books do you like to read? Do those books have an affect on your own writing?

Oh man, I love different kinds of books -- paranormal romance, fantasy, dark fantasy, horror, thriller, mystery, sci-fi...and everything else in between! And absolutely each genre I read has
an affect on what I write. I never copy authors, but the books I've read have sparked ideas. And different directions. And subgenres -- Fey Touched, my debut release, is science fantasy. I took what I loved most about both genres and combined it. There is so much out there and so many angles to pursue.

Do you remember what is the first book that touched you deeply?

There are a lot of them, but one really stands out - Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. This book amazed and inspired me to write fantasy, to have noble characters who fought for what was right, for love that transcends everything and never dies...I don't think I'll ever forget
it. Every so often, I reread it to capture the magic again.

Is there an era of writing that affects you? 1920, 1800’s so forth?

I really like writing about the future. There's no limit on what you can do.

Where do you like to write? Is there a favorite nook or corner?

I have a home office in the basement, in a room that's completely mine. I'm surrounded by books -- shelves upon shelves. Trinkets and things that mean something to me. My photography. My outlines. My music. It is heaven.

Do you prefer one genre to another?

If I had to pick just one (even though there's a few), I'd probably have to say fantasy.

Do you like the feel of a book in your hands or do prefer an electronic devises?

I like both! I can never get tired of the feel of an actual book, but I am really digging e-readers. I have a Sony e-Reader and a Kindle Fire. Love them both, too.

Can you tell us about what your working on now?

Yep, I'm working on the sequel to Fey Touched. I'm also developing ideas for a dark fantasy trilogy and what may become another science fantasy series.

Amazon (Kindle edition): http://www.amazon.com/Fey-Touched-ebook/dp/B008R15JFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345604192&sr=8-1&keywords=Fey+Touched

Amazon: (Print Edition): http://www.amazon.com/Fey-Touched-Erin-Zarro/dp/1477630236/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345604262&sr=1-2&keywords=Fey+Touched

Turtleduck Press: A writer's alliance I'm
a member of. We seek to publish less commercial but quality works. We exist to
push boundaries. This is who I published Fey Touched through. http://www.turtleduckpress.com/

Thank you Erin, your book series looks great!

Till next time...