fanstRAvaganza two, day 4!

We’re just over halfway through fanstRAvaganza 2! Probably signs of fatigue are beginning to set in — can you really take this much Armitage, all the time? — but we hope you’re still having fun. Thanks to Nat and Traxy for their organizational efforts. At this blog, you can vote on my poll (which Porter trousers?) till the end of the event next Monday; learn about fitzg’s opinions on Mr. Armitage’s work; and participate in the attempt to write a restraining order to prevent undue violence to John Porter in Strike Back, series 2. And don’t forget to keep visiting the blogs of the bloggers below for all kinds of fun stuff:

An RA Viewer’s Perspective (Mulubinba)

The Spooks Fan Blog (Skully)

The Squeee! (Traxy)

Avalon’s Blog (Avalon)

Phylly’s Faves (Phylly)

RA Frenzy (Frenz)

The Richard Armitage Fan Blog – (Nat)

From the Quill Tip (Sarah)

CDoart: Richard Armitage & History & Spooks (CDoart)

Nevermind, Mr. Armitage (pi)

Mesmered’s Blog (Prue)

White Rose Writings (Musa)

Confessions of a Watcher (Judiang)

Richard Armitage Fan Videos & Graphics (bccmee)

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[Note: All of the fanfic linked in this interview involves explicit situations and / or slash. LJ should warn you, but if you don’t want to be confronted with it, please don’t click. I also reference a fanfic site, Dreamer Fiction, which houses a great deal of fic, much of it explicit, kept behind a password so it doesn’t fall into the hands of minors. Readers who want to join DF need to provide a reference from a current member specifying that they are at least eighteen years of age. If you are not yet reading DF and seek such a reference, leave a note in the comments below and we’ll try to help you out.]

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I ran across Angie for the first time while searching for Armitage-related fan fiction; I ran into “Truce,” and got hooked. Chapter Four is on my bookmarked list of all-time favorite Armitage character fanfic and a goto piece of writing to return to when I need a pick-me-up. Angie’s a very active fan and works hard to maintain the accessibility of her fanfiction, posting at Dreamer Fiction, wattpad, her own LJ site, and elsewhere. She and I share an enjoyment of explicit fics, but there’s so much more to her writing, pieces that I sought to draw out in my interview of her. Anyone who’s interacted with her for more than a few moments knows that she’s not only an active, energetic, creative, talented personality, but also warm-hearted and generous. When I read her fics, I always think of “The Adventure Continues,” in which Rebecca frequently expresses her desire for Guy to experience all the pleasure he can. She believes in people and happy endings, even making Lovelace into a romantic hero rather than a rapist in her Clarissa fanfic. Generosity and faith in others: that’s how Angie treats both her characters and her audiences, and it made me want to learn more.

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The hero of “Truce” as seen in Angie’s favorite picture: Richard Armitage as John Porter. Promotional photo for first series of Strike Back (2010). Source: Richard Armitage Net

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S: You’ve said that seeing Sir Guy in Robin Hood was your “gateway drug” to Armitagemania. Can you remember the specific moment in that journey — the scene or episode — that got you?

Angie: I have to confess when I started watching Robin Hood on BBCA, I thought of Guy initially as a right smarmy bastard—a very, very attractive smarmy bastard, but a smarmy bastard nevertheless.  I liked the good guys, for heaven’s sake!

But he grew on me. As played by Mr. A., he was definitely no one-note henchman.

Gradually, I realized how much Guy had missed out on in his upbringing. All he had lacked was telegraphed to me through RA’s masterful performance. And when Marian slugged Guy and ran off with Much, I felt my heart break a little for the “bad guy.”

I wanted to hug him, console him, and give Marian a piece of my mind for humiliating him in that way.  I forgot about all the bad things he had done, frankly. He was trying to become a better man, after all, if a bit clumsily. When, with such pain and anger and a sort of emptiness in his eyes, wounded in more ways than one, Guy muttered to the guards, “Let her go,” I fell in love with a certain beautiful disaster.

Thus began my obsession with all things Armitage.

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Angie’s choice of a particularly inspirational performance by Mr. Armitage fell upon Robin Hood, series 2, episode 11.

A scene that’s often in my thoughts is the moment after Guy has discovered the true identity of the Nightwatchman and confronts her. It’s a particularly strong example of how Richard takes us on a journey with his characters.

You can see his disbelief, in spite of all evidence pointing to Marian as the enemy who has confounded him on so many occasions. We also see hints of naïveté and gullibility when it comes to this woman.

As the scene moves forward, he asks to see the scar and as she lifts her vest, the expressions that flit across Guy’s face — anger over yet another betrayal by
the woman he loves; frustration at having been duped by her so fully; guilt over almost killing her with that poisoned weapon; sadness because surely even he can’t save her from the sheriff’s wrath this time — convey so much in such a brief span of time, without a single word until he orders Allan to prepare the prisoner.

Later, as he turns to go and she tries to speak, the forceful way he turns and points at her, almost spitting out the words: “Do Not Speak to Me,” provide a synthesis of all of these reactions to the viewer. He is furious, yes, but he is also deeply hurt, as we can only be hurt by someone we truly love.

I think it’s a masterful piece of acting by RA, because we do get such a good glimpse into what Guy is going through inside, all the conflict he is experiencing even as he tries to maintain his composure. Richard does it so subtly that we forget he’s acting and believe he really is experiencing all those emotions.

The effect on me was to make me even me more sympathetic to Guy (as if I needed another reason). And this is one of the scenes that makes me long to express in my writing what he does in his acting.

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Lucas North (Richard Armitage) in a particularly frustrating encounter with a free-lance journalist (Richard McCabe) in Spooks 8.2. Source: Richard Armitage Central Gallery

S: What motivated you to start writing fanfiction? Was it hard to move from writing non-fiction for a living to making up stories?

I couldn’t get Richard’s characters out of my head. They took up residence and I had to do something with them!! I found it liberating to be able to channel all the imagination I had developed over the years into fanfiction.

Obviously, reporting straight news stories involves guarding distinct boundaries. Answering Who, What, When, Where, and Why for a basic story—it’s all very cut and dried. I love writing features because they allow a bit more leeway.  With fanfic, I can let my imagination go into overdrive and take plenty of license. It allows me to flex a new set of creative muscles I wasn’t developing as a newspaper reporter.

Even though I had been writing non-fiction for several years, I was still a bit terrified to share my first fanfic with the public. It was venturing into totally unfamiliar territory.

But I did get a good reception for my first stand-alone fic, and it spurred me on to do a lot more writing. And more than two years later, I am finishing my longest multi-chapter fic yet, “Truce.”

S: How has writing fanfic influenced your reporting? How have you changed as a writer since starting to write fic?

Angie: Spelling. Seriously, I have to be careful, because now that my beta, MillyMe, has indoctrinated me into British spelling via “Truce,” I sometimes find myself using British spellings in my articles and having to go back and change things.

I have to rein things in for publication, to “write tight.” Times are tough in the newspaper biz, page counts have shrunk, and I have to make every word count now more than ever.

In fanfic, I try to provide more descriptive passages and certainly, my chapters keep getting longer and longer, as you yourself have noted.

But I have to be sure and balance that in my RL writing. A newspaper article still has to catch the reader’s attention quickly and give him the pertinent information in X number of words or, in the case of a feature, quickly set the tone for the person, place, or event being painted. In the end, though, I think the two types of writing ultimately complement each other.

A scene from a dream sequence that Servetus particularly likes: John Porter (Richard Armitage) dreams while in Chikurubi Prison in Strike Back 1.3. Source: Richard Armitage Central Gallery

S: A notable feature of your fics is incorporation of dream sequences. I’m impressed by your ability both to make these dreams seem plausible in themselves (in the sense that dreams are strange, don’t make sense, and are fuzzy around the edges) and use them to advance plot. What do dreams mean to you personally — and what are the factors that influence your writing of a dream sequence in fanfic?

Angie: Dreams have always fascinated me. I remember very clearly certain dreams from my childhood, dreams that seemed more real at times than my own reality. I actually used to have this notion that I did not exist; I was someone else’s dream.

I think dreams reflect what’s worrying or consuming or even satisfying us in the subconscious  — fears, hopes, desires, conflicts. They fascinate and frustrate me. They certainly send me signals as to what lies beneath. Because I suffer from FMS, I have problems getting “stuck” in REM sleep, and sometimes I wake up feeling as if I have spent the entire night in a long, exhausting dream. Even so, I would hate to stop dreaming. It would be the equivalent for me of poor Lucas “not hearing the music anymore.” I would feel as if something at my core were gone.

In my fanfic, dreams express underlying concerns and deep-seated yearnings of my characters. In “Truce,” for example, John and Layla’s dreams begin to mirror each other’s in a sort of “cosmic connection.” Sometimes the dreams give them an opportunity to share what is troubling them and to show one another the depths of their genuine concern as their relationship moves to a deeper level.

The dream sequences seem to flow from me when I am writing. I am gratified readers respond so well to them.

S: Your fics also feature explicit situations. You’ve talked about the surprise you experienced when you became interested in writing slash. Can you give us insight into how that happened, and why you ventured into this rather controversial area? In “The Adventure Continues,” you put Armitage characters in explicit situations with each other. I’m intrigued by this technique and wonder whether you’d talk about it a bit.

Angie: My beta at that time challenged me to create an AU version of RH 3 as a slash story featuring Guy and Allan.

I wasn’t sure at first; again, uncharted territory for me as a writer. I don’t have first-hand knowledge of those kinds of intimate situations in the way I do with male/female relationships. But I do like a good challenge.

So I did some research online and in books and wrote “Lost and Found.” I wanted to do something different, to write about a slash relationship that developed slowly, at times comically, with the couple finally realizing the passion they had awakened in each other. It would be a true romance. They become friends and allies, with Allan trying to help Guy recover from his grief and pain; Guy, slowly learning to trust and hope again and to let down his guard, and, then–the intimacy comes. I see “Lost and Found” as a sort of sexy and sweet fractured fairy tale.  And Allan and Guy make an adorable couple. *grin*

I then decided to bring back the characters of Guy and Rebecca from “Night Falls” and have them time-travel to modern-day London for a crossover story. I knew “The Adventure Continues” would be pushing the envelope for me.

It has always fascinated me how all Richard’s characters seem so individual, so different from one another, even though they are played by the same actor. So it was easy to differentiate Lucas and Guy in my mind as separate characters from different worlds who happen to resemble each other strongly, and then to imagine them coming together, experiencing their own cosmic connection.

This was a pretty bizarre story to begin with — a sci-fi-fantasy-spy story-comedy-adventure — and it’s certainly not for everyone. I admit I wonder why I, a happily married heterosexual female, find slash appealing. For it to work for me the protagonists involved must be really masculine to begin with; perhaps it’s something like male fantasies about women being intimate with each other. And I can’t see myself ever writing dark, sadistic stuff.

Harry Kennedy (Richard Armitage) lays down the law to Geraldine (Dawn French) about the sinfulness of debt in “The Handsome Stranger,” episode 1 of the Vicar of Dibley Christmas specials. Source: Richard Armitage Net

S: You are the only fan I’m interviewing for this event who’s married. I’ve wondered for some time how Armitagemania fits into the heterosexual marriage. How do spouses deal with it? Does it affect one’s own relationship with one’s mate, and if so, how?

Angie: Amused–and sometimes confused–tolerance might be an apt description of how Benny views my Armitagemania. He did once ask if he needed to find some black leather pajamas.  He has also given me a Mrs. RA keychain, a signed photo of the Lovely One and an RA skin for my laptop. He’s a nice guy, Benny, and I love him to bits.

While he agrees Richard is a good actor and not difficult to look at, he cannot quite fathom why I am so head over heels for this particular actor, as I have never been a fangurl before in more than 25 years of marriage—why Richard, why now?

I have told him aspects of Richard’s personality, such as we know it, and his, really remind me of each other. And Benny is very Harry Kennedy-like in certain respects.

A lot of the sexy banter and adventures that appear in my writing are influenced by me and Mr. Long as a couple.  This knowledge mollifies him. As for slash—ah, well, that he really can’t fathom. I’ve given up trying. I have read passages of some of my other work aloud to him, particularly the comical bits, as we share a sense of humor. Not the slash.

Bad boy as muse. Guy of Gisborne (Richard Armitage), left at the altar in Robin Hood 1.13. Source: Richard Armitage Net

S: Fellow fans are recipients of emails from you with collages of Armitage arranged according to different themes. I love flipping through one while I’m sipping coffee. What motivates you to do this, and how do you pick the themes? What role does it play in your day?

Angie: Inside of me lives a frustrated would-be vidder. I really don’t have the time, as much as the idea intrigues me.

So when the newest edition of Windows Live Mail was installed, I saw a new slide show feature. I tried it out and I liked the results. So I started creating slide shows and sending them to fellow fans. I decided to group pics according to themes. I often write little essays or poems to go with the slide show.

Bottom line as to why I do it—it’s fun! Sometimes it takes me a while to decide on a theme and to choose the photos, but it is a labor of love.  As to how I pick a theme, often it is due to a random thought relating to RA that pops in my head, or a song I hear on the radio, or the POD at RANet — or even something someone says on a blog. Riv actually suggested one on his amazing eyes, which I did.

The great thing about this fandom is how we seem to inspire each other with our creative efforts, too.  Creativity breeds creativity and active imaginations spur on other imaginations!

And Mr. A is the most wonderful muse.

I really thought I was just going to stick with slide shows—but unintentionally stumbled into making movies with my Windows software. I could see where this could be addictive . . . sort of like a certain TDHBEW *sigh*.

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Angie reports of herself: In RL I am a newspaper reporter and photographer for a group of community newspapers in what I like to refer to as LA (Lower Alabama). I’ve taught elementary art and music and high school French, arts and crafts and creative and performing arts to visually impaired kids, worked in retail sales and briefly as a photographer in a department store portrait studio. I’ve been married for going on 26 years to my best friend and the man I like to describe as my “personal Harry Kennedy.” We live on a red clay dirt road, atop a hill studded in pecan and oak trees. Our home looks down on the farmhouse where I grew up. All our children are of the furry kind: three outside canines, Elvis, Beau, and Rascal, and four cats of distinct sizes and personalities, Puddin’, Thumper, Callie, and Lucky. I serve on the board of the local humane society as secretary and publicist. All our animals have been strays or rescues. I love reading, photography, drawing, singing, playing with said menagerie, hanging out with hubs and supporting events like the annual Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society. I have a condition called FMS and I try to raise awareness and understanding of the effect this painful and sometimes debilitating illness can have on patients and their loved ones. Being part of the Armitage fandom has really been a blessing and a positive force in my life, and I am thankful for it and for all the friends I have made through it. Most of all, thank YOU, Richard. You aren’t getting older, love, you’re getting better, and you never cease to inspire me.

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[Fan showcases from last year are here: bZirk, Eli, LadyKate63. I plan to continue this feature irregularly while I continue to blog Mr. Armitage. If you are interested in being interviewed, please let me know. My email address is in the sidebar under “About.” — Servetus]

~ by Servetus on March 17, 2011.