rayvyn2k posted this cute meme, and it looks like a fun way to get to know my flist a little better.
Comment with "Come at me, bro," and:
- I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can get to know you better.
- Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
- Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.
1. How did you get into HP fandom?Hmm, let's see. I first read the books around the time Goblet of Fire came out, because I was working at a book store and people had SO MANY questions about them, and really, once I started, I was hooked. I went to look something up online and stumbled across Harry/Hermione fics and read a ton of them, then I had eldest hellmonkey and sort of forgot about it. Then OotP came out, and I remembered fanfic, wanted more, and found McAmy's fics. I was immediately addicted to SS/HG. I read all everything I could find, and started writing myself. This was back in the days of aff.net and yahoo groups and OMG, my first fics were TERRIBLE Mary Sue garbage. I've erased them from the internets as much as possible. Then a friend wrote a fic where Snape and Hermione used livejournal to communicate, and she commented in the A/N about how great LJ was for community building, and I joined LJ and have been here (mostly) ever since. Odd bit of trivia, I have never posted a fic on FF.net. I don't even have an account there.
2. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?Write. Sitting somewhere quiet with my laptop and a cup of coffee or a glass of wine is my very favorite thing in the world.
I have four hellmonkeys, so you can imagine how often that actually happens.
3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?Oh, that's a good one. There are so many places I'd like to go. India, Ireland, Greece and Prince Edward Island are at the top of my list. PEI is infinitely more doable than the rest. And not to be predictable, but the "why" for that one is definitely Anne of Green Gables.
4. What (or who) inspires you?Books inspire me a lot. I've noticed recently that my writing style tends to change when I'm absorbed in another author's work. I've been back on an Alice Hoffman kick lately, and I'm writing a lot more narrative than usual.
Real life things inspire me a lot too. It always struck me as funny that so many people thought I was writing a war story with
In the House of Fallen Angels (though I'm glad it came across that way, since it is a story that takes place during war), when it was really loosely based on my grandmother's experience in a nursing home.
And music. Dar Williams, Johnny Flynn, Laura Marling. Listening to them is a always a surefire way to kickstart my muse. (I've given SO MANY of my fics/chapters titles from Dar Williams songs.)
5. Who is your favorite HP minor character?Lee Jordan. Hands down. And book 7 just firmed that up for me. I adore Lee's character so much. He has a pet spider. Spiders are cool. I'm not outgoing at all IRL (I have some pretty heavy social anxiety issues), and I always admired that about Lee. He's funny, and brave, and I love how JKR left his reaction to the twins leaving him behind at Hogwarts wide open. Clearly, by DH they're close again, but I love contemplating those middle years. I love the early hints that he was badgering Angelina for a date at Hogwarts, and then she goes on to marry his best friend. And then there was Lee's radio show during DH. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH, OMG.
My other favorite minor characters: Charlie Weasley (a pretty close second, but he's just not as much of a presence in the books as Lee, so it's fanon Charlie that I've come to love), Neville, Luna, Tonks, Minerva...
Honestly, though? There's not a single character in these books that I dislike. I love them all like they're friends. (Or, er, enemies, I guess, LOL!)