From the Newsguy.com - April 2000
"D.Y.I. 'Do it Yourself' Television"
By Ariel Penn
A new age of interactivity between television program
creators and fans is about begin. The producers of Xena will be hiring a fan
fiction author to write for their next season. The lucky writer's name hasn't
been announced yet, but it should be confirmed fairly soon. Star Trek bought
story ideas from fan fiction authors in the past, but none have been given a
shot to write an actual teleplay for a show. This is definitely an exciting new
world with the Internet making it possible for television show producers to get
instant feedback from fans. However, interactivity has gone one step further
with the abundance of fan fiction available on the net. Talented fans are taking
over where producers and writers have left off by spinning new tales and
directions for the characters.
A brief Q & A follows with two
talented fan fiction writers from the Xenaverse, CN Winters and Melissa Good. It has been
rumored that Melissa Good is the lucky writer who will be bringing her
vision to the screen during season six of Xena, which will start
airing in September/October.
AP:
How long have
you been writing creative fiction?
CN
Winters:
Since I was in the third grade. The first story I
wrote was called Leigh and the Ghost. So it's been quite a while since that 1
page story.
AP:
What is your favorite fan fiction story
you have written and why?
CN Winters:
Do I have to
pick one? I love all my stories. I don't release anything that I don't enjoy. I
have many stories sitting on my PC that I've never 'published' on the web
because they are missing that special something. But if I had to pick, my
favorite would be the Xena Alt fiction "The Play" because I enjoy the Salmoneus
character and I thought my portrayal of him came together true to the
character.
AP:
What got you interested in Xena and
writing fan fiction?
CN Winters:
I got hooked
after watching A Day In The Life (a Xena episode). I was channel surfing and saw
two beautiful women in a tub! That was something I'd never seen on television.
Suddenly it was, "Wait a second. Let's go back." So I did. I finished watching
that episode and I eagerly awaited the next and the next and the next. .
.
AP:
How has Xena changed your life?
CN
Winters:
I've met people face to face from this all over the
US. I have pen friends from different countries. I think that this one little
television show has been responsible for many friendships... and a few deep,
loving relationships too. It's nice to see how something as simple as TV has
brought folks together from different walks of
life.
AP:
Have you met Rob Tapert and any of the creative
team from Xena? Have they read your work?
CN
Winters:
I'm not sure if anyone from the series has seen my
fiction work but I hope they check out my site called 'Save
Xena'. I noticed this year (5th) of
Xena is lacking certain elements and many fans, like myself, want to make the
powers that be aware of our growing disenchantment. If Tapert looks at anything
I've created, I pray it's this site... and he takes heed to what his fans are
saying.
AP:
It sounds like XWP has one more season left,
do you think there
are any stories you feel they haven' t touched on
yet?
CN Winters:
Yes - the long awaited Sappho
script for one. I'd like to see more of the core to the show - which for me is
the relationship. It seems this year is plot heavy, not relationship heavy. I'd
like to see them get 'back to basics' - dark stories that have a solid moral or
purpose in the end. Comedy that doesn't serve to the lowest common denominator
with slapstick and bodily function jokes. There are many fan fiction stories out
there that would make wonderful episodes both Alt and Gen
genres.
AP:
If you were to take a guess, how will people
remember Xena 25 years from now?
CN Winters:
Once
upon a time I believed that Xena would be a show known for pushing the envelope
in regards to religion, race and sexual orientation. Judging by this year I'm
not so sure. I think it will just be known as a campy 90's hit. But I do
sincerely hope that Tapert and crew can get the show steered to its former glory
and 'go out with a bang' as Lawless herself is hoping.
#######
AP:
How long have
you been writing creative fiction?
Melissa
Good:
About four years. I was a fanfic writer for a couple
years before they decided to publish one of them, making me an actual
writer.
AP:
What is your favorite story you have written
and why?
Melissa Good:
Dark Comes the Morning,
Xena fan fiction. It allowed me to explore areas of the two characters I really
enjoyed, and it was a lot of fun to write.
AP:
What got
you interested in Xena and writing fan fiction?
Melissa
Good:
I happened to watch The Quest, and decided to go online
to see if there were any Xena sites. There were. I had a story idea, wrote it,
and sent it up to Tom's page, and he posted
it. It sort of evolved along from there.
AP:
How has Xena
changed your life?
Melissa Good:
Well, it made me
a published author, and now screenwriter, and allowed me to make a lot of good
friends in the process.
AP:
Have you met Rob Tapert and
any of the creative team from Xena? Have they read your
work?
Melissa Good:
I've spoken to Mr. Tapert and
RJ Stewart. I personally know Steve Sears. Yes, they've read a bit of my
work.
AP:
It sounds like XWP has one more season left, do
you think there are any stories you feel they haven' t touched on
yet?
Melissa Good:
With characters as interesting
as Xena and Gabrielle, there's always stories left unwritten. You can take
almost any situation with them in it, and make it a good
story.
AP:
If you were to take a guess, how will people
remember Xena 25 years from now?
Melissa Good:
As
a show that unintentionally changed people's minds about women's roles in
life.