Introduction (01-08)
T. Novan's Head (09-147)
T. Novan's Stories
Acknowledgments
Articles
Biography

Introduction

^[01] It has been three years since I first started to read Fan Fiction. Time flies. There was nothing like alt fan fiction in the area where I lived. I had been watching Xena, but I had no idea what was out there until I got a computer.

^[02] I began reading general fan fiction and enjoyed it. I kept seeing the word alt, though, and wondered what it meant. Once I started to read it, however, I could not stop. I am a sucker for romance. I was buzzing around MaryD's site (http://www.ausxip.com) and happened across a story named Wrapped. It is the kind of story that makes your heart swell and is a good read. The next thing I did was read the forty more stories in the series. I realized I was way behind.

^[03] I sat at the computer until my eyes were fuzzy and my behind was sore. I could not stop reading. When I finished the last one, I wanted more. The idea of Xena and Gabrielle's settling down and having a family became very appealing to me. I joined the TNFF (T. Novan Fan Fiction) list and was eager to get my dose of the Raising Melosa Series. Since I have been reading, Melosa has grown with her own family in the Legends Legacy Series.

^[04] Then I discovered the other stories: Claiming the Ford and The Truth Series.

^[05] So many stories and all so good. T. Novan is still my all time favorite. She has moved me where I do not have the words to describe. How she has the time to do all she does while fighting an illness, has me in awe. She is talented, bright, strong, and just one amazing of a person. I am very grateful to know her. She has added to my life. I love T. Novan to bits. My recent Convention experience was made whole when I got to meet TN and give her the biggest hug.

^[06] TN'S address is TNOVAN@aol.com

^[07] TN's Site: http://members.fortunecity.com/midgitbard/tn.htm

^[08] TN's mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TNFF

Xena and Gabrielle settle down. Sorta.

T. Novan's Head

AMY MURPHY:
^[09] When did you start writing and why?

T. NOVAN:
^[10] I started writing when an illness forced me to retire from my career as a police officer. My mother always said I should be a writer so I decided to go for it.

MURPHY:
^[11] What inspires you?

NOVAN:
^[12] Well, obviously I found a lot of inspiration in Xena. The love story is very profound. It's hard not to be inspired by it.

MURPHY:
^[13] How was the idea of Melosa born?

NOVAN:
^[14] Hmm, well actually my muse woke me up at about three in the morning and we wrote Wrapped. Then a few days later we wrote In a Queen's Eyes and that was supposed to be the end of Melosa, but the response was so great that we just kept going with it. We wrote a hundred segments, ending it with a grown Mel getting married.

MURPHY:
^[15] Why do you like Xena?

NOVAN:
^[16] This is a difficult question. It simply calls to me. Speaks to me if you will. I can't explain it. It just is.

MURPHY:
^[17] What did the show mean to you?

NOVAN:
^[18] It is inspiration and courage in its purest, rawest form.

MURPHY:
^[19] How did it feel to team up with CN, Advocate, and Fanatic?

NOVAN:
^[20] Well, they all have their own styles and consequently I've had to develop three different methods of writing. Each one is unique, and fun to do.

MURPHY:
^[21] How is the book going?

NOVAN:
^[22] LOL [laugh out loud] which one? I have about 20 different open project files at the moment.

MURPHY:
^[23] Where do your stories come from?

NOVAN:
^[24] My muse. I quite literally have a voice that tells me what to write and we do it.

MURPHY:
^[25] How does it feel to be published?

NOVAN:
^[26] It feels pretty good. It's opened up some very interesting doors for me.

MURPHY:
^[27] What are your future plans?

NOVAN:
^[28] To keep writing as long as I can. As long as there are folks who want to read what I write, I'll keep at it.

MURPHY:
^[29] What advice can give to future writers, bards?

NOVAN:
^[30] Be dedicated to your craft. Do it everyday and never give up.

MURPHY:
^[31] Give us a day with TN?

NOVAN:
^[32] Hmm, I get up. I make coffee and then I fire up the computer. I write. I putter around my house. I write. That's pretty much it.

MURPHY:
^[33] Who is TN?

NOVAN:
^[34] A little known writer who is fortunate to have had a small place in the wonderful realm that Rob Tapert and company gave us to play in these last six years.

MURPHY:
^[35] What can you tell your fans that they do not know about you?

NOVAN:
^[36] Probably nothing they'd be interested in. I'm addicted to Milky Way cappuccino. Does that count?

MURPHY:
^[37] How do you handle a daily life fighting an illness? Is it faith? Being stubborn?

NOVAN:
^[38] Pure stubborn. I just refuse to quit.

MURPHY:
^[39] What can you say to others who are fighting illnesses?

NOVAN:
^[40] There's always hope. Don't ever give up and don't ever give in. Live your life, do what you enjoy and don't let anything stop you.

MURPHY:
^[41] Years from now, how would you like people to remember you in the Xenaverse?

NOVAN:
^[42] They don't need to remember me. There are people who deserve far more remembrance than I do.

MURPHY:
^[43] What was it like to meet Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor?

NOVAN:
^[44] Lucy, Renee and Rob were kind and generous. I have a huge amount of respect for them.

MURPHY:
^[45] What is your definition of the Xenaverse?

NOVAN:
^[46] It is a place where people should be free to find what inspires them.

MURPHY:
^[47] If you had to do it all over, would you still be a bard?

NOVAN:
^[48] Absolutely. I've done a lot of work I'm proud of.

MURPHY:
^[49] What are your thoughts about the shows ending?

NOVAN:
^[50] Well, like the rest of the world I'm sad to see it go, but all goods things must come to an end. I'm eternally grateful for what I've found and carry with me to this day.

MURPHY:
^[51] What do you hope will become of fan fiction?

NOVAN:
^[52] I'd like to think it would remain as a testament to the incredible amount of creativity that the show inspired.

MURPHY:
^[53] What is your biggest hope or dream?

NOVAN:
^[54] Hmm, I'll let you know when it happens.

MURPHY:
^[55] Have you ever experienced, you or someone else reading one of your stories aloud in the public? What did you feel?

NOVAN:
^[56] I have. Word Warrior read the season opener for Exposure (http://ausxip.com/exposure/index.html) at the Exposure lunch (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Exposure) at Pasadena in 2000 and I remember sitting there thinking, "Oh my God. Did I really write that?"

MURPHY:
^[57] When, if ever, is censorship valid?

NOVAN:
^[58] That's a tough question. I don't think it's ever valid in my realm. But it's done in other places for various reasons and I don't have the right to condemn or criticize when it is done. If I'm not the one who has to make the hard call, I don't have the right to call someone out who has.

MURPHY:
^[59] What theme would you like to tackle in your next work?

NOVAN:
^[60] I never know from one minute to the next what I'll be writing. I'm a complete free stylist. You just never can tell with me.

MURPHY:
^[61] What would you change about where you live?

NOVAN:
^[62] There would be no winter. Snow is a four-letter word.

MURPHY:
^[63] What was the last thing that made you smile recently?

NOVAN:
^[64] That kiss I got from Lucy Lawless well pretty good. But more recently I'd say the fact that I'm working with Renaissance Alliance Publishing to get The Claiming of Ford series out soon. I've signed my royalties from the series over to the Starship Foundation, so I'm hoping to make it a big seller.

MURPHY:
^[65] What made you angry?

NOVAN:
^[66] I try not to get angry about much. It's a waste of energy that could be used for other things.

MURPHY:
^[67] You now have absolute authority over the world. Omnipotent in all areas. What's your first move?

NOVAN:
^[68] To stop the suffering of the children.

MURPHY:
^[69] Tell us one writing tip that you've learned to be true, at least for you.

NOVAN:
^[70] You have to do it everyday. Even if it's in your head. You can't not write if it's in your blood.

MURPHY:
^[71] How would you categorize your best writing, and give the URL's for them if posted.

NOVAN:
^[72] I'm fond of everything I've done. It's all got something I like. It's hard to pick one thing. My dear friend MaryD has hosted my work for years on her site and she has always taken good care of me. She has all of my work there (http://ausxip.com/tnovan/index.html). I'm very grateful to her and extremely proud to call her my friend. She is a wonderful woman.^[73] I'm also getting a new site soon, but it's under construction right now: http://members.fortunecity.com/midgitbard/tn.htm

MURPHY:
^[74] What stupid thing did you do as a teen?

NOVAN:
^[75] Actually, I was pretty quiet and laid back. Some people thought I was scary though.

MURPHY:
^[76] What to you is the worst feeling in the world?

NOVAN:
^[77] If someone I care about needs something and I've done all I can and still fall short. That always bugs me.

MURPHY:
^[78] The best feeling in the world?

NOVAN:
^[79] Making a little bit of a difference. I wrote a segment of Raising Melosa that dealt with domestic violence. A few days later I got a letter from a woman who told me that when she read it she realized that she was in an abusive relationship and she took her son and left. She was also pregnant at the time and a few weeks later I got another letter telling me her son had been born and that she had named him Kai, after the character in Raising Melosa. That was a feel good time.

MURPHY:
^[80] Favorite song of the moment?

NOVAN:
^[81] "Dance with Me" by Deblah Morgan. But I'm really inspired by music and a lot of my writing takes 2place when I have music on.

MURPHY:
^[82] What is the first thing you think of in the morning?

NOVAN:
^[83] Which story I should be working on.

MURPHY:
^[84] Is there one part of the writing process where you usually get stuck? What have you tried to change that, successful or not?

NOVAN:
^[85] I hate editing. Just hate it and will always try to get someone else to do it.

MURPHY:
^[86] Does the best writing flow for you, or does it come from rewrites?

NOVAN:
^[87] It flows. I rarely do rewrites.

MURPHY:
^[88] Which part of writing do you enjoy most and why? (e.g., Taking the original notes, final rewrites...)

NOVAN:
^[89] I enjoy the creative process. It's a great rush to have a new idea break loose. I get new voices in my head and it's a great deal of fun.

MURPHY:
^[90] Do you prefer dogs or cats-explain

NOVAN:
^[91] Snakes. I have snakes.

MURPHY:
^[92] How do you choose names for your characters?

NOVAN:
^[93] Most of the time they choose their own names. Sometimes I use a baby book if we can't decide, but normally the characters give me their names with their story.

MURPHY:
^[94] When someone walks into your bedroom, what are the first five things that they're likely to notice?

NOVAN:
^[95] Xena and Gab. The fact that my bed is made. Xena and Gab. No clutter. Xena and Gab.

MURPHY:
^[96] Tell the truth--are you your favorite writer, or in your own top five? Why or why not?

NOVAN:
^[97] Not by a long shot. There are far more talented people than I.

MURPHY:
^[98] Would the world be a better place if women ran it or would it be basically the same?

NOVAN:
^[99] Not necessarily. Being a woman doesn't make you any better qualified to make the hard decisions.

MURPHY:
^[100] What is your favorite spot where you live now?

NOVAN:
^[101] My office. It is my happy zone.

MURPHY:
^[102] What books are you reading now? What about it/them is holding your attention?

NOVAN:
^[103] I'm not actually reading anything right now.

MURPHY:
^[104] What would your friends say is your worst trait?

NOVAN:
^[105] I hate going to the doctor and will procrastinate as long as possible.

MURPHY:
^[106] What is the longest any plant in your home has been with you?

NOVAN:
^[107] I don't do plants. We don't get along very well.

MURPHY:
^[108] What in your opinion is most dangerous about mankind?

NOVAN:
^[109] The fact that we can't seem to get past petty hatred and bigotry. That more than anything will be our downfall.

MURPHY:
^[110] What is most positive about it?

NOVAN:
^[111] That the creative people who can influence positive change are for the most part allowed to flourish.

MURPHY:
^[112] Who is your real life hero and why?

NOVAN:
^[113] Police officers, firemen, and paramedics have to head up that list. Those people are heroes.

MURPHY:
^[114] Which modern appliance (TV, Radio, Computer, stove, you name it) could you go the longest without needing, and why?

NOVAN:
^[115] Stove. I microwave most of my food anyhow.

MURPHY:
^[116] If you had the opportunity to make love to any television character(s) without any repercussions and they were willing participants, would you? And if so, Who? Why? Why not?

NOVAN:
^[117] I plead the fifth.

MURPHY:
^[118] What are the three things you enjoy most about writing?

NOVAN:
^[119] The creativity, the challenge, and never knowing how one of my own stories will end until I get there

MURPHY:
^[120] What were your favorite book, TV show, and movie when you were a teenager and what do you think of them now?

NOVAN:
^[121] Anything by Dickens, GetSmart and, wow, did they have movies when I was a teenager? I can't think of a movie but I still love Dickens and Get Smart.

MURPHY:
^[122] What's your idea of a perfect world?

NOVAN:
^[123] My perfect world would be one where people didn't have needs like food, clean water, warm clothes, reasonable medical care, or shelter.

MURPHY:
^[124] How real is your fiction to you?

NOVAN:
^[125] All my characters have a place in my heart. I'm fond of all of them. So if that makes them real, then yes it's real to me in some sense of the world.

MURPHY:
^[126] What Disney character do you most identify with and why?

NOVAN:
^[127] I'm not a big Disney fan so I'm not sure.

MURPHY:
^[128] What's the dumbest thing you DON'T regret doing?

NOVAN:
^[129] Wow. I can't think of anything.

MURPHY:
^[130] What is the last thing you think of at night?

NOVAN:
^[131] Whatever story I've been working on.

MURPHY:
^[132] When do you know if a story is finished?

NOVAN:
^[133] There are no more words and the voices are silent.

MURPHY:
^[134] What are the limits in sacrifices for true love?

NOVAN:
^[135] For true love? There aren't any.

MURPHY:
^[136] What makes a great kisser?

NOVAN:
^[137] I plead the fifth.

MURPHY:
^[138] What have you learned from your animals?

NOVAN:
^[139] Always eat your mice head first.

MURPHY:
^[140] Does our society glorify violence to the point we have become desensitized to it and the consequences?

NOVAN:
^[141] Unfortunately I think so. There are no consequences any more.

MURPHY:
^[142] What Muppet character do you most identify with?

NOVAN:
^[143] Fozzie Bear.

MURPHY:
^[144] What fan memorabilia do you have?

NOVAN:
^[145] A better question is what DON'T I have. I'm a serious collector.

MURPHY:
^[146] What questions should I have asked?

NOVAN:
^[147] I think you've covered it.

T. Novan's Stories

Classic Xena Fan Fiction
Classic Xena Episode Based Fiction
Uber Xena Fiction
Original Fiction

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Bardic Circle for a few of the questions. Thanks to Kamouraskan for the beta.

Articles

L. J. Maas and Murphy Wilson [Amy Murphy]. One Step Beyond ... Uber, That Is. WHOOSH #49 (October 2000)

The "Inside the Head of·" series in Whoosh issues #58, 61-63, 65-

Biography

Amy Murphy
Twenty-nine-year-old Amy Murphy resides in Indiana, and is an avid reader of Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction. If it exists in the Xenaverse, chances are she's read it! Murphy has also tried her hand at writing FF, turning out two very nice pieces that reside on a couple of web sites throughout the Xenaverse.

Favorite episode: IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE (24/124)
Favorite line: "I Have Many Skills" Various episodes
First episode seen: TITANS (07/107)
Least favorite episode: LYRE, LYRE HEARTS ON FIRE (100/510)