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Introduction (01)
ROCFanKat's Head (02-182)
ROCFanKat's Stories
Acknowledgments
Articles
Biography
INSIDE THE HEAD OF ROCFANKAT
Introduction
The Producers of Xena: Warrior Princess thought they had a sense of humor too
[01] RocFanKat happens to be one of the many best writers out there, with a sense of humor that can make the Queen of England chuckle. She is also a fellow Hoosier, which we both hang our heads to admit. Now let's get to know her.
ROCFanKat's Head
Interviewer:
[02] Why did you start writing?ROCFanKat:
[03] That started way back in childhood, before there was a known cure.Interviewer:
[04] If you had to do it all over, would you be a bard? Would you write?ROCFanKat:
[05] Yes and yes. It's never really been a choice; I can't remember ever not being able to read and write.Interviewer:
[06] Give us a brief day in the life of Kat.ROCFanKat:
[07] You don't want to go there. I spend most days working, arguing with clients, daydreaming about revenge, and playing music REALLY LOUD.Interviewer:
[08] How do you handle stress?ROCFanKat:
[09] Andrea Mitchell (the NBC journalist) had a great answer to that question: "I drink coffee."Interviewer:
[10] Years from now, how would you want to be remembered?ROCFanKat:
[11] Being remembered at all would be amazing. How about trying to be remembered as the world's coolest aunt?Interviewer:
[12] What is your pet peeve?ROCFanKat:
[13] Aggressive ignorance is the big one.Interviewer:
[14] Who is Kat?ROCFanKat:
[15] Don't think anyone can answer that question from the inside.Interviewer:
[16] Do fans expect too much from stars?ROCFanKat:
[17] Very likely. Like Bogart said, all they really owe us is a good performance.Interviewer:
[18] What is the most sensitive part on your body?ROCFanKat:
[19] (Suspiciously) Who wants to know?Interviewer:
[20] What do you see yourself doing in the future? Future projects?ROCFanKat:
[21] Continuing to write something or other, and I hope getting better at it.Interviewer:
[22] How do you handle depression?ROCFanKat:
[23] Complaining to friends, working out, and/or running movies. Monty Python and the South Park movie usually work. For some perverse reason, so does Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War--all 11 hours of it.Interviewer:
[24] What was the hardest thing you ever did?ROCFanKat:
[25] Quit smoking.Interviewer:
[26] What was the easiest?ROCFanKat:
[27] Falling in love the first time, back in high school.Interviewer:
[28] What advice can you give to future writers?ROCFanKat:
[29] Read everything you can get your hands on, and get all the writing practice you can. If you can get some experience as a journalist, so much the better. Working on deadline teaches you to write anytime, under any conditions, whether you want to or not. I've written stories while a managing editor was singing Love Is a Battlefield 20 feet away, so you see that it can be done.Interviewer:
[30] How did it feel to be published?ROCFanKat:
[31] The first book's due out any minute now.Interviewer:
[32] What has the show Xena meant to you?ROCFanKat:
[38] It's been a fantastic trip, and I'm glad I bought the ticket.Interviewer:
[39] How do you feel about its end?ROCFanKat:
[40] End? What end? I'm with Yogi Berra: It's not over till it's over.Interviewer:
[41] What are your dreams? Hopes? Wishes?ROCFanKat:
[42] I've always wanted to write a movie, ever since I wrote a play in sixth grade. (We were studying the ancient Greeks that month, and the play was mostly gods insulting one another. How's that for foreshadowing?) But people in Hell want ice, too.Interviewer:
[43] Who do you trust?ROCFanKat:
[44] My family and friends. Strangers usually get the benefit of the doubt.Interviewer:
[45] If you are a parent, what is the greatest wish you have for your child?ROCFanKat:
[46] Don't have my own personal children but want everything in the world for my nephew and niece.Interviewer:
[47] What would you say every writer needs?ROCFanKat:
[48] Mule stubbornness, persistence, craft, luck, willingness to take chances, and a masochistic streak.Interviewer:
[49] Do you believe in prayer? Explain.ROCFanKat:
[50] Not in the conventional sense.Interviewer:
[51] How do you feel about subtext?ROCFanKat:
[52] It's been great entertainment. But that's not why I watched, or at least not the main reason. The first episode I saw was A Day in the Life , and I was hooked without even picking up on the subtext. I still remember thinking, "These people are crazy. They ought to be locked up. I've GOT to start watching this thing."Interviewer:
[53] What makes your best friend your best friend?ROCFanKat:
[54] She's smart, funny, loyal, sensible, brutally honest, and fundamentally kind. She likes recreational shopping. And she laughs at most of my jokes.Interviewer:
[55] Could you or have you ever experienced, you or someone else reading one of your stories aloud in the public? What did/would you feel?ROCFanKat:
[56] Hasn't happened.Interviewer:
[57] What's the most romantic thing anyone has done for you?ROCFanKat:
[58] No way am I answering that question.Interviewer:
[59] What theme would you like to tackle in your next work?ROCFanKat:
[60] The next thing is going to be another story in the series I'm working on now, but it might be fun to try book-length nonfiction sometime.Interviewer:
[61] What was the last thing that made you smile recently?ROCFanKat:
[62] Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.Interviewer:
[63] What made you angry?ROCFanKat:
[64] I always hate when the alarm goes off in the morning. I take that very personally.Interviewer:
[65] You now have absolute authority over the world. Omnipotent in all areas. What's your first move?ROCFanKat:
[66] You have no idea how many times I've said, "If I could be God for JUST TEN MINUTES..." But now that you ask, I can't remember how I finished any of those sentences. They probably had something to do with televangelists.Interviewer:
[67] Do you have stalkers? If so, how have you handled them?ROCFanKat:
[68] Doubtful.Interviewer:
[69] How would you categorize your best writing, and give the URL's for them if posted?ROCFanKat:
[70] What I'm most proud of is the Christmas story I wrote for my nephew's first Christmas. It's about him and the Winnie the Pooh characters (Milne's, not Disney's), and someday, I'll write one for his baby sister. This really trashes my rep, but these kids are worth it.Interviewer:
[71] What stupid thing did you do as a teen?ROCFanKat:
[72] What stupid thing DIDN'T I do? Probably the dumbest was doing the folkie thing in college and playing some coffeehouses with a friend. We weren't bad on a couple of CSN&Y songs, honest. But thank God there are no recordings.Interviewer:
[73] What, if anything, can stop you writing, if only for a while?ROCFanKat:
[74] Work, when too many deadlines are coming up.Interviewer:
[75] In your opinion, do you fit your astrological sign?ROCFanKat:
[76] Leo with Scorpio rising and moon in Aries. (Never mind how I know.) Regrettably, most of it fits.Interviewer:
[77] What to you is the worst feeling in the world?ROCFanKat:
[78] Feeling helpless, with no control.Interviewer:
[79] The best feeling in the world?ROCFanKat:
[80] Well, the best day I ever had was walking around San Francisco all by myself without getting lost (I have no sense of direction), so that was THE best feeling.Interviewer:
[81] Favorite song of the moment?ROCFanKat:
[82] We could be here for days; it's a long list, and it changes all the time. Right now, though, I really likeThe Long Way Home from Mary Chapin Carpenter's new CD. Some songs I never get tired of are A Common Disaster (Cowboy Junkies), These Are the Days (10,000 Maniacs), Where the World Began (John Mellencamp), Maybe That's Something (Sheryl Crow), and The Razor's Edge (Carrie Newcomer).Interviewer:
[83] What is the first thing you think of in the morning?ROCFanKat:
[84] Thought before coffee isn't possible.Interviewer:
[85] Is there one part of the writing process where you usually get stuck? What have you tried to change that, successful or not?ROCFanKat:
[86] The long stories always seem to get stuck about halfway through. The only thing to do is wait it out.Interviewer:
[87] Does the best writing flow for you, or does it come from rewrites?ROCFanKat:
[88] Both.Interviewer:
[89] Which part of writing do you enjoy most and why? (e.g., Taking the original notes, final rewrites...)ROCFanKat:
[90] I like the whole process.Interviewer:
[91] How often do you think about a piece when you're working on it and when do you think about it?ROCFanKat:
[92] I try not to think about it while I'm not actually writing. But ideas hit at strange times and in strange places, so maybe I'm always thinking on some level.Interviewer:
[93] When someone walks into your bedroom, what are the first five things that they're likely to notice?ROCFanKat:
[94] Books, photos, a Blue Dog poster, a sea of junk on the dresser, more books.Interviewer:
[95] Do you feel in control of your writing, or do you get carried away by your inspiration or characters?ROCFanKat:
[96] Both, and I'm not trying to be difficult by saying that. I have a general idea of where stories are going but have never been able to write a line for the demon characters. Monica and (especially) Vanessa always surprise me.Interviewer:
[97] If you consider yourself to have a muse, what exactly do you mean?ROCFanKat:
[98] Don't think it's a muse so much as luck and preparation.Interviewer:
[99] Tell the truth--are you your favorite writer, or in your own top five? Why or why not?ROCFanKat:
[100] No. Five of my favorite writers are Truman Capote, Dorothy Parker, Hunter S. Thompson, J.D. Salinger, and Linda Ellerbee--and if that's not a bizarre combination, I don't know what is.Interviewer:
[101] Would the world be a better place if women ran it or would it be basically the same?ROCFanKat:
[102] Wouldn't even want to speculate.Interviewer:
[103] What is your favorite spot where you live now?ROCFanKat:
[104] I hate where I live right now. My favorite spots back home are Bloomington and Broad Ripple.Interviewer:
[105] What books are you reading now? What about it/them is holding your attention?ROCFanKat:
[106] A Distant Mirror and Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, and I just finished a new biography of William Randolph Hearst.Interviewer:
[107] What would your friends say is your worst trait?ROCFanKat:
[108] I'd be afraid to take a survey. Just asked my best friend, and she said it would be impatience.Interviewer:
[109] Do you type with your fingers on the 'right' keys?ROCFanKat:
[110] The home keys, you mean? Yes.Interviewer:
[111] What is the longest any plant in your home has been with you?ROCFanKat:
[112] Not very long. Never had much luck with plants--and, of course, vice versa.Interviewer:
[113] Do you have any particular bedtime rituals (glass of warm milk, etc.) that you follow every night?ROCFanKat:
[114] Nope.Interviewer:
[115] If you find a spider in the bathtub, do you help it out or squish it?ROCFanKat:
[116] I almost stepped on a bat in a bathtub once, so I'm not big on icky animals in tubs. (My family lived in a big old house with lots of trees around, so we were always getting bats. You never really get used to them.)Interviewer:
[117] What was the last thing you bought that you really didn't need?ROCFanKat:
[118] Another pair of sunglasses.Interviewer:
[119] Have you ever smoked cigarettes--explain.ROCFanKat:
[120] Yes, but not for six years now. I've since developed an allergy to smoke and can't be around it; it literally makes me sick.Interviewer:
[121] Who is your favorite Greek God?ROCFanKat:
[122] On Xena, probably Aphrodite or Athena. In "real" mythology, probably Dionysus or Apollo.Interviewer:
[123] Why do fools fall in love?ROCFanKat:
[124] Nerves? (Hey, it was a good answer in Moonstruck.)Interviewer:
[125] Do you keep a diary and if so what do you call it? If so, what effect has it had on your writing?ROCFanKat:
[126] Used to keep one but don't anymore.Interviewer:
[127] How has online writing affected your life and how you see yourself, your goals?ROCFanKat:
[128] Too soon to tell, but never thought any of this stuff would be published or that I'd get to "meet" so many people around the world.Interviewer:
[129] What skill would you like to have that you don't have now?ROCFanKat:
[130] Wish I could dance.Interviewer:
[131] Who is your real life hero and why?ROCFanKat:
[132] Too many to name. One of them is the man who stood in front of that tank in Tiananmen Square.Interviewer:
[133] What fan fic story touched you so much that you still remember it vividly?ROCFanKat:
[134] Vivian Darkbloom's White Trash stories http://ausxip.com/bards.html#darkbloom, nearly killed me by making me inhale coffee. (Don't think I'm forgetting that, Darkbloom.) Rooks and Katrina also write like nobody's business, minus the Harleys.Interviewer:
[135] If you could only choose a single climate with no variation would you prefer it to be sweltering hot or freezing cold?ROCFanKat:
[136] Don't like either extreme at all, but heat would be better than cold.Interviewer:
[137] What is the first thing you notice about someone when you meet them?ROCFanKat:
[138] It's something different with everyone.Interviewer:
[139] Have you ever done something that accidentally caused something really bad to happen to someone?ROCFanKat:
[140] God, I hope not. Unless it was Kathie Lee Gifford.Interviewer:
[141] How is $25 well spent?ROCFanKat:
[142] In theory, on someone who needs it more than I do. In practice, on a night out with friends.Interviewer:
[143] Would you rather live in a sociable suburb, or alone in the deep woods?ROCFanKat:
[144] Suburb.Interviewer:
[145] What literary character did you most identify with as a child?ROCFanKat:
[146] Can't think of one in particular but really loved the Winnie the Pooh stories. Unfortunately, I may be channeling Rabbit, Owl, and Eeyore in adult life.Interviewer:
[147] What is the source of your inspiration? Where do your ideas come from?ROCFanKat:
[148] No clue, but the first draft of the first story was the direct result of seeing Bram Stoker's Dracula twice.Interviewer:
[149] What do you find most satisfying about your job?ROCFanKat:
[150] Seeing books I've edited on the shelf at Borders or Barnes & Noble.Interviewer:
[151] What are the three things you enjoy most about writing?ROCFanKat:
[152] Can't isolate three things. Almost all of it is fun.Interviewer:
[153] What were your favorite book, TV show, and movie when you were a teenager and what do you think of them now?ROCFanKat:
[154] Probably The Catcher in the Rye for the book and Cabaret for the movie. The book kind of irritates me now, but I still love the movie. Don't know about the TV show.Interviewer:
[155] What's your idea of a perfect world?ROCFanKat:
[156] Personal and political freedom for everyone. Living and letting live.Interviewer:
[157] How real is your fiction to you?ROCFanKat:
[158] Parts of it are more real than others.Interviewer:
[159] What Disney character do you most identify with and why?ROCFanKat:
[160] None; I'm Warner Bros. all the way. Depending on my mood and whether anyone's annoyed me lately, I probably identify with either Bugs Bunny or Yosemite Sam.Interviewer:
[161] Who do you read for inspiration?ROCFanKat:
[162] I listen to music for inspiration.Interviewer:
[163] What's your favorite website?ROCFanKat:
[164] Why, Whoosh!, of course. Also Slate, CNN, Borders, cowboyjunkies.com, and Salon (hate those damn pop-up ads, though).Interviewer:
[165] When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?ROCFanKat:
[166] A writer, an artist, or a musician.Interviewer:
[167] What are the limits in sacrifices for true love?ROCFanKat:
[168] None, if it's the real thing.Interviewer:
[169] If you could interview your favorite author, what questions would you ask? And, WHY?ROCFanKat:
[170] Anne Lamott is another favorite, so I'd probably interview her. I'd ask her if I could steal that story about her dog getting into the cupcakes, because it slays me.Interviewer:
[171] What makes a great kisser?ROCFanKat:
[172] Patience, technique, and Listerine.Interviewer:
[173] What have you learned from your animals?ROCFanKat:
[174] Haven't had a pet since I was little but learned that Mom got really mad when I brought dogs into the house.Interviewer:
[175] Does our society glorify violence to the point we have become desensitized to it and the consequences?ROCFanKat:
[176] Yes. Don't get me started on The Sopranos and slasher flicks.Interviewer:
[177] What is your motto?ROCFanKat:
[178] Don't have one, but I like two lines from that Mary Chapin Carpenter song: "Accidents and inspiration / Lead you to your destination."Interviewer:
[179] What do you think we take too seriously as writers?ROCFanKat:
[180] Ourselves.Interviewer:
[181] What questions should I have asked? Then answer them.ROCFanKat:
[182] Can't imagine what's left unless you want to ask, "Were you serious in that one story about Skidmarks on My Heart being the greatest pop song ever written?", in which case I would answer, "Of course not. That would be Steve Martin's King Tut."
ROCFanKat's Stories
ROCFanKat's e-mail address is: ROCFanKat@yahoo.com
ROCFanKat's site: The Devil's Workshop, at http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.html. Click the Stories button to pull up the Stories page.
There's also a Devil's Workshop mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Devilsworkshop.
And the best e-mail address to list is KSimpson@the-devils-workshop.com.Roc's Stories:
Several Devils
The first one, so I'm sort of fond of it. It was a seven-year experiment.
http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.htmlThe Average of Deviance
The first one that surprised me. A one-scene-walk-on character refused to go away, and she's been chewing the scenery ever since.
http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.htmlThe Very Devil
Probably the easiest one to write so far. The dog is based on a very real dog; I finally had to tell him that we were going to have to formalize our relationship if he didn't stop doing that.
http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.htmlNow Playing on the Jukebox in Hell
In some ways, this one's my favorite. It's also the one most likely to get me in trouble, because so much of it is (almost) true. http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.htmlThat Voodoo That You Do
Still working on this one. So far, it's surprised me as much as "Average" did.
http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.htmlShe Said, She Said
I was asked to write a short story for an anthology, and this was it. Turned out to be so much fun to write that I'm going to expand it into a prequel to "Devils" one of these days.
http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.htmlFriend in Need of Therapy
I've been stunned by the response to this thing so far. That has more to do with the end of the series than with any literary merit, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'll write at least one more.
http://www.the-devils-workshop.com/index.html
Acknowledgments
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, 61-66,68-74
Biography
Amy Murphy
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 has read it! Murphy has also tried her hand at writing fan fiction, 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)
