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Introduction (01)
Marion's Head (02-179)
Marion's Stories
Acknowledgments
Articles
Biography
INSIDE THE HEAD OF MARION TUTTLE
Introduction
"Are their any warriors in the audience?"
[01] I'm an old fashioned kind of reader. My favorite stories of all time to read are with Xena and Gabrielle and it will always be that way. Marion is among the many writers that I love. If you just want to live and read about your Bard and Warrior, she's one of the people to see. Let's get to know her.
Marion's Head
Interviewer:
[02] Why did you start writing?Marion:
[03] I always wrote, from the time I was very young. It just seemed to come naturally to me.Interviewer:
[04] If you had to do it all over, would you be a bard? Would you write?Marion:
[05] Without question. I really do like the outlet it gives me.Interviewer:
[06] Give us a brief day in the life of Marion.Marion:
[07] I don't really follow any set routine. I mean, yes, I get up and go to work every day. I work for a mortgage brokerage company. But outside the office I just do whatever happens to strike me. I draw and write quite a bit to unwind. Go out and play the occasional game of pool, and just basically go with the flow of things.Interviewer:
[08] How do you handle stress?Marion:
[09] I try to avoid stress whenever possible. But seriously, I learned the hard way that sometimes it is better to just let go of things than to worry over something that you may not be able to change anyway. I've learned to separate the things I can change from the things I can't. It's cut way down on my stress level.Interviewer:
[10] Years from now, how would you want to be remembered?Marion:
[11] As someone that always spoke her mind and tried to do the best for the people I loved.Interviewer:
[12] What is your pet peeve?Marion:
[13] I have very little patience for people that are not motivated to make their life better if they don't like where they are. I have heard some people complain they don't like this or that about their life, but they take no action other than to sit around and gripe. I'm the first to admit that nothing is perfect, however if you don't like something than take some action to do something about it.Interviewer:
[14] Who is Marion?Marion:
[15] I'm not all that complex. I'm a 41 year old mother of two and my friends tell me that sometimes I'm a little too impulsive for my own good. But hey, it keeps life interesting.Interviewer:
[16] What is the most sensitive part on your body?Marion:
[17] My throat, and being a typical Taurus it's also my biggest weakness.Interviewer:
[18] Do you think fans ask to much from stars?Marion:
[19] At times yes, sometimes fans forget that stars are people too. They have the right to their privacy and they are human. I have seen times when people have been upset because they met a star that was having a bad day and didn't live up to what they thought they should be. They can't be "On" all the time.Interviewer:
[20] What do you see yourself doing in the future? Future projects?Marion:
[21] I've always toyed with the idea of writing a novel. I've even started one a couple of times but it just wasn't right at the time.Interviewer:
[22] How do you handle depression?Marion:
[23] I'm generally a pretty happy person, but if I do start feeling a little depressed I remind myself of all I have to be grateful for and the fact that there are a lot of people in the world that have things worse than I do. It doesn't take long to wake you up when you stop and look around at what some people in the world today have to deal with.Interviewer:
[24] What was the hardest thing you ever did?Marion:
[25] Getting through my Mother's death. I was going through a divorce at the same time. For a while just getting through the day was tough.Interviewer:
[26] What was the easiest?Marion:
[27] Making the decision to move to Texas from Vermont. It was a big move but it just felt right.Interviewer:
[28] What advice can you give to future writers?Marion:
[29] Writing professors will say write what you know. I would add write what you love. If you truly care what you are writing about it seems to make it easier for me.Interviewer:
[30] How did it feel to be published?Marion:
[31] I haven't had anything published nationally, just some very local things. But it was still quite a feeling to see words and ideas that once only existed in my head in print, being read and enjoyed by other people.Interviewer:
[32] What has the show Xena meant to you?Marion:
[33] I met the love of my life because of this show. No matter what else happens from here on, with the debate over the ending and any future projects, I will always be immensely grateful for that. That reason alone would guarantee Xena: Warrior Princess a special place in my heart.Interviewer:
[34] How do you feel about its end?Marion:
[35] I am going to try and be nice here, I didn't like it at all. I could, and have gone on and on about why. I'll just say I think it was a poor way to end it.Interviewer:
[36] What are your dreams? Hopes? Wishes?Marion:
[37] I'm pretty happy with the way my life is. I want to have my kids down here full time soon. Once I have that I can't say there is much more I would want. It would be nice to make a living at writing. Stranger things have happened.Interviewer:
[38] Who do you trust?Marion:
[39] I trust my girlfriend with my life. For me that is saying a lot. Before I met her I had real issues with trust. She taught me a lot and still teaches me about love and trust every day.Interviewer:
[40] If you are a parent, what is the greatest wish you have for your child?Marion:
[41] I want my children to be happy and be the best that they can be. I have told them I don't care what they want to be as long as it makes them happy and they are the best they can be at it.Interviewer:
[42] What would you say every writer needs?Marion:
[43] A real love for whatever they choose to write about.Interviewer:
[44] Do you believe in prayer? Explain.Marion:
[45] Wholeheartedly! It has gotten me through some very tough times.Interviewer:
[46] How do you feel about subtext?Marion:
[47] That's an easy one, I believe! If any one has ever read any of my Xena fan fic it would be abundantly clear what my feelings on subtext are.Interviewer:
[48] What makes your best friend your best friend?Marion:
[49] I've known my best friend since we were kids. There is nothing we can't talk about. He is one of the few people I feel completely and totally at ease with. He knows me, warts and all.Interviewer:
[50] 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?Marion:
[51] I have never had any of my work read in public, at least not that I know of. I would love to hear it some day. I think it would be interesting to see if someone reading it would feel the same highs and lows in their voice reading it as I did writing it.Interviewer:
[52] What's the most romantic thing anyone has done for you?Marion:
[53] Trying to cook a roast. I know that sounds funny but you have to realize this came from a person that doesn't cook or at the time didn't. The fact that she wanted to make a nice dinner for me after I had been out of town all week just struck me as very romantic. The fact that the pan with the roast in blew up on the stove did nothing to take away from the gesture.Interviewer:
[54] What theme would you like to tackle in your next work?Marion:
[55] That depends if we are talking about fan fic. I would love to write a story about Xena putting Ares in the Tomb. I personally think that should have been the theme of the last couple of shows, not all this Japan fluff. If we're talking non-Xena related I would love to write one of those books about little things in life that you see and wonder about.Interviewer:
[56] What was the last thing that made you smile recently?Marion:
[57] A song my five year old son sang to me. He was just so funny singing this little song to me it made me laugh.Interviewer:
[58] What made you angry?Marion:
[59] Besides the end of the series you mean?Interviewer:
[60] You now have absolute authority over the world. Omnipotent in all areas. What's your first move?Marion:
[61] Give everyone the equal right to marry.Interviewer:
[62] Do you have stalkers? If so, how have you handled them?Marion:
[63] No I can't say that I do, thank God.Interviewer:
[64] How would you categorize your best writing, and give the URLs for them if posted?Marion:
[65] My best writing has some ring of truth in it. A lot of times I take experiences I have had in life and put the characters I am writing about in that situation. If you know me and read my work you might see a lot of me in it sometimes.Interviewer:
[66] What stupid thing did you do as a teen?Marion:
[67] When I turned 18 my first job was tending bar, I would drink and then drive -- stupid, stupid, stupid! I just thank God that I never hurt myself or anybody else.Interviewer:
[68] What, if anything, can stop you writing, if only for a while?Marion:
[69] I usually write no matter what. For me it's therapeutic.Interviewer:
[70] In your opinion, do you fit your astrological sign?Marion:
[71] I'm a Taurus. Deb says I am stubborn as a bull over some things. I guess that's true, but only in some things.Interviewer:
[72] What to you is the worst feeling in the world?Marion:
[73] Not being in control. I don't mean that as a dominating thing. I just hate it when things happen that are beyond my control and they make an impact on my life. I like to think that I am steering my ship in the direction I want it to go. But every once in a while something happens I can't control, I just hate that.Interviewer:
[74] The best feeling in the world?Marion:
[75] Loving someone unconditionally and knowing they love you the same way.Interviewer:
[76] Favorite song of the moment?Marion:
[77] Dance by LeAnn Womack. The words struck me as something I would say to my children.Interviewer:
[78] What is the first thing you think of in the morning?Marion:
[79] Alarm clocks should be illegal.Interviewer:
[80] Is there one part of the writing process where you usually get stuck? What have you tried to change about that, successful or not?Marion:
[81] Sometimes I will have the characters in one spot and I will know where I want them to end up, but I get stuck trying to figure out how to get from point a to point b and have it make sense. That's when a fresh eye helps a lot. If I'm stuck, I'll have Deb read a rough draft and give me her input.Interviewer:
[82] Does the best writing flow for you, or does it come from rewrites?Marion:
[83] Both, really. I'll write a very bare bones outline just to get the story line down and then go back and flesh it out with details and dialogue.Interviewer:
[84] Which part of writing do you enjoy most and why?Marion:
[85] Again, both parts for different reasons. When I first get an idea for a story I like setting the stage as it were. But then I like to fill in and make the story come to life.Interviewer:
[86] How often do you think about a piece when you're working on it and when do you think about it?Marion:
[87] I don't really make a concerted effort to think about it unless I'm writing. A lot of times Deb is my sounding board I'll say "What do you think about this?" and she will make suggestion here and there. Truth be told she is as responsible for a lot of these stories as I am.Interviewer:
[88] When someone walks into your bedroom, what are the first five things that they're likely to notice?Marion:
[89] I have a picture of a wolf hanging over the bed; I'm a big wolf fan. The fact that the bed is never made I guess. Other than that everything is pretty much in its place... most of the time.Interviewer:
[90] Do you feel in control of your writing, or do you get carried away by your inspiration or characters?Marion:
[91] A little bit of both really. I like to keep a control of the story but sometimes rather than just writing the obvious I will sit back and say "OK, given what I know about this character how would the handle this situation?" And then I just kind of let it play out in my head. Sometimes I am even a little surprised at where things end up.Interviewer:
[92] If you consider yourself to have a muse, what exactly do you mean?Marion:
[93] It's a feeling more than anything, nothing tangible I could put a name too. I will be sitting around sometimes and just feel like I have to get up and write something.Interviewer:
[94] Tell the truth--are you your favorite writer, or in your own top five? Why or why not?Marion:
[95] Well, I have to admit I like what I write or I would never put it in a public place where other people could see it. I read a lot too. Now if we are talking fan fiction, I really like CN Winter and T. Novan. Non-Xena related I like Stephen King.Interviewer:
[96] Would the world be a better place if women ran it or would it be basically the same?Marion:
[97] I guess it would depend on the women. I don't think that gender makes the person. I think it is more the ideals they believe in.Interviewer:
[98] What is your favorite spot where you live now?Marion:
[99] Our front porch. We have a ritual on the weekend where we have our coffee out on the front porch. It is so nice to sit out there in the morning when everything is still and just have some quiet time where we can just talk about anything and relax.Interviewer:
[100] What books are you reading now? What about it/them is holding your attention?Marion:
[101] Bag Of Bones by Stephen King. I haven't really gotten far enough into it to say much about it though.Interviewer:
[102] What would your friends say is your worst trait?Marion:
[103] My tendency to get on a soap box about some things.Interviewer:
[104] Do you type with your fingers on the right keys?Marion:
[105] There are right keys? I guess that would be a no.Interviewer:
[106] What is the longest any plant in your home has been with you?Marion:
[107] God graced me with many gifts, a green thumb was not one of them. I could kill the plastic ones. The plants are Deb's department.Interviewer:
[108] Do you have any particular bedtime rituals (glass of warm milk, etc.) that you follow every night?Marion:
[109] Not really. I just do whatever until I'm tired enough to go to sleep.Interviewer:
[110] If you find a spider in the bathtub, do you help it out or squish it?Marion:
[111] Probably just turn on the water, I'm not afraid of spiders, but I have seen some pretty nasty spider bites and I don't really want to have to deal with that.Interviewer:
[112] What was the last thing you bought that you really didn't need?Marion:
[113] A carving of a wolf and an Indian in a birch canoe for what I call my "Wolf case". I didn't need it at all but I wanted it.Interviewer:
[114] Have you ever smoked cigarettes--explain.Marion:
[115] I used to be a really heavy smoker, about three packs a day in fact. But at the time I was singing in a band and started having real problems with my voice. The doctor told me the cigarettes or my voice was going to go. I decided the habit wasn't worth losing my voice over. I quit cold turkey and haven't touched one in years.Interviewer:
[116] Who is your favorite Greek God?Marion:
[117] I like Ares and Aphrodite; talk about being diametrically opposed. But I like them both for different reasons.Interviewer:
[118] Why do fools fall in love?Marion:
[119] Because it feels good.Interviewer:
[120] Do you keep a diary and if so what do you call it? If so, what effect has it had on your writing?Marion:
[121] No. If anyone were to read it they would never believe it.Interviewer:
[122] How has online writing affected your life and how you see yourself, your goals?Marion:
[123] In a way I guess it affects everyone to some degree. With the internet we can exchange thoughts and ideas with people we never would have been able to before. People from all over the world have read things I have written on line and written me. I guess it has opened my eyes even more to the thought that anything is possible.Interviewer:
[124] What skill would you like to have that you don't have now?Marion:
[125] Some day I would really love to learn to sail.Interviewer:
[126] Who is your real life hero and why?Marion:
[127] That would have to have been my Mother. She was a woman that didn't have a lot of formal education but was very intelligent. She encouraged me and taught me that I could do whatever I wanted even when everyone said it couldn't be done. She raised my sister and I after my dad passed away when I was very young and gave us both a lot. She was an amazing woman and if I can be half of what she was I will feel like I accomplished a lot in my life.Interviewer:
[128] What fan fic story touched you so much that you still remember it vividly?Marion:
[129] I loved T. Novan's Raising Melosa series, she covered just about every gambit of emotion in that one.
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/rm/index.htmlInterviewer:
[130] If you could only choose a single climate with no variation would you prefer it to be sweltering hot or freezing cold?Marion:
[131] I don't like extremes, but if I had to pick one I would rather have it hot.Interviewer:
[132] What is the first thing you notice about someone when you meet them?Marion:
[133] Their eyes. You can tell a lot about someone just by looking into their eyes.Interviewer:
[134] Have you ever done something that accidentally caused something really bad to happen to someone?Marion:
[135] No. I am thankful for that.Interviewer:
[136] How is $25 well spent?Marion:
[137] On my children.Interviewer:
[138] Would you rather live in a sociable suburb, or alone in the deep woods?Marion:
[139] In the woods I think. Don't get me wrong, I am a very social person but I love having privacy in my home.Interviewer:
[140] What literary character did you most identify with as a child?Marion:
[141] I don't know how literary you will consider this but I was a lot like the Cat In The Hat. I was always into something I shouldn't have been. But I was just curious, not bad and I always seemed to make things work out in the end so that it all turned out all right.Interviewer:
[142] What is the source of your inspiration?Marion:
[143] Life in general. Just look around you and you can find something that will move you.Interviewer:
[144] Where do your ideas come from?Marion:
[145] There isn't any one place. Sometimes something as simple as someone talking about their day will give me an idea for some thing. Or thinking about taking a vacation. That's one of the things I love about writing, you can go anywhere in the world you want. Even places that aren't real if that's what you want to do. All without worrying about reservations.Interviewer:
[146] What do you find most satisfying about your job?Marion:
[147] I help people get into their homes and find ways for them to make their life better by getting out of debt. It's a good feeling to watch someone sign the papers on their first real home and then think of all the happy memories they are going to build there.Interviewer:
[148] What are the three things you enjoy most about writing?Marion:
[149] It's a creative and a personal outlet for me. It really does relieve stress for me sometimes and it is cheaper than prozac.Interviewer:
[150] What were your favorite book, TV show, and movie when you were a teenager and what do you think of them now?Marion:
[151] I read A Separate Peace when I was in high school; the friendship between the two main characters struck me. Funny, that kind of carries over into Xena and Gabrielle a little huh? For TV I liked Facts Of Life I sort of identified a lot with Jo we were about the same age and had a lot in common. I still catch it occasionally on Nick At Night. As far as movies I liked Rocky, still do. Just someone that was willing to take on impossible odds and ends up winning it all.Interviewer:
[152] What's your idea of a perfect world?Marion:
[153] For me a perfect world would have everyone equal in every way. All people would have the same chances and opportunities. What they did with those opportunities would be completely up to them.Interviewer:
[154] How real is your fiction to you?Marion:
[155] Like I said earlier some parts of it are very real, even though you are reading about Xena and Gabrielle in ancient Greece. You are also reading in a very real sense something I have been through.Interviewer:
[156] What Disney character do you most identify with and why?Marion:
[157] Probably Bell from Beauty And The Beast. I like to think I look past the surface with people to find the person that is really there underneath all the superficial things that are on top.Interviewer:
[158] Who do you read for inspiration?Marion:
[159] Well, I said before I like CN Winter's style. As a matter of fact, I wrote my first fan fiction after reading one of her stories. http://cnwinters.tripod.com/Interviewer:
[160] What's your favorite website?Marion:
[161] I have three:
The Ultimate Fan Fiction Directory http://www.xenafanfiction.com
Mary D's http://ausxip.com/new.html
LynKa's http://amazontrails.com/xena/xenanew.htmInterviewer:
[162] When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?Marion:
[163] I wanted to be an artist. In a way I still get to do that. I do still paint and draw, truth is I give away more than I sell. If someone says they like something I usually just give it to them. I'm a soft touch.Interviewer:
[164] What are the limits in sacrifices for true love?Marion:
[165] I can't think of anything I wouldn't do for the people I love.Interviewer:
[166] If you could interview your favorite author, what questions would you ask? And, WHY?Marion:
[167] I'd like to know how they manage to get everything spelled correctly. Mine leaves a lot to be desired.Interviewer:
[168] What makes a great kisser?Marion:
[169] You have to put your heart in it. Kissing someone that you don't love is kind of like eating popcorn with no butter. It's ok but not something I care to do.Interviewer:
[170] What have you learned from your animals?Marion:
[171] Accept people for what they are.Interviewer:
[172] Does our society glorify violence to the point we have become desensitized to it and the consequences?Marion:
[173] To a degree yes, every once and a while we see something so horrific we can't help but be appalled. Sadly though, a lot of things get shrugged off.Interviewer:
[174] What is your motto?Marion:
[175] Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out of it alive.Interviewer:
[176] What do you think we take too seriously as writers?Marion:
[177] Negative criticism. I don't care how well someone writes or how well they express their ideas. There is always going to be some smart alec that thinks they can do it better and will proceed to tell you all you have done wrong. I have been blessed in that 98% of the feedback I get has been very positive. There have been a few that just pick apart what I write. My response to them is that they have a right to their opinion and if they think they can do better, than by all means write a story of your own and post it.Interviewer:
[178] What questions should I have asked? Then answer them.Marion:
[179] I think you hit all the high points.
MARION's STORIES
Marion's e-mail address is: mariontuttle@hotmail.com
All of Marion's works are on Lynka's page. http://amazontrails.com/xena/altfict.htm
Links are available, no summaries:
Hope for Hope
http://amazontrails.com/xena/hopefor1.htmA Warlord's Vengance
http://amazontrails.com/xena/vengance1.htmThe Battle for Gabrielle's Soul
http://amazontrails.com/xena/gabs_soul.htmOn Her Own Terms
http://amazontrails.com/xena/ownterms.htmUnderstanding
http://amazontrails.com/xena/understanding_tuttle.htmReflections
http://amazontrails.com/xena/reflections_tuttle.htmTell Me Why
http://amazontrails.com/xena/tellmewhy.htmAfter the Crusade
http://amazontrails.com/xena/crusade.htmMy Saving Grace:
http://amazontrails.com/xena/grace.htmAfter the Return
http://amazontrails.com/xena/after.htmVoices
http://amazontrails.com/xena/voices.htmWill You Remember Me?
http://amazontrails.com/xena/willyou.htmResurrection
http://amazontrails.com/xena/resurection.htmHow to Mend a Broken Heart
http://amazontrails.com/xena/mend.htmSearch for Truth
http://amazontrails.com/xena/search.htmA Deafening Quiet
http://amazontrails.com/xena/deafening.htmEyes of An Angel
http://amazontrails.com/xena/angel.htmMisunderstandings
http://amazontrails.com/xena/misunder.htmDeath's Shadow
http://amazontrails.com/xena/deathshadow.htmHearts Hidden Desire
http://amazontrails.com/xena/hidden.htmFighting the Dark
http://amazontrails.com/xena/fighting.htmThe Wedding
http://amazontrails.com/xena/wedding.htmA Brother's Betrayal
http://amazontrails.com/xena/brothers.htmAres' Challenge
http://amazontrails.com/xena/challenge.htmFinding the Way (Revised)
http://amazontrails.com/xena/findingway.htmConfessions After Twilight
http://amazontrails.com/xena/confessions.htmReclaiming Destiny
http://amazontrails.com/xena/reclaiming.htm
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, 61-66,68-75
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)
