Pipisafoat
As time progresses here at the FLAME, all of us can attest to becoming familiar with the distinct characteristics of our mods and fellow members. We begin to recognize their silly or serious icons, silly and serious tones in chatter posts, and we start to look forward to their new stories. That's what happens when you're part of a great community - strangers connect with strangers and become neighbors and friends, glad for the chance to see one another each day.
I met, and conversed for the first time with Pip in a Chatter Post back in '09. Zie was pointing a gun at me! Well, Agent Scully in a Pip icon was pointing a gun at me. :D
I'm sure if you've been here very long, you've at least become acquainted with Pip's playfulness in Chatters, and gotten a peek at the genius zie employs when compiling the weekly Editing post. Today, my darlings, you have the opportunity to get to know more about our very own Pipisafoat!
Kathy: I have to know the inspiration behind your username.
Pip: It's from Lord of the Rings. Pip, short for Pippin, short for Peregrin Took. There's a scene in the 1st movie where he does something typically, ah, unintelligent, and Gandalf hisses "Fool of a Took!" at him - so there's your FOAT. Pip is a FOAT. But my name being pip is from pipisafoat rather than from Pippin, if that makes sense.
Kathy: :D What brought you to the FLAME, and when?
Pip: The first Spotlight brought me to the Flame, in June or July of 2008. I typically check out the most interesting spotlighted community, though that's a recent habit. I don't know why I clicked on it that time, but I don't regret it. If you'll let me reminisce for a minute ... I was one of the first members of the editing team, back when each of us had around 10 edits each week. I didn't start writing until September, but I think I started doing behind-the-scenes work in December of that year or so, though I refused the title of moderator as long as I could get away with it. At any rate, I got here with no small amount of magic, and it would take a large amount of magic to drag me away.
Kathy: When did you start writing, and what would you say inspired you to start writing?
Pip: Short answer: I've been writing since before I could write. Seriously. Last Christmas, I gave everyone in my family a copy of my first book, which was created by me when I was 2 or 3, actually written by my sister (8 or 9 years old), and illustrated by my brother (6 or 7 years old). I just never stopped. When you've got characters in your head demanding page time, you just have to give in, am I right?
Ummmmmmm. I don't know? I've just always. I'm missing a lot of memory from my childhood, but writing was an escape, so I'm sure that encouraged me, though the inspiration is a good question. As for direct influences, well, only in the last couple of months has my family actually embraced the idea that I can and do write, so again - good question!
Kathy: I know you have a tendency to name your cars, computers, etc. (that just tickles me) To what do you attribute that? Oh ... I have a burgandy 2003 Ford Explorer that has a tremendous stereo ... what would you name him?
Pip: Seriously, I don't know. It's just a thing I do. Everything has a story. It's easier to tell that story when your character has a name. I did that when I was little with my stuffed animals. Actually, some of my friends did, too, and we, uh, RPed with them? Yeah. We used to name our Beanie Babies after Harry Potter characters and act out whatever scenes we felt like. Then it evolved to creating our own scenes with them. We never wrote any of it down, though, which actually relieves me quite a bit. There were some ridiculous plotlines.
As for your car, I don't know! I'd have to meet it. But all cars are girls, including my sister's, who is named Jeff. Just something to keep in mind.
Kathy: But ... it's actually a truck?
Pip: Trucks can be girls, too! And don't look at me like that - it's not my rule. You know I don't believe in gender boundaries for anything or anybody who doesn't want them.
Kathy: *ponders name of the Big Red Truck* Alrighty then!
*lots of unrelated chatting happens*
Kathy: The fanfic that I"ve read of yours (L&O SVU and IPS) are fascinating because you manage to capture the characters so well. What other fandoms have you participated in, and tell us what draws you to them.
Pip: Well, as you might guess, I started off writing Harry Potter fanfic. I've also written in: 1776, Firefly, House MD, NCIS, Psych, Rammstein (band-fic), Scrubs, X-Files, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The West Wing. A lot of those are just comment-fic, not "real" fic, so I barely count them. My main fandoms were HP, Rammstein, NCIS, and now In Plain Sight. I just get really into TV shows, and if I let myself get anywhere near fandom, I get sucked in and can't escape. I like to write. If a character gets in my head, they're pretty well stuck.
Kathy: You fanficked 1776? *lots of shocking revelations about 1776 fan-fic* *kathy falls over* Of all your fandoms, which character/person would you like to meet and would you want to ask them a question first, or take 'em out to dinner first?
Pip: [Favorite?] UM UM UM UM UM I DON'T KNOW. See, I love everyone. I'm going to have to say Angel, from Buffy/Angel, but only because that's what I was watching most recently. I'm really bad at picking favorites. But he'd be sort of awkward to take out to dinner, what with being a vampire and all, so I guess we would just hang out! I would want him to teach me weapony things. However, if we're talking actors, I really want to hang out with Fred Weller. He's a pretty cool person, I gather. I think we could nerd out together, and he has great taste in hats, and he's also really friendly and a genuinely good person, which has a big appeal.
Kathy: FWeller :)
What were your top 3 favorite subjects in school? You can pick all the way back in elementary if you like.
Pip: Well, I'm an English major, so that. I was a German major, so that, too. I loved the grammar classes. I love grammar. (This is not a surprise for most Flamers, I think.) However, I'm still very much the science & math nerd product of my high school, so. But that's a hobby, not a learning-in-school love. So are computer things. I'd really love to take a class in contra dancing, does that count? There. English, German, and contra dancing. What does that say about me, I wonder?
Kathy: That you use your entire brain? :D What's the last movie you saw at the cinema?
Pip: Despicable Me! Adorable. Loved it.
Kathy: If you had the ability to do any circus act whatsoever, what would it be?
Pip: I want to learn how to throw knives. Nobody seems to think that'd be a good idea.
Kathy: You obviously know a lot of uptight people. So, you've been working behind and in front of the scenes with BF for almost two years now, was that your first venture into editing? Do you aspire to edit professionally?
Pip: It was not. I've been a beta since I was 13 years old in fandom, though that was mostly grammar check for authors for whom English was not their first language. It was my first time dipping my toes into real content editing for other people. I feel like I've definitely honed my skills here and certainly intend to keep doing so. And yes, I do aspire to edit professionally! That's been my only solid career goal for years. I've always been pushed into also have a "realistic" goal, which doesn't stay the same for a week, so it's pretty clear to me what I really want.
Kathy: Have you submitted any of your writing (or wish to) for anything besides classes?
Pip: I have not, but I'd love to. However, most of what I'm most proud of is fanfiction, which doesn't work. I have a hard time being confident in most of my work. Of what's left, I'm not willing to submit one piece of a character who's giving me lots of pieces to tell his whole story, and there's some concern about the content of other things - It's well written, or so I hear, but it's not the kind of content you really want to read about, so it's not going to get anywhere. But I'd love to, at some point. It's just working myself up to that that's the problem. I'll have to hire some cheerleaders to boost my confidence first :P
Kathy: Look around, you'll find plenty :) I just got a copy of Atlas Shrugged - have you read it? Any other good books to recommend for us?
Pip: I love Atlas Shrugged. I like books that make me think. AS and A Planet Called Treason are both on my "thinky thoughts reading list" that I go through each summer. [Also,] Rules by Cynthia Lord. It was assigned for my Children's Literature class in the spring - excellent class! - and I just reread it. It's pretty good. It's in the first person which tends to annoy me, but it was still a good read. It's a young adult novel told from the point of view of the sister of a mentally challenged boy, written by the mother of such a boy. I like it because it's a good look at girls of that age, children with mental handicaps, and also children with physical handicaps. It's not my favorite book ever, but I recommend checking it out of the library at least.
Kathy: Which of your entries are you going to let me feature?
Pip: [In Plain Sight fandom, Jamieverse AU] http://thefoatbook.dreamwidth.org/28602.html
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