This month I’m featuring Athena, who has been the resident monthly fic author for NoStunts Magazine since the spring of 2023.
This is a regular installment of No Stunts Magazine, so if you’re excited about authors and peeking behind the curtain in their brains, I encourage you to look at the last few issues for profiles of your favorite Fic Authors. Check out the most recent for June 2024 – WildestDreams.
If you like this feature, want to chat, or give me suggestions for future profiles, please hit me up on X. @Rosann_1986.
Handle: @sunflower728369
Pronouns: He/She/They
Works: The Fashion Issue, Kiss Me at Midnight, A Gallery Just for You and Me, The Birthday Present
Rosann: Welcome and thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! What do you like people to call you?
Athena: Most people call me Athena.
Rosann: Thank you, Athena. First question, how did you decide to get started writing fanfic for the 1D/Larry fandom? How long did you write before you published for the fandom?
Athena: I’ve loved writing fiction my entire life. It’s always been such an amazing creative outlet for me, even from the time I was little. When I got a bit older I discovered fanfiction and started reading some from various fandoms that I was in. When I became a fan of One Direction and a Larrie, I had the realization of “I could do this too” and started writing very short fics that I would post on Twitter. I went on writing like that for a few months before reaching out to Alter and asking if I could write for the magazine. Now I’ve been writing with No Stunts Mag for over a year!
Rosann: That’s great! A perfect match! Aside from your monthly No Stunts Mag fanfic, do you write and publish fics anywhere else?
Athena: When it comes to writing, my main focus is writing for No Stunts Mag and I spend lots of time trying to make sure all of my fics are as good as I can possibly make them before submitting them. As of right now the only way to read my work is through the magazine, but I’m going to be working on uploading all of the fics that I’ve written to AO3. I also may use AO3 to publish some extra stuff or some fics that are outside of the sort of thing that I typically write for the magazine.
Rosann: I love the idea of a repository of your fics on AO3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written and where did the idea come from? How long did it take you from first idea to publication?
Athena: My favorite fic that I’ve written is probably The Fashion Issue. Every month I try to write to the theme of the magazine and I remember that month Alter had given me a wonderful suggestion about incorporating the Vogue September issue since I was writing this specific fic for the September issue of No Stunts Mag. I never knew before then that the September issue was such a big deal so I did some research and decided to write it into a party storyline. I think I spent about three weeks from the first idea to submitting it to the magazine for publication.
Rosann: That’s amazing – I love that you write to deadline every month! I don’t want you to out your anonymity, but can you tell us if you’ve written under other names, or if you’re perhaps traditionally published? Are you professionally trained?
Athena: I haven’t published under any other names, nor am I traditionally published or professionally trained as of right now. However, one day I hope to traditionally publish under my real name. I’m currently working on a novel that I hope will become a series!
Rosann: Good luck on your novel! How do you handle writer’s block (if you experience it).
Athena: I sometimes get really bad writer’s block and can’t find any motivation or inspiration for my fics. The way that I typically handle it is by looking through my past works and trying to find some sort of inspiration there. Sometimes looking at what I’ve created in the past gives me the little boost that I need to get writing again. If that doesn’t work sometimes I look through other fics or even books to see if I can find something small that I can build off of like a location. For example, I might be struggling with writer’s block and read a story that has a mall in it and suddenly have a great idea for how I could write my own story with a mall. If neither of those things work then I usually look through writing prompts. Eventually, something always clicks.
Rosann: Great suggestions for writer’s block. I love the idea of getting inspiration from your own past work. Do you read other things while you’re writing? Why or why not?
Athena: Typically while I’m writing I don’t read much because I find myself comparing myself to other authors and I think it’s healthier to stay away from that. Also, sometimes I get too sucked into something I’m reading and start procrastinating my writing. I do read small amounts while writing though and when I do sometimes I find inspiration for whatever story I happen to be working on.
Rosann: You’ve hit on my own biggest problem with getting writing done – too distracted by reading. A lot of times, the “real world” frowns on fanfic in general. Have you had this experience? Do your friends and family know what you write–and how do you deal with questions about it?
Athena: Because of the stigma around fanfiction, I haven’t told anyone in my “real life” about my writing. None of my friends or family even know that I am on stan Twitter. It makes writing tricky sometimes because it’s all done in complete secrecy.
Rosann: I hate that there’s such a stigma around fanfic writing, when it’s so brilliant. There’s a big writers’ community inside the fandom which makes it a bit easier. I’ve noticed that a lot of writers include people from the boys’ real lives/situations. What are your thoughts for including personal things like that or not?
Athena: I really think it depends on what sort of personal thing is being included and what the context is. If it’s something very private and personal like grief or a personal struggle then I think it’s best to stay away from writing it in fics out of respect. On the other hand, if it’s something like using their friends from their real lives as side characters I think that it can be a fun thing to include. I have a tendency to add people that the boys know into my fics as background characters. In my most recent fic, Oli is Louis’ secretary. So, as long as the context is respectful and it’s not something too personal I don’t see an issue with including some things from the boys’ real lives.
Rosann: Lately there has been some discussion on stan Twitter about what authors of fanfic “must” do (for example, provide trigger warnings). What do you think a writer has responsibility for to their readers? Conversely, do you think readers have any responsibility to writers (for example, leaving kudos or comments)?
Athena: I think that, as writers, we do have a responsibility to our readers to give content warnings. It’s important to respect the fact that some people are not okay with reading about certain topics and to do this we need to give them the tools to avoid that material. On the other side of it, I think that readers need to remember that fanfic authors put our work out there for them to read for free. Because of that, I think that readers should consider spreading support for the fics they enjoy through kudos, comments, liking the writer’s posts about the fic, etc. I’m not saying they have to do anything, but I think it’s the kind thing to do considering the time and effort that go into these stories.
Rosann: Excellent point. Can you give other burgeoning writers some writing tips–for writing or publishing?
Athena: The biggest tip I can give is to not write so much that you end up burning yourself out. I cannot stress that enough. Your best quality work will always be created when you are being kind to yourself and respecting when you need a break.
Rosann: Great tip. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer my questions. Good luck with your continued writing!
Please go follow Athena on X (@Sunflower728369) and read their most recent work on @nostunts magazine, here: No Stunts Larry Fic – Our Little Secret – No Stunts Magazine
