LEXICON NOTE:
This interview with Bobbi Carothers was written in early 1998.

* * *

1. Name/Nick:

Bobbi Carothers

2. E-mail address:

carother@psych.rochester.edu

3. Home page name and URL:

Maybe in another few weeks...

4. URL where your fanfics can be found:

Lexicon Note: Right here!

5. Age:

22

Lexicon Note: This was in 1998.

6. Gender:

female

7. Transformers fanfics I've written:

Origins, Facing Up, Learning the Hard Way, Transitions, Don't Say I Didn't Warn You, New Guy, and a few more on the way.

8. Favorite Transformers fanfic I've written and why:

I'd have to say that Facing Up is the best one so far. It was written totally on inspiration with very little thought at all and came out quickly as a result, but it still worked well. Even though it's really part of a trilogy, it can actually stand on its own as a complete story. The emotional nature of many of the scenes is probably the best feature of the story. (Hey, when you can't write action scenes to save your life, you need something to fill in the gaps. ;)

9. Favorite Transformers fanfic written by someone else:

Geez, it's so hard to pick one... I'd say "Milestones" by Rob Jung. His writing is excellent all the way around, and this fic tapped an emotional key with each of the main characters. (I go for the really sappy stuff.) Damn thing nearly had me in tears in the computer lab where I first read it.

10. Transformers fanfics I wish I'd written and why:

Brandie Tarvin has a piece called "Chosen" which is absolutely fantastic. Not only does she get into the characters' heads, but the mysticism surrounding the whole plot is thicker than the five-month-old jar of peanut butter in my kitchen. The characterization is perfect, and the interactions between them occur on a profound level. I can't wait until it gets finished.

11. What influences me to write Transformers fanfic the way I do:

Mostly, other fanfic writers. Reading Rob's stuff gave me the guts to post my own, and I'm glad I did. I try not to let other fiction influence my own stories too much, but I have to admit that I borrow things here and there. When it comes to plotlines, they generally come to me out of thin air. When it comes to writing style, I have many excellent predecessors who I look up to, Rob Jung and Ivy Bohnlein in particular.

12. Parts of my Transformers fanfics that are based on events in real life:

More than I'd like to admit, sometimes. ;) There's a section in "Transitions" that deals with the inherent difficulties of long-distance relationships, which characterized a good portion of my life.

13. What I'd like to change about the Transformers fanfics I've written:

I can't really think of too much... they actually came out better than I thought they would, and I found a lot of nifty little links upon re-reading that I hadn't even thought of when I wrote them. There's a lot of room for improvement, and given the time I hope to fill that room, but I'm happy with things so far.

14. Have you had any interesting feedback as a result of your Transformers fanfics?:

I haven't gotten as much criticism as I'd like. I'm guessing that the people who hated it just didn't bother writing, which is understandable. Most of the feedback has been positive, which is nice, but I'm sure there are things I still have to work on. I'm still waiting for the day when someone comes along to give me a boot and says "you need to work on this..."

That will be a happy day indeed.

The End