Sean Catlett:
Shit yeah, that's when I first heard of you. But this was after The Art of Love and Demon, right?
Stephen Zacharus:
Yes. I don't know where the fuck "The Art of Love" came from. It blows. I don't know why I even wrote it. I think it was basically a prologue/setup for the "New Republic" universe I'd explore more deeply with "Demon" and "Bloodbound." But! I don't regret writing it, because Sonic Dust wrote a hilarious MST on it. "Demon," though, was a genuinely interesting idea. I remember exactly when I wrote it: September 11, 2001.
Sean Catlett:
Why? ... Oh, right....
Stephen Zacharus:
Yeesh. Anyway, it was basically symbolism. My response, I guess, to the infamous terrorist attack. A sort of social commentary. And, to tell you the truth, I think it's the only fan story I've written that actually takes itself seriously.
Sean Catlett:
What about Everybody's Going Bananas!!!?
Stephen Zacharus:
Heee. Total 180. That was very much inspired by the song.
Sean Catlett:
It made me cry all the same.
Stephen Zacharus:
I've said this before, but that's my favorite story in my fanfiction portfolio. Anyway, I was listening to the song, and for the hell of it I decided to put it on repeat. The idea just developed from there.
Sean Catlett:
And the rest... is dumb.
Stephen Zacharus:
Yes. Well, no, not really, but I like "Everybody's Going Bananas!!!" for a number of reasons. It was just one of those ideas that just popped out of my head and into the computer almost simultaneously. Which is a rare, exhilarating thing.
Sean Catlett:
Yeah, it's nice.
Stephen Zacharus:
"Bleed" happened in much the same fashion, actually.
Sean Catlett:
Yes, let's talk about that. Where it come from?
Stephen Zacharus:
I've told you this before, but it was essentially my answer to your stuff. I noticed how damn popular your stories were, and thought, "Hmm, I should take a cue from him."
Sean Catlett:
Sort of a "It's not that fucking hard, guys!!" thing?
Stephen Zacharus:
No no, I'm not that much of an asshole. I had just read "Blooms" and "So Far Off." And I loved them. "Glint" too. You could say I was jumping on the bandwagon. Except I tried to *start* the bandwagon to begin with and nobody noticed. But anyway, I took advantage of the moment, because it seemed that darkfiction was becoming insanely popular. Have you noticed that darkfiction sort of died after awhile? Like all fads, it just faded away. Kind of sad. I don't even know what the hell Sonic writers WRITE anymore. I haven't read fanfiction in years. Except for stuff that's submitted to the Wall.
So anyway, "Bleed" was conceived and written within the period of a couple hours. Posted that evening. And it received a ridiculous amount of attention. It still regularly receives reviews today.
Sean Catlett:
Yeah, it's the most reviewed single-chapter story of yours. Guilt was almost as popular too, wasn't it?
Stephen Zacharus:
Almost. And, to tell you the truth, I like "Guilt" a great deal more than "Bleed."
Sean Catlett:
Me too.
Stephen Zacharus:
"Bleed" was like the brainstorm session for "Guilt." "Guilt" is the actual story. Which is funny, because I didn't plan to write "Guilt" originally. The idea came to me naturally when I was thinking about "Bleed" and what might have happened afterward. It then became clear to me that Sonic's reaction might make a more interesting story than Amy's decision to commit suicide.
And to tell you the truth, "Bleed" was a cheap story. It was like an equation: take a depressing subject (suicide), add a dash of teen angst and a gratuitous helping of the f-word, and hit "blend."
Sean Catlett:
But the point is, is that it was well written.
Stephen Zacharus:
Eh, I guess. But again, I didn't put much effort into it. "Guilt" was different. I wasn't as reckless with "Guilt" and I took a bit of time deciding exactly how to go about it. For a long time I wasn't sure how it would end. And then it just came to me: he should burn the letter. Without even reading it. THAT is how much Sonic cared for Amy, and THAT made for an original fan story. If you forgive the pun.
Sean Catlett:
I do and I do agree.
Stephen Zacharus:
So yes, I agree with you on that at least. I can say with confidence that "Guilt" was a good story. It might have been my *only* good fanfic, to tell you the truth. It's one of the only ones I can read without cringing, anyway. You know what the other one is? "Everybody's Going Bananas!!!"
Sean Catlett:
Let's not get carried away here. I, Robotnik was pure literary gold.
Stephen Zacharus:
Pure literary gold. You're funny.
Sean Catlett:
So are you. "Everybody's Going Bananas!!!"
Stephen Zacharus:
But hey, I had fun with "I, Robotnik," at least. I felt so clever when I came up with the title.
For the record, I loved writing from Robotnik's POV. For some reason, I could just *understand* his character. My favorite sections to write in "The Day After" were the Robotnik letters.
Sean Catlett:
And they were funny too. But we'll go into TDA later. Let's talk about Bloodbound.
Continue to Part Eight
