The SONJA Interview

PART ONE: AS AN X-FILES FAN

When did you start watching The X-Files?
Umm.. 4-5-6 years ago... it had already been on the television for some months (I think). I must admit I had seen the ads but they did not really grab my attention, so I never bothered to watch the show. Then as happens sometimes I was watching the tv and there was not anything special on so I channel surfed (I'm amazed that I remember this so clearly - I have a rotten memory) *click* onto the channel that the X-Files was on, this night I was alone. The episode was 'Squeeze,' the first episode that featured Tooms. I was blown away! I was so scared that all those little sounds around the house were freaking me out. I loved it!! From then on I made an attempt to see every episode.

Just off the top of your head, some classic episodes?
Squeeze, Ice, The Red and the Black, Bad Blood, Fallen Angel...

How long have you realised you were a Noromo? What do you think about the whole Shippers vs. Noromos thing?
I had sent a email to Wombat telling her that I liked her slash fan fic 'Rapture' and she asked, 'You're not a shipper are you?' in her reply... I sent her a email back asking, 'What's a shipper?'. She told me, I sent her back a message saying, 'No, I'm not a shipper.'

It was still a very long time after this that I even came across the word 'Noromo' I can't remember how I found out what it meant.

I knew this because I had already talked about the show to other people off-line and long before I had the internet, that one of the things I loved about the X-Files is that Mulder and Scully were not having any sort of romantic relationship. The sort that always seems to happen in every show on the television and I was very sick and tired of this theme of matching up the leads, that seemed to be the standard formula for all types of tv shows, from comedies to drama. These two partners, federal agents in what is a sort of cop show and they were of opposite sex, were not becoming romantically involved, what a very new and radical concept I thought.

What was your opinion on the movie, and in particular, ~~that scene~~?
Mis-interpretation of their own feelings... It can happen, a matter of fact it happens all the time, look at all the divorces out there.

They were in the middle of a extremely stressful situation, maybe even more intense than even they are used to. Because Scully was considering leaving the X-Files for good, which would mean that they would lose each other in a way. I guess they were already starting to miss each other. I'm sure they were both happy that nothing actually did happen!!

How do you feel about the characters now (eg, are you a OBSSEsor, a Mulderist, a Frohike Liberationist)?
I'm a Mulderist. I find Mulder an fascinating and complex character to watch. I love all his little character flaws too; like Mad!Mulder, Temper!Mulder, Brooding!Mulder, Hissy!Mulder (Mulder: "Then I suggest you put that in your report!" - The Red and the Black), Obssessed!Mulder, Paranoid!Mulder... I could go on and on.

X-F links you love to death?
not in order -

MulderTorture Anonymous Slash Division
MulderTorture Anonymous
aus.tv.x-files
alt.tv.x-files.creative
Tiny Dancer's X-Files Scripts and Transcripts
Jo B's Life From the Ashes
The David Duchovny Photo Gallery
The Gossamer Project
The Annex: X-Files Novel Archive

What are your thoughts on fanfic? Do you read it regularly, write it? If so where is it archived, under what name?
I don't read as many books as I once used to, all I read nowadays is X-Files Fan fiction. Graham, the owner of a local Sci-fi and Fantasy book store is probably wondering what on earth happened to one his best customers.

I would love to be able to write fan fiction and I'm making an attempt... unfortunately I'm a better reader than I am a writer. Putting together the archive for Noromo Fiction is the best way I know how to contribute to the X-Files fan fiction community.

I am still trying my best also to write fanfic, but it is slow going. Also what ever I write will not be going into the Acacia Archive because what I want to write is Mulder/Krycek slash. One can see my one lone attempt of X-files fan fiction by going to my web site "The Web of Sonja Blue." It is about 4k, makes no sense and is Mulder/Skinner slash; the result of reading too much Mulder/Skinner slash.

PART TWO: AS A WEBMASTER

How old is your site now?
I think the Acacia Archive is about 2 months old.

What inspired you to create it in the first place?
I do not like the idea of Mulder and Scully getting romantically involved and I don't want to even read even a suggestion that it could happen. I was getting very frustrated looking for new X-Files fanfic to read because every time I thought I had found a likely fiction, I would click on the link to reach the story... wait the few minutes for a fic of over a 100k to download, I would then be confronted with MSR or M/S UST in the description.

And I would try this whole process again, sometimes there was not even a warning, I had to find out about part way into the story. This was very time consuming.

I looked specifically for a Noromo archive and could not find one... there was a big gaping hole in the fanfic archives out there and I jumped in and filled it ;)

Do you still enjoy updating it and looking after it?
The archive is still very new, but yes I enjoy updating it and will continue to do so. I love maintaining websites... I'm sort of addicted to it.

Have you had much interesting feedback from it, made any new friends / enemies?
I've received a few kind emails thanking me for putting together the archive, and have also made some new friends. I have made no enemies and I hope I never do. BTW: I'm too cheerful and placid to be or become anyone's enemy.

When you started it, did you think you would be able to find much Noromo-friendly 'fic?
I must have because even before I had uploaded the archive I had already out lined in my head how to arrange the website when it grows huge and still keep navigation easy.

PART THREE: AS A HUMAN BEING

Real name-
I do have my real name available on the web, if any one is interested in finding it out, they just have to search all my websites until they find it :)

Alias' used, if any?
Sonja Blue, Shed

Please list all the websites you run...
The Acacia Archive
The eXceptional Files
The Web of Sonja Blue
Sherriewood Book Reviews
Jen Collins X-Files Fan Fiction
The Official Gristle Fern Comix Web site
Wildtrek Wilderness Adventures

If you have a picture, please send it to me! [ I know, I know, but it'd be nice for all us Noromos to see what our heroes and heroines look like :) ]
RESPONSE

Which mailing lists / message boards / newsgroups do you usually hang around?
alt.tv.x-files.creative
aus.tv.x-files
LOON
and a lot of XF slash lists

E-mail addie:
sonjablue@ozemail.com.au

What would be likely to find you reading / listening to / playing?
I've just finish reading 'Komarr' by Lois McMaster Bujold and now have a urge to re-read all the other Miles Vorkosigan books by Bujold. I listen to triple j radio a lot, also the Whitlams CD 'Eternal Nightcap' or Tori Amos... I've even got this sound track CD of Aaron Spelling show called 'The Heights' that I like to listen to now and then.

What do you spend your time doing when your modem's turned off?
Reading, watching television, looking for a job, doing stuff with my sister and brother like Indoor Rock climbing, exchanging toilet humour jokes with some friends, learning how to use my photoshop with out actually looking in the expensive book I bought about it, tweaking my websites designs and html coding off-line.

Acacia Archive - http://acacia.cjb.net