Writer's Corner
I'm one of those people who loves behind-the-scenes specials. I want to hear what the actors, composers, and directors have to say about making their movies. I also enjoy learning how authors come up with their ideas...which ones were inspired by other works, which ones were inspired by their own lives, and which ones were simply products of their imaginations. And so, in my arrogance as the mistress of a website, I thought that my readers might be interested in my inspirations. I touched upon this idea with my Inspiration page, but I thought I'd build upon that and give more details about my creative process.
In case you haven't figured it out, there will be spoilers, so if you haven't read a particular piece, maybe you shouldn't read that section. Of course, if you don't mind spoilers, read on. I just wanted to warn you...
Alternate Universe
Possession
I suppose the initial idea for writing something like this became my Movie Madness section, where I cast X-Men in the LOTR trilogy. About 6 months, and infinite viewings of The Two Towers, later, I was inspired to fuse the X-Men and LOTR into a fanfic. I've put my own spin on already existing characters and plots to create what I hope will be an interesting read. This fic has been particularly fun to write, since the characters are in situations we've never seen them in before...which makes me feel like I have more leeway when it comes to how they act...
General X-Men
Always in Mah Mind
This rather long short story was my first attempt at X-Men fanfic. It's not my best, but I think it was a noble effort. I was inspired by the opening pages of the short (and not very good) X-Treme X-Men trade paperback Savage Land, when Rogue is tormented by strange dreams. When she delves into her mind, she finds out that although there is a constant battle for control amongst the personalities she's absorbed over the years, they are not all against her. In fact, her friends are more than willing to help her keep her enemies at bay. This story reminded me of and episode of X-Men: The Animated Series, called "A Rogue's Tale," in which Rogue has to battle the psyche of Ms Marvel that she had absorbed years ago.
Ashes to Ashes
I'm a huge fan of the show Farscape (stupid Sci-Fi channel morons cancelled it...), and when I found out Remy mentioned Star Trek in his LS, I thought an argument could be made that he's a fan of science fiction. The beginning of this story (up until they take a break from b-ball) came to me first...but I didn't have a story to go with it. And then, inspiration struck. I hadn't intended on making a sequel to Always in Mah Mind, but Dark Phoenix was calling me. I've never been a fan of Jean Grey...she was always so...good. Too good. It annoyed me. But when I watched "The Phoenix Saga" and "The Dark Phoenix Saga" episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series, I absolutely fell in love with Phoenix. I thought it would be cool if Phoenix and Rogue could somehow come together...I unintentionally set up the possibility in Always in Mah Mind, so I decided to run with it. After purchasing The Dark Phoenix Saga and Phoenix Rising trade paperbacks and reading through them, I was ready to write.
X-Men: Evolution
Evolution fanfics are my most recent venture...initally I hated the series...I thought it was too simplistic and cheesy. But as I was desperate for an X-Men fix, I kept watching, and luckily the show became more sophisticated with the passage of time. Once I was a fan (and they finally introduced Gambit), I realized that this would be a great opportunity to explore the beginnings of what should eventually become one of the most infamous Marvel couples. I was too young (and not into comics yet) the first time around...so this was my chance.
Distressing Damsel
To be honest, I don't remember much about how this work came to be. It's my first Evolution fic, and it pretty much came to me as is. I wanted to write something that established some kind of relationship between Rogue and Gambit without interfering with the show's setup. I think it works nicely on that level.
So Impossible
Part 1 - So Like a Rose
The end of season 4 gave us "Cajun Spice," but Gambit never showed his face again...not even during the battle to end all battles against Apocalypse. Again, I wanted to write something that could take place between episodes without messing up the story line (so should there be a season 5, and should Gambit come back, my fic would still make sense within the context of the show). I knew Evolution Rogue is supposed to be a fan of Garbage, so I went through the lyrics of all the Garbage songs I could find, and came across "So Like a Rose." The title, and one verse, reminded me of Rogue. I knew Gambit had to do something really special to make up for using her...but how could he convince her to even talk to him? I figured even Rogue couldn't resist something sweet...leaving her a note that included a quote from one of her favorite bands took effort - he'd have to do research to find out what kind of music she liked, and then he'd have to go through their lyrics (like I did) to find the perfect sentiment. After that, I was inspired by X-Men #8, where Rogue and Gambit go on a picnic...only in that case, she cooked for him. At the same time, I wanted to work in specific aspects of "Cajun Spice," so he talked a little more about his past, and I made sure Logan was included in the story. I've always been a fan of Logan and Rogue's relationship (in all media), and this was the perfect opportunity to begin dealing with it in the Evolution universe. I also introduced a place for Rogue to hang out...I needed a place that would appeal to Rogue's introverted/darker nature, and at the same time would appeal to the "normal" popular kids. The result was The Dungeon, which will appear in So Impossible stories to come.
Part 2 - Harder to Breathe
Now that Gambit and Rogue had made up, I needed tension. In the comics, Gambit has a really shady past...and I wanted to play with that a bit. Since Julien (his wife Belladonna's brother in the comics) made an appearance in "Cajun Spice," I wanted to use him. I didn't want Gambit to be married, though, because I didn't think that would fit in with a cartoon shown on Kid's WB...so I just made him a lady's man. Julien became an overprotective, overreacting older brother who also happened to be a member of a rival gang. Gambit saved Rogue in Distressing Damsel, so I wanted to give her a chance to step up to the plate and save him. As I began to develop the story, the song "Harder to Breathe" came out. I fell in love with it the moment I heard it on the radio. It's tough and edgy, but at the same time vulnerable. Most, if not all, of the lyrics are easily applicable to Rogue, especially how she feels at the end of the story.
Part 3 - Someday
This story probably has the most episode references to date. There are general "Ascension" remarks, mention of Mystique blowing up the original mansion, a specific quote from "Mutant Crush," and Scott thinking about all the things Rogue had done for him and Jean (namely saving her from Blob, saving his life in "Turn of the Rogue," and absorbing Jean's powers when they became too much for her to bear in "Power Surge") although he doesn't mention any specifically. I'm trying to make sure my Evolution fanfics stay grounded in the series, and at the same time I'm trying not to beat the reader over the head...I think I'm doing a decent job so far. I had several different songs in mind for the title song, but eventually settled on Someday because I felt it was most appropriate. Plus I think Chad Kroeger has an awesome voice, and I love the video. But I digress...this is the first time we see Remy in civilian clothes. I based his outfit on a friend's wardrobe, since he has some Remy-like qualities. I also made his hair a little longer, wrote him with a heavier accent than he has in the cartoon, and gave him a very shady past, all in homage to the original comics character, although I gave a plausible reason for the accent (see my Inspiration section). Rogue's experience with Strep Throat is an exaggerated version of what happened to me a few years ago. I thought I only had a cold, so I didn't go to the doctor right away, and ended up with a really bad case of Strep. When I eventually went (my parents had to drive me in the middle of a bad snowstorm) the doctor took one look at my throat and knew...although she still took a culture. The pain was so great the only thing I ate for a day or so was ice cream, beginning with a large chocolate milkshake. I'm a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe (an author I'd imagine this version of Rogue would also enjoy with her darker attitude), so I snuck that in there. And even though I've always hated the Brontë sisters, their kind of Gothic romance mush was the perfect base for the kind of dream I wanted Rogue to have.
Part 4 - O Fortuna
Part of what makes us love Gambit so much is his sketchy past...a fact that has remained a constant in all the different incarnations of the character. In the comics, Rogue also has a sketchy past - she is well aware of her family ties and is voluntarily a member of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...but in Evolution, Rogue is at first ignorant of her connection to Mystique, and Mystique's connection to her foster mother, Irene. I thought I'd give poor Gambit a break from the darker parts of his past for once, and focus on Rogue's. I had inadvertently introduced a cliff motif in Harder to Breathe, something I played with in Someday, and eventually brought to a head in this work. It was inevitable that Rogue would eventually learn the truth about Irene, and this was the perfect excuse to bring it all out in the open. The story Remy tells Rogue about his past was completely fabricated, although I think it gives a believable explanation of why he carries around a deck of cards (and implies that he did so long before his powers manifested), and why he seemingly likes to work alone. Lastly, I added Pyro for a little fun, and have been since inspired to bring him back further down the road.
Part 5 - Save the Best for Last
I know I jumped ahead a few months, but I wanted the next few parts to take place during winter...and I figured I might as well skip ahead with this one, and make Rogue and Gambit's actions Christmas related. I figured Rogue must still feel guilty about pushing Mystique over a cliff even though she didn't die, because she had murder in her heart when she did it. She tried to make up for it by helping Remy and his father once before, so I thought she'd continue to atone for her sin by further helping them out. Plus it gave me an excuse to make Gambit speak in a Cajun accent again (which I don't typically do in Evolution fanfics because he doesn't really have one on the show). The introduction of Leech late in the 4th season gave me a way to "turn off" Rogue's powers, and since Rogue herself interacted with him in "Ascension: Part 2," I didn't think it would be too farfetched for him to be willing to help her out. I initially intended on the ending to be happy, but as I wrote it, I knew the gift would only make Rogue more depressed, even though that wasn't Gambit's intention. Of course, I also included a little more Scott/Rogue, and brought both Wanda and Piotr into the story. I always thought Wanda and Rogue would get along, and to this day, don't understand why the writers never explored the possibility...
Part 6 - Tourniquet
This entire fanfic was inspired by a few lines from the Evanescence song Tourniquet - "I lay dying / and I'm pouring / crimson regret and betrayal." That image was so powerful...I wanted to work it into a fanfic somewhere. I think Evo Rogue would be an Evanescence fan, so why not have her pouring the crimson regret and betrayal? I knew it had to happen when no one else was around, and the details surrounding the events had to be fuzzy. That said, it just came to me. I included some dream sequences because they're always fun, and I also had Logan save her...although I love the fact that Logan saves Rogue in X1, it was his actions in the comics that really inspired this. On her first mission with the X-Men, Rogue is badly hurt, and he touches her to save her, despite her protests. Recently in X-Treme X-Men, she makes mention of this event, going on to say that he was the first person to voluntarily give his powers to her. Anyway, they did it in the comics, they did it in the movies...it's about time someone did it in an animated version. That said, as far as the unknown assailant/assailants go, not even I'm sure who attacked Rogue...I have some ideas, but I still haven't decided. Perhaps we'll never know...
Part 7 - Numb
This fic is unique in that we don't get anything at all from Rogue's point of view. Like Logan said, she's accidentally shut off her ability to feel and she doesn't know how flip the switch back the way it was. She leaves the mansion in hopes of making herself feel again, first by trying to provoking the Brotherhood (which doesn't really work), and then by showing up on Pyro's doorstep. I love Pyro...but he's so underdeveloped that I had some reservations about writing him in here. People seem to be happy with the fact that he's totally psychotic...I was hesitant to make him multifaceted. But while his actions are honorable, I think I made it clear that he's no good guy. He was ready to fry Rogue up good before he realized that she was catatonic. But only a sociopath with self-esteem issues would attack someone in that condition. Anyway, he'll play a good-sized role in the next two installments. We also got more Wanda, and a little bit of the Brotherhood boys (who almost ended up a caricature before I toned it down).
Part 8 - The Edge of Night
The way Rogue chooses to express herself was inspired by the video for the song Numb. I thought she would turn to Pyro in this situation for several reasons...including the fact that he brought her back to the institute in the previous story, and the fact that he'd be indifferent to her. She's not the kind of girl who wants everyone to feel sorry for her. I also wanted to expand Pyro's character, and still make him believable. As much as I wanted him to have some kind of feelings for Rogue, I'm not sure he would. He lets her come to the warehouse because he gets something out of her being there...which is not to say that he doesn't begin to care (leaving out pillows and blankets, buying her art supplies, sitting with her on the roof), but even then, Pyro's main concern is Pyro.
Part 9 - My Immortal
This has been the most difficult So Impossible to write. I wanted Rogue to stay with Pyro, and I wanted them to bond a little more, but I wasn't sure if I could do so believably. I think - I hope - I've succeeded. Rogue's anger towards the X-Men's supposed betrayal has cooled...in fact, I'm not sure she believed her own thoughts on the subject in the previous part. She's still angry, upset, and confused over what happened in Tourniquet, so I think maybe she was looking for an excuse to stay away a little longer, so she could avoid facing her life. As for Gambit...I think he's been more than patient with her, and it was only a matter of time before he got frustrated. Rogue turning on him the way that she did was the last straw. And then there's Pyro. There's no doubt he cares about Rogue, but like I said before, his main concern is himself. He doesn't want to be abandoned again, and has no qualms about using her powers against her to get what he wants.
Part 10 - Disease
To write this part accurately, I had to let Gambit be Gambit...or, at least, the Gambit he was before joining the X-Men and meeting Rogue. And that meant drinking and sex. Writing PG-rated stories for Rogue and Gambit in almost any universe is usually pretty easy...because they can't touch. And even though Evolution is a cartoon, and meant for younger viewers, I wanted to stay true to the character of Remy LeBeau (hey, there's at least one episode of the old '90s cartoon where Gambit smokes, drinks, and womanizes). I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm writing PG stories for an R-rated kind of guy. In the comics, Rogue has left him behind on more than one occasion...in this instance, she leaves him and the X-Men, but stays close geographically, and I don't think the Gambit of any universe could just stand there and watch her self-destruct before his eyes. So after leaving her alone to get over it herself, then trying to win her back but failing, I think it's appropriate that he puts some distance between them...and tries to forget her. Drinking is a popular way to do that. As for Belle...well, I didn't want her to be some one-dimensional slut. She's kind of a mystery, we don't know where she's coming from...in fact, the only reason Remy goes with her is because she happens to be in the right place at the right time. With the amount of physical attraction between the two, the fact that they had/have feelings for each other, and the state he's in, I think, considering Gambit's nature, his stumbling into a relationship with her is appropriate. And even as he gets himself in more trouble, he just keeps digging that hole nice and deep...fully aware of what he's doing, but unable to stop himself. Moving on, I don't have much to say about Rogue for once. After Pyro's influence wore off, she took some time to analyze her actions. It was finally time for her to make peace with the X-Men. And though the scene where she meets Logan for the first time since they've both recovered was short, I think it works really well.
Part 11 - It's Been A While
Somewhat ironically, it has been a while since I added a chapter to this series...I actually wrote the fist part with Remy and Belle in the Dungeon right after I finished Disease, and over the next few days, got all the way up to Logan dropping Rogue off in New Orleans. Then I got stuck. I set the whole thing up - Gambit is drinking in a bar that Rogue would certainly appreciate, and Rogue has found her way down to Louisianna...but what now? With the relations between the Rippers and the Thieves Guilds the way they are, I figured Jean-Luc would be as secretive as possible. Having members of the guild abduct her is a little overly dramatic, but it serves a purpose - an unconscious Rogue doesn't know where she's been taken, so she can't reveal where the Thieves' lair is, even if she's captured and tortured by members of the Rippers later. One might wonder why Jean-Luc would bother taking such a risk in bringing her there, but he wants to make sure she's safe...after all, she is his son's girlfriend. It's also a kind of nod to Gambit's gassing and kidnapping Rogue in the beginning of "Cajun Spice." As Rogue says, "Like father, like son." I introduced Henri because I needed someone who would be completely on Remy's side. It's been mentioned several times that Jean-Luc often has ulterior motives...I really wanted a character who would be looking after Remy's best interests, no matter what. Henri appears only briefly in the comics, so I pretty much just made him the way I wanted him to be. I think his anger towards Rogue, as well as his change of heart, is entirely understandable. As for the rest...from the beginning I knew Rogue would have to wear her "Dracula: The Musical" outfit from "Spykecam." It's sophisticated and sexy...something that would have been out of character for her to wear on a normal outing in the series, but something that makes sense now that she's older. It might seem strange that she'd bring it with her, but you have to remember that she came down to New Orleans to win Gambit back - of course she'd bring something dressy. I tried to include a balance of humor (mostly on Gambit's part) and urgency (on Rogue's part) in their first encounter since she slashed his arm. They're both feeling all these emotions, and have so much to say to each other, but Rogue has prepared herself for this...she knows that her first priority has to be to get him out of there. They have a lot to talk about, but now is not the time. I also wanted there to be a brief exchange between her and Belle...it shows everyone present that Rogue's not going to give up Remy without a fight. The references to Carnival and a ball will be explained in the next chapter.
X-Treme X-Men
Glass Slipper
I was in the middle of Ashes to Ashes when I came up with the idea for this story. With all the champagne Gambit likes to drink, I wondered what he'd be like drunk. But I needed to give him a reason to drink...what better reason than being a young, virile man with a literally untouchable girlfriend? I'd just begun reading X-Treme X-Men, and I was a big fan of Sage, so I wanted to write something with her in it. She's the least likely woman in the world to fall for Gambit, so she was the perfect object for his drunken affection. I had also recently gotten my hands on X-Men #24, which features Rogue and Remy's first date...and the quote that inspired the title. Like my Evolution fanfics, I wanted to write something that fit in the X-Treme universe without interfering with the story line. And I think I succeeded.
Kismet
This is my big Rogue/Logan fic. Until I started reading X-Treme X-Men, I was unaware of Destiny's existence, forget her involvement with Mystique and her role as Rogue's foster mother. I was fascinated by her blessing/curse of a power - being blind, but able to see a multitude of possible futures...spending her life trying to make sure the "best" possible future would be the future...and failing time and again. In X-Treme X-Men, they set out to find the 13 books Destiny wrote, but that mission comes to an end rather abruptly...I wanted to do more with it. I'm a certified SCUBA diver, and I've been to Hawaii, so I used my own life experience for that part. I also wanted Gambit to quote Romeo and Juliet when he talked to Rogue, only realizing that Shakespeare's penchant for writing about fate fit perfectly as I wrote (just about when Gambit brings it up). Unfortunately, I wrote this not realizing that Rogue and Gambit would be without powers for a while (I had just finished X-Treme X-Men #18, when they survived surgery and what not)...so it doesn't quite fit in the X-Treme universe. But I think I did a great job with the characters, so it remains one of my favorites.
Annabel Lee
When I wrote this story, I hadn't really read any of the more recent issues of X-Treme X-Men, though I leafed through a few, and kept up with the plot via spoilers posted on a mailing list...and I was truly disappointed in what I saw/heard. I wanted to set the record straight, write what should have been written. I wanted to deal with issues that I felt had been ignored or mishandled - Rogue having her wish finally granted and being able to touch (with the possibility of her being afraid that her powers might return), how Rogue and Gambit were dealing with their new "normal" lives, etc. I used ideas from XX #31, but gave them my own context. And I made sure Rogue wasn't wearing any of Christina Aguilera's outfits...
Possible Future Works
The following works are not written yet...in fact, they may never be written. But I'm inspired with ideas for new stories all the time, and have written myself notes (something I've never done before) about major plot points of each work. While there are possible spoilers in this section as well, I won't divulge as much information about these as they are unfinished. All titles are tentative at this point, and the following plots are subject to change.
General X-Men
Back to the Future
In this sequel to Ashes to Ashes, Firebrand and Rogue work together to create an environment comfortable for both of them, as both separate entities and parts of a whole. When Firebrand receives a concentrated emotional outburst from the future, she convinces Rogue to travel through time and help the person in need. *Note - There may be at least one more fic featuring Firebrand after this.
X-Men: Evolution
So Impossible Part 12 - Kiss From a Rose (tentative title)
Now that Remy has been temporarily rescued from Belladonna's claws, Rogue needs to come up with an escape plan that won't interfere with guild traditions...
X-Treme X-Men
Untitled
In the past, when Rogue's powers have been turned off, she's been bombarded with memories of people she's absorbed...that didn't seem to happen this time. But what if it did? Would the memories fade as time passed, or would she be continually haunted by thoughts that didn't belong to her. I hope to explore this idea in a fanfic...