Personal FAQ
Q: What do you do other than write fanfiction?
A: I'm an Accounting major in college, so much of my time is with homework. Other than dealing with that, I also like to listen to music and watch TV.
Q: What are your favorite animes?
A: I actually like a long list of animes, ranging from Gundam Wing to Yu Yu Hakusho. If I listed all the animes I liked, I'd spend most of my time writing them out and not "Uprising." LOL
Q: Do you like movies?
A. Yes. I've seen so many of them, I know most of them by heart, mainly the Rambo movies, horror movies, and I DO love "Avatar." The movie by James Cameron.
Q: Any favorite Youtubers?
A: Cryaotic's a pretty cool guy. I also like PewDiePie, RPGMinx, CinnamonToastKen, and Tobuscus. They're all pretty good.
Q: Are you seriously an otaku?
A: No. I do have a life outside of anime. But if you mean that I like anime like it's candy, yes.
Q: Any quirky talents you have?
A: I can whistle "Theme of Gemini" from the anime Kikaider without much difficulty and "Eden" from Yami no Matsuei with some. I also have photographic memory, where I can remember scenes from movies and animes almost like second nature.
Q: So, how long have you written fanfiction and would you call yourself an expert?
A: I've written on and off since the eighth grade, but I have started fanfiction since I was seventeen. I would never consider myself an expert in fanfiction. I'm not being modest, I'm just being honest. Learning from past experiences is how I've learned some of the tricks to use.
Q: How did you come up with the soundtrack for "Uprising?" Did you use songs that you like personally or is it music that goes with the story?
A: The music goes with the story. I've gotten questions about the choice of songs. Yes, some of the music is from animes, and that is the reason why the anime names are with the songs themselves.
"Uprising" FAQ
Q: What fandoms are in "Uprising?"
A: Yu Yu Hakusho and Yami no Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness).
Q: How long does it take to update "Uprising" and its chapters?
A: It depends, mainly on the college homework I have and also if I haven't done enough research for a chapter. Some chapters take a month, some two.
Q: You do know that Spirit Detectives (Yu Yu Hakusho) and Guardians of Death (Yami no Matsuei) are two different groups of people, right?
A: They're the same but also very different. Guardians of Death basically deal with the dead and demons (and sometimes the living) and making sure the souls are returned for judgment, while the Spirit Detectives deal with the living and demons (and sometimes the dead). Also, Guardians of Death use fuda magic (paper charms with different kinds of powers like barriers or attacks) and some weapons (mainly Shikigamis), while Spirit Detectives use Spirit Energy. Finally, the Spirit Detectives report to Koenma (who ironically looks like a toddler but is really REALLY old), while Guardians of Death report to their Chief (who LOOKS old but is actually younger than Tsuzuki work-wise).
Q: Wait a minute, so Tsuzuki's 112 years old? But how come he looks like he's 26?
A: A Guardian of Death is someone who's actually dead (and they NEVER age). And Tsuzuki was 26 when he died, which explains his youthful appearance. However, he's been at this job for almost 90 years. It's better explained in Wikipedia.
Q: So, technically, this is a Tsuzuki/OC pairing. I thought Tsuzuki was with Hisoka?
A: Not necessarily. I think Tsuzuki DOES care about Hisoka, but he cares about him on a very good friend basis or like a little brother. But then, that's just my opinion. Many writers have their own ideas about the Tsuzuki/Hisoka pairing.
Q: So, what exactly ARE Shikigamis?
A: Shikigamis are spirits that aid Guardians of Death (Shinigamis) in battle. While most Guardians can summon two or three, Tsuzuki's the only one that can summon more than three; he can summon twelve. In the anime, he can summon Suzaku (a phoenix), Byakko (a white tiger), and Touda (that dark serpent thing in the opening credits). In the manga, he can summon nine others.
Fanfiction FAQ
Q: What is a crossover?
A: A crossover is where two or more fandoms meet. It's different than a fusion, which is when one fandom's idea goes into another fandom without the two meeting.
Q: How much research should I do for a fandom before writing for it?
A: As much as you can can. A lot of the people who read fanfiction do some research, but like in everything else, there's always more to learn in a fandom.
Q: Any good tips I can follow when writing fanfiction?
A: Always write a disclaimer. ALWAYS. The creators of the fandoms you write for put their own blood, sweat, and tears (and in some, stress) just to make the fandom enjoyable. So, give them the credit they deserve.
I also like to use the old adage of, "Write what you know, research what you don't." For instance, I know an author who wrote a story centered around the Red Light District in Tokyo. She looked up dozens of sites and even asked friends for help. Her story was really great after it was finished.
Also, it helps to have a person look over the fanfiction who knows the fandom you're writing on. This can be a friend or a person with more experience in that fandom The reason for this is because between two people, you'd have information to help you in writing.
Another really good tip I'd like to recommend is to study the characters' actions either in the manga, anime, or both. While it's great that you have a wealth of info about the characters and everything, using it accurately is what makes writing fun and challenging.
Finally, it's always good to ENJOY writing. It won't make you any money, but you can enjoy writing.
Q: For the new fanfiction writer, do you have words of encouragement?
A: Yes. Write because you love it and that you love the fandom. You're not going to please everyone, but if you write what you love, then you will be happy. :) Also, don't let flamers (jealous reviewers) get you down. Haters have to hate about something.