An Interview with “Fallen Stars” author, Xionin
Tumblr-user, Xionin has found a place in the hearts of many a Scandal fan with her utterly romantic and lush literary series, Fallen Stars. The first book, Starstruck, spread like wild-fire in the fandom, and by the release of book two last week, Star-crossed, her literary talent had solidified. Xionin was lovely enough to allow me to ask her some questions, that frankly, I’d been wanting to ask for ages. A few fan questions have made their way into the mix, too.
I guarantee you will fall even more in love with Xionin after reading this completely endearing and open interview. I know I did. Happy reading!
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Katrina Pavela: I know this is Tumblr, where some people like to keep themselves anonymous. However, what can you tell us about yourself?
Xio: Well, I was born in Alpha Centauri. Seriously, though, I’m from Philadelphia; married (no children). I love scifi/fantasy, travel, wine and long walks on the beach. 😉
KP: Onimuoyinbo on Tumblr wants to know what your name, Xionin, means.
Xio: To be honest, when I came up with the name, I thought that I was making it up. I was getting involved with my first (and only other) fandom – Buffy – and all of the good, Buffy-related names had long been taken. I’ve since learned that Xionin is actually a boy’s name, but it means “from the tide” or some variation of that. I pronounce it Zhee-oh-nin, but most people call me Xio [Zee-oh] and I’m fine with that.
KP: You have been very careful to note that the Falling Stars series is not fan fiction, nor is it based on actual people, or currently speculated situations. So tell us, from where does your inspiration for this series come?
Xio: Well, traditionally, fan-fiction is writing that is based on someone else’s work; be it a movie, a TV show, a book or whatever. Falling Stars isn’t based on someone else’s work. I’m not sure why some people put it into the fan-fiction category. Maybe it’s because I’m not a published author, I don’t know. I would be curious to find out. =)
As for the inspiration, I did initially get the idea while reading the speculation surrounding the stars of a popular TV show that we all enjoy. There are people that are convinced that they’re either involved or would be involved if there weren’t obstacles. I began to wonder what that might feel like: falling in love with someone when, A.) the one you want isn’t attainable or you’re not available and, B.) you’re interacting with this person on a regular basis while in front of the entire world. Fame is a tricky thing. Once you place yourself on that public stage, is there any part of you that remains yours? The trilogy will explore that, while also telling the tale of two people who want to be together – who might even belong together – and whether or not fate and destiny walk hand in hand when it comes to love. I really enjoy exploring love and relationships in my writing. That goes for my fiction, my poetry and my songs.
KP: I know that you are a musician and a song-writer. I’ve always likened song-writing to poetry. How different is song-writing from writing prose fiction? And has writing the Falling Stars series influenced your song-writing at all?
Xio:I think most of us write poetry in high school, I know I did. But then I didn’t write any more for many years. When I joined the Buffy fandom, a girl I knew was writing a story and one of her characters was a poet. She asked me to write the poems for that character, which confused me. I told her I didn’t really write poetry but she said “you’re a songwriter, you’re already writing poems.” I’d never before looked at it in that way. After that, I started writing poems again. Buffy was actually the beginning of me writing fiction.
The process for writing poems and writing songs is very much the same for me. Sometimes the words come with a melody and those end up (hopefully) as songs. Others have rhythm, but no musicality. Those remain as poems. For my prose, it starts with an idea; a ‘what if’. The ‘what if’ for Falling Stars introduced me to ‘Sam’ and his story. His voice is very, very loud in my head, even more so than that of ‘Val’. I fall in love with the character, or characters, and then let them tell me their story. I’m not even sure how to explain it. =) I will sit quietly sometimes, with my eyes closed, and watch the movie of their lives play out behind my eyes. Then I do my best to transcribe it onto the page, so to speak. Not sure if that makes any sense, lol. They haven’t inspired any songs yet, but there have been a few poems.
(image credit: blv77)
KP: At what point did you determine Starstruck would become a series? Did you have a grand master plan outlined like J.K. Rowling claims to have had with Harry Potter, or did the idea develop organically as you were writing Starstruck?
Xio: When I realized that I had hit 80,000 words and was nowhere near being finished with their story, that’s when I knew it would have to be a series. I re-worked the outline of the second half of book one, moving some of it into book two, and then outlined the trilogy. While I do have it all planned out generally, it does change as I am writing. It remains a very organic process. The characters have ideas of their own and sometimes do things, or say things, which surprise me. I’ve had to adjust the story based on that and it’s fun for me! For example, *Starstruck spoiler alert* I had no idea that ‘Adam’ had feelings for ‘Val’ until I was typing out his last conversation with her. I was sitting at my desk screaming “whaaaaaaaat?!” lol.
KP: What’s your writing process like? How far ahead have you written before a chapter gets posted?
Xio: Usually I just write pieces of a chapter, as it comes to me. Sometimes I get lucky and will go for three or more chapters at a time, but that’s rare. On update day, I will spend four or more hours editing a chapter and that can often lead to a complete re-write. I’m never, ever satisfied with the end product. I’m constantly tweaking, even after a chapter has been posted. Right now, I am struggling with the opening chapters of Star-crossed because ‘Sam’ isn’t being very open with me. He can be frustrating, lol.
KP: Were there any deleted moments that didn’t make it into the final chapters of Starstruck?
Xio: Well, I did seriously consider having Karen die at the end of book one. I’m glad I didn’t because it will make things so much more interesting going forward. It was tempting, though. She is a piece of work and I want my two lovebirds to be together already, haha. One thing that I added was ‘Val’ telling ‘Sam’ that she loved him. I thought it was too soon for her, but she had other ideas.
KP: Do you have any favourite moments between Sam and Val that you’d like to share?
Xio: Some of their conversations don’t make it into the book. I love “listening” to them talk to one another; they’re so easy with each other. For an example from the book, check out their scene in the park from Much Ado About Nothing. It’s definitely one of my favourites. I had to stop them from doing the whole play, lol. Also, the moment when they were in the canteen sharing pasties was a fun one for me. I felt like that whole chapter was an ensemble piece, but ‘Sam’ and ‘Val’ were really at ease with one another there and it was my first glimpse into how the other members of the cast and crew perceived them. I also love having them on Twitter. The interaction with their fans is wonderful to see. Go Warriors!
KP: Who’s your most challenging character to write for?
Xio: ‘Valerie’. She is a difficult person to read. She keeps everything about herself very close to the vest. I feel like book one was more about ‘Sam’ than it was about her. Book two is focused more on her than on him, I think, so far. ‘Karen’ is also very difficult to write. Her motivations turn me off entirely, but she is a key component to the love story. So, I deal.
(image credit: blv77)
KP: The second book in the series is called Star-crossed. I’ve previously mentioned that this name fills me with anxiety because it says that they lovers are destined not to be together. Can you placate my anxiety in any way? Don’t Shonda Rhimes me!
Xio: Ha! Don’t worry. I can tell you that ‘Samerie’ is the end-game. This book…hmm, how much can I give away? Star-crossed deals with the obstacles. Not only the external ones, but the internal ones. Things happen that challenge them as a couple and as individuals. Timing is key. There will be some unexpected things that happen to them and they will find themselves in sticky situations.
KP: I think Tumblr was alight waiting for the start of the second book of Falling Stars, Star-crossed to be released last week. What’s in store for Sam and Valerie’s very complicated relationship? Will they survive this emotional distance as well as the physical 6,000 mile distance?
Xio: You guys get me all teary-eyed with that stuff, you know. It’s difficult for me to understand why or how people are waiting to read something that I am writing. It’s overwhelming, at times, but really humbling.
‘Sam’ and ‘Val’ are desperately in love. Neither of them really knows what that can do to a person and they’re both a little under-developed, emotionally. There will be (hopefully) beautiful moments and there will be some uglier moments. They’re as human as I can possibly make them and you know how frustrating humans can be, hehe.
KP: I must praise your ability to write so well the more erotic moments between ‘Sam’ and ‘Valerie’. You’re fantastic at being visual and graphic without a hint of vulgarity. This is hard for some writers to do, even very good ones. What advice can you give to writers about sex scenes?
Xio: There are words that I used to avoid like the plague: cock, pussy, etc. I’ve learned that, in the right context, almost any word can be sensual and erotic. I try not to be too gratuitous in using those terms, while also trying not to make it sound like someone is at a buffet when comparing body parts to food, etc. People laughed at the baked pineapple line, lol, but food and sex are lovely bedfellows. There’s a balance, though. I think that if you write using all of your senses – taste, touch, sight, smell and sound – it gets easier to describe things without actually describing them. You can say “she was soft” or you can say “her skin invited a gentle touch”.
‘Sam’ and ‘Val’ will be exploring some other aspects of their intimacy in these next two books. He has a history that has yet to be revealed; one that will challenge ‘Val’s’ sensibilities, and his own sense of self. Oh yeah. It’s going to get interesting.
KP: Have you already pictured where ‘Sam’ and ‘Val’ will end up at the end of the series? What’s your vision?
Xio: Someone suggested that they move to wine country and have smushy babies, lol. That might happen! They will end up together. When, where and how, I can’t reveal. I’m not writing a fairytale, so it won’t all be rainbows and puppies, but I think most people will be satisfied. I hope so.
KP: This question comes from Tumblr user, char-thelove: “I know you’ve said you want to edit Starstruck for publication, what made you want to take this story to the next level and what advice would you give to other fanfic writers who have toyed with the idea of switching up their works into novel format?”
Xio: You guys made me want to take it to the next level. People were asking me if they could buy Starstruck, even while I was still writing and posting it. To say I was shocked would be a massive understatement. I still don’t quite believe how viral Starstruck has become. A real-world friend of mine was reading it and tweeting about it. When I found out, I sent her an email and asked her how she liked it. When she said it was good, then I told her I was the author. Haha!
As for advice, this is the first time I’m converting a serial into a novel format. Starstruck clocked in at over 100,000 words, but I know that when I edit it down it will be considerably shorter. I would say that, if you want to move into the novel format, go for it! Re-read your favourite books with a critical eye, and find some new ones. Check out all of the resources for writers that exist on the web. There’s so much information out there. If you want to do it, just do it. I may fail miserably, but at least I can say that I gave it a shot.
(image credit: blv77)
KP: When will Starstruck be released in novel form? Have you already struck a deal for the entire trilogy?
Xio: I really need to have it done by mid-July. My goal is to finish the entire series by Labour Day (US). Starstruck will be self-published through Amazon. Unless some crazy person signs me to a publishing deal, the other two books will follow suit. A friend of mine who is a real, bonafide author – Denny S. Bryce (www.dennysbryce.com) is taking me to Romance Writers of America’s annual conference this July. She insists that, if I am really going to do this, I have to do it right.
KP: Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?
Xio: I have fans? Haha! A few people have asked me where they can buy my music. I haven’t found my comfort level with regards to that just yet. At the moment, I’m trying to keep my writer-self and my music-self somewhat separate. I really, really appreciate all of the kind words and support, though. I may come out of my music closet, so to speak, at some juncture. Who knows?
Some others have asked me about my favourite books and authors. I have so many, but as I said I am a huge scifi/fantasy chick. Jim Butcher, Anne Rice, L.A. Banks, Hugh Howey, and Ray Bradbury are among my favourites. I’m currently reading Divergent, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series, and the Uglies Series. My to-be-read list is insanely long.
Finally, all I can really do is thank everyone.
Thank you for being so kind and so generous, for taking time out of your busy lives to read my little stories, and for welcoming me into your corner of the world. Who knew that when I joined the fandom six months ago that I would end up ‘meeting’ so many lovely, talented, intelligent people? I’m truly grateful. To every one of you that has emailed me, PMed me, tweeted me or otherwise reached out – THANK YOU. Really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I’m looking forward to hugging some of you in NYC this weekend.
Follow Xionin on Twitter: @XioAxelrod