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Wacky Wednesday: Interview With Lisa

Renee Stevens

Entry posted by Renee Stevens in Author Interviews

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Future Interviews  

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  1. 1. Who would you like to see as a feature of future interviews? (you can choose multiple)

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Recently I put out a call for people to do interviews for the blog. We have featured many interviews throughout the life of the blog, ranging from the staff here at GA, to the authors. Todays interview isn't with one of the many authors here at Gay Authors, she is actually one of the prolific reviewers on site who also carries the title of Editor. Please enjoy this interview with Lisa and thank you Percy for conducting the interview!

Interview with Lisa

 

Interviewer: Percy

 

GA was started to connect authors with readers. Readers can often be the silent members of the Gay Authors community, but I figured it was high time we heard from one of them here in the GA News blog. At over 1,960 reviews, Lisa is one of the most interactive readers on GA and happily for the authors, she’s far from silent. She also serves as an editor for several authors. I was thrilled when she agreed to answer my questions about what inspires her to read and review.

 

Have you always been such a prolific reader?

 

I'm pretty sure I was born with a book in my hand. In high school, I used to bring my paperbacks to school and read them in between classes. One day in Geography, the teacher called on me but I didn't hear him because I was reading my book! I had the book in between the Geography book. He gave me detention for a week. I was so friggen HAPPY! For one hour extra per day, for five days, I had to go to detention and, you guessed it, READ to my heart's content!!!!! So yes, I was always a voracious reader.

 

How did you first make your way to GA?

 

I've been at GA for three years now. September was my three-year anniversary. "Desert Dropping" by Dom Luka was the first story I ever read on GA. I was in another site [that] recommended this story and the link was the story link at GA.

 

What prompted you to start editing here?

 

I am a little fuzzy on the details, but I think Sid (Sidlove), was responsible for that. He was writing on another site and he wrote a few Nuke stories. (Luke and Noah from "As the World Turns"). I used to watch that show just for the Nuke storyline so I started reading his stories. When I got to GA, he suggested I write down that I was an editor (I was currently editing a bunch of stories on another site), and that way he could use me as his editor.

 

What’s the hook that gets you to read a story? Is it the description written by the author? The genre? The tags they choose? Other reviews people have left?

 

For some odd reason, I love reading high school or college-aged stories. So if 'teen' or 'college' is in the story tag, I would definitely want to check it out. I'm boring and just like normal stories. Last year when KC posted his "Shepherd's Crook" story, he didn't put 'ghost' in the story tag until at least a couple of weeks into the story. By that time it was too late for me and I had to finish the story anyway. Lol. But if I had seen that first, I would have never read it. And of course I would have missed out, so now maybe I should re-think my prejudices. It's not only teen stories I read. It also depends on the author's description of the story. There are many others I read such as "Dust & Ash" which doesn't revolve around school.

 

What inspires you to leave a comment?

 

I know authors work very hard at their stories and they love hearing what people think of them. I know that when I leave a really good comment, I'm anxious to find out what the author thought of it, so I can imagine how I would feel if I were an author and waiting for readers to comment on my story.

 

I also like commenting if I can relate to what's happening with a character. There was a story on GA about a year ago (maybe a little longer than a year), about a high school boy whose mom had a pretty bad case of OCD. I always loved reading the updates because I could relate to that so much. My ex had OCD for many, many years and drove me absolutely insane. I could relate so much to the kid in the story. The author never finished the story, which was too bad.

 

Do you ever try to influence the direction a story takes with your comments? I would think that would be tempting if you know the author is still writing as the chapters are being posted!

 

It's so funny you ask this. Over on the site where I started, there have been reviews I've left where I said something like, "Wouldn't it be great if so and so happened...?" and then in the next chapter, that very same thing I said was written. But who knows? The author may have planned that all along. I never try purposely to influence an author's direction.

 

Any advice for offering up constructive criticism when leaving feedback or even figuring out if an author is receptive to that sort of comment?

 

If the grammar is poor and there are typos, etc. I will comment on that. Most of the time it's because the author isn't a native English speaker. There have been a few times where I just would stop reading because I couldn't get through a sentence without grimacing. In other cases, the storyline was so good that I just had to grin and bear it.

 

I will point out a problem to the author once, even though I may see continuous errors in later chapters. I don't want to be known as the pain-in-the-ass reviewer who only finds faults with the writing. I do find that there aren't that many readers who will call an author out on poor writing.

 

My feeling is if you are an author and you want people reading and LIKING your story, it better be good. You just can't throw up any old thing online and call it 'writing.’ The way a story is written is a reflection on the author and if it's not as perfect as the author can get it (with other people looking at it if necessary), then don't put it up there!!!!!

 

I do read for enjoyment, but if I'm cringing at every other word, I'm going to give up.

 

Any advice for authors posting here on GA?

 

Just re-read, re-read, re-read your chapters! Don't post anything until it has been re-read to death! Don't take all comments about your story personally; if you rile someone up, that might be a good thing because you got some reaction out of him. Oh, if a reader fails to review a new chapter posting, it is probably because they're really busy and they will get to the story as soon as they can. I keep a running list of stories I need to catch up on and when I have a few minutes, I start reading them.

 

Lots of good advice in here for both readers and writers. Many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, Lisa!

 


If you would like to do an interview for the blog, please let me know via PM! Thank you and don't forget to follow in Lisa's footsteps and REVIEW!!!!

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Daithi
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Enjoyed this interview very much. It's great to hear about the reader's side of the coin.  And Lisa I can remember constantly reading , granted I was never given detention for getting caught reading but twice i day I would have an hour and a half school bus ride so I would go through many many books just passing the time on the bus.  But I was always known through school for having a book in my hands to read , and on spares you would find me in the school library working or reading.  It was a great way to find out what the new books were so I could get a head start in signing them out lol.

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Cole Matthews
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Great interview Lisa and excellent job doing it Percy. It is fun finding out more about people here. Especially a sweetheart like Lisa!

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Aditus
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Let's see, about three years ago I said at the end of the fourth chapter of my first story I didn't know if I would continue, I was afraid my English was so bad I'd annoy the readers and they were just being polite not to tell me. Ah, that didn't sit well with Lisa. Since then she edits all my stories, became a great friend, knows all my sh** and I can't wait to read her little comments/reactions when she edits a new chapter. She always is my first reviewer. She even agreed to do the re-write with me, God bless her gracious heart. LOL

Good interview Percy and Lisa.

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Kitt
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Lisa is right too in that a person may not have the time - or facilities - to leave a review right away. I do most of my pleasure reading on my tablet, and leaving a review with it is time consuming and annoying. I tend to click like and then ( if i can remember with my sieve of a brain) go back the next time I am at the computer to leave the review.

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lilansui
I don't want to be known as the pain-in-the-ass reviewer who only finds faults with the writing. I do find that there aren't that many readers who will call an author out on poor writing

 

I think this is the best quality about you, Lisa.  You're no 'pain-in-the-ass reviewer' , lol.

Lisa has been in my corner since I started writing on GA and that makes her really special to me.  She leaves great reviews and I look forward to reading her thoughts because she ends up challenging me.  She's given me a few suggestions, and I always go like 'Oh why didn't I think of that before?'.  I love it when she points out an error, because my brain has probably been auto correcting it when I read.  My favorite part is when she connects with a situation in my stories, she'll leave an anecdote of her experience in the review and I'll go, "Ah, she really knows what my characters are going through." That makes writing so much fun.

 

Lisa is GA's gem, and I'm glad she stumbled on to my stories, and the reviews she tirelessly leaves for me.  Thank you, Lisa. :hug:

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Former Member

Unfortunately I have not had many interactions with Lisa, personally, but because of her presence on the site, I've always found her...kind of as an enigma and very interesting, haha!  So excited to get a glimpse into her personality, style, and her mind!  Great interview Percy, thanks for this!

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Lisa
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Awwww shucks, you guys! You've all got me blushing. lol

 

@Daithi: I'm actually surprised Percy didn't choose to interview you b/c you have way surpassed me in reviews! lol I don't think I'll ever catch up to you! =)

 

@Cole: Thank you, Cole! I'm still grinning at your comment! :)

 

@Kitt: Yes, there are many times when I'm reading stories in the car, waiting for school to let out, etc., that I can't comment b/c I never sign in on my phone. It's just a pain in the you-know-what. So I always have to remember to r&r when I get back home.

 

And last, but certainly not least - drum roll, please...Aditus: You are my best friend online and there have been many, many times your love and support got me through tough times. I thank my lucky stars every day that I decided to read RRS because your story brought us together. =) A better friend I could not wish for.

 

And I really need to thank GA because of all the sites I've seen, GA is the absolute best for author/reader/admin interaction, through reviews, blogs, forums, etc. This is the only site where I feel I actually belong, you know?

 

And thank you Percy for even THINKING of doing this awesome interview! lol When you first approached me with the idea, all I thought of was, "Why the hell would anyone be interested in what I have to say?" I'm just me, you know? I'm not one of the amazing authors on here, I'm not a techie, I don't even write blogs. lol

 

So thank you Percy, and thank you GA staff for letting Percy conduct the interview. =)

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Lisa

Damn it, Sui, you made me cry! What you wrote is so sweet! I love all your stories and I'm glad I found them too! =)

 

@Myiege:thank you for your kind words! I don't know you either, but I see your name everywhere b/c we read the same stories! lol But feel free to chat me up anytime you want. :)

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Mann Ramblings

Nice interview from the view of the reader! It's just as valid as the author and editors because without them what do we have? What a nice way to start out a Wednesday. :)

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Ron

That was really a nice interview. I run into Lisa all over the place too. In fact, Lisa was the first person to review my first posted story. She found two mistakes :*) and was very nice about pointing them out. Not something or someone that I am likely to forget.

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Lisa

That was really a nice interview. I run into Lisa all over the place too. In fact, Lisa was the first person to review my first posted story. She found two mistakes :*) and was very nice about pointing them out. Not something or someone that I am likely to forget.

 

Awww thanks, Ron! :)

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podiumdavis

I deeply respect Lisa, her ability to Beta for me, and the sheer joy I get from reading her reviews. She has been a mark in my corner since the very early days. At first I was disturbed by her... Look at my first chapter and see how she called me out on Kyle's wrestling and how he should be cutting weight LOL. Her comment originally made me defensive, but from the get go I felt her heart was in the right place and so, I opened a dialog with her. And since then I consider her, as well as Andy, and Joann as my closets friends in this tight knitt community. There's no one better than these three in my eyes. They've been my rock and have encouraged me as I've struggled with RL issues. I'm so happy that Lisa was  honored in this way. All I can say is, if you don't know Lisa, you better make an effort.. <3 Also as a side note, I'm doing much better these days and I'm looking forward to not only releasing new chapters in a more timely manner, (HOPEFULLY), but also getting back and helping this community with the blog like I was before. :)

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Lisa

podium - that was really beautiful. Thank you. =) And you know I only called you out on Kyle's cutting weight/wrestling/eating b/c I lived through it for four miserable years. lol I know what these poor kids go thru to wrestle.

 

But really, thank you for the beautiful words. You are truly a great friend and I'm so glad you're doing better. =)

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Thorn Wilde

I think Lisa has reviewed nearly all my (non-fanfic) stories and I'm always really happy to find a review from her. They're almost always long, and always contain something positive and uplifting, and often there's some little anecdote regarding how she can relate to what's going on in my story, etc., and that always feels really great. Gives me a real boost! Reviewers like Lisa make me want to keep writing and make me believe in myself.

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Percy

Lisa, You were great fun to interview and get to know better.  It's awesome seeing what a fanbase you have here - you're really part of what makes GA such a great place to be!

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Lisa
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Awww Thorn, I'm gonna fucking cry. lol (You like how I added a little Marob- (or Jacus), speak. hehe

 

But thank you, that was really sweet what you said.

 

I think we should all be thanking Percy for thinking up this great idea for an article! So let's give it up for Percy!!!!! :) :) :) He's the one who came up with the idea and wrote it. I just supplied my overly opinionated opinions. lol (couldn't think of a better word)

 

I want to thank everyone who commented - it was really great of you all to take the time to say such nice things about the article and about me. I really feel at home here on GA; you guys are such a wonderful group of people and I feel blessed in being a part of this community. =)

 

"I'd like the thank the Academy"...oh, sorry, wrong speech. Oh yeah, "You like me, you really like me!" That's the one. Thanks, Sally. lol It's 11:44 here on the east coast and I think my fifteen minutes of fame are up in about sixteen minutes. lol

 

So, shameless plug: I'll be reviewing two stories on here w/in the next few weeks/months, and I hope everyone likes the reviews enough to check out the stories. :)

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joann414

I gave likes to all these comments because Lisa totally deserves the attention for all of her work and efforts on the site.  I've talked some with her personally, and she is as great as she sounds.  Very down to earth, and an asset to GA.  But, since this was so well received, I think we should go a little deeper, and find out all her secrets:P  lol. jk  Hugs, Lisa

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Lisa

I gave likes to all these comments because Lisa totally deserves the attention for all of her work and efforts on the site.  I've talked some with her personally, and she is as great as she sounds.  Very down to earth, and an asset to GA.  But, since this was so well received, I think we should go a little deeper, and find out all her secrets:P  lol. jk  Hugs, Lisa

Hmm, all my secrets, eh?  Wait, let me make some up for you. ;) I'm boring. Even my secrets are boring. lol

 

But seriously, Jo Ann, those were such sweet comments and I want to say: right back at you, girl. :)

 

Ok, secret - you asked for it: I just realized late last night that I am a comment whore. I was about to turn the computer off when I noticed one more notification about this article and I just HAD to see what it was about. When I signed in this afternoon, I immediately checked the forum to see if anyone else commented. I think all the fame went to my head. lol So yes, I am a comment ho.

 

So if anyone else wants to feed my ho-ness, you are more than welcome. ;) Shit, imagine if I was an author! I'd be checking my stories a million times a day! Jeez, now I know how they feel. Oh, which actually directly relates to this article: Readers - review and rate the stories you read!!!!!

 

Ok, I'm gonna stop now. I bet 99 percent of you already fell asleep reading this. lol See Jo Ann, told ya I was boring. =)

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Daithi

If only we could all be as boring as you my dear Lisa.  You keep us on our toes whether we are writers, readers or just first time peepers. 

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Lisa

If only we could all be as boring as you my dear Lisa.  You keep us on our toes whether we are writers, readers or just first time peepers. 

Omg, Daithi! You crack me up! lol Thank you, that was a really great comment actually! =)

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sacredlove

I still remember that day (night) when I posted my very first unedited chapter of my very first story as I had no editor or beta reader. I couldn't sleep well as I was so worried about what would readers think about it? Would anyone bother to review? Hell if anyone is gonna read my stuff. In the morning when I logged in I had three positive reviews and my very first reviewer was none other than Lisa. She not only praised me but boosted my morale and offered me to be my editor. I was on cloud nine. And since then I'm working with her. I have learned so much from her that I can't even express them in words. The most important thing that I have learned from her is K.I.S.S...Keep it simple stupid. Whatever readable stuff I'm able to write today is because of Lisa. You rock, Girl, you really do.

 

Not only on professional front on personal level too I am very close to her. Whenever anything happens good or bad I go to her smiling or crying. She's a great friend.

 

I don't think I could thank her enough whatever she did for me. She's such a sweetheart definitely not-a-pain-in-ass, LOL. You are just amazing Girl, Keep Shining, keep reading and obviously keep reviewing.

 

This was an amazing interview. I would like to THANK Percy for interviewing Lisa. Percy, you really did an awesome job. Lisa, love you Girl, take care and keep smiling.

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Lisa

Awww, Sacred - you are so sweet! :) You got me all choked up.

 

Well, you know how much I loved your story from the get-go; I would never offer to help anyone if I didn't like the story. =)

 

Working with you has been a pleasure. I've enjoyed learning more about you on a personal level; you are such a bundle of positive energy that your emails always leave me smiling. =) You have a great outlook on life and it comes through with  your emails. :)

 

Thank you again, Sacred, for your sweet words. :)

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stephanie l danielson

Lisa and i met here on Ga a short while back but it's been marvelous! I love the feedback she gives and comments and yes, you did help to build Ice Fairy as it was coming to life! She's  a great reviewer and a great editor too (love it)! A win-win for sure and a great person and friend to boot :)

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Lisa

Awww, Steph, those were such nice things that you said. :) And all with a sprained wrist! :( Thank you! And the feeling is mutual. =)

 

It's been a pleasure working with you on the two projects so far, well, and the aborted one, but we won't talk about that...and I look forward to working more with you in the future. :) 

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Sasha Distan

i always know i'm doing OK with my plot lines when i can actually feel Lisa's excitement when she reviews something i wrote.

between having a wonderful editor (thank you ma Kitt) and the sort of excellent feedback i get from Lisa and Daithi (special mention), we are blessed here on GA

 

thank you lisa! Well done percy for tying her down and getting her nose out of a book long enough to interview

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