A way with worlds: 19 - World View: Evolving with Alicia Ashby

<StevenSavage> Now, Pokemon:Evolution could be described as a kind of Hong Kong Film Noir Future-Imperfect take on Pokemon. How do you get from a boy and his Pikachu to that?

<Alicia> Well, the original videogame was much, much darker than the anime that most folks got familiar with.

<StevenSavage> and aren't the magna more serious as well?

<Alicia> Well, with the exception of Magical Pokemon Journey, yes.

<Alicia> Even the anime flirted with 'dark' concepts from time to time, particularly in the movies, but generally stayed away from doing anything too serious. Which didn't make for bad TV at all.

<StevenSavage> So in a way, you fused the different continuties: show, game, and magna?

<Alicia> I borrowed bits and pieces from many of the different continuities to try and produce a 'whole' world, yes.

<Alicia> And they are *very* different continuities-- they all contradict each other severely at many points.

<StevenSavage> How did you accomplish this then? From the humor of the show to the bodycount of the magna? What helped you tie it all together?

<Alicia> Well, the manga hardly have 'bodycount'. This is still a story about children and mostly for children, so it's not ever very dark (though occasionally violent).

<Alicia> The defining factor of all the storyworlds is that they're ultimately about how pokemon and humans should relate. At their best, the stories become fables for how a person should live in harmony with the earth and other living things.

<StevenSavage> And how did that guide you in creating this new, future continuity?

<Alicia> Well, the essential premise of Evolution is that everything's gone wrong. Humans are no longer living in harmony with pokemon, and as a result, abused pokemon are becoming vicious and angry.

<Alicia> Sort of a 'wrath of nature' result, if you don't mind me being excessively grandiose.

<StevenSavage> In short, playtime is over. And the cute creatures aren't happy.

<Alicia> Yes. There's a lot of promise in Pokemon's worldsetting for serious dramatic storytelling of many kinds, I think... ranging from romance to high melodrama.

<Alicia> In my case, I decided to explore its potential as the setting for an action-packed anime serial, something like a very good OAV series or television series.

<StevenSavage> A bit like the mature anime like, say, Outlaw Star?

<Alicia> But with depth and characterization, too, as the very best action anime always have. Outlaw Star is a very good example. So is the original Bubblegum Crisis 2032 or Vision of Escaflowne.

<StevenSavage> Despite extrapolating, merging, and theorizing, you've taken great pains to stay true to the roots of your story.

<Alicia> I think fanfiction becomes pointless when you change the intrinsic meaning and 'core' of the source material.

<Alicia> If you're going to do that, you might as well just take out the canon names and make it into something you could publish yourself. It'll likely make your story better, too.

<StevenSavage> So in a way, you've not only created an extrapolation of Pokemon but almost a story that could have been made into an anime itself.

<Alicia> I think that's the ultimate goal of any author who bothers try write a very long fanfiction - what they'd really want is for it to be animated alongside the original stories that inspired them.

<Alicia> I'd love to see Evo animated. Barring that, I'll see how much justice I can do the idea in text.

<StevenSavage> And is that also a way to keep your focus?

<Alicia> It can be, though it's important to remember that your audience will experience the story as prose. You need to make sure you're conveying your ideas in a way that's appropriate to the medium.

<StevenSavage> Was it hard, conveying these ideas in text? Did you find ways to make it easier or is it a chore?

<Alicia> It's not really a chore. I just sat down, wrote my story in a way that seemed natural, and then had pre-readers look it over to see if I'd managed to convey what I wanted to.

<StevenSavage> You seem to be incredibly in touch with the material.

<StevenSavage> Is that the result of RPGing, good writing, or both?

<Alicia> I think it's a result of thinking about the cartoons too much. Being a fangirl will do that to you. :)

<StevenSavage> So you know your source, essentially.

<Alicia> I tried to learn as much about it as I could. That's why I read so many manga and watched the show whenever I had the chance.

<Alicia> But I also wanted to make sure I reflected an extension of the original series as accurately as I could-- I didn't want to pour too much "wish fulfillment" or personal bias. I wanted to write about what the concept actually was, independent from what I'd like it to be.

<StevenSavage> So, we've heard some of your experiences and principles. What advice can you give fanfiction authors from your experiences?

<Alicia> Write a fanfic with respect in mind. Respect for the readers, respect for the original concepts, and respect for the characters. Taking "revenge" for things about the canon that bothered you may be satisfying, but it won't make for a good story.

<Alicia> And if you do want to change things, or interpret things about the canon differently, that's just fine... but make sure you explain yourself and what you're doing in terms of what was in the canon, and most of all-- make sure it's a good story!

<StevenSavage> And what advice would you give writers in general, based on your experiences?

<Alicia> Always keep trying to get better, and never be afraid to listen to comments or criticisms from an editor or pre-reader that you trust. They won't see the story the same way you will, and they can help pick up mistakes that you might miss.

<StevenSavage> Finally, are there any particular fanfics or stories and authors whose works you can recommend reading?

<Alicia> Gosh, there's a lot of good fanfic out there. I'd just recommend to dig around for stories and be willing to give new things a chance.

<StevenSavage> Well, Alicia, thanks for the interview. Any closing words for our audience?

<Alicia> Besides a shameless plug? Nope, don't think so. ^^

<StevenSavage> Heh. Thanks for your time!

<Alicia> Thanks for talking to me, Steve.

STEVE'S SITES:
Science Fiction Creator's Homepage - Resources and links for writers, comics fans, etc. Has an index you can register your site at as well, and its own webring.

A Way with Worlds is also hosted at fanfiction.net.