Writing With: zuccarello

Erin is a very active writer who has a wonderful mix of both original fiction and fan fiction. She has taken a moment away from writing to talk to us about a couple of her stories, Don’t Let Me Down and Absorbed.

Don’t Let Me Down

“This story stems from my love of hockey. My favorite team is the New York Rangers. My favorite player on the team is Mats Zuccarello. I couldn't find any stories about him, so I decided to write my own. As for the title and backbone of the story, I was really inspired by "Don't Let Me Down" by The Chainsmokers.”

Don’t Let Me Down is a story that features two people that come into each other’s lives at just the right time. One is a top scoring hockey player and the other is a retired figure skater. Neither of them thought that they needed someone, but everything changes when they meet.

“My favorite character would have to be my female main character, Aria. She is a retired figure skater who was forced to quit after tearing her ACL. Because of this, she is hesitant to let herself care about anything in fear that she will lose it. I feel connected to Aria in that I have trust issues myself, and struggle with the fear of rejection or losing people. Sometimes it gets in the way. She serves as the love interest to Mats, who tries to bring her out of her shell.”

When asked about the direction of the story for the future, Erin says, “I'm definitely trying to get more feedback on this story. However, even with the hockey fandom not being as large as other fandoms, I plan on finishing this story. There's going to be drama, as Mats learns just how broken Aria really feels. However, I do see a happy ending in sight. She might even get to skate again.”

Absorbed

“This story was a contest entry based off of a photo prompt I was given. The photo shows the outline of two heads, with detailed and colorful brains. The heads are tilted and the brains are melting into each other, as if they were becoming one. At first, I was going to go the romance route, with two people being made for each other or becoming one. Instead, I chose to go with a darker storyline. I took the melding as control, instead of love. One person's thoughts completely erasing someone else's.”

Writing about relationships in itself can be hard enough, but when the depths of unhealthy relationships are explored, it can sometimes feel impossible to get everything right. Erin tackles this topic very well in Absorbed, showing just how difficult being in a relationship like this can be.

“My favorite thing about writing this story was that it was something that I wasn't used to. I think I spent more time on the description, trying to get the imagery just right, and trying to capture what a scene like this might be like.”

Though the story is finished, Erin says, “I might be curious to explore writing like this in the future. Of course, more feedback is always welcome!”

“I have to be comfortable to write,” Erin said, when asked about her writing habits. “Most of the time I'm writing, I'm in one of the recliners in my living room. Listening to music is pretty inspirational to me. A lot of the time I hear a song and then picture it in my head, thinking it might make a cool outline for a story. Finally, I have to have background noise while I'm writing. Whether it be music or TV, I just need some sound.”

While she still relatively new to the Mibba community, Erin considers herself "a Mibbian who is always looking to try something new and to be challenged. Someone who is always open to talking to new people and bonding over our love for writing", which is shown by her love of the contest and general forums.

Special thanks to exploding boy. and Audrey T for editing.

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