Gift Exchange: There's something I've been meaning to tell you… by siDEADde

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5281557/1/Theres_Something_Ive_Been_Meaning_to_Tell_You
http://community.livejournal.com/twi_exchange/3142.html

Official Description: Alice has been hiding something from Edward, something that he should know about him and Bella. Prompt: Start the fic off with “I have something to tell you, something I’ve never told anyone else.”

Q&A with siDEADde:

Hello Fictionators, Thank you for choosing this little ficlet!

If you got more than one prompt – why did you choose the prompt you did?
I was offered more than one prompt, but the entire exchange was supposed to be E/B focused, and quite honestly, I’m not a fan of either character. I’m a bit of an Alice nut, so I chose the prompt that was rather ambiguous as to which characters would be involved. I have a hard time writing without Alice being involved (she’s really the only character who “speaks” to me), and the prompt just screamed PRECOG to me.
Was this prompt out of your comfort zone as a writer? How so?
Like I mentioned, the prompt was rather unspecific, so I was lucky to be able to twist it so that I would be within my comfort zone. When I had signed up for the exchange the mods were kind enough to ask a few questions and pair us up with prompts that would highlight our strengths as writers. I prefer canon, and the prompt was vague enough to allow me to work within those parameters.

What was your favorite passage that you wrote in the fic?
My favorite passage in the fic was the paragraph where Edward was reflecting on his relationship with Alice. He loves Bella, and is looking forward to spending eternity with her, but regrets that his relationship with his “sister” will change. There is a very small part of him that doesn’t want things to be different. In the paragraph there is some acknowledgment of his weaknesses, and I don’t think that those were highlighted enough in the real story. I like Edward better when he’s not perfect. Alice however…;)

Did you know the person you were writing this for prior to receiving the prompt?
I wrote the fic for starshinedown, and no I didn’t/don’t -really- know her. I had read one of her stories, and had shared a PM or two about grammar with her, but I was pretty unaware of what she likes and dislikes in a fic. I pretty much wrote what I wanted to, and then I held my breath hoping she would like it as well. Since the story fits into canon, I wasn’t taking crazy liberties, and I think that’s where sometimes people run into trouble.

How long did this take to write? Did you write it at the same time as your other fic(s) or did you put them on hold in order to finish this? Has this influenced your other fics at all?
The fic is quite short, just above the 1500 word mark. I spent about a day in the writing and editing. It was the last of 3 one-shots that I had signed up to do, so I’m rather regretful that it got the sh*t end of the stick. While the exchange was going on, I was writing 2 shorts for the LGBT fest and working on my stand alone fic Lunière. I put Lun on hold (for a ridiculous amount of time) to make sure I finished all three shorts. By the time the gift exchange was due, I was pretty burnt out from writing. I did enjoy writing this one though. I love to write Alice and Edward because I think their relationship is so pure; a true sibling relationship. They seem to me almost symbiotic. I don’t know necessarily if this fic influenced others as much as Lun influenced this fic. I had missed writing canon Alice, so I turned the gift request into something that could easily fit within my own fic.

Why did you choose the prompts you gave the author who wrote your fic? Were these ideas you had for yourself or just fics you wanted to see written?
As far as the prompts that I left for the writer saddled with me, I think I chose them because they were fics that I wanted to see written. All save one prompt, that is. I was grabbing for straws when I wrote up the Renesmee prompt, and after I submitted it I was a bit miffed at myself because I just knew that whomever had my prompts was going to pick that one…and I didn’t think they were going to understand what I was looking for. I was so pleasantly surprised when I read what was written. The writer nailed my request, and actually went above and beyond what I was expecting.

Would you do it again?
This was a really fun experience and I would most definitely do it again. Thank you!

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Kassiah says: I haven’t read anything by siDEADde before, but since her story Lunière was nom’d for a few Indie Awards, I wanted to check out this little O/S. At only just over 1800 words, it’s a quick read.

The attention to detail in this fic was amazing, and I loved Edward’s attention to and affection for Bella. Because of that, I would definitely check out future chapters if she decided to continue the story. I would like to point out that in my preparation for writing this review, I reread the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I got Alice’s remarks better the second time around. siDEADde’s love for Alice’s character shine through, even though this was an E/B-centric fic. Give this O/S a chance. I think you’ll like it

mozzer0906 says: This fic is many ways like canon Alice, it is short, sassy and is an enigma until the very end. When you go back and re-read it, you see many nuances that you didn’t catch the first time. I think this is something that once again fits perfectly in the canon and it is an interesting look into the very strong bond between Alice and Edward. I
think Alice in fanfiction can often be disappointing because I loved her so much in canon. I think her bond with Edward is one of the most intriguing perhaps behind Edward/Carlisle for me and it is one I think should be explored more. Alice is more than the pixie shopaholic on speed. I think siDEADde captures canon Alice perfectly and weaves it into a fun little one shot that leaves you smiling at the end. I also feel drawn to reading Lunière to see what she does with a multi-chapter fic from Alice’s pov.