Interview: A Snowflake in Spring, by Celerysticks4life

Hello everyone, and welcome to the very first (and definitely not last) interview by the EPP. Thank you to everyone who sent in such awesome questions. We tried to get them all, but Cel just talks a lot, so we went off on a few tangents ^^; anyone who has a chance to stop by and tell her how much they like ASIS, I strongly recommend you do so. She’s pretty rad.

A Snowflake in Spring is undeniably the most popular story in the Frozen fandom, not just Elsanna, and Celerysticks is the mastermind behind it. Simply put, it’s Elsa and Anna and a mental institution. And it’s awesome. Taken from FFN, the summary is thus:

After her brother Hans is institutionalized, Anna makes it her mission to visit him whenever she can. The sooner he comes home, the sooner everything will go back to normal. She wasn’t expecting to meet the asylum’s resident ‘Ice Queen,’ who refuses to speak or acknowledge anyone… except Anna.

At 27 chapters and almost 120k words, it’s a monster of a story. And, I tell you, you won’t regret a single second.

But, on with the interview~!

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How are you?

I’m good, I’m good. I had an interesting weekend, an emotionally draining day. When you’re an adult, all your friends are drama queens.

Emotionally draining is bad?

ED is bad because me and my friends have a lot of emotional baggage.

How did you get into the Elsanna fandom?

Disney’s not subtle at all. I watched Frozen and thought 'this is a very intense sisterly relationship’. I liked Kristoff but felt that he and Anna were better off as bros. I remember watching it for the first time and being worried that Hans was going to be Elsa’s love interest and I was just like 'no’. Honestly, Elsanna seems like the most feasible—not the healthiest—but most feasible relationship. I think it’s an interesting dynamic to explore because they’re just such different people and their bond is so intense.

Is ASIS your first story?

No. It’s my first Frozen fanfic, and it’s the longest I’ve ever written—definitely. Before ASIS, the longest was a Victorious fanfic that was only …. 12 chapters? By the time ASIS is done, it’ll be like, 35 at most.

That means we only have 10 chaps left!

Yep.

You have a lot get through in the next 10 chapters. Hints?

My evil half is really pleased with the reaction to my comment that the next chapter will be “the” chapter. I feel like the number one concern is that Hans is going to hurt Elsa, and I think that’s really ironic. I will say that it is the chapter I’ve been wanting to write since the beginning.

How did you write 100k+ in 6 months?

This time last year I was really stressed out because I was worried about changing my major. Advice to people in college, your plans will change. Don’t worry if they don’t work out. I was a graphic design major, I thought that it was what I was gonna do with the rest of my life. But the professors were assholes and it was really hard for me to deal with the fact that maybe this wasn’t what I was supposed to do. And then I saw Frozen. Frozen was so beautifully made from an artistic perspective, and the more I watched it, the more I focused on Elsa and her sadness. Then in the reprise of For The First Time In Forever when she grabs her head and thinks 'I just can’t do this,’ that was what inspired ASIS.

I remember watching that and thinking to myself, 'I can work with that.’ The reason I cranked chapters out so quickly was obviously because the first few chapters were really short, and I honestly never thought that ASIS would get this big. It was just something I did to distract myself. I’ve changed my majors and am in a much better headspace than I was a couple months ago, and am really excited to get back to it.

What’s your favourite song from the movie?

Ohh, um. That’s a good question. It actually probably is the Reprise. Let It Go is Let It Go, obviously. Can’t really say anything negative about that, but the reprise was just the climax of the movie for me and it manages to showcase the entire struggle of Elsa and Anna’s relationship (and the whole point of the movie, honestly) in just three minutes.

Are you planning on completing A Snowflake In Spring? If not, would you consider handing it off to another author to finish it for you?

If I wasn’t planning on finishing it, I would see no reason not to. But I plan on finishing it, so… Like I said, none of you have guessed what will actually happen, so if I left it to you you’d fuck it up. But I will finish it, I promise.

I was actually surprised, I would still get random emails saying 'so and so has favorited your story’ and I’m like 'what? this thing hasn’t updated since October, how are you finding this?’

How do you personally feel about the role of the mental institution in Elsa and Hans’ recovery? Positive or negative? And, on top of that, its overall function as a recovery center, given that Hans was able to get away with as much as he did?

Honestly, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know really know what happens inside a psychiatric facility, but the story is supposed to be a character analysis rather than an accurate portrayal of a mental institution. It has Anime Syndrome; the setting doesn’t matter so much. All that matters is that the characters are well-developed and important shit happens. I’ve had people review and say “thank you for not blowing over the difficulties of a mental illness and the 'issues’ that may come with dating someone who suffers from them.” That’s what’s important. It’s a study of two very different people and the development of the relationship between them, a relationship that isn’t magically going to be perfect or easy.

—so it wasn’t important?

A mental institution provides the perfect place for plot development. The fact that they are all in this exact situation is what allows the story to happen. So it’s necessary that they’re there, but beyond that, I don’t really think it’s important to detail everything that happens in the institute itself. It’s like how in Harry Potter the point isn’t 'they go to a magical school’. They have homework, but J.K. Rowling doesn’t bore us with every single lecture and assignment of every single class. The plot revolves around so much more. They need to be in this place but the place itself isn’t what’s most important.

What were your inspirations for the story? Were certain events/ characters inspired by those in your real life? If so, and it doesn’t bother you, what and who?

Um, I have- growing up I’ve had a lot of experience with people who have depression and mental illness. I do a lot of self-reflection, especially when writing Anna (not her dorky side but her 'what is love’ side). I do try to stay true to Anna though because she’s a lot more positive than me. She’s also just a fantastic character in general.

I’ve always been good at getting inside people’s heads [in reference to Elsa].

My favorite character is Hans. I know what it’s like to be an asshole, still care about certain people, and be evil on top of that. But he’s also a bit of a narcissist and thinks everyone else is beneath him.

Ahh, see, the tvtropes page suggests Hans has narcissistic personality disorder and Elsa may have been lobotomised. Are those suppositions true?

I’m just confused cause, I mean… I’m just confused. I was like 'um, is that how a lobotomy works? I’m pretty sure once you have a lobotomy, you’re pretty much a walking zombie and I’m pretty sure I didn’t write Elsa like that.’

Hans having NPD is a fair assumption. He is very narcissistic, but I don’t think I’m ready to expand on his full character here. When he smells Elsa’s mother’s perfume, and that part of him wonders 'is this what my mother smelled like?’ we can see that he isn’t a one-dimensional plot device that’s here to hurt Elsa… and that’s all I’m gonna say.

But going back to Elsa… from my knowledge of lobotomy I know that the procedure essentially removes your personality. They remove some part of your brain and once that’s gone, you’re still alive, but that’s pretty much all you are. They performed lobotomies back in the day to make troublesome patients less… troublesome. They did it to keep them from harming themselves or others. Elsa, while very self-deprecating, has never given the hospital staff any reason not to trust her with her own safety or the safety of those around her.

Hans is your fav character but we hardly ever see him. Why?

I mean… the story itself is about Elsa and Anna’s relationship. It’s ironic because Hans thinks he’s the center of Anna’s world because she’s the center of his, but he’s actually one of the smallest parts of hers. At least at the moment. The chapters with Hans have in fact led to the most plot development. When Anna and Elsa are alone together, they’d just continue being awkward around each other, and then you’d all really see a glacial pace. But Hans gets things done. Unfortunately for him, his actions have actually led to the development of the relationship he’s now trying to put an end to.

People have been talking about the similarities between Elsa and Hans, and I actually do see them now. As I was writing I didn’t really realize it, but the next chapter will only showcase these similarities more.

With one of ASIS’s main protagonists being so heavily wrapped in mental health issues, where did the inspiration for Elsa come from? The details of her condition are very intricate so I imagine you have some experience with people suffering from such conditions.

Well, actually, the inspiration for Elsa’s character came after the explanation for why. Instead of starting out with the goal to have a silent character, I came up with her backstory first. The things that happened to her as a child actually fueled who she is now. Her backstory came to me out of nowhere, and once I had it down it was very easy to write her character as she is today. This story came to me in very weird ways. The climax came first and then the rest of it came in weird bits and pieces at random moments.

Have you ever been afraid to perhaps mess with characters or make drastic changes when you know many people have become attached to the characters? I realize that you have stated that a dark twist is coming in the form of Hans, but were you ever afraid to take this step of a twist when you began on the new chapter?

Not really. When the whole story is focused on certain things needing to happen, even though I know none of you want any of the characters to get hurt (except Han of course), they have to happen. Characters have to get hurt to make a story. I’ve never really been afraid to mess with my characters, because I know I’ll see them through to happier times. I’ve only ever been afraid of how it would emotionally traumatize the people reading.

You’ve got the story planned to the end?

For the most part. I know what needs to happen. There are just some parts that I need to flesh out as I’m writing them. Writing for me is very touch and go and so far that’s been working. You guys have liked it.

How do you feel about being the author of the most popular story on the Frozen fandom?

It’s frightening, to be perfectly honest. In the good way. It’s had over a million hits on ffn. Considering it started out as something to distract me from how shitty college was, I didn’t think it was going to get over ten chapters. But then people started liking it, and I got excited about it. Sometimes it’s definitely a point of stress to get chapters out, but I still enjoy writing it.

Plans for other stories when you’re done?

There’s ’Chance.’ I’m probably going to write another few chapters for that. I actually started a novel that’s not fanfiction and it’s a weird feeling. I’m not sure what to do with all this freedom. But after ASIS is done I’m interested to see if people would be interested in reading some of my original stuff.

What inspired you to do a story revolving around a mental institution? How many hours of research did it take for you to grab the complex context in which you have set this wonderfully written story?

Ehh…. zero. I didn’t research a lot because, again, the importance was on the characters and not the setting. My only ‘research’ is my personal experience. I actually recently went back and rewrote Olaf’s backstory. My little brother is autistic, and he’s been Olaf’s inspiration for me. For the other characters, I just really have to dig in and find the headspace to understand them, and that’s where being an empathetic person comes in handy.

Will we see more of Olaf?

Yes. Yes you will. He’s important.

Do you find it difficult to characterize Elsa without words? Is it like the ultimate game of, “Show don’t Tell”? Are you sometimes frustrated that you can’t make Elsa just say what she thinks?

Not really. Um, and I think it’s easier because of the way I write in a form of 3rd person that’s still focussed on one character. You still get all the going-ons in that one character’s head, which really helps you in understanding Elsa. In her chapters, there’s still body language cues that are easy to characterize: shoulders hunched and tentative eye contact. No, it’s not that hard.

I’m no more frustrated than she is when it comes to her not being able to talk. I mean, the language barrier is an interesting writing test. If I ever hit a block, it fuels the frustration that fuels Elsa’s character, which is actually very helpful because it comes from someplace real.

Also Elsa never had a meaningful relationship in her life, how is that going to work out for her and Anna?

Anna’s never had one either. Relationship experience doesn’t automatically… look. If you don’t understand what makes a good relationship you’re never gonna be successful. The core of a good relationship is two people wanting what’s best for each other, whether that relationship is platonic or romantic or something else. Elsa doesn’t want to be a burden on Anna, and Anna wants Elsa to be happy and healthy. That’s why when these two are finally ready for a relationship with each other, they’ll have real feelings to work with and a genuine love for the other person. So many people don’t understand that that’s all you need to have a good relationship, there isn’t any tricky formula for compatibility. No ridiculous standard of devotion, or need for grandiose displays of passion.

With such a huge pallet of characters to choose from in the Disney universe, what inspired you to add Meg and Hercules to your story?

Um, their story’s not done yet either. Think about what drew Meg to Anna in the first place, and think about what other characters in the story are relevant to her, and what possible connection they could have to Anna. I don’t stick Meg and Hercules in there just for the fun of it.

—I noticed some moments of 'could be’ feelings between Meg and Anna, though now that it hasn’t gone any further, I’m wondering if I was just reading into it too much…

I originally had this love triangle idea thing that was honestly totally unnecessary so I went back and reworded some of Meg’s lines. Just think about what attracted her to Hercules and what attracts her to Anna. Remember that Hercules wasn’t always the guy we see—he used to be a lot different.

I really like Hercules because of the characters. Compare Hercules to Gaston. Physically, they’re the epitome of what a man should be but their personalities are at total opposite ends of the spectrum. Same as Meg. Meg was the first sassy, confident Disney female lead, but at the same time we still saw her being vulnerable and being a hopeless romantic.They’re multi-dimensional characters that stress important values. Even though the plot wasn’t the strongest and there was a necessary butchering of Greek mythology, it was still a very important movie.

—What are your favourite Disney films?

My favourite Disney movies are Oliver and Company, and Brother Bear. Oh, Hunchback of Notre Dame. I like Treasure Planet a lot. The Princess movies are good, but… I don’t know. They’re just… not as interesting to me as the other ones. All the Disney Princess movies are- you’re sort of obliged to see them. They’re what Disney is famous for. So I like it when Disney goes out of their way to make something different. If DIsney thought it was a good enough movie to make, it usually is.

Can Elsa talk?

Yes and no. It’s like a professional runner being in a wheelchair for 10 years. He still is able to walk, but the muscles have deteriorated. He isn’t magically gonna start sprinting 200s anytime soon. Recovery’s always hard. It’s a mental and physical issue. There’s obviously a mental block, but you’ve got to keep in mind that Elsa’s vocal chords also haven’t been used for a very long time.

Honestly the only thing I’d like to ask, the only thing I ever ask other fanfic writers, is how the fuck does she write so well?

Magic.

What aspects of yourself, if any, are reflected in your characters? Also, how do you think you have evolved creatively?

Anna’s struggles with the meaning of love and her feelings for Elsa come directly from myself. Not for Elsa, obviously, but for a certain someone. And I think writing this story’s actually matured my writing style and my view of the world in general, actually. Writing this story has given me a better respect for the complexities of the human mind.

—So that goes back to the 'self-reflection’ you were talking about earlier?

Yep.

How do you find motivation to write even when you don’t want to write or you don’t like what you’re writing? What are your tips and tricks to get out of writer’s block?

If you want to get over writer’s block, you actually have to stop writing. If you’re trying to paint a picture but you’re struggling to paint what you want, layering more and more paint on the canvas isn’t going to help you. All you’re gonna do is muddy the colors, and that’s something you can’t always fix. It’s better to take a break, relax yourself, and come back later.

—Do you get writer’s block often?

Not lately, I’ve actually been writing quite a bit. Having multiple projects going on at once isn’t actually a bad thing; just because inspiration for one work isn’t coming to you, doesn’t mean inspiration won’t come at all.

Ah, and you can then direct that into another project. Do you work on stories by rank of 'importance’, or just by what seems to be working for you at that moment?

Whatever works for me at the moment.

If you ever published this as an actual book and it was picked up to be turned into a movie; who would you pick to play as the major characters?

…um, I have no idea. Maybe Natalie Dormer as Elsa (because she’s a fantastic actress and I love her) and I really have no idea for Anna.

—Who would be Hans?

Maybe Richard Madden, or Daniel Radcliffe. I feel like they both could be really good at capturing Hans’ charm morphing into blind rage.

ASIS’s fanbase has grown massively over the year, was there a particular point where you realized that you were onto something big, so to speak? Was there additional pressure added when you realized so many people were reading?

Never one point, and absolutely. I know I can’t abandon the story, and if I didn’t enjoy writing it so much then that would definitely be a terrifying idea.

—So it just kept growing and growing until you realised 'ho shit’? I mean, one million views is not a little number…

Pretty much. Haha no it is not.

Would we get some Hercules redemption moments? Chapter 24 was amazing and I would definitely love to see some development in his character.

Absolutely. Meg and Herc still have development to go through, and it’s going to help Anna a lot with her understanding of her feelings for Elsa.

So Anna is still unsure? To what extent do Anna’s feelings for Elsa differ to Elsa’s feelings for Anna?

Anna still doesn’t know what exactly love is; she knows she’s attracted to Elsa and knows her feelings are more than just friendship, but in my opinion there’s always gonna be a little bit of confusion. That’s just the kind of person she is. And obviously, Elsa isn’t Anna’s whole world. Anna’s never once had to think “Gee, I feel bad because I’m dragging her down,” it’s more like “Gee, what if I let her down and that ruins her chances of getting better?” Whereas Elsa knows she herself isn’t in a healthy enough place to offer Anna stability, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting it.

Why was Anna the catalyst? Why did Elsa, for ten years, show no change? Show no ability to recognise or care about her parents, until Anna came into the picture? And, why did Elsa do that in the first place?

That will all be explained in the story. You get no hints.

What are some of your favourite fics?

Elsanna-wise there’s a fanfic on A03 called Kill of the Night that I’m obsessed with. But I really enjoyed Anna Summers, PA and one called And I Saw the Beast Upon the Cold World.

How do you deal with people asking you for new chapters?

I ignore them, mostly. As rude as that sounds. The story will get updated when it gets updated. That’s all there is to it.

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Once again, that you to everyone for sending in questions, and a great big thank you to Cel for participating. It was a lot of fun, and we’re looking forward to doing it again :)