Hello everyone! It's time for the February edition of Meet an Author! This time I, Droo, will be interviewing the legendary Sir_Spots or "Pup" as he's known as on the site.

His poetry thread, Spot's Poems - Sa13+, is the longest running on the site, which started eight years ago! He also has am EEFFD in the Finished section entitled Spots EEFFD - Sa9+/Sa13+

So without further ado... Here's Sir_Spots!

Droo: Soooo, you're the next author on the Meet an Author interview series! YAY!!!! You got time to be interviewed?

Sir_Spots: Really? Little ole me? There's a list?

Droo: Well... Yes. It's all the Authors... but we pick from it and you were picked for January!

Sir_Spots: Cool! Unfortunately I'm headed out for a bit. Can I check back in with you on this either later today or tomorrow morning?

Droo: Sure, it's a date!

Sir_Spots: Great, thanks! I'll bring flowers!

Droo: You better!

Later...

Droo: Hi Sweety! You ready for your interview?

Sir_Spots: Yup, ready with bells on!

Droo: *rings them* Where are my flowers?
*demanding*

Sir_Spots: *scrambles around the house. Grabs scissors and runs to the rose garden* Um... just a minute.

Droo: HAHHAHA TOO LATE! So Puppy, you have been on SS for a REALLY long time. Why don't you tell us just how long and what brought you to our magnificent site?

Sir_Spots: Well, a long time ago, in a far away place… Oh wait! That's another story. It was back in 2003 (wow, that is a long time ago). I was really into the whole Harry Potter craze since being bitten (ouch) by the bug myself while reading the second book to one of my kids. While trying to get more info about the Potter series and J.K., I came across Snitchseeker and starting looking around the site. A few of the members (Kris and Ern, uh hum, I mean Cassirin) made contact with me and invited me to begin role playing and I was hooked.

Droo: Ahhh yes...that's pretty awesome. At one point you were the poetry moderator for the fanfiction section, and you've had your current poetry thread for a really long time. When did you first start writing poems?

Sir_Spots: I think I’ve always enjoyed hearing poetry and can remember trying to write poems way back in Elementary School (of course that was a one room schoolhouse that we use to walk barefoot up hill all the way to... hehe) And as mentioned in last month’s wonderful "Meet the Author" interview with Ern, I've always loved Dr. Suess's stuff. When I got more involved with the Potter books, It got me interested in putting my thoughts down as poems that related to Harry and his friends and experiences.

Droo: Nice! Dr. Seuss rocks. What is it about Harry Potter that has you crazed like all of us?

Sir_Spots: I think I saw (or see) some of myself in Harry and definitely wished I had the ability to go to a Wizard School and learn magic. I like that he had to overcome so many obstacles and that although in the end, he cast the spell that killed Voldemort, he had to rely on some friends (and family) to get there. There's a lot of good messages for people within the books, such as lessons about good succeeding over evil.

Droo: You are right, there really are some wonderful messages. Now, because you've already said you're a father and I'm not giving away your age How many kids do you have and are they into Harry Potter as much as you are?

Sir_Spots: I have three and at various times they've gotten into and out of the Harry Potter books but none of them are as obsessed as I have been.

Droo: Well, that’s because you’re too cool for school! So let's talk about the process for writing your poems? Do they just pop into your head?

Sir_Spots: As for poems, they seem to come about to me in 2 ways. First I use parody a lot, especially around special events or holidays. I've actually written several parody poems similar to "The Night Before Christmas" that are in my thread. One is called "The Night Before N.E.W.T.S.” It’s fun to take someone else's work and then try to adapt it to a Harry Potter subject. In the other way, I think of an idea or character (like Dobby or Snape) and then try to write a poem that best captures their persona. I guess I also write about events like when the trio was on the run looking for Horcruxes.

Droo: So... *puts you on the spot* write a short 4 line poem about me being a witch!

Sir_Spots: Okay! Tee hee! A challenge!

Droo: Indeed... are you up to it? *raises eyebrow*

Sir_Spots: Of course!

(five minutes later)

Sir_Spots: Almost done…

(three minutes later)

Sir_Spots: Well it took 8 lines so I hope I don't get a bad score.

The wonderful thing about witches
Is they come in all sizes and sorts
Some have wands that are long slender branches
Some have sticks just the shortest of shorts

But Cassandra is more than the length of a wand
She’s a witch with a magical touch
Her kindness and sweet understanding
Is the reason we love her so much

Tada!

Droo: OMG THAT IS SOOO AWESOME! Ok, see? That's some true talent right there people!!

Sir_Spots: *blushes*

Droo: Seriously you are quite the poet. What is your advice for all those little wizards out there who want to write poetry?

Sir_Spots: Well I would say that the key is to try to write often, there's a lot of times that I begin a poem and then stop when I don't like how it’s going, but then will pick it back up later and finish it. Don't get discouraged and never think that you're no good at it. I've been writing for a very long time (I mean a VERY LONG time), it also doesn't hurt to have a good rhyming dictionary. I use an online one, that helps when you get stuck trying to find that magic word.

Droo: Hehe, Magic word. Cool! So other than Quidditch, what is your favorite sport?

Sir_Spots: Well of course Quidditch is my favorite, in fact, that's the one thing about Harry Potter that I really wish I could do just once. Play Quidditch. In my Muggle life, however, I coach a very competitive girls Softball Team.

Droo: Ooo... That must be fun! Wait. Weren’t you the quidditch official for the school at one time? Have you not found a place that plays muggle quidditch where you live?

Sir_Spots: I've heard of several. Mostly club teams at the local Colleges, but I haven't gone out to watch or join in yet, and yes, I have been many things on SS.

Droo: Ooo tell us more! What have you been!

Sir_Spots: Well, as you've already mentioned, I was the Mod for the Poetry Thread, I was the Quidditch Official, I have been the Gryffindor House Ghost, I have played various (mostly Gryffindor) students RPing in the Hogwarts Classes, and... that's all I can remember for now.

Droo: Hehe... We love those little Gryffindor students... So let me ask you, what's your favorite book? You know, other than the HP series…

Sir_Spots: Since reading the Potter series got me back into reading, (I had put books away for quite some time before that,) I have read all of the Narnia series, The Twilight Sagas, The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books, the Hunger Games and now I'm working through the Inheritance Cycle (Christopher Paolini) which started with Eragon. I know these are all geared toward "young adults" but hey, if it keeps me reading, then it can't be all bad now can it?

Droo: Dude! I love "young adult" literature. I consider it as good as anything written for “adults.” Do you have any favorite poets?

Sir_Spots: Dr. Suess is my favorite of all time and loads of my poems are modeled after his style but I like others more "classical" poets like Poe and Frost...

Droo: I too adore Poe. So, as a poet, what's the hardest word to rhyme?

Sir_Spots: Well if you want to have perfect rhyming, "orange" is awfully hard to "squeeze" out another word that sounds like it... hehe, but to tell you the truth, some of the Potter specific words like Quidditch and Horcrux, have given me fits in trying to get as close as possible, I pride myself in putting in special effort to make rhymes for those words.

Droo: And you do such a good job. So what are your current projects?

Sir_Spots: I try to keep up with a poem about every 6 weeks or so to keep my viewers coming back to read the thread. Muggle work is a bit busy right now but I'm working on what my next subject will be. I'm open for recommendations from your readers. *Pauses to look towards the audience* Any requests?

Droo: lol May I ask what you do in the muggle world or did you want to keep that private?

Sir_Spots: Naw, that's ok. You can ask. I'm a Production Manager for a Television Network that covers mostly news and politics involving the muggle ministry. So that keeps me pretty busy and I get to travel quite a bit which is why I've had a chance to meet so many fellow SSers around the country....including YOU!!!

Droo: Shhh! You aren't supposed to let people know we know each other. I’m just kidding. Plus, you don't need to travel to meet me, we're practically neighbors! How many SSers have you met?

Sir_Spots: Haha! I've also meet up with Ern, Touz and Kris, how ‘bout that?

Droo: Hehehe cool! So how about a little word association game?

Sir_Spots: Uhmmm, okay.

Droo: Wizard

Sir_Spots: Dumbledore

Droo: Food

Sir_Spots: Cauldron Cakes

Droo: Creature

Sir_Spots: Fluffy

Droo: Hehe, Plants

Sir_Spots: Can't spell it but Mimbulus Milbletona... Neville's favorite... that cactus thing

Droo: Mimblus mimbletonia! That's awesome! Ok next word. Christmas!

Sir_Spots: Presents!

Droo: Classes

Sir_Spots: Snape

Droo: That was great! So I finish my interviews with two very important questions…

Sir_Spots: Ok

Droo: 1. (and credit for this question, which I love, goes to Ern) If you were a Berty Bott Every Flavor Bean, what flavor would you be?

Sir_Spots: Dark chocolate flavored Cotton candy! (Oh and I wrote a poem about Bertie's Beans! Go figure! )

Droo: Yes I know! I loved it! It’s actually one of my favorite poems of yours. Dark Chocolate and Cotton Candy are two of my favorite things! The last question is this: You have been awarded the The Merlin World Peace Prize for one of your poems. Give us your speech.

Sir_Spots: Ahem. *clears throat*

I thank you all for this great prize
For writing poems of peace.
I’m sure you guys have heard enough
“Will this guy ever cease?”

But poems and rhymes are what I do
A sonnet, or a prose
As long as people like my stuff
When will I stop…..who knows?

hehe

Droo: I love it! *stands clapping* Writing a poem acceptance speech is brilliant! But is that all? You aren't going to thank anyone?

Sir_Spots: Of course I have a few people to thank.

Droo: Ok, *sits back down* let's hear it!

Sir_Spots: Thanks to Dr. Suess for helping me understand that you can rhyme almost anything. He said "I meant what I said and I said what I meant,” one of my favorite quotes and to J.K. Rowling for writing the books that inspired me not only to begin reading again but to give me so many subjects to write poems about. *bows*

Droo: ... *taps foot* Aren't you forgetting someone...
... a certain Slytherin …
... who is INTERVIEWING you?!?!

Oh well...

lol

Sir_Spots: Oh... hehe... I thought I wasn't supposed to know you. I'm not good at this...

Droo: Haha! Thank you for your time, and your awesome poetry!!! Keep it up, because we all love it!

Sir_Spots: You're welcome, please encourage your readers to visit the Poetry section to read both mine AND YOUR threads. They're both really good (pats our backs) and thanks for the great questions! That didn't hurt a bit! *wipes sweat off brow*

*sneaks in a hug when no one is looking*

Droo: *hugs you back* Thank you for the interview Puppy! So there you have it folks! Go read everyone’s awesome poetry in the Poetry Vault! There is something for everyone. And if the bug bites you, write your own poem!

Enigma

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Mad Eye Touz

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