Category Archives: Fan Fiction

Fanfiction Project NCIS:Blue

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In September 2013, a group of dedicated NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles fans, from various parts of the world, came together online to form and begin working on special undertaking now known as “NCIS: Blue”.

The phrase “Fanfiction Project” is used for a long-term story/series that is created by several authors to fit into a specific fandom in a way that keeps the material true to the characters, world, or otherwise of the fandom. It is still, at its core, a non-profit fanfiction, but the authors and betas involved do their best to create a story that pays accurate tribute to the fandom.

The “Blue Project” team for NCIS: Blue have taken this concept a little further, while also involving actual Military, medical, and government contacts to retain accuracy throughout the story. Instead of a “start to finish” style of storytelling, NCIS: Blue will be in the form of a new spin-off series. Careful time and dedication is being put into the project to make it like a real show, while maintaining the freedom to be creative in the way they lead the characters on their journey.

The purpose of this project is to help raise awareness of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. The project team want to pay tribute to the awesome work the cast and crew of both shows do, to further engage fans all around the world, and perhaps reach out to some new ones as well.

There is a teaser, full-length series promotional video, and an informal video all viewable on the official NCIS: Blue YouTube account.

It is also where all episode promos will be released once the project officially launches. There is no official release date yet, though the time range of December – January is most likely. Much like a real show, there will also be hiatuses, season finales and premieres, as well as two mid-season breaks. Work has significantly begun on the pilot episode 1×01 “Revive”. Season 1 has already been carefully planned, through all 26 episodes of the season, as well as extensive ideas noted down for season 2.

The base plot for the series is kicked into motion by Gibbs mysteriously retiring from NCIS. His parting words inspire Director Vance to resurrect a previously failed unit – the Blue Team. Hetty, from Los Angeles OSP, also wanted a change and will therefore be leading the new Blue team. The members of this new unit are characters pulled from both NCIS and NCIS: LA – Ziva, Deeks, Tony, Kensi, and McGee.

The purpose of the team is to act as a mobile unit living together as they travel around the world to prevent major crimes, or solve those that have already happened. The dangerous missions may involve tracking suspects, taking out Terrorists, gathering crucial Intel, assisting others relating to NCIS or the US Military, protecting US secrets, and a variety of other important high-priority tasks. It’s a combination of the undercover work done in Los Angeles, and the major cases worked on in Washington DC, while introducing a new “persona” concept the Blue team will specialise in. This will involve taking on a personality or identity for a very short period of time. No back story or identifications are generally needed, only a stereotypical interpretation through behaviour and appearance of a certain person or title. Such as a trucker on the road, a single mother shopping for groceries, a building maintenance worker, an arrogant CEO, and so on. They will need to blend into a constantly changing surrounding, and adapt to new personas as quickly as possible. Each team member will also have their own speciality – such as McGee with technology, and Ziva with interrogation.

The main focus of the series will be emotional character journeys, written as true to the portrayals on the shows as possible. This will include pairings. Much like NCIS and NCIS: LA, there will be enough “open to interpretation” portions for a variety of pairings, but the canon pairings for the series will be Ziva/Tony and Deeks/Kensi. Due to not including many the later plots from NCIS: LA, while keeping most of the plots for NCIS, Tiva is much more advanced than Densi at the start of this project. However, each will be developed at what the NCIS: Blue Project Team strive to be a realistic pace fitting the situations and characters involved. A large variety of other characters from both NCIS and NCIS: LA will also make appearances through the series – even temporarily joining the Blue team on a mission, which may include living with them inside their mobile home for the duration.

The timeframe of NCIS: Blue is around the beginning of season 11 of NCIS, and season 5 of NCIS: LA, with some major changes. The main events that led to the finale of season 4 in NCIS: LA will not be included, in interest of originality and not to have two series putting the same character through similar consequences. The NCIS stories are generally intact, apart from the events of Ziva’s departure. These will not be ignored, however the outcome was altered to allow her a place on the Blue team. This issue will be touched on during the series – she didn’t leave, as Tony was able to convince her to come back to NCIS, and that will have consequences of its own.

All fans will be able to read the episodes, when they’re released, on the official NCIS: Blue website: http://ncisblue.com where they can also partake in episode discussions from any of the three shows – NCIS, NCIS: LA, or the new NCIS: Blue. There they can submit fanfiction or fan art, play games/activities, debate over characters or shippings, theorise, and generally socialise with a wide range of other fans from all around the world. Project members are actively involved as well – with future plans for more site features, as well as competitions to give members a chance to win some really cool prizes.

Don’t forget to follow the projects twitter @NCISblue.
Updates, special content, or news will also be regularly tweeted by Project Manager @meleenacollins.

Callen’s Corner: Challenge 2 Winners

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Ladies and gentlemen. Fans of all ages. It is our pleasure to reveal the winners for the Callen’s Corner Challenge 2!

So many great fan fictions were submitted. They represented many collective hours of work and creative focus. The best part of these stories was the overt diversity. We were exposed to everything from a harsh Russian winter, to Callen’s hard childhood, from a pet store, to a heartfelt discussion with Deeks. Simply amazing– every single word! As always, the judging process is tedious and seems oh, so impossible with so many great entries. This time, we had to pick our favorites and draw for a winner, because the skills represented were so bountiful. Great job to our authors!

Also, this time around, we decided to have a prize for one of the awesome reviewers of these fics. And talk about reviewers! Lots of you took time out of your busy schedules to read and review these fan fics. We saw some great affirmation being brought for the hard-working authors. And to that, we say, Bravo!!! You reviewers rocked it!

Now, for the fun part:

The winner of the reviews, was a reviewer from Portugal. Congratulations to KensiCallenRock!!!

The winner of the authors, was BH72. Congratulations!!!

Read part of the winning entry below:

 

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Something To Call His Own

By BH72

Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters

Chapter 1

G Callen laid back down on the hospital bed, he hoped for the last time. He had been away on assignment in Russia, again. They were to infiltrate a well known terrorist group near a town named Kolpino, just outside of St Petersburg. The operation had gone south, with the undercover agents’ true identities being made. Callen and his partner Peter Winters, were about to face a firing squad for their deception. But gunfire could be heard just outside the compound they were in, and they knew help was on its way. They had been rescued by fellow CIA and NCIS agents, who were already there in the country. Callen had been shot in the shoulder, but it could have been so much more serious. He had a grey-haired man, named Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, to thank for his life. He had put his own life on the line to save him, and Callen was thankful to the older man. He and his partner had been rescued and managed to flee Russia, with hospital treatment sought to treat his wound.

Which is how he found himself in a Washington DC hospital, waiting for his partner to take him home. ‘Humph!’ The only problem was, G Callen was a loner, and didn’t have any possessions, let alone a place to call home. All through his childhood, ever since he could remember, he moved between thirty-seven Foster Homes. Some were nice or ok, others were bad. But no matter what those homes were like, he never belonged anywhere, nor owned anything, other than an old bed roll, with his name on it. Well what of his name he knew anyway.

A grin spread across the CIA agent as he saw his partner arrive into his room. “About time, Pete. What took you so long?” Callen watched his partner pull something out of his bag.

“Sorry, G, but I took a detour.” Peter Winters pulled out of his bag, a brown Chesapeake Bay Retriever. He was tiny and had barely left his Mother. “I couldn’t resist him.” Peter admitted, with a sly grin. “He’s something, isn’t he?”

“He’s adorable.” Callen took the tiny pup off his partner and placed him on his chest. The pup settled his head on Callen’s chest and looked up at him with his large brown eyes. Callen’s heart melted, in that moment. The hardened agent had become soft from the contact with the pup. “What’s his name?” He looked up at his partner, expecting a reply.

“I haven’t thought of one yet. I was hoping you could help me on that one. It was a sudden decision to buy him, when I saw him in the pet shop window.” Peter smiled at his partner, who usually never showed any emotion around him. But what he saw had made him smile. He could tell G Callen was taken with the pup and vice versa. “I think he likes you, G!” Ever since he had picked the pup up from the shop, an hour earlier, it had continued to fret and wriggle about. Seeing him so settled on Callen, had surprised him. “I never knew you had it in you, G, to be so good with animals.”

“You think?” Callen had never had much experience with animals. There was a few houses he had spent some time in, where the family owned a dog or cat, but he hadn’t stayed there long enough to bond with the pet.

“I’ve haven’t seen this pup stop fretting or wriggling until you took him off me.” He stated, amused. He shook his head. “Well, looks like you’re going have to help me train him, seeing he likes you more than me.”

“Me, ah…I have no experience with this sort of thing, Pete.” Callen replied, shaking his head, unsure if Pete’s idea was a good one.

“Well you’ll be staying with me until you find yourself a new place to call home anyway G, so the two of you will have plenty of time to bond.” When Peter Winters and G Callen had become partners two years ago, he had also become a surrogate big brother. He knew a little about Callen’s life prior to working in the CIA, and from what he had been told by the younger man, he realised his partner needed a family.

“Are you sure? What about that girlfriend of yours, Stacey?” Callen inquired, unsure if he was more trouble than anything else for his partner.

“You mean Tracey?” Peter laughed. “She’s not my girlfriend, that’s for sure. We’ve just worked together on some ops before, that’s all. Sometimes we hang out.” He reiterated to him.

“Ok. Thanks!” G Callen was not used to people looking out for him, he was still taking time adjusting to the generosity of his partner.

“It’ll be another month before you’ll be let back to work, so make the most of the time to relax, and do what normal people do.” Peter quickly grabbed the pup off his partner’s chest and gently placed him inside the bag again. “Just for safe measures, as we leave this fine establishment.” Peter joked about the hospital.

Callen smirked as he heard the pup scuffle inside the bag. They were going to have to make a quick exit, if they were not going to be caught out having the pup inside the hospital. Nurses gave them puzzled looks as they exited the building, as they heard the noise coming from Pete’s bag.

Once they were clear of the building, Pete pulled the pup out of the bag and handed him over to Callen. “Call it earning your board.” Pete began, knowing Callen struggled with people being generous with him. “You can live with me in my spare bedroom, for the next month, if you train him. Or he trains you.” Pete laughed. “He’s got you wrapped around his little finger, G.” He watched Callen rub the soft fur on the pup’s ears. The pup snuggled in closer to Callen and closed his eyes.

“Deal.” Callen liked the idea of training the pup. “But he needs a name.” He added.

“I agree, G. But I can’t think of anything yet.” Pete had spent the whole hour before picking up his partner, trying to think of a name.

 

…To continue reading this winning fanfic, follow this link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9530901/1/Something-To-Call-His-Own

…To read ALL of our fantastic entries, follow this link: http://www.ncislamagazine.com/board/index.php/topic,286.0.html

The best “Thank You” that any writer can receive is a hardy pat on the back, so be sure to leave comments!

Callen’s Corner: Challenge Musings

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Dear CC Readers,

The latest Challenge is in full-swing.

Full-swing like a California Hop. No waltzing, please.

Just like the last Challenge, it’s been totally fun and thoroughly exciting to see what has been coming forth from the incredible and highly-creative Callen fans. There’s never a dud from you people. Seriously. Not from the writers, and not from the reviewers. The writers put in the hard work, and the reviewers share their thoughts and pat the writers on the back.

I eat it up. So cool.

Since I was banned from participating in this one, by the somewhat-wise command of sindee (name not capitalized at her request forevermore), I thought it’d be okay for me to just muse my thoughts on this latest Callen’s Corner Challenge, and do some cheering of my own. I mean, we have one month to go before this Challenge ends on the final day of August. That’s a really long time. Four weeks. Let me do the math for you. A person can write about 1,000 words in 1 hour. That’s like 140,000 words in four weeks, only writing 5 hours a day. Oh, the sweet potential. All in the name of Callen.

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Moving on.

So, when we issued this Challenge, my thoughts were that bringing Buddy the dog out of the past was dangerous. Going back into Callen’s past is dangerous, as is! But, adding in the dog that G was upset about losing to Tracy? Dun dun dunnnnnn… We are asking for trouble. I know you agree with me. After all, we tear up at sad puppy stories. We shed a tear at G Callen’s troubled past. And here we go. Diving right in!

But, boy, I’m SO GLAD we did!

Looking at how Callen may have interacted with said dog has been fascinating! There were cute moments, and gut-wrenching moments. Times of action, and times of sitting still. At least, that’s what the stories entered to date have shown us. And it’s been utterly terrific.

To those that have already entered, I need to give you a big hug. Or, at least a strong handshake. I am amazed at how quickly you put your thoughts together to let us see, feel, and experience. I like a good fiction that teaches me a new way to see G Callen. And, I LOVE a fiction that has a point. And, people, your entries have given us that! It’s like straight-up dessert! Amazingness dipped in chocolate from the country that makes the best chocolate in the world. Thank you. Thank you, big time.

And, to those who haven’t entered… Feel left out yet? Good! I want you entering a fic for us to collectively squee over, subsequently getting yourself into the running for the prize. I also want you reading and reviewing. That way you’re in the drawing for the second prize. I mean, how easy is that? Seriously, I’m just looking out for your best interests.

To see the entries to date, you can find them nestled here: http://www.ncislamagazine.com/board/index.php/topic,286.0.html

To brush up on the rules for the Callen’s Corner Challenge 2, transport yourself to this location: http://www.ncislamagazine.com/callens-corner-challenge-2/

Don’t miss out. You only live once.

XOXO,

Kevi

Callen’s Corner: Bee.Eh.Vee Interview

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Keviana: Hi! I’m grateful you’re taking time out of your day to talk to us!

Bee.Eh.Vee: No worries! I like to be productive while I procrastinate.

You are rumored to be very possessive of your tv time, as your bio states, “NCIS: LA (do not mess with my Deeks time, I will throw things)”… Tell us how you got hooked on the show.

My Mom liked JAG and I vaguely remember the final season, so when they spun NCIS off, we carried on watching and the same thing happened with NCIS:LA. However, NCIS:LA moved to being one of my favourite shows when they brought on Deeks. I think the humour his character provides balances out the show (as evidenced by Season 4 Episode 9 when he was missing).

For those not acquainted with your fan fiction “Brothers in Arms”, can you give us a quick summary?

Callen and Deeks are put undercover as arms-dealing brothers that were created by Eric and Nell for a cyber-sting that has moved into the real world. Naturally, it doesn’t go smoothly, and what should have been a simple bait-and-trap operation turns into something more dangerous. The chase to capture a group of Colombian guerrilla fighters, an assassin, and Deeks’ sanity takes them through LA, Colombia, and finally Mexico where a long walk in a big desert finally delivers justice.

It’s a fascinating story. What goals did you have in mind when you first began “Brothers in Arms”? 

I don’t think I had completely thought out the whole idea. I wanted to write something creative instead of my usual research work and the first chapter just flowed out. I had the plot up to Chapter 10 planned out (it was supposed to end there) but the twist at the end wrote itself. I grabbed on and wrote the rest of it while flying by the seat of my pants.

My goal was to complete a story! I have the habit of starting a story, jumping to the middle, back to the start, write the ending, abandon it, come back, tweak stuff, and then never finish it. My brain apparently does not function in a straight line. I thought if people wanted more, it would be motivation to complete it.

It’s common knowledge that I am always on the lookout for fan fiction stories that take G Callen’s character through some interesting twists. The fact that you take Deeks and Callen undercover is nothing new. What IS new, in my humble opinion, is that you have them go lone wolf to finish the case, leaving behind their partners. (And Hetty.) What barriers did you have to overcome with Deeks and Callen’s personalities to get them to work together with such determination?

It’s an interesting dynamic, two people who are quite happy working on their own, deciding (together) to work together. I wanted to force a situation where their partners really couldn’t be involved and they were working with less supervision. That opened up the possibility for them to get more in tune with each other’s abilities.

The more I thought about it, the more similarities emerged between them. They have both spent a lot of time in undercover operations, have limited family ties, have a protective streak, and can think on their feet. Yes, Deeks is more of a goof and Callen tends to be more serious, but opposite personalities do work well together.

In the end, the formula was to take two people with similar motivations and skill sets, drop them into an intense situation, assume they’ll fall back on their go-to move (drop off the map and fix the problem themselves) and watch the fireworks.

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And, fireworks there were. Would you like to see this platonic partnership played out on the show? Why?

I would like to see it on the show for several reasons. One, their back stories have similar elements and finding that common ground would add another layer to the show. Two, I think Chris O’Donnell and Eric Christian Olsen would portray it well. Three, I would finally get an answer to my burning question: if Sam and Kensi were in a car together, who would drive?

Haha, my guess is it’d be a stand-off! Okay, for us who adore the Callen side of things, tell us how you write him. What Callen-traits do you try to focus on?

As much as he seems to fight the idea of being a part of a team at times, he’s quite good at leading one. There was a lot of planning and being one or two steps ahead required in this story. In that way, he has hints of Hetty in him. He’ll take chances, like the one he took on Deeks’ cover. The other part of his character that I enjoyed playing with was that he has been in the business so long that he must know random people from different agencies scattered across the globe.

Tell us a little about the hilarious sequel to “Brothers in Arms”… Did you mean for it to be so funny?

My personal tag line for that one is “…and then hilarity ensues.”

That story bubbled out during a very stressful October that was followed by a very busy November when I spent a lot of time working with my hands, but my mind was free to roam. And when my mind wanders, it takes some wacky turns.

I cannot be completely serious, which I believe is why Deeks is close to my heart (that and I also style my hair with my pillow), and BiA was getting quite serious near the end. All the wackiness that was being stifled was released in the sequel. Kind of like an escaped un-tied balloon or a hot water heater with a faulty pressure valve (See: Mythbusters).

Are there any future lone wolf episodes currently planned for Deeks and Callen? Any rampaging plot bunnies?

Yes. The villain has been chosen, the early-story hook has been figured out, some scenes are bouncing around my head, but I’ll probably wait until the summer to start writing it. The first chapter picks up a couple weeks following Brothers in Arms: Hetty’s Revenge.

Thank you for making time for us. Glad we were able to catch up with you!

Always! It was fun to do.

Any parting words for aspiring fan fiction writers?

Cannonball in, save the story, and then go back a day later to re-read it. I like starting in the middle because it takes the “empty page/blinking cursor of doom” pressure off.

 

You can check out all of Bee.Eh.Vee’s writings here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/4076310/Bee-Eh-Vee
Please note that the next adventure for Callen and Deeks is already in progress: “Fracture Pattern.” Be sure to leave her a review!

Callen’s Corner: The Prickly Pear Interview

Keviana: Hi! I’m grateful you’re taking time out of your day to talk to us!

The Prickly Pear: It’s my pleasure! This should be fun.

First, please tell us how you became a fan of NCIS LA.

I was introduced to JAG at a very young age (it’s still one of my all time favourite shows, particularly the earlier seasons,) came to love the original NCIS through the backdoor pilot and history repeated itself with NCIS LA. Legend parts 1 and 2 came at just the right time for me, some of my other shows had become most disappointing so I was more than happy to hop onto a new bandwagon, and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the show and its characters.

Since then I’ve grown to thoroughly enjoy the program and it’s currently my favourite show on television. The undercover aspect of the show fascinates me, as do the type of people who are able to pull it off, and that sets the show apart from the other crime dramas on TV and keeps me coming back week after week.

So, who’s your fave character? If it isn’t Callen, you’re going to have to explain yourself…

Hmm… Good question… I guess the best answer I can give you is that I have a top three and one of them might come as a bit of a surprise.

BetrayalI’m sure anyone who has read my fanfiction knows that I like Callen. He’s fascinated me since the first episode. The idea of a character who literally has no idea who he is or where he comes from, who doesn’t even have something we all take for granted, a first name, and yet still manages to function and contribute to society… I bow to whichever writer came up with that character sketch.

Then there’s Hetty, a former undercover specialist who happens to be one of the most recognizable people out there. I mean, come on, she’s all of four feet tall! But you know what, it works, somehow, and she’s one of the most entertaining characters on the show. I spend every episode trying to sort out the double meanings in most of her dialogue. But mostly, it’s so incredibly refreshing to see a powerful, confident, and intimidating woman who does it all without sex appeal and sexual tension.

Finally, the surprise and the character who has risen into my top three (and even the position of “favourite” during several episodes) faster than any of the others. Owen Granger. Yes, he’s (to quote Callen) a son-of-a-** and no, I don’t trust him fully, but then, I don’t trust Hetty (or even Callen some episodes) fully either. But that’s what I love about all of them. They know how to play the game, and they play it better than anyone else. The three of them, to me, have so much in common and I can only hope that the show chooses to address that at some point.

Fair enough. So. I am always on the lookout for fan fiction stories that take G Callen’s character through some interesting twists. Yours did that with vehemence- great vehemence, even. For those who haven’t read your fic “Falling Through Cracks”, can you give us a summary of what your story is about?

Set back in season one, “Falling Through Cracks” deals with some of the darker aspects of Callen’s past. After being confronted with an incident which took place in a former foster home (where one of his foster brothers was murdered) and arrested for the crime, G goes off the grid. While he’s out there attempting to go after the man responsible, the team is left picking up the pieces and warding off an LAPD detective intent bringing Callen in, dead or alive. But there’s far more to the story than the team knows and, despite their best efforts, G is taken to the very edge of his sanity during the final face-off. What’s left is a shell of the man they knew, trying desperately to rebuild his shattered walls and Hetty has no choice but to suspend her lead agent so he can heal. The story ends with the team assuring Hetty that they will not give up on Callen.

And it was that ending that caught my attention! So, tell us, what were you hoping to achieve in this story?

When I started writing this story, I’ll admit I didn’t have much of a plan. There were a few things I knew for sure, however. Callen’s history, for instance, I had completely figured out before I began writing as well as all of the Original Characters who made an appearance. I also knew all along that the ending would not be altogether happy.

I guess my goal was, in essence, to show Callen as I’ve always perceived him. He’s lived a tough life and, in my humble opinion, has showed a natural darkness in several episodes and I wanted to expand on that. I also wanted explain some of the little questions which have been raised over the course of the show. Things like Callen’s fear of needles, and the fact that math surrounding the number of foster homes he lived in (37) over 13 years doesn’t add up if the longest he ever stayed in one place was 3 months…

That, and it was an excuse to write angst, which I love.

You had some serious suspense, crazy action, and fun interaction in your fic. How did you come up with everything you took Callen and the Team through? What parts did you, as a writer, like best?

ncis.la.3x14[19-03-02]In all honesty, I just went where my muse took me. Admittedly, it took me there slowly, but I’m pleased with where I ended up. My aim (as cruel as it may be) was always to lead Callen to a breakdown, but he’s such a tough and resilient character that I knew in order to make it plausible, everything that could go wrong would have to go wrong, and then some, so I just let my imagination run wild.

As for which parts I like best, well, I love writing breakdowns. It’s something that’s always come easily to me. In fact, next to first person writing, it’s my favourite thing to write. Something about the altered perception and disjointed thoughts just appeals to me from an author’s standpoint because when you get it right you can actually suck a completely sane person into the insanity you’ve created. Or, at least, that’s what I’ve always aimed for.

I also very much enjoyed writing my OC, Jared Colby. He’s become one of my favourites.

(And Jared Colby was cool.) When you read your fic all the way through, what do you feel? What do you hope readers will experience through your story?

Pride. When I read my story all the way through the predominate feeling I get is pride. “Falling Through the Cracks” is the first story I’ve ever managed to finish and I couldn’t be happier about it.

As for my readers, I hope they descend into madness along with Callen, and then begin to rise back out. I hope they feel the same desperation, hurt, and confusion as the rest of the team as they discover just how much they hadn’t been told. I hope they laugh at some of the interactions (though humour was never the aim, nor is it my strong suit), and worry for the characters’ wellbeing. But mostly, I just hope they enjoy the ride as much as I did.

I know what I felt when I read it! It was a crazy roller-coaster of smiles, anxiety, terror, care, anger, sadness, and relief! I thank you for putting so much heart into this story. How long did it take you to write?

gc5From start to finish, this story took me a little over two years to write. I’m a notoriously slow writer at the best of times, and because I started writing it without any sort of plan, my muse was inconsistent (to put it lightly.) In fact, there were several points where I seriously considered abandoning it altogether. But the reviews kept coming, all the words of encouragement, and I kept getting drawn back to the story. Needless to say, I’ve very glad I saw it through; if not for me, then for all the people who kept me going.

When you are writing Callen, how do you bring his character to life in your stories? Is there anything that you focus on, add, or try to enhance?

Callen is an interesting character to write. My main concern when writing him is keeping the hard edge which so often gets lost in fanfiction, but, at the same time, not allowing that edge to overtake him. There’s also the undercover aspect to work with, taking into account that for every situation, he has different mask up his sleeve. Basically, I try to emphasize the qualities which are needed to be the undercover legend that he is, while still keeping true to the playful banter of the show.

Still, I know my version of Callen is generally slightly darker than that of other fans I’ve spoken too and I’m just fine with that.

Any chance of new stories from you? Or, will we maybe see a sequel to “Falling Through the Cracks”?

I’m currently working on a few stories, three of which are collections of related one-shots and one is another team-centric, multi-chapter story.

As for a sequel to “Falling Through Cracks,” well, that’s still up for debate. I have a few basic ideas floating around, but I refuse to make the same mistake twice and start another story without planning it out first. There is one thing I know for certain, however, and that is there will be an epilogue. It won’t be posted for a while, but when it is, I will let you all know. I’ll also let you know if and when a sequel will be on its way.

I’m grateful we were able to catch up with you!

Thank you for taking an interest! This was actually quite fun!

Any parting words for aspiring fan fiction writers?

Plan out your story before you get started. That was the single most important thing I learned while writing this particular piece because I hadn’t done it and it came back to bite me. Now, I’m not saying that you have to have every little thing planned out and then follow it to the letter, not at all, but at the very least know where you’re headed and have a few stops pre-planned along the way. Apart from that, say true to the characters and let them dictate where the story goes. Don’t try to bend a character’s personality just to fit into a certain situation. Each one of them is complex enough that there’s more than enough you can do with them without having to resort to that sort of thing.

Oh, and trust your instincts. Write what you believe in. If you see something clearly in your head, chances are, we readers will, too.

This has been an interview with The Prickly Pear about her NCIS: Los Angeles fan fiction story “Falling Through Cracks” which can be found here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5832255/1/Falling-Through-Cracks

Don’t forget to thank The Prickly Pear for joining us!