And so here we are with another interview to a writer of Jemma FF.
This time our guest is Jonah86 that, by the way, is one of the author of this web site :)
So, ready to discover how she began to write, how she met Jemma and what happened when she made her friends watch Jemma ? ;)
I hope you enjoy the chat with her!
Q:When did you discover "hahe" and Jemma and how?
A: I first heard about the show when I was watching a YouTube clip online and it was recommended in the bar on the right hand side that I watch one of the Jemma clips. I'm not sure why but I decided to click on it and I am so glad that I did!
Q: What is in your opinion that makes Jemma story special?
A: I think what makes the storyline so special is the chemistry between the two actresses. I have seen so many programs before where there is a lesbian storyline and, although the actresses are trying, it just seems wooden and that they are straight girls playing a gay role - which they are. And this is the case with the two actresses who played Jenny and Emma apart from the fact they make us believe and do the job that every great actor should - that they are not actors playing that role but they are in fact the characters themselves. I have shown the clips to several straight friends of mine who normally do not have an interest in this kind of thing but with the chemistry being so fantastic I just had to show them and they all had to agree that it was probably the best love story line they had ever seen!
Q: Do you think that Jemma has taught something? What?
A: To me what Jemma has taught me is as much as part of the show as away from it. It has taught me that you cannot judge a book by its cover. For example, look at the character of Jenny: if I were to see her in my school when I was growing up, there is no way that I would have thought she was gay however she was and she also gave somebody else the strength to admit their feelings to themselves. She is also very hard at first and I can't help feeling this is why her surname is Hartmann (“hard one”). Likewise, with Emma: she is very shy and maybe somebody who I would not have thought to hang out with at the time, however when she becomes more confident to Jenny she is somebody that I would definitely have wanted to make a friend of.
R: What are the scenes that you love the most and what you would have liked to see that they did not show us?
A: There are quite a few scenes that I would have loved to have seen in the show however I think the one that I would really have liked is something really simple like journey and Emma going shopping or at Emma's house in her room doing homework or something. Something that is just really normal and not full of drama. Just to see how they would have worked in that environment.
Q: Thinking to Emma and Jenny, do you think that they can stay together also in the future ?
A: I would like to have thought that Jenny and Emma could stay together and deep down think that they are each others true love, however, I can't help thinking of myself and all of the people I know, that is very rare that you stay with the same person that you meet in high school. I like the idea that has been in quite a few fan fictions, which is that they might have broken up for a bit but ultimately fate brings them back together.
Q: What aspects of Jenny do you like the most and what of Emma?
A: I love how loyal Jenny is and how passionately she cares about her friends. With Sophie she barely even really knows the girl but technically they are friends and she is in trouble and so she risks her own happiness in order to save that of a friend and I think that is possibly one of the most selfless acts I can think of. With Emma I like how she grows as a person, say she is quite timid and shy and really a bit of a homebird. Jenny comes on the scene and Emma blossoms into a different person, perhaps the person she was always meant to be but needed something to spark it off.
Q: Your story is very peculiar. First of all, Emma and Jenny broke up and it takes a very long way to come back together. So, why did you chose this particular subject? Something has inspired you?
A: Thank you for noticing that my story is a little different in that way. I love reading all of the fan fictions in which Jenny and Emma are very happy but I haven't really read one in which they separated in such a dramatic way. Jenny is quite a passionate person and I think it would have been quite easy to have written the affair as if it was her that had committed the crime. We tend to see Emma as sweetness and light and I thought it would be quite interesting to explore the possibility that Emma could make a mistake and one that involved Jenny.
Q: When Did you decide to write a Jemma ff and why? can you explain how this happened?
A: Basically I decided to write a fanfiction because my mind was filled with Jemma for a lot of the day. I have made such wonderful friends and really grown in different ways as part of being part of this fandom and for me it was a way to contribute to the Jemma community and help keep their message alive.
Q: Was Jemma your first attempt to write ff? Have you ever written something else in the past or are you currently writing something else?
A: This was completely my first attempt to write anything really other than short stories that I had noted down in school. However, when you have such great characters that the writers already created and people with an interest that can inspire you and also guide you (ex. iinto which part of the story should come next etc,) then I think it was a natural choice for me to begin any kind of writing even if it was just for myself. Sadly I do not think I will write another fanfiction. I did have a thought of doing one where Jenny and Emma both in bands and maybe go on tour together and the pressures that come with being a celebrity but sadly I do not have enough time at the moment in which I can commit to writing another story.
Q: Can you tell us if there is a part of your long FF (almost 50 chapters) that has been very difficult to write? and the funnies parts?
A: I found it very difficult to write the end. I wanted it to be over, just because I knew work would be picking up and if I did not finish it it would be another year or so before I could have the time to complete it. Also a wedding is a very important part of anybody's life story and I wanted to do the couple justice as well as tying off all the loose ends. I am English and so humour is always a first emotion for me to go to when doing anything. Sadly I find it very difficult to be serious and therefore I guess the funny side of me came out when I was writing certain scenes but also I think the actors did such a wonderful job in performing the roles and the writers did such an awesome job of writing such versatile scripts that could be sad, funny, stressful etc all at the same time.
Q: Did you plan the whole story since the very beginning ?
A: I have to confess I made it up as I went along. I would be sitting down and perhaps I would have watched Jemma clip or I would have been talking about Jemma with one of my friends and the inspiration would just take me; sometimes I would have a dream about the story, maybe after I had written the last chapter, and some inspiration would come to me. However I did not sit down and think I am the one to know what is going to happen in every single chapter. I did know that I wanted the couple to break up and in the end get back together but I did not want it to be easy and I did not want people to be able to predict how and when it would happen.
Q: Your FF is set in the future. So we supposed that the girl are a bit different from what we have seen in the Tv Show. Can you explain to us what are the aspects of Jenny that you have changed or not changed in your story and why. Same questions for Emma.
A: We’ll change as we grow older. I know I have. If I was to meet myself at 16 or 18 or even 21 I do not think I would like myself very much. I think this comes with experience and how are you stop seeing the world in such a black and white way. In the show Jenny loves Emma and Emma loves Jenny and they are meant to be together. This is how it is and it is very black-and-white however in life things such as a job and the house, family and money can sadly get in the way. I wanted to reflect how careers and generally just life can change person and maybe sometimes not always for the worse. I think I made Jenny softer and Emma a bit more flawed. I love the character of Emma but she is so perfect and so there is a part of me that wanted to taint her in some way.
Q: How is your way of working as a writer ? For instance, is there a place where you love to write or a particular way of build up a story? What does inspire you?
A: I have a small notebook which when I have some kind of inspiration I open up and just start typing. I know that I want to write about two pages and say to myself right to pages and then it is the end of the chapter. With this story though I have written bits on the train or in the car when travelling somewhere so I guess I am always thinking of Jemma!
Q: Do you remember who was your first reader or do you remember a special comment you have received that made you happy or that was important to you?
A: My first ever reader was Hope. She was one of the first girls that I got speaking to about Jemma and she, with her partner, have a really inspired me to write a fanfiction and gave me the courage to be able to post it on Facebook pages even if it was anonymously at first! All comments are fantastic but I fully understand people do not leave them: sometimes you are too busy or it may not be convenient but, so long as the person reading it has enjoyed it, that is all that matters to me.
Q: Do you take your time to read other jemma stories? Have you a fav author? And why do you like them?
A: Well now that is a rate of question. I read a lot of stories and I must say that I do have a few authors that I read more than others but that's not to say that. I love every single fanfiction that I read because honestly I have never once read something and thought well that's not very good. We have such a talented and amazing group of girls who write these wonderful stories and everyone should be applauded for keeping Jemma going.
Q: Is there a story (or more than one) that you do not feel to write but that you would like someone else could write
A: I guess I would really love someone to write a story about Jenny and her music career and how the couple would deal with Jenny being involved in that world of temptation again. But quite honestly any story is a good story and any storyline I would be pleased to read.
Q: About HAHE TV Show: what do you think about it. Have you seen the whole show or just Jemma’s scenes. Is there some other character that you love in the show and why?
A: I have watched the bits of the show and I would like to buy the full collection of DVDs however for now I will just watch the clips that I can online. I really like all of the characters, even Ronnie! But I think my favourite character has to be Bodo just because he is so sweet and kind and maybe reminds me a little of myself when I was at school and very unsure of myself.
Q: Did you have the chance to meet and know some other Jemma Fan and Jemma writers ? And do u follow the Jemmainternational 's updates and activities ?
A: Yes I know quite a few of the Jemma writers and also fans and speak to at least two of them every single day and more at least every week. I now don't class them as Jemma people but as genuine friends and I love that we have that connection with the show but also that we can talk about other things and I am as they would class those people as some of my closest friends. Jemma International is an amazing group and I am very lucky to know some of the girls who run the page. I met up with some of them in Berlin and the work that they have done to translate the episodes into various languages so that we can all access the wonderful storylines is simply amazing and that's not forget they are not paid for doing this but they simply do it for the love of the show and I think that is the greatest achievement of all.
Q: Did you have the chance to see Lucy or Kasia alive and where? Can you tell us about this experience ?
A: I was very lucky to have such an amazing friend who is a man and straight and not really a fan of the show who decided that he wouldn't mind coming all the way to Berlin with me to see Lucy perform in Cabaret! I have mentioned this before in the interview but I am English and I speak very little German however I am trying to improve on that every single day. The show was completely in German and he speaks even less than me yet we both met up with some of the girls from Jemma International and we had an amazing night. It was through them that I got to meet Lucy and have a brief conversation with her which I thoroughly enjoyed doing and it was something that meant a lot to me and still does. He has said that he is willing to go and see Lucy again any time I want to answer I may just be taking him up on the offer soon. I have not seen Kasia perform live and sadly that means I probably never. However she is an amazing talent and if she ever did decide perform in public again I would love to have the chance to see her.
This time our guest is Jonah86 that, by the way, is one of the author of this web site :)
So, ready to discover how she began to write, how she met Jemma and what happened when she made her friends watch Jemma ? ;)
I hope you enjoy the chat with her!
Q:When did you discover "hahe" and Jemma and how?
A: I first heard about the show when I was watching a YouTube clip online and it was recommended in the bar on the right hand side that I watch one of the Jemma clips. I'm not sure why but I decided to click on it and I am so glad that I did!
Q: What is in your opinion that makes Jemma story special?
A: I think what makes the storyline so special is the chemistry between the two actresses. I have seen so many programs before where there is a lesbian storyline and, although the actresses are trying, it just seems wooden and that they are straight girls playing a gay role - which they are. And this is the case with the two actresses who played Jenny and Emma apart from the fact they make us believe and do the job that every great actor should - that they are not actors playing that role but they are in fact the characters themselves. I have shown the clips to several straight friends of mine who normally do not have an interest in this kind of thing but with the chemistry being so fantastic I just had to show them and they all had to agree that it was probably the best love story line they had ever seen!
Q: Do you think that Jemma has taught something? What?
A: To me what Jemma has taught me is as much as part of the show as away from it. It has taught me that you cannot judge a book by its cover. For example, look at the character of Jenny: if I were to see her in my school when I was growing up, there is no way that I would have thought she was gay however she was and she also gave somebody else the strength to admit their feelings to themselves. She is also very hard at first and I can't help feeling this is why her surname is Hartmann (“hard one”). Likewise, with Emma: she is very shy and maybe somebody who I would not have thought to hang out with at the time, however when she becomes more confident to Jenny she is somebody that I would definitely have wanted to make a friend of.
R: What are the scenes that you love the most and what you would have liked to see that they did not show us?
A: There are quite a few scenes that I would have loved to have seen in the show however I think the one that I would really have liked is something really simple like journey and Emma going shopping or at Emma's house in her room doing homework or something. Something that is just really normal and not full of drama. Just to see how they would have worked in that environment.
Q: Thinking to Emma and Jenny, do you think that they can stay together also in the future ?
A: I would like to have thought that Jenny and Emma could stay together and deep down think that they are each others true love, however, I can't help thinking of myself and all of the people I know, that is very rare that you stay with the same person that you meet in high school. I like the idea that has been in quite a few fan fictions, which is that they might have broken up for a bit but ultimately fate brings them back together.
Q: What aspects of Jenny do you like the most and what of Emma?
A: I love how loyal Jenny is and how passionately she cares about her friends. With Sophie she barely even really knows the girl but technically they are friends and she is in trouble and so she risks her own happiness in order to save that of a friend and I think that is possibly one of the most selfless acts I can think of. With Emma I like how she grows as a person, say she is quite timid and shy and really a bit of a homebird. Jenny comes on the scene and Emma blossoms into a different person, perhaps the person she was always meant to be but needed something to spark it off.
Q: Your story is very peculiar. First of all, Emma and Jenny broke up and it takes a very long way to come back together. So, why did you chose this particular subject? Something has inspired you?
A: Thank you for noticing that my story is a little different in that way. I love reading all of the fan fictions in which Jenny and Emma are very happy but I haven't really read one in which they separated in such a dramatic way. Jenny is quite a passionate person and I think it would have been quite easy to have written the affair as if it was her that had committed the crime. We tend to see Emma as sweetness and light and I thought it would be quite interesting to explore the possibility that Emma could make a mistake and one that involved Jenny.
Q: When Did you decide to write a Jemma ff and why? can you explain how this happened?
A: Basically I decided to write a fanfiction because my mind was filled with Jemma for a lot of the day. I have made such wonderful friends and really grown in different ways as part of being part of this fandom and for me it was a way to contribute to the Jemma community and help keep their message alive.
Q: Was Jemma your first attempt to write ff? Have you ever written something else in the past or are you currently writing something else?
A: This was completely my first attempt to write anything really other than short stories that I had noted down in school. However, when you have such great characters that the writers already created and people with an interest that can inspire you and also guide you (ex. iinto which part of the story should come next etc,) then I think it was a natural choice for me to begin any kind of writing even if it was just for myself. Sadly I do not think I will write another fanfiction. I did have a thought of doing one where Jenny and Emma both in bands and maybe go on tour together and the pressures that come with being a celebrity but sadly I do not have enough time at the moment in which I can commit to writing another story.
Q: Can you tell us if there is a part of your long FF (almost 50 chapters) that has been very difficult to write? and the funnies parts?
A: I found it very difficult to write the end. I wanted it to be over, just because I knew work would be picking up and if I did not finish it it would be another year or so before I could have the time to complete it. Also a wedding is a very important part of anybody's life story and I wanted to do the couple justice as well as tying off all the loose ends. I am English and so humour is always a first emotion for me to go to when doing anything. Sadly I find it very difficult to be serious and therefore I guess the funny side of me came out when I was writing certain scenes but also I think the actors did such a wonderful job in performing the roles and the writers did such an awesome job of writing such versatile scripts that could be sad, funny, stressful etc all at the same time.
Q: Did you plan the whole story since the very beginning ?
A: I have to confess I made it up as I went along. I would be sitting down and perhaps I would have watched Jemma clip or I would have been talking about Jemma with one of my friends and the inspiration would just take me; sometimes I would have a dream about the story, maybe after I had written the last chapter, and some inspiration would come to me. However I did not sit down and think I am the one to know what is going to happen in every single chapter. I did know that I wanted the couple to break up and in the end get back together but I did not want it to be easy and I did not want people to be able to predict how and when it would happen.
Q: Your FF is set in the future. So we supposed that the girl are a bit different from what we have seen in the Tv Show. Can you explain to us what are the aspects of Jenny that you have changed or not changed in your story and why. Same questions for Emma.
A: We’ll change as we grow older. I know I have. If I was to meet myself at 16 or 18 or even 21 I do not think I would like myself very much. I think this comes with experience and how are you stop seeing the world in such a black and white way. In the show Jenny loves Emma and Emma loves Jenny and they are meant to be together. This is how it is and it is very black-and-white however in life things such as a job and the house, family and money can sadly get in the way. I wanted to reflect how careers and generally just life can change person and maybe sometimes not always for the worse. I think I made Jenny softer and Emma a bit more flawed. I love the character of Emma but she is so perfect and so there is a part of me that wanted to taint her in some way.
Q: How is your way of working as a writer ? For instance, is there a place where you love to write or a particular way of build up a story? What does inspire you?
A: I have a small notebook which when I have some kind of inspiration I open up and just start typing. I know that I want to write about two pages and say to myself right to pages and then it is the end of the chapter. With this story though I have written bits on the train or in the car when travelling somewhere so I guess I am always thinking of Jemma!
Q: Do you remember who was your first reader or do you remember a special comment you have received that made you happy or that was important to you?
A: My first ever reader was Hope. She was one of the first girls that I got speaking to about Jemma and she, with her partner, have a really inspired me to write a fanfiction and gave me the courage to be able to post it on Facebook pages even if it was anonymously at first! All comments are fantastic but I fully understand people do not leave them: sometimes you are too busy or it may not be convenient but, so long as the person reading it has enjoyed it, that is all that matters to me.
Q: Do you take your time to read other jemma stories? Have you a fav author? And why do you like them?
A: Well now that is a rate of question. I read a lot of stories and I must say that I do have a few authors that I read more than others but that's not to say that. I love every single fanfiction that I read because honestly I have never once read something and thought well that's not very good. We have such a talented and amazing group of girls who write these wonderful stories and everyone should be applauded for keeping Jemma going.
Q: Is there a story (or more than one) that you do not feel to write but that you would like someone else could write
A: I guess I would really love someone to write a story about Jenny and her music career and how the couple would deal with Jenny being involved in that world of temptation again. But quite honestly any story is a good story and any storyline I would be pleased to read.
Q: About HAHE TV Show: what do you think about it. Have you seen the whole show or just Jemma’s scenes. Is there some other character that you love in the show and why?
A: I have watched the bits of the show and I would like to buy the full collection of DVDs however for now I will just watch the clips that I can online. I really like all of the characters, even Ronnie! But I think my favourite character has to be Bodo just because he is so sweet and kind and maybe reminds me a little of myself when I was at school and very unsure of myself.
Q: Did you have the chance to meet and know some other Jemma Fan and Jemma writers ? And do u follow the Jemmainternational 's updates and activities ?
A: Yes I know quite a few of the Jemma writers and also fans and speak to at least two of them every single day and more at least every week. I now don't class them as Jemma people but as genuine friends and I love that we have that connection with the show but also that we can talk about other things and I am as they would class those people as some of my closest friends. Jemma International is an amazing group and I am very lucky to know some of the girls who run the page. I met up with some of them in Berlin and the work that they have done to translate the episodes into various languages so that we can all access the wonderful storylines is simply amazing and that's not forget they are not paid for doing this but they simply do it for the love of the show and I think that is the greatest achievement of all.
Q: Did you have the chance to see Lucy or Kasia alive and where? Can you tell us about this experience ?
A: I was very lucky to have such an amazing friend who is a man and straight and not really a fan of the show who decided that he wouldn't mind coming all the way to Berlin with me to see Lucy perform in Cabaret! I have mentioned this before in the interview but I am English and I speak very little German however I am trying to improve on that every single day. The show was completely in German and he speaks even less than me yet we both met up with some of the girls from Jemma International and we had an amazing night. It was through them that I got to meet Lucy and have a brief conversation with her which I thoroughly enjoyed doing and it was something that meant a lot to me and still does. He has said that he is willing to go and see Lucy again any time I want to answer I may just be taking him up on the offer soon. I have not seen Kasia perform live and sadly that means I probably never. However she is an amazing talent and if she ever did decide perform in public again I would love to have the chance to see her.