Phyllida
Pan Historia's Most Recent
'Girl in Green'
Hi, Phyllida. Glad we could find some time to chat a bit. I’ve so many questions to ask, but I will try my best to keep it to a minimum. If you’re like me, we’re busy little worker bees around here.
Starry: So, first of all. I know you’ve been a part of Pan for a long time. Tell us some history of your time here. How did you first arrive at Pan Historia?
Phyllida:
I stumbled on Pan in 2004, while researching material for a novel project loosely inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology. While browsing google images for the uraeus serpent, or ‘iaret’, a golden cobra symbol that protected royal personages in Ancient Egypt, I found myself at a Pan home page. I have no idea whose it was: the character had been deleted by the time I saw it, but I remember being tantalized enough to investigate. I felt like I’d fallen down the rabbit hole – I had to know more! I think the moment I realized these home pages belonged to characters in stories, I was already hooked. I joined up in August, missing the big crash of May by a few months. Fittingly, I named my first character Iaret, after the uraeus serpent, and I wrote her as a priestess in the PiRamesses novel.
Starry: I see you’ve been sporting the green now for two months. How do you like it? What is your favorite part about being on Staff as an Editor at Pan?
Phyllida:
I have a pathological need to be useful, so I love having more edit buttons. I love being able to fix stuff. I love helping out.
Starry: I noticed you write in the Hogwarts Novel. Can you tell our readers what drew you to the novel and you’re a little about your character there?
Phyllida:
This is a complicated one. The short answer is that I joined to help out a friend in a rut. More accurately, though, I’d eyed Hogwarts for seven years, mulling over character ideas, but my time was always limited by other projects. I’m glad I capitulated – it’s one of the novels I’ve had the most joy in writing in. Hogwarts has a winning formula that has helped it stand the test of time. The date structure keeps everyone writing at the same pace, and nothing ever stagnates: blink and you could miss a whole term, or the Christmas holidays! (It’s happened to me.)
Phyllida emerged from the Slytherin heiress lurking in the depths of my psyche. I’ve always had a penchant for writing spoiled-little-rich-girls, and Phyllida’s story was a chance to play with some fun elements – outrageous obsessions, relatives with dark secrets, ghosts in the attic, and an absolutely bonkers Wizarding family.
Starry: You know I really love your home design. If folks have not visited you I hope they do. Your designs are fabulous, and I see you offer design assistance. Tell us about that part of your creativity skills.
Phyllida:
As a member, I’d always taken a keen pleasure in helping people with their homes and HTML woes. I didn’t know the first thing about HTML, CSS or Photoshop when I joined up – I was lucky to have a friend with the patience to help me learn the basics. When I can help people solve a problem or create a code to help them achieve the desired result, trite as it sounds, I feel I’m paying it forward. It brings a smile to my face knowing I’ve helped someone.
Starry: Last of all, if you could meet any character, fictional or real, who would that be and what would you talk about?
Phyllida:
As of right now, Littlefinger from G.R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. I’d ask how he managed to outwit and outlast everyone while barely soiling his gloves, and whether he’d consider marrying me.