Featured Character: Nefer-neferu-raNefer-neferu-ra comes to Pan Historia from an interest in history, and is something of an expert on the Amarna period of ancient Egypt. She's been here since the early days, and has imbued her love of history in all her creative endeavors with this site, creating characters which are both believable and fun. Q: Why did you join Pan Historia? Were you writing before you came here? A: I have been writing fan fic since college (graduated in '85), and am published in a handful of fanzines under my RL name. I have also been playing RPGs (role playing games) since high school, when I discovered the original Dungeons & Dragons. I am one of the refugees from AncientSites (Qenbet, the ancient Egyptian board).*S* I came over to continue writing with some of the friends I had made on AS (Khenumra Hatshepsut, Tjeti Priest, Menefertaten Hatshepsut, Mirjam, Anpua, Karamy Isetnofret, Sekhmet Meritamen, and Kaptah Amenhotep). We are all ancient Egypt buffs. *grin* My original character, Satra Hatshepsut, is in the "Limit of Art Cannot be Achieved" novel, which is set in the time of Cleopatra VII (and we WILL kick Julius Caesar out of our country! *grin*) Q: Tell us something about your character, Nefer-neferu-ra? She's an Egyptian who plays in the Highlander novel. Do you bring much of an Egyptian background into this novel, and does it really make her who she is? A: I have been studying Egyptology since I could read, and actually have a degree in archaeology. I also docent at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, California, and have developed workshops and lectures for them in conjunction with Lisa Schwappach, the museum's Curator. My special interest is the Amarna period of Egypt's 18th Dynasty (King Tut's immediate family. This gives me a lot of knowledge to build on for my character's background. Nefer-neferu-ra is the 5th of the 6 daughters born to the "Heretic" Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. (This makes her Tutankhamen's half-sister.) And believe me, there's a LOT to build on with that background! *LOL* I thought it would be fun to play an ancient Egyptian as an Immortal, so I chose one from the period I love and know best; plus, it gives me a nice long span of history to play with (history was my favorite subject in school). *grin* Q: What sort of tips do you have for people to help them foster the interplay between characters necessary for good storywriting and plotting? A: I have found it really helps talking to other players in your novel through IMs and messages. Toss ideas back and forth; having access to more than one imagination is a good thing! *S* Start by talking with the players whose work you admire. Q: In some random hypothetical roleplay, what sort of character would be your greatest "stretch", but that you might consider tackling sometime? If you wish to reveal, what other things do you already participate in here at Pan? A: I'm going to skip the hypothetical character, if you don't mind. I'd have to think about the answer for more than a bit, & I'd miss your deadline! *S* My other novel at Pan is (skipping the ancient Egyptian name) The Limit of Art Cannot Be Achieved, though I play there as Satra Hatshepsut. Q: What are your greatest accomplishments, either in real life or Pan Historia? A: In RL, what I am proudest of is that the museum's Curator (see answer to question 2) trusts me to develop lectures and workshops. I am currently working on a lecture about the iconography and symbolism in the art of the Amarna period. I think I'll end it here. *S* |
