The wait for the new season of True Blood is hard on all fans. Some of us just sit and look at the clock, waiting for the latest information and spoilers. Other fans take a different route and up the fun for everyone by role playing. Recently, I started looking at the role playing groups on Twitter, and I found a very welcoming group. The Sookie in that group agreed to be interviewed, and this interview was the result. @TB_Sookie was a great sport, and it was a pleasure to interview her! Isis: Hey, Sookie, thanks for taking the time to sit for this interview with us. Let's start with our first question: When did you being role playing? What drew you to it? TB_Sookie: As Sookie Stackhouse? Isis: Yes. TB_Sookie: I really liked the show, and I liked the books, you know, and it seemed like it was an interesting character to explore. Before Sookie, I'd tried playing Rogue from the X-Men on a forum, so I've had some role play experience. That's still ongoing, but I'm not on that as much. Maybe once a week. *laughs* Isis: Cool! Is it Anna Paquin's characters that draw you to role play? After all, she's both Sookie and Rogue. TB_Sookie: *laughs* Actually, I hadn't thought about that at all! I mean, until a couple days ago. But I'm an Anna fan, especially after True Blood. Isis: I totally understand, since Anna is nothing if not a phenomenal actress. TB_Sookie: Mhmm. Isis: Back to Sookie, though... What's your inspiration to be the most realistic Sookie possible, especially since you have to find balance between book Sookie and show Sookie. It seems like a difficult undertaking. TB_Sookie: My inspiration? Hmm. With the show, you know, there are a lot of deviations from the books, even if generally they're the same story lines. I'd say I start out by trying to find the balance. It can be pretty hard, though. When I first started out, I wasn't exactly realistic in that Sookieverse sense. I was pretty, uh, Team one-over-the-other, depending on who was online. Isis: *blinks* TB_Sookie: *laughs* Yeah, I think that after just a couple of weeks figuring out who Sookie was, as opposed to watching who Sookie was or reading who Sookie was, I got the picture. It took some time, but I went through and evenly read all the books and watched the shows, all over again, just so I could get the picture of who she was in her own words and surroundings. Isis: You've found an excellent balance. TB_Sookie: Well, thank you! It's so sweet to hear that! I'd say that for Sookie, really, she's a very interesting person. She's a sweet person, but she's got a bit of bite. Both the shows and the books have that as medium ground. Her relationships with people vary a bit from the books. For example, in the show, Tara's more... tough-as-nails. Her relationship with Sookie there, is kind of a big "How'd that happen?" Situations with her love life, though, I'd say those are almost the same. I try to keep it realistic by asking myself "What would Sookie do?" That way, if it's something I'd do, but Sookie wouldn't, I can catch myself. Isis: That's a great way to catch yourself. Now, I noticed that you and your crew of characters have "Twittersodes" — Can you tell me about them and how they came to be? TB_Sookie: Twittersodes! Yes, yes. We are all dying for True Blood Season 3, I'm sure. Isis: Oh, you have NO idea! We here at TrueBloodNet.com are going crazy! *laughing* TB_Sookie: Oh yeah! I love TrueBloodNet.com! I swear, it just feeds the addiction. Anyways, the story is that one day, I was thinking that Season 1 is wonderful to watch, and at that time, Season 2 wasn't rerunning yet. Plus, a lot of viewers can't keep up with plots that go on every day, since they're not condensed. They're long, drawn-out things, like "Going to spend the night at Tara's this week since Jessica ruined my house," and those story lines include the things that happen during the week. Of course, those are fun to watch, but they don't have the same appeal as the lead up and suspense of "What's happening next week?" Isis: Makes sense. TB_Sookie: I figured, hmm, well, what if we wrote and performed our own episodes? We shouldn't do what's already going on in the shows, after all, that's why they're on TV. People can watch on TV what they want to see. So I figured, we can come up with our own original plots that don't modify the canon, and have them lead in to Season 3. *laughs* Our first episode was a bit violent! We were testing waters then, though, so I guess it's fine. Isis: Well, True Blood is pretty violent too, sometimes. TB_Sookie: We try to make plot twists that, you know, really shock our viewers, but not too much, and that don't screw the canon up. Because generally whoever's watching our Twittersodes are those who watch the show itself. Not that most people haven't read the books either, it's just... It's just a great way for those who love the show to have something to "watch" in the meantime, you know what I'm saying? Isis: I understand. With the Twittersodes, do you all find yourselves attempting to be more loyal to the books or the show? Or are you trying to be completely separate from both, as much as you can be? TB_Sookie: Hmmm. That's a good question. We're really just... we're really, really in between. For example, I'm not entirely sure on the situation with the Eric's maker situation, but I do know Eric's maker is the one from the books, Appius Ocella. That isn't to say he and Godric didn't have a very important relationship, you know, but you can check in with @SheriffNorthman about that. But we operate on the True Blood show timeline, you know, and I'd say we lean a little more to the show. Some things we just keep separate. Isis: Since I watched the last Twittersode, I think I can fairly say that when I saw the way you and @SheriffNorthman were acting... Well, with that relationship, I'd say you're definitely following the show more! (And, it was pretty hysterical!) TB_Sookie: It's great! The Eric/Sookie relationship is... very show right now. He's intrigued by her, but he's infuriated by her at the same time. She can really get on his buttons, and he doesn't know how a human can do it. Isis: How about a recap of the most recent Twittersode? TB_Sookie: Well, Bill, as you know, was taken at the end of Season 2. And he was gone for, hmm. Months. I'd say until around February. Even then he was really, really absent. All the while, @MadeJessica's been out wreaking havoc, and causing a lot of problems for Area 5, considering her bad clean-up capabilities. A lot of it was publicized, put all over the news, "vampire outbreaks!" You know, the works. So Bill's put on trial, and of course, having caused a lot of problems, well, we'll just say the Magister's eager for bloodshed. Isis: Sounds very reasonable and realistic. TB_Sookie: The deal was, we didn't want it to be something that really screwed the storyline and timelines over. Anyway, this is one of those places where the book and show tie together for us, though. We thought the best explanation for those absences, and a great thing to tie into the trial, was the computer database that Bill's workin' on in the books. You know, the one where he's databasing all the vampires in the world, or... whatever. *laughs* you'd think I'd get vampire politics and all that, I still really don't. Isis: I don't think anyone but Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball really do! TB_Sookie: Yes, but while Bill and Eric wrote the episode to have Bill get punished, they also wrote it to add in the twists that we used, like having Sophie-Anne intervene (since Bill is her lackey). Then, they added another twist by giving a real reason for Lorena to be involved with the Bill surprise ending. And of course you know that it's going to turn out verrrry messy. Which is unexpected for a tribunal result. Isis: And here I was hoping that Bill would just lose his fangs for his protege's offenses! *laughs* TB_Sookie: And of course more happened, with Sookie walking around before she got home safely, but everything is seriously being set up for the next Twittersode. Isis: Yes, I'm sure. And now, another question. Since you said that Eric and Bill wrote the last Twittersode, does that mean you're all involved in writing the Twittersodes? TB_Sookie: Let's see... Twittersode writing. It's all very, very weird, how we put them together. *laughs* We try to write them ahead of time, but one time, I totally spaced, and we wrote it up the day before! Almost a disaster, I'm telling you. Anyway, for the most part I'm involved in writing them out, just because I'm generally in most of the Twittersodes, you know. But what we do is we chat with the other characters that will be in the Twittersode, and they help come up with their plots, and we work it in, embellish it — it's all very, very much a group effort. The latest Twittersode was penned entirely by Bill and Eric, though I'll say they did have a little questionnaire for me before they did. Isis: What kind of stuff did they ask you? TB_Sookie: Oh, simple stuff. Things like, this is what we were thinking... Do we have Lorena on board tomorrow? What do you want Sookie to be doing at this time? Etc. Generally, when we talk to the other characters, though, we ask what they're interested in doing, and how they'd like to develop their characters' story lines. We obviously don't want any clashes with the True Blood timeline, you know, because that's just going to cause confusion, and besides, this is all lead-up to the show, so it's gotta have canon. @MadeJessica's penned some great storylines with us, too. She's quite hilarious, I think. Especially her impersonations of Bill! Isis: Sounds like fanfiction. TB_Sookie: *laughs* Yeah, indeed! Fanfiction, role play... Twitterfiction. Isis: *laughs* I like it! TB_Sookie: I'm startin' to think at this point that the lines between fiction and reality are quite erased, and I think a lot of the fans do too. Isis: Well, with Alan Ball in charge, we never know what we're going to get, just that it's going to be good! TB_Sookie: Definitely! Isis: Well, for you, what's the most enjoyable aspect of being a role player? TB_Sookie: Well, I wouldn't exactly call it role play, though I guess that's what it is, since I talk to everyone, fans included... But I think the best part about it is, if it isn't cliché, exploring the Sookieverse. It's really complex, and it's really enjoyable, and something different, new, and exciting happens every day, some planned, most not, and it's acting on impulse. It's really, really a great way to learn a lot about a character and universe that an author and TV producer have created, and it's even greater to see that there are fans and fansites that follow you! Like TrueBloodNet.com! *laughs* Which, I will say, is a wonderful site. Isis: Thank you for the compliment. We here at TrueBloodNet.com really appreciate it! TB_Sookie: No problem. Isis: Anyways, what's the most challenging part of being Sookie? TB_Sookie: Well, Sookie is a lot more complex than most people realize. I mean, sure, everyone knows she's telepathic, and she's attractive, and she's pretty conservative for the most part. But there's a lot more that defines her: the decisions she makes, how she chooses to react to situations - that's what makes it harder. Her beliefs about women being treated with respect are incredibly strong and it helps me create interesting situations with her. Isis: Will you elaborate on any situations for us? TB_Sookie: Sure. You've got advances from, say, Eric, or some original characters, and then I wonder, how would Sookie handle that? Politely? Does she have her telepathic guard up? Or can she hear every single dirty thought? Is it in public? Are there others around? Should she beat them with a stick? *laughs* Or, say, hearing some shocking news from, I dunno, Bill. Bill working on his computer a lot, Sookie not being told... She's curious as to what it is, but she's also upset it's being kept from her. Is he seeing someone else? No, that can't be it. Is it something he's being forced to do? What is it that he's working on? And she doesn't exactly want to retaliate and fight over it, but she doesn't want to let it rest. Overall it's just reactions to others that's most challenging. And it's fun. Isis: I'm sure. Do fans ever seem to have a hard time separating @TB_Sookie from the Sookie on True Blood and in the books? TB_Sookie: Yes, most certainly, and it's such a wonderful feeling. Weird as that sounds, it's like being told that I'm doing really well as this character, and that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Isis: That sounds like a great compliment, but also seems like it could lead to some awkward moments with fans. Have you ever had any weird comments aimed at @TB_Sookie? TB_Sookie: Oh, definitely. I guess it kind of comes with playing her, you know, it's like, I'll get people asking me to go out on dates with them, or you know, doing things they shouldn't be doing in public... I don't think goin' into detail is really necessary there, but you know. *laughs* This one time, someone asked me to marry him, and he was dead serious! Isis: I hope you turned him down nicely! TB_Sookie: I sure tried! I was a little shocked, more than anything. And sometimes I get people askin' me to mail them autographed photos. And when I make sure they know I'm not Anna Paquin, they still want them anyway. *laughs* They want Sookie to send them pictures, you know @TB_ Sookie, not Anna Paquin. It's pretty funny. And I love it. Isis: Sounds like people really love how you you play Sookie. But of course, I know there are other role playing groups on Twitter as well, and other Sookies. Do you interact with them at all? TB_Sookie: Well, let's put it this way... I generally don't talk to the other Sookies, because in essence, that's me talkin' to myself. @Sookeh and @BadAssSookie, I will say, are a bit different, since they're like evil versions of me. I do talk to anyone who talks to me, though. I've had Erics, Pams, you know, the works; all of them talk to me, and I like to respond to them. Generally I don't do story lines with them, though. It gets too confusing. Characters from other universes (like Supernatural and Smallville) talk to me too. I think it's great for fans, and people in general, to be able to talk to us. I know I'd love to talk to Sookie if I weren't the person running this account! *laughs* Isis: Do you have another twitter account, and have you used it to talk to Sookie? TB_Sookie: No, I don't. @TB_Sookie and @TB_Sookie2, my backup, are the only accounts I have, though I now might consider that option! It'd be pretty funny! Isis: Anything planned for @TB_Sookie in the future? TB_Sookie: Oh, definitely! Plotwise, we've got a lot of things coming up, and that includes Twittersodes. I can't spoil it for you too much, since essentially Twittersodes are an actual season... But what I will say is this: Sookie will be developing her views a lot more through the off-season. And certain relationships of hers — with friends, family, enemies — they'll either be strengthened, diffused, or totally switched around. Also, we'll be having plenty of True Blood/Sookieverse events going on online for fans to join in, where some action may or may not take place. Isis: This all sounds great! I have one final question for you. Is there anything you want our readers to know about you or your role playing? TB_Sookie: Oh! Yeah, I just want to say that I appreciate everyone following us and interacting with us. It's been one hell of a ride, you know, getting up here, and I couldn't do it without them. *laughs* And if anyone's interested in playing any characters, like @SamMerlotteBT, please contact us. We're not a complete twitter cast yet, and we still really need a Sam. Other than that, it's been great playing Sookie so far, and as far as I know, I don't think I'll be quittin'! And of course, thank you for interviewing me. This is seriously the coolest thing ever, I love TrueBloodNet.com, and I'm excited to be seeing it up there! Isis: We're just glad to have had the opportunity to interview you. Thank you so much for your time! For those of you interested in checking out the role playing (which I highly recommend because this group is so good), you can find a list of the current group of role players on their website, twittertrueblood.webs.com, which can be found under the Character navigation link. http://truebloodnet.com http://truebloodnet.com/community http://truebloodnet.com/forums
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