Mia_Christine05
Heyy @WritingIsForLovers My name is Mia, and I am from Denmark. I am doing a school project where I am doing a paper on why serial killers fascinate us, and how fanfiction is portraying that. In my assignment I need an interview with somebody who has written a fan fiction. The interview would be about why it was written, what inspired it etc. and I am hoping that maybe you would like to help me, and answer some of these questions that I have. Hopefully what I wrote kind of made sense. The interview would just be over text, and it won´t be shared somewhere or used for anything else than my paper, who only I and my two teachers will see. Kind regards, Mia
WritingIsForLovers
@WritingIsForLovers 6. Do you think there is a greater understanding of a murderer’s actions if they have a background that people can empathize with? Like neglect and so on - Yeah, I think people are a lot more willing to understand, or at least empathize, when a murderer has a background that makes them relatable—like neglect, abuse, or trauma. It doesn’t make what they did right, but it gives context. People want a reason for why something horrible happened, and when there’s a backstory that hits an emotional nerve, it’s easier to see the human side of someone who did something inhuman. That’s why cases like the Menendez brothers or Gypsy Rose get so much attention. Their stories force people to ask, ‘What would I have done in their shoes? 7. Some psychologists argue that low self-control can lead to criminal behavior. Do you see the Menendez Brothers as individuals who lacked self-control, or do you believe their actions were caused by other factors? Interesting question, I could see it being both, they were so young and had believed it was their only way out. They were never really given a chance to heal with real therapy or time away from their parents. 8. The Menendez Brothers has described a childhood marked by neglect and abuse. Does this influence your portrayal of them in your fanfiction? Yes to a degree, again I just wanted a world where they didn't spend their lives in prison but they certainly have a more childish-empathetic curious character side in the story. 9. Do you think the Menendez Brothers’ decision to kill their parents was a way to handle or cope with the emotions they were experiencing? I think it was both. I think they were young just snapped because the mental weight of the abuse was just too much to carry, especially for Lyle.
WritingIsForLovers
@WritingIsForLovers 4. Some psychologists talk about "autistic hostility," a form of prejudice where we see someone as either completely good or completely evil. How does your fanfiction challenge or reinforce this perspective? - I think everyone has both good and bad in them. It usually takes a traumatic event to trigger the darker side, but it’s always there, just like the good is. My fanfiction challenges that ‘all good or all evil’ perspective by showing how people can be both at the same time. The Menendez brothers aren’t just villains or victims—they’re complicated. Their actions come from pain, but they also make choices. It’s messy, and that’s what makes it real. 5. Do you think the Menendez Brothers committed an act of evil, or do you see them as victims? How is this reflected in your story? - "While I’ll never agree with murder—it’s an act of violence, period—I think the Menendez brothers felt like they had no other choice. They were abused for years by the one person who was supposed to protect them, and when they finally acted out, they were treated like that didn’t matter at all. Meanwhile, someone like Gypsy Rose, who was also a victim of horrific abuse, only served 10 years. And even though she didn’t physically commit the murder, she put everything in motion. The difference is, society seemed more willing to see her as a victim because she’s a woman. In my story, I try to show the complexity of that—how trauma and desperation don’t excuse violence, but they can explain how someone ends up there.
WritingIsForLovers
@Mia_Christine05 Hi it's no problem, here's the round of questions you asked 1. Do you think society’s stereotypes and prejudices about murderers influence people's perception of the Menendez Brothers? - Yes to some degree. I think the perception is changing over time as more evidence as surfaced over the years about their father and child abuse in general. 2. What is it about the Menendez Brothers that makes them attractive as characters in your story? Is it their appearance, personality, or a combination of both? - They have that outward charm and clean-cut image, but underneath, there's this intense drive for retribution. That contrast makes them fascinating. They're not just reacting, they're calculated, driven by a need to reclaim power in a world that tried to control them. It’s that duality that makes them compelling characters. 3. Do you think the fascination with murderers in fanfiction could be influenced by the idea that "opposites attract"? Do you feel that their dark sides make them more interesting? In some instances yes, in this instance I think theres just so many people that want to see them get to live their lives outside of prison and wonder what that could look like.
