There is a fun game being played lately in the blogosphere. It's a type of 'Tag! You're it!’ I've been tagged, so now it's time to answer some writing related questions. I hope you're not too bored with my answers. At the end of the questions I will tag three more bloggers, so be sure to check them out, too. Thanks, TK http://eveningfades.blogspot.com for tagging me.
1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
My latest project is a book I’m calling Druid Derrick. It is about a Dungeons & Dragons Druid who is also a 20th century American boy. I’m having a lot of fun melding the two worlds together. It’s roughly half done.
The oldest of my unpublished stories is called To Reclaim the Throne. It’s about a prince who was raised by an evil regent bent on making him the most hated prince in history. When, as a young man, he learns the truth, he must work to undo it all and wrest his throne and his betrothed back from the regent.
2. Write poetry?
Though I like to read some poetry, I can’t write it. Me and poetry just don’t get along.
3. Angsty poetry?
Na – my efforts at poetry are truly frightening.
4. Favorite genre of writing?
My writing is all over the place under the big heading of fiction. I have touched on space travel, time travel, medieval, sword and sorcery, and magic.
5. Most annoying character you've ever created?
I’m not sure that any of my characters quite qualify as annoying but I’ve definitely had some difficult characters. One who cannot speak is hard.
6. Best plot you've ever created?
I think my best plot is by coincidence my longest story - The Making of a Mage-King. The story takes an average American boy and dumps him in a world where magic is common. While there, he must learn his own magic, unravel an ancient prophecy, and decipher the dreams that drive him.
7. Coolest plot twist you've ever created?
That’s a hard one, because I am always trying to twist things somewhat. I think The Making of a Mage-King qualifies for the coolest twist because it’s full of them.
8. How often do you get writer's block?
Ah, it happens, but when it does, I just turn to another idea or back up and read through some of what has already been written. If that doesn’t work, I sleep on it.
9. Write fan fiction?
Not fan fiction. I think the closest I’ve gotten to such a thing is using the rules and spells from a computer game my husband was playing at the time. However, the story does not resemble the game in any other ways.
10.Do you type or write by hand?
My first book started out being hand written. Back then I didn’t have a computer and the ribbon on my typewriter was faded. It was just a ‘fill my empty time’ thing. It was never going to be anything more. Then my son gave me an old laptop. That changed everything.
11. Do you save everything you write?
Oh yes. I have copies on discs and on storage sticks. The fun part is keeping them updated.
12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
No idea is ever abandoned, merely shelved for a while.
13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
My favorite I think is The Making of a Mage-King, but that’s completed now so I think Druid Derrick is my new fav.
14. What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?
Having only one out there makes this question very hard to answer, but so far, all my reviews have been good ones.
15. Ever written romance or angsty teen?
I don’t even know what one writes for an angsty teen but I have dabbled in romance. Romance is everywhere to a certain degree.
16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?
I love warhorses, swords and magic so if I can put my characters in the middle of all that, I’m happy. Then again, I also like the mysteries of outer space so that’s a cool setting too. Try a staff fight in a weightless environment.
17. How many writing projects are you working on now?
Right now my current writing project, Druid Derrick, has been shelved in favor of a little polishing on my other works. It’s been a while and I’ve learned a lot since I’ve had internet.
18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Nope, not even. I never even dreamed of being a writer. I always thought I’d raise horses and teach kids how to ride. Then I moved to the wilderness of Alaska where horses are bear-bait.
19. What are your five favorite words?
I know you’re talking about what words I use most, but I really think I like to hear “I just bought your book” the best. It always sends a thrill up my spine.
20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?
Almost all of my characters have a piece of me in them, but then they get a life of their own and all resemblance ends there.
21. Where do you get your ideas for your characters?
He, he, he, he – read on.
22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?
As a matter of fact, most of my writing comes from dreams. It’s usually a scene or a germ of an idea if not the whole thing. When I get one, I sit down at the computer and type like mad for – however long it takes to get that scene or idea down. Then I think of the characters and wrap the rest of the story around it. The story The Making of a Mage-King is riddled with dreams and 99% of them were dreams I had while writing the story. This one really took over my life at the time.
23. Do you favor happy endings?
Yeah, I like happy endings or at least proper culminations, but at least one of my books ends with tears.
24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Thanks to that nice little thing computers do with the squiggly green and red lines, I pay attention to the spelling and grammar. It was my first learning tool when it came to writing.
25. Does music help you write?
I don’t mind music so much, so long as it’s not something loud and obnoxious, but mostly I prefer quiet. I’ve been known to get up at 3 in the morning, write for about 4 hours and then crash until noon (or until it gets light out – about 10am). After that, life has many distractions and in the afternoon, my husband must have the TV on *sigh*
26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops in your head.
“When they were all seated, Sean laid his hands on the table and drew all of their magic to the center, lighting the crystal like a light bulb, thus lighting the room brightly, but not so brightly that it couldn’t be closely studied as everyone did now. With the light lit, if anyone in the room used magic for any reason, all of them would feel it and know exactly who it was and what they were trying to do with it. No magical slight of hand could happen within this room.” (Near the end of The Making of a Mage-King)
And now the three blogs I will tag are: (be sure to visit their blogs, too)
1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
My latest project is a book I’m calling Druid Derrick. It is about a Dungeons & Dragons Druid who is also a 20th century American boy. I’m having a lot of fun melding the two worlds together. It’s roughly half done.
The oldest of my unpublished stories is called To Reclaim the Throne. It’s about a prince who was raised by an evil regent bent on making him the most hated prince in history. When, as a young man, he learns the truth, he must work to undo it all and wrest his throne and his betrothed back from the regent.
2. Write poetry?
Though I like to read some poetry, I can’t write it. Me and poetry just don’t get along.
3. Angsty poetry?
Na – my efforts at poetry are truly frightening.
4. Favorite genre of writing?
My writing is all over the place under the big heading of fiction. I have touched on space travel, time travel, medieval, sword and sorcery, and magic.
5. Most annoying character you've ever created?
I’m not sure that any of my characters quite qualify as annoying but I’ve definitely had some difficult characters. One who cannot speak is hard.
6. Best plot you've ever created?
I think my best plot is by coincidence my longest story - The Making of a Mage-King. The story takes an average American boy and dumps him in a world where magic is common. While there, he must learn his own magic, unravel an ancient prophecy, and decipher the dreams that drive him.
7. Coolest plot twist you've ever created?
That’s a hard one, because I am always trying to twist things somewhat. I think The Making of a Mage-King qualifies for the coolest twist because it’s full of them.
8. How often do you get writer's block?
Ah, it happens, but when it does, I just turn to another idea or back up and read through some of what has already been written. If that doesn’t work, I sleep on it.
9. Write fan fiction?
Not fan fiction. I think the closest I’ve gotten to such a thing is using the rules and spells from a computer game my husband was playing at the time. However, the story does not resemble the game in any other ways.
10.Do you type or write by hand?
My first book started out being hand written. Back then I didn’t have a computer and the ribbon on my typewriter was faded. It was just a ‘fill my empty time’ thing. It was never going to be anything more. Then my son gave me an old laptop. That changed everything.
11. Do you save everything you write?
Oh yes. I have copies on discs and on storage sticks. The fun part is keeping them updated.
12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
No idea is ever abandoned, merely shelved for a while.
13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
My favorite I think is The Making of a Mage-King, but that’s completed now so I think Druid Derrick is my new fav.
14. What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?
Having only one out there makes this question very hard to answer, but so far, all my reviews have been good ones.
15. Ever written romance or angsty teen?
I don’t even know what one writes for an angsty teen but I have dabbled in romance. Romance is everywhere to a certain degree.
16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?
I love warhorses, swords and magic so if I can put my characters in the middle of all that, I’m happy. Then again, I also like the mysteries of outer space so that’s a cool setting too. Try a staff fight in a weightless environment.
17. How many writing projects are you working on now?
Right now my current writing project, Druid Derrick, has been shelved in favor of a little polishing on my other works. It’s been a while and I’ve learned a lot since I’ve had internet.
18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Nope, not even. I never even dreamed of being a writer. I always thought I’d raise horses and teach kids how to ride. Then I moved to the wilderness of Alaska where horses are bear-bait.
19. What are your five favorite words?
I know you’re talking about what words I use most, but I really think I like to hear “I just bought your book” the best. It always sends a thrill up my spine.
20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?
Almost all of my characters have a piece of me in them, but then they get a life of their own and all resemblance ends there.
21. Where do you get your ideas for your characters?
He, he, he, he – read on.
22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?
As a matter of fact, most of my writing comes from dreams. It’s usually a scene or a germ of an idea if not the whole thing. When I get one, I sit down at the computer and type like mad for – however long it takes to get that scene or idea down. Then I think of the characters and wrap the rest of the story around it. The story The Making of a Mage-King is riddled with dreams and 99% of them were dreams I had while writing the story. This one really took over my life at the time.
23. Do you favor happy endings?
Yeah, I like happy endings or at least proper culminations, but at least one of my books ends with tears.
24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Thanks to that nice little thing computers do with the squiggly green and red lines, I pay attention to the spelling and grammar. It was my first learning tool when it came to writing.
25. Does music help you write?
I don’t mind music so much, so long as it’s not something loud and obnoxious, but mostly I prefer quiet. I’ve been known to get up at 3 in the morning, write for about 4 hours and then crash until noon (or until it gets light out – about 10am). After that, life has many distractions and in the afternoon, my husband must have the TV on *sigh*
26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops in your head.
“When they were all seated, Sean laid his hands on the table and drew all of their magic to the center, lighting the crystal like a light bulb, thus lighting the room brightly, but not so brightly that it couldn’t be closely studied as everyone did now. With the light lit, if anyone in the room used magic for any reason, all of them would feel it and know exactly who it was and what they were trying to do with it. No magical slight of hand could happen within this room.” (Near the end of The Making of a Mage-King)
And now the three blogs I will tag are: (be sure to visit their blogs, too)
S.M. Carriere at http://smcarriere.blogspot.com/
Paul Mitton at http://paul-mitton.blogspot.com/
Paige Ray at http://paigeray.blogspot.com/
4 comments:
Very nice answers, Anna. It's interesting to see how similar many of our questions are. It must be a 'writer' thing. :)
Oops-- I meant to say "It's interesting to see how similar many of our ANSWERS are." Sorry! lol
Ha *snicker* but the questions are very much alike too. Identical even. ;-)
Yikes! I was tagged, I better get to work! :)
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