This is a day early, but, well, Sundays and Wednesdays are my usual posting schedule and this way it’ll be up earlier than it would be if I waited until tomorrow to post it.
Mini bio:
Professionally, I’ve been a financial analyst and a visual basic programmer. I also have a paralegal certificate, although I’ve never worked in that field. It’s anybody’s guess what I’ll be when I grow up.
Imagining stories and writing have always been an important part of my life. It’s one I’ve finally gotten to spend a significant amount of time on while I care for my mother who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Questions:
- Where do you write?
Currently, at my desk in one corner of my bedroom. I have plans eventually to set up a real office space, but can’t do it just yet.
- Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?
Hah! I cleaned off my desk and actually dusted and polished it last week or the answer to this question would have been different. Right now, there’s a pewter unicorn figurine in that spot.
- Favorite time to write?
Hmm. I write on and off all day, but my most productive time is probably late afternoon or early evening.
- Drink of choice while writing?
Usually water or tea in the morning.
- When writing, do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?
Complete silence? Where do you find that? And would you want it if you could find it? I think complete silence is a little bit creepy. Usually, I have the tv on as a kind of general background noise. Sometimes, I’ll play instrumental music while doing revisions.
- What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
Ah, long story. Let’s see. About two and a half years ago, there was a trigger challenge on Hatrack River Writers Workshop. The trigger was “slave to the flame”. I wrote a fable about a little dragon who outmaneuvered his larger tormentors by learning to breathe fire, but then I didn’t quite know what to do with the fable. (It had an unhappy ending by the way, partly because I couldn’t do anything else in the space allowed for the challenge. Everybody hated that ending. And a lot of readers didn’t really like the fable quality, either.) So, I wrote a framing story about a girl who had the gift of telling the right story for any occasion. I submitted that to a few places without any success. Some readers thought it felt like the beginning of something (a common complaint about my short stories) and I had some ideas about what else might happen to that girl and how she came to be in that position in the first place. So, now I’m writing a young adult alternate history. That original story will be near the end, though. Not the beginning.
Interestingly, to me at least, the manuscript I’m about to revise (a middle grade fantasy) also grew out of a trigger challenge on Hatrack River. The trigger for that one was “Cinders of the Great War”. Maybe I should do more of the challenges.
- What’s your most valuable writing tip?
Never give up. Never surrender. There’s going to be plenty of rejection and disappointment along this road. You’ve got to believe in your own writing and your own stories, even when nobody else does. Perseverance is the only way to succeed.
Oh, and find a great critique group. (I have two.)
I did this last year. Good luck with it!
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Thanks. I also got into the first round of Brenda Drake’s Pitch Madness and YALitChat’s Pitch Slam 3 should be starting up this month, too. Looks like September is going to be a busy month.
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Yay for crit groups! You are such a vital part of ours!
Funny how you can know someone for years and still not know everything. Have you seen the Ted talk on Preparing for Alzheimer’s?
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No, I somehow missed that one. Early on in this process, I read a lot of books on the subject. Books like THE 36-HOUR DAY and THERE’S STILL A PERSON IN THERE.
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I’m not around complete silence much, and it actually is kind of distracting. If that makes sense. 🙂
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Makes perfect sense to me.
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Great advice. Those two are super important for me. I don’t know what I’d do without my critique partners.
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Me either. I wouldn’t be half the writer I am now.
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Love your corgis! (We have 3 dogs, a whippet and 2 Jack Russells who are actually brother and sister). I always wanted to learn to play the harp but I am completely STUPID when it comes to making music. There is a harp named Elaeri in my most recently finished ms. This is my first GUTGAA experience and I just started blogging/tweeting all that social media stuff. Huge learning curve, lol.
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I love my dogs, too! Wow, quite a difference between the whippet and the Jack Russells, isn’t there. I’ve heard whippets are fairly low key unless they’re running. The JRT’s I’ve known (in agility class) are more . . . driven. Corgis fall somewhere in between.
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I’m with you, I find complete silence a little creepy so if I don’t have the TV on I usually have the hum of the fan or something lol Awesome unicorn statue btw =)
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Thanks. I’m rather fond of that unicorn. I’ve had it a long time.
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“Never Give Up. Never Surrender.” Reminds me of Galaxy Quest. Great movie 🙂
So nice to meet you!
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That’s where I got it. 🙂
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So nice to meet you! I love writing challenges too.
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Hi. Yeah, I haven’t done any writing challenges lately because I’ve been too deep into the novels. But there’s a new one up on Hatrack–and End of the World Challenge. I have a story that fits but it’s actually TOO SHORT for the challenge–now that’s something that’s never happened to me before.
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I’ll have to look them up when I’m done with these edits! Thanks.
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Hey great to meet you! Love the unicorn!
Cool story too. Sounds like a great MG. 😀
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Hi. Thanks. I’m fond of him, too. I’ve had it a long time. I’m not sure exactly when I got it, but it’s dated 1978.
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I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up either. 🙂 Nice unicorn… I’m glad to see someone else has one. Good luck with GUTGAA!
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What fun is it to decide on just one thing?
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Just wanted to hop over and say I saw the review of INSOMNIA you put on Goodreads. You’re so sweet to do that! I really appreciate it. 🙂 It was such a fun surprise. Thank you!
Good luck with GUTGAA! 🙂
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Well, it’s a really great story. I didn’t say anything but the truth. 🙂
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Aww, shucks. 😉 Thank you again!
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Love your Galaxy Quest quote, one of my all time favorite movies. Good luck with GUTGAA. Please, stop by and say hello if you haven’t already. http://anjeasandro.blogspot.com/
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I like that movie, too. You could probably tell.
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I have the hardest time with short stories. They tend to grow up into novels, just like yours did. 😀 Good luck with GUTGAA!
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Isn’t it the truth. My problem with short stories is often ending them so it doesn’t feel like there ought to be more to the story–and then wanting to tell the rest of the story.
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Amen to great critique groups 🙂
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You’re the second person to say that silence is creepy. lol. It’s funny that you cleaned your desk at the perfect time. Synchronicity. Love when that happens. 🙂
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Lol. Maybe it’s just that I so seldom get silence around here. 🙂
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Stopping by to say hi and nice to meet you through GUTGAA. Best wishes with oyur query. I’m working on the same thing!
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Queries and synopses are just about the hardest things in the world to write–or at least to write well. Aren’t they?
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Hat’s Off to you! My father had Alzheimer’s disease also, and I was there for him at the worst times. Poignant. I’m praying that God holds you in His Hands so you can be the best daughter ever! *Bow* You simply ROCK!! I am subbing to your site! Muaaah!
Dr Margaret Aranda
http://www.girlpowerinamm.blogspot.com
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*Blush* Thanks.
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Critique groups are a must. We writers spend so much time alone. Loved your advice and learning more about you. Best of luck next week!
Trish
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Oh, yes. It’s so hard to see our own work as others see it. Another perspective–and someone who will call you on your writerly tics–is essential.
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First time reading your works, but definately not the last. I REALLY enjoyed your 12/21 tale about the cruise ship. As to your clean desk, I envy you. Mine is never clean and there is always a work in progress. Your blog held my attention as well.
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Thanks.
Uh, just took a look around. The desk is not that clean anymore.
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