Thanks to the wonderful Abby Annis, I've been tagged! This should be educational, if nothing else... Okay, question 1:
1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have? The last thing I wrote was a new scene I'm adding to my wip. And sadly, I'm afraid the first thing I wrote that I still have is an introduction and first chapter of a novel set in Bronze Age Crete that I started in grad school. When I moved out and went to college, my old story notebooks were the last things I wanted. I was reinventing myself-- I didn't need to be constantly reminded of how I was so desperate for friends in high school that I'd make them up.
2. Write poetry?Good lord, no. Not since I was about thirteen and had a crush on a boy. It was sappy and awful, yet I think also had a paranormal element. Ah, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
3. Angsty poetry?As if the world ever needed more of
my angst. *insert eye-roll here*
4. Favorite genre of writing?Definitely speculative fiction, and preferably YA. There's no genre that's more fun to write than YA speculative fiction.
5. Most annoying character you've ever created?Definitely the goddess Isis from my trunked novel, The Uneven Parallel Plane (working title). She was a mega-beast, and in the most annoying way.
6. Best Plot you've ever created?I really liked the plot to The Uneven Parallel Plane. It was fun, and had multiple pov characters whose destinies were intertwined.
7. Coolest Plot twist you've ever created?If I told you, I'd have to kill you, just like the last person who asked me this question. ;)
8. How often do you get writer's block?Not often. If I stall while staring at the computer screen, I just whip out my notebook and brainstorm.
9. Write fan fiction?Actually, the first novel I finished at age 15 was a sort of X-Men rip-off. The short-lived Generation-X imprint was just getting going, and I loved the idea of a school for "gifted" kids. Turns out I wasn't the only one, lol.
10. Do you type or write by hand?I plot and start writing longhand, but I can type as I go, too.
11. Do you save everything you write?Just about.
12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?Occasionally. If I can't stop thinking about it. Like right now I'm thinking of destroying Mara's violin. Even though I'm convinced it would be gratuitously mean, I keep coming back to the idea.
13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?To be honest, I had the most fun with The Uneven Parallel Plane, which is why I'm thinking of rewriting it from memory.
14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written?Evangeline. Betas love my hero, it seems. Ah, Jude, who wouldn't love you? ;)
15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?I like to add romance to everything I write-- nothing is safe. And though my teens can be angsty, it's never because they're the unpopular kid at school, or anything mundane like that. More like they just discovered they're a dragon or something of that ilk.
16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?I love New Orleans, but I'm liking Belle Epoch Paris, too.
17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?Three. Deep Revisions of Evangeline, Mara's second draft, and I've been turning the UPP over in my head wondering how to make it work. So my head is at maximum capacity right now.
18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?I wish. And I strive to, but I fear my work is a bit too escapist.
19. What are your five favorite words?For some reason I love words that end in ate-- Propagate, formulate, procrastinate. ;) I also love the word affronted, but it's one I can rarely use in my writing. My absolute favorite word is lasagne.
20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?Evangeline, I suppose, except that she doesn't like history, and I don't like exercise.
21. Where do you get ideas for your characters?Everywhere and everyone. One character reminded me of my sister, so I even gave her my sister's name. Of course, she diverged as I fleshed her out, and is only remotely like my sister nwow.
22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?Why? Does the world want to read a book about Zachary Quinto taking me to the drive-in, lol? I've never had a dream and said, whoa, I need to write about this. But I have had some dreams where situations in my wip will become more clear, if that makes sense.
23. Do you favor happy endings?Yes, but with a caveat. Everything has to go pear shaped first and someone probably has to die.
24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?To the point where I wish I weren't. I just deal with it, but misspelled words drive me batty.
25. Does music help you write?Sometimes. Depends on my mood, but I prefer instrumental.
26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.This is one of my favorite passages from my wip:
As we fill M. Herve in on the mysterious goings-on, his fawn colored eyes grow serious and intense. “So you have no real evidence, and no actual suspects, is that right?”
His tone scathes, but Mme. Moreau has him beat. “Hence, why we contacted a man of your particular skills. The fact that you will also pass as a decent bartender being the reason that I hired you over the next detective in the directory. Hopefully you’ll be able to distinguish yourself from your colleagues in one of those vocations.”
Well, this was fun! Hope you enjoyed it.
In turn, I'm tagging
Carrie HarrisJadeShannon MessengerY'all are it!
Caitlin Marshall's trying to go home to Minnesota, but at the last minute she gives her airline ticket to a stranded soldier. So Cait spends Christmas with Joe Rockwell, who was a childhood friend—and is still a terrible tease, claiming that Cait's his wife. Oh, sure, they were "married" in a pretend ceremony when she was eight, but now Joe wants to make their "marriage" real!
