Sunday memery while I procrastinate on writing whipsy’s story.

[scribblemyname]

Oops! I said it out loud. Ah, well. These are from arliddian. Comment if you want your own.

1. What is your favourite sweet treat?

Cheesecake. Bar none. With kiwis on top.

2. There’s a fire in your house! What are the first five things you try to rescue?

My family. My writings. My PDA and backup hard drive. Oh, and underwear/change of clothes.

3. A time machine is malfunctioning and is going to deposit you in the past, with no way to return to your own time! You have just enough seconds to set the time period of your choice. Which would you choose and why?

Five years ago. I’d get back to where I am a whole lot faster and be able to finally have two of me. Answer to prayers, y’all.

4. What is your favourite thing to do in summer?

Write. What else?

5. What kind of music do you listen to when you need inspiration?

Celtic. Christian contemporary, mostly pop and acoustic, none of this rock and roll stuff they’re calling CCM anymore. More celtic.

6. What are your top five tips about writing original fiction?

Focus on stories. Forget the writing; the writing will take care of itself. Focus on what inspires you. Read. Live through your character’s eyes. Know what makes people tick. Know the stories you love and how to get from point a to point b with as many complications as you can throw on there. It’s about stories, people.

Fuel selectively. If you fall in love with something (I’m looking at you angsty ships!), it will come out in your stories. Pay attention to the things that unleash your inner fangirl. Fangirl your own fiction. Make it yours. Explain it. Juggle it around until you’re satisfied. Love AU (hereby go to original) but make their lousy, crazy canon nonlogic into real logic without changing anything from canon at all—if you can. Learn how to feed your own muse.

Never assume anything. Know your characters, the rules of your world, and a handful of outside factors to fling at them. The rest will be unpredictable—even to you, but inevitable.

Know the difference between voice and tone. Your voice is your writing. Your tone is your story. And for goodness sake, don’t read out of tone when you’re working. Keep the reading and the writing separate if you’re tone-hopping.

No matter what you do in writing, what choice you make, it’s fine. As long as you do it consistently.

7. How much do you think you have changed in the past two years?

Goodness. Much. And nothing. Some days, I know. Some days, I don’t. I try to stay in the present, know what I want to change and where I’m heading. I’m not a journey person. It’s about the destination, and that’s where my eyes are fixed.

Originally published at Liana Mir. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[lithiumlaughter.livejournal.com]

Hit me up.

Still going a tiny bit nuts here at home, and am basically writing fanfic, watching bad TV, and getting on the family's nerves, hence my constant presence on the internet. Stupid sickness. :)

[scribblemyname]

1. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?

2. What is your favorite thing to do as work?

3. Who could you spend time with indefinitely without ever losing interest?

4. If you could ask your favorite character any ONE question, who and what would it be?

5. If you had to choose between reading and writing, which would you choose and why?

6. What is the one talent you wish you had and don't?

7. Is there any one thing you want most in the entire world? (abstractions permitted)

[lithiumlaughter.livejournal.com]

1) Generally, it involves music. I'll put a CD on and clean my room. I'll plug into my iPod and clean the house. When I have the place to myself, I'll either belt songs out at the top of my lungs (I have been known to serenade brooms) or sit down at the piano/yank out my guitar and play the few songs I know. Not many of those, sadly, but there are some. Youtube tutorials are AWESOME that way.
It's either that, or pop on a DVD...though I generally do that when I'm curling up for bed; a flick and some tea cap off a day well.

2) As work, or at work?
At work, I love talking about books. Lovelovelovelove. Sharing stories with customers about books, reading, or even just life, is fun. Being a nerd with some of the regulars is great too; there's a girl who comes to me for recs in the teen section, and we have some great conversations. Another regular always has a really, really bad joke on hand that still somehow make me and the other girls laugh our heads off.
...I think I answered that question correctly.

3) Oooh. Good one. Probably my best friend Riley. We've known each other longer than we haven't, and as such we're incredibly comfortable with one another. We're comfortable with conversation and silences, and we can both have serious conversations as well as completely dorky ones. The best part is that we have some very different viewpoints, but are still very in tune with one another intellectually. People actually refer to us as a single entity.

4) This one is so insanely unfair! Thus, you get a highly facetious answer.
Regardless of who, I would ask if they drink coffee, and how they take it. If they don't drink coffee, what DO they drink? Do they drink at all?
I have my headcanon for this for pretty much every character I like. Chatting with them would be more an opportunity to confirm my suspicions.

5) I refuse to choose. :)
Stephen King nailed it for me: “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Even if you don't like his writing, or haven't even tried any of his books, I highly recommend checking out his book "On Writing". Agree with his ideas or not, it's thought provoking.

6) To draw.
I see so much in my head, and so much around me that I would love to get down on paper in a visual format. I like to think I do alright with words, but sometimes it's just not the same.

7) Stronger adult role models for teens with medical issues.
I went through hell when I was first diagnosed with epilepsy. My first specialist was a jerk, I spent a lot of time absolutely terrified, and no-one around me really knew what to do.
What I would have given for an adult with epilepsy to come sit down and talk with me. What I would have given for an adult to just sit and LISTEN rather than fret, or nod while taking notes and making hmmm noises.
While role models are sure as hell important for all teens, the medical field is fairly unique. There's lots of support systems in place for younger kids diagnosed with chronic illnesses. Teens need 'em too. If I had a chance to be a support for a teen freshly diagnosed with epilepsy, I would jump on that. I truly would.

[scribblemyname]

1) We must be soul sisters. This is so, so, so me. Sometimes, I wonder if we might be long lost twins in some alternate universe.

2) I approve. Infinitely. [I really should've phrased better. I meant, What kind of work do you like best?]

3) That is so awesome. I always think everyone should have someone like that, someone who it's so perfectly safe to be ourselves with. Always. Whether or not we agree.

4) Unfair? I was genuinely curious. :bats eyelashes: :grins:

5) LOL I'm not surprised really. I couldn't choose, but it always makes me wonder if someone actually could.

6) Amen, sister. That bit about soul twins? Yeah. This.

7) Wow. To be honest, I didn't expect that answer, and it's so awesome to have something like that that means so much. It makes me wish I knew how to organize something like that, but let's face it, I build imaginary worlds, not real ones. :sighs:

May this dream come true.

[arliddian.livejournal.com]

Toootally forgot you had answered this one; blame end-of-semester brain!

2) The change of clothes/underwear thing is so practical and smart.
3) This answer is hilarious and awesome.
6) I love your writer soul. <3
7) It's about the destination, and that's where my eyes are fixed - lovely.

*Hugs*

[scribblemyname]

:hugs back:

I had fun answering these.