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budgie_uk .
A meme about my writing habits, new and old.
The Writer Meme
What's the last thing you wrote? Completed? A two page script for Eleventh Hour #3 entitled 'The Sweetest Thing'. Incomplete? I wrote thirteen pages of Project Raven #4 a day or two ago. I have been too busy to write since, but I shall most definitely finish it either today or tomorrow (..).
Was it any good? 'The Sweetest Thing'? It's, um... Well, it was originally intended as an insight into the mind of a killer, but every reader of it seems to end up laughing rather loudly at the "big reveal" on the final page, so... Project Raven #4? Well, I hope so! It has it's moments. I haven't read through it yet, but Ian certainly had fun reading what little he saw, which I think is a good sign. And he liked the cliff-hanger, although I haven't written that yet.
What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have? 'The Sixth Element', a three or four page story that I wrote in my final year of Primary School (which would make me 10/11) as a sequel to the film, which at the time I pretty much religiously watched. I totally wanted to be the main character because she kicked mega butt and she's pretty and everything.
Was it any good? Well, my teacher told me it was one of the best things that she has ever read! ... Fibber - lol. I think, looking back on it, it was creative, but basically it's a bit cruddy because I got a few pages in, did a big giant twist and then went "oh, crud, I don't know how I'm going to get her out of this!" so I just added a "To Be Continued..." to the bottom of the page, and said that it was finished. ... I was a lazy child :-p And no, much as I said to my teacher that I would write a "sequel" - or rather that I would finish the story - I never did.
Write poetry? I used to often, but these days (since I moved in with Ian) rarely, because I concentrate more on my prose.
Angsty poetry? Yep. Almost always.
Favourite genre of writing? Hm... I think that I am best at horror. I do like writing science fiction, though, but rarely ever do so. Perhaps I should do a science fiction horror? Oh, and I almost always write from a first-person perspective, but this is less of a "genre" and more of a style.
Most fun character you ever wrote? Hm... Um... Now that I think of it? I am only in the process of planning it at the moment, but myself and my sister are writing a comic - very much inspired by Tales From The Flat - about ourselves... as super powered people! So I guess that writing myself, my sister, my mum and my dad and my friends and Ian and everyone has been lots of fun so far! I would say 'Raven' from 'Project Raven' but she isn't really "fun". I might say 'David' from 'Project Raven' comes a close second, though, because he has a lot of Xander (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) in him.
Most annoying character you ever wrote? Hm... Probably 'Number One' from 'Project Raven'. He's the big-big-bad that you don't ever SEE, so it is really hard to write him as a menacing, evil villain-type-dude when you can't even see him... You will eventually... But for now, he's a pain - lol.
Best plot you ever wrote? My TWELVE BOOK extraveganza!!! Yes, one day I hope to adapt this into a comic, and, you know... make it less cruddy - lol. Myself and my sister wrote a series of books (quite short, but books nonetheless) when we were ten/eleven, and continued with them until our mid-teens. In fact, I believe that Erynn may still be continuing with her saga even now! Basically, the idea was that we each had three books, three prequels to these books, and three sequels which we co-wrote that connected both our six-book epics for a big finale... the end of everything! The universe goes "POOF"! Oh, and Project Raven was originally written as a prequel to my prequels... Sad, isn't it?
Coolest plot twist you ever wrote? Oo, ouch! Um, well... I can't really tell you much about it, but probably the big twist in Project Raven that comes in in the second arc. In short, there is an intergalactic war between earth and this other (yet unnamed, because I suck at name-invention) planet... but not is all as it seems...
How often do you get writer's block? Frequently. Whenever I get depressed, really.
How do you fix it? In the past I would have cured this by writing "emo" poetry, but I don't really do that anymore... I am not sure why. I guess my life isn't as "manic depressive" as it used to be, now that I live with Ian, and I have him to support me, so any poetry that I DO write is usually about how happy I am... So when depressed, I can't really do poetry anymore, because it is usually just something temporary and silly like a bad dream or lack of money, and writing poetry about that stuff is a little difficult. Now, though? I guess that I mentally slap myself around the face and point out the fact that if I don't write it... no one will! No one else knows about the plot twists and characters and so forth in my worlds - just me. I want something published before I die, and I hate to be emo, but that could happen any day, who knows(?), so I best hop-to! Lol.
Write fan fiction? That one sequel to The Fifth Element, but that is it.
Do you type or write by hand? Type. I hate using trees.
Do you save everything you write? Uhu. It is difficult when you have stuff on several different PCs, though, to find things.
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it? Yep. Lots. Project Raven is a perfect examples, since I first came up with the idea when I was eleven/twelve.
What's your favourite thing that you've written? The Mist. This is actually my most infamous (everyone knows the final line "I am the She-Panther. No man shall tame me; I am free", and it is where I got my nick-name, although no one uses it anymore because Ian has "tamed" me - lol) piece, and I love the fact that every person that reads it has a different perspective on what the story actually is about, what it meant, and so forth. This I think makes it unique. I have also been offered publication several times, but turned it down. I made it into a comic for #3 of Eleventh Hour, now, though, but instead of writing panel descriptions, I basically handed the reigns over to a trusted artist friend of mine, and told him that he could pencil it anyway that he wanted - how HE perceived the story, and I absolutely loved the result. The fact that myself, Ian, my sister, and lots of other people never thought of the story in the way that he has penciled it just proves my earlier point that every person's perspective is unique. I doubt that I will ever top that one.
What's everyone else's favourite thing that you've written? Um - see above.
Do you even show people your work? I have a lot of my really old stuff on writing.com and deviantART. My newer stuff I am far more protective of, though, and in most cases I do not show my newer writing unless I plan on adapting it as a comic, or if it IS a comic, so that I can get an honest, "would you read this" or "would you publish this" opinion, and creative critique.
Who's your favourite constructive critic? Special thanks go to Ian (my inspiration), Budgie (a good friend and a fantastic writer) and Pete (my hero), my usual victims that I send writing to, and to Tony (Mr Awesome in my book) for his critique on my first ever comic script published in Eleventh Hour #2 which I totally took on board and I think I am much better now.
Do you have a web site for your writings? Sort of. I keep miniture 'Portfolios' on writing.com and deviantART.
Did you ever write a novel? Lots of ickle books, mentioned earlier, but no proper-sized novels.
Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror? Yes. Lots. Those are my three favourite genres!
Ever written romance or teen angsty drama? Er... No. I would be tempted to do so in the future, as a challenge... But other than that, no.
What's your favourite setting for your characters? Impending doom.
What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will? Adult... Stuff...
How many writing projects are you working on right now? Five? Six? Something there-abouts. Those are just my comic book projects. I am also writing an Auto-Biography as a form of therapy (trust me, it's good fun, and great for stress relief) which no one will ever read but me (lol), a work of non-fiction that I have been meaning to write for years which includes my theories on life, the universe, and just about everything, a children's drama series submission for the BBC, a children's book, and a book compiling my past works which is just about finished.
Do you want to write for a living? Well, I pretty much already am. I have no job, and all I ever do is write, so hopefully sometime-soon I will have something which I can sell that will get me an actual income. I am hoping that Project Raven will do this towards the end of the year, and as I mentioned in the question above, I have a book that is just about finished being compiled, which I hope to publish in a month or two, so who knows? Technically I guess I am not "writing for a living" just yet, though...
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? Yes. Nothing quite published, but I came close a few times. I have had several "yeah, that's great, we'll publish that... oh, wait, actually we wont" and "cool, nice idea! write it up and send it our way... actually, it doesn't fit with our current schedule, sorry" scenarios, but technically, yes. Hopefully, if I keep persevering I can go the whole nine yards and have my name on paper at some point.
Have you ever won an award for your writing? Yep! Ah, so proud... A few internet awards - the ones where you get little graphics to pop on your site, a poetry award that got me in a book somewhere (I have a copy of that lying around I think), school writing awards, that sort of thing. Nothing that won me any money or a golden chalice or anything, but awards to be proud of all the same.
Ever written something in script or play format? Frequently.
What are your five favourite words? Anthropomorphism... Yeah, that is just about it. I have other words that I like, but that is my all-time favourite word. I think it is possibly THE coolest word in the english language.
Do you ever parody? Once or twice. I do quite like my story, 'A Dodgy Living' which was a parody of Terry Pratchett's Discworld: Noir game.
What's your favourite thing to parody? Not Applicable. I do not write enough parodies to have a "favourite thing to parody".
Do you actually like that thing, or are you spitefully making fun of it? If I ever parody, it is to show my utmost respect for a genre or a particular book/series/film, etc.
Do you ever write based on yourself? Yes. Frequently. Raven from Project Raven is in herself a comic version of me when I was her age... Except I wasn't an alien-human hybrid genetically engineered to be a super soldier... to the best of my knowledge, anyway :-p I often unintentionally personify myself in my writing, as well. For instance, 'The Mist', my most infamous work of prose, is a subtle reference to my desire to always be free from the bindings of romance, even though I had many boys chasing after me at the time... "I am the She-Panther. No man shall tame me; I am free."
What character that you've written most resembles yourself? Originally I would have said Raven, but I have changed a LOT over these past few years, growing in confidence and gradually becoming more able to socialise, etc, so now?.. Me. I am writing a comic which is basically myself, my family, and my friends in super-powered form, so then I guess that would be the closest character to myself! Lol.
Where do you get ideas for your other characters? A lot of my characters are based on my friends, be they old ones from my school-days, or ones that I still hold dear at present. Outside of real-life, however, I draw inspiration from the books that I read, the television and films that I watch, and the dreams that I have... In fact, most stories and characters I dream up.
Do you ever write based on your dreams? Lol! Well, I just wrote that answer. Yes.
Do you favour happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers? Looking back on my old prose I find that more often than not I have a tendancy to kill-off my characters, and that I crave end-of-the-world scenarios. At present I prefer to leave the reader with a meaningful message... I also like cliffhangers, since they are essential when writing comics.
Have you ever written based on an artwork you've seen? Yes. I was once a member of a popular writer's Forum, which is now unfortunately no longer with us, but we had a section dedicated to Writer's Challenges, and one of my favourite threads was the one where you were challenged to write a piece of poetry or prose based on a photograph or piece of artwork. In fact, one of my favourite works of poetry was inspired by a photograph of a young elephant standing, looking rather sombre, by itself. I wrote a poem about the useless hunting of their kind, and to this day I find it my most sombre, emotional piece. It sometimes, even to this day, brings a tear to my eye.
Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? Hm... No, not particularly. I may be dyslexic, but spelling is not a factor in my mental incapacities. I am more concerned with typos than anything else. I always got an 'A' or an 'A+' at school for English Language, and my teacher was always rather pleased with my ability to spell. There are some words that remain difficult for me, but for the most part my spelling ability is above-average for my age, and considering the fact that I did not learn how to spell until I was around eight years of age, and had to take a "special class" to teach me how to read and write, I am quite proud of myself.
Ever write something entirely in chatspeak? (How r u?) Yuck! No. Never. I despise it in every way, shape, and form. I can barely read it, let alone write it! Lol.
Entirely in L337? Pardon?
Was that question completely appalling and un-writer like? Indeed.
Does music help you write? Occassionally it helps to inspire me, but more often than not it is more of a distraction. I prefer quiet. Silence is preferable.
Do you have a weblog or livejournal? Um... Is that a trick question? Lol. Yes. Obviously.
Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well? Hm... Well, going through Secondary School, College, and University I found that I quite easily developed a reputation for being "that writer girl". It was my "thing" that made me recognisable. In fact, if I did NOT have a pen and paper with me, or worse even, if I was not sitting in a corner scribbling at lunch times, people whispered and wondered what was WRONG. I personally do not think that my writing is that wonderful. But, going through life, I have found that most people do not tend to write on a fictional basis, and so they think that my writing is the best thing ever... Which is weird. But, seriously, those are my experiences of the matter.
Quote something you've written. The first thing to pop into your mind. The night was cold. No, it was more warm than cold, but it resembled the mildness that comes when the two temperatures meet and make the day as uncomfortable as a seat that has developed a bad case of seat-flue.
A Dodgy Living
budgie_uk .
A meme about my writing habits, new and old.
The Writer Meme
What's the last thing you wrote? Completed? A two page script for Eleventh Hour #3 entitled 'The Sweetest Thing'. Incomplete? I wrote thirteen pages of Project Raven #4 a day or two ago. I have been too busy to write since, but I shall most definitely finish it either today or tomorrow (..).
Was it any good? 'The Sweetest Thing'? It's, um... Well, it was originally intended as an insight into the mind of a killer, but every reader of it seems to end up laughing rather loudly at the "big reveal" on the final page, so... Project Raven #4? Well, I hope so! It has it's moments. I haven't read through it yet, but Ian certainly had fun reading what little he saw, which I think is a good sign. And he liked the cliff-hanger, although I haven't written that yet.
What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have? 'The Sixth Element', a three or four page story that I wrote in my final year of Primary School (which would make me 10/11) as a sequel to the film, which at the time I pretty much religiously watched. I totally wanted to be the main character because she kicked mega butt and she's pretty and everything.
Was it any good? Well, my teacher told me it was one of the best things that she has ever read! ... Fibber - lol. I think, looking back on it, it was creative, but basically it's a bit cruddy because I got a few pages in, did a big giant twist and then went "oh, crud, I don't know how I'm going to get her out of this!" so I just added a "To Be Continued..." to the bottom of the page, and said that it was finished. ... I was a lazy child :-p And no, much as I said to my teacher that I would write a "sequel" - or rather that I would finish the story - I never did.
Write poetry? I used to often, but these days (since I moved in with Ian) rarely, because I concentrate more on my prose.
Angsty poetry? Yep. Almost always.
Favourite genre of writing? Hm... I think that I am best at horror. I do like writing science fiction, though, but rarely ever do so. Perhaps I should do a science fiction horror? Oh, and I almost always write from a first-person perspective, but this is less of a "genre" and more of a style.
Most fun character you ever wrote? Hm... Um... Now that I think of it? I am only in the process of planning it at the moment, but myself and my sister are writing a comic - very much inspired by Tales From The Flat - about ourselves... as super powered people! So I guess that writing myself, my sister, my mum and my dad and my friends and Ian and everyone has been lots of fun so far! I would say 'Raven' from 'Project Raven' but she isn't really "fun". I might say 'David' from 'Project Raven' comes a close second, though, because he has a lot of Xander (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) in him.
Most annoying character you ever wrote? Hm... Probably 'Number One' from 'Project Raven'. He's the big-big-bad that you don't ever SEE, so it is really hard to write him as a menacing, evil villain-type-dude when you can't even see him... You will eventually... But for now, he's a pain - lol.
Best plot you ever wrote? My TWELVE BOOK extraveganza!!! Yes, one day I hope to adapt this into a comic, and, you know... make it less cruddy - lol. Myself and my sister wrote a series of books (quite short, but books nonetheless) when we were ten/eleven, and continued with them until our mid-teens. In fact, I believe that Erynn may still be continuing with her saga even now! Basically, the idea was that we each had three books, three prequels to these books, and three sequels which we co-wrote that connected both our six-book epics for a big finale... the end of everything! The universe goes "POOF"! Oh, and Project Raven was originally written as a prequel to my prequels... Sad, isn't it?
Coolest plot twist you ever wrote? Oo, ouch! Um, well... I can't really tell you much about it, but probably the big twist in Project Raven that comes in in the second arc. In short, there is an intergalactic war between earth and this other (yet unnamed, because I suck at name-invention) planet... but not is all as it seems...
How often do you get writer's block? Frequently. Whenever I get depressed, really.
How do you fix it? In the past I would have cured this by writing "emo" poetry, but I don't really do that anymore... I am not sure why. I guess my life isn't as "manic depressive" as it used to be, now that I live with Ian, and I have him to support me, so any poetry that I DO write is usually about how happy I am... So when depressed, I can't really do poetry anymore, because it is usually just something temporary and silly like a bad dream or lack of money, and writing poetry about that stuff is a little difficult. Now, though? I guess that I mentally slap myself around the face and point out the fact that if I don't write it... no one will! No one else knows about the plot twists and characters and so forth in my worlds - just me. I want something published before I die, and I hate to be emo, but that could happen any day, who knows(?), so I best hop-to! Lol.
Write fan fiction? That one sequel to The Fifth Element, but that is it.
Do you type or write by hand? Type. I hate using trees.
Do you save everything you write? Uhu. It is difficult when you have stuff on several different PCs, though, to find things.
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it? Yep. Lots. Project Raven is a perfect examples, since I first came up with the idea when I was eleven/twelve.
What's your favourite thing that you've written? The Mist. This is actually my most infamous (everyone knows the final line "I am the She-Panther. No man shall tame me; I am free", and it is where I got my nick-name, although no one uses it anymore because Ian has "tamed" me - lol) piece, and I love the fact that every person that reads it has a different perspective on what the story actually is about, what it meant, and so forth. This I think makes it unique. I have also been offered publication several times, but turned it down. I made it into a comic for #3 of Eleventh Hour, now, though, but instead of writing panel descriptions, I basically handed the reigns over to a trusted artist friend of mine, and told him that he could pencil it anyway that he wanted - how HE perceived the story, and I absolutely loved the result. The fact that myself, Ian, my sister, and lots of other people never thought of the story in the way that he has penciled it just proves my earlier point that every person's perspective is unique. I doubt that I will ever top that one.
What's everyone else's favourite thing that you've written? Um - see above.
Do you even show people your work? I have a lot of my really old stuff on writing.com and deviantART. My newer stuff I am far more protective of, though, and in most cases I do not show my newer writing unless I plan on adapting it as a comic, or if it IS a comic, so that I can get an honest, "would you read this" or "would you publish this" opinion, and creative critique.
Who's your favourite constructive critic? Special thanks go to Ian (my inspiration), Budgie (a good friend and a fantastic writer) and Pete (my hero), my usual victims that I send writing to, and to Tony (Mr Awesome in my book) for his critique on my first ever comic script published in Eleventh Hour #2 which I totally took on board and I think I am much better now.
Do you have a web site for your writings? Sort of. I keep miniture 'Portfolios' on writing.com and deviantART.
Did you ever write a novel? Lots of ickle books, mentioned earlier, but no proper-sized novels.
Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror? Yes. Lots. Those are my three favourite genres!
Ever written romance or teen angsty drama? Er... No. I would be tempted to do so in the future, as a challenge... But other than that, no.
What's your favourite setting for your characters? Impending doom.
What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will? Adult... Stuff...
How many writing projects are you working on right now? Five? Six? Something there-abouts. Those are just my comic book projects. I am also writing an Auto-Biography as a form of therapy (trust me, it's good fun, and great for stress relief) which no one will ever read but me (lol), a work of non-fiction that I have been meaning to write for years which includes my theories on life, the universe, and just about everything, a children's drama series submission for the BBC, a children's book, and a book compiling my past works which is just about finished.
Do you want to write for a living? Well, I pretty much already am. I have no job, and all I ever do is write, so hopefully sometime-soon I will have something which I can sell that will get me an actual income. I am hoping that Project Raven will do this towards the end of the year, and as I mentioned in the question above, I have a book that is just about finished being compiled, which I hope to publish in a month or two, so who knows? Technically I guess I am not "writing for a living" just yet, though...
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? Yes. Nothing quite published, but I came close a few times. I have had several "yeah, that's great, we'll publish that... oh, wait, actually we wont" and "cool, nice idea! write it up and send it our way... actually, it doesn't fit with our current schedule, sorry" scenarios, but technically, yes. Hopefully, if I keep persevering I can go the whole nine yards and have my name on paper at some point.
Have you ever won an award for your writing? Yep! Ah, so proud... A few internet awards - the ones where you get little graphics to pop on your site, a poetry award that got me in a book somewhere (I have a copy of that lying around I think), school writing awards, that sort of thing. Nothing that won me any money or a golden chalice or anything, but awards to be proud of all the same.
Ever written something in script or play format? Frequently.
What are your five favourite words? Anthropomorphism... Yeah, that is just about it. I have other words that I like, but that is my all-time favourite word. I think it is possibly THE coolest word in the english language.
Do you ever parody? Once or twice. I do quite like my story, 'A Dodgy Living' which was a parody of Terry Pratchett's Discworld: Noir game.
What's your favourite thing to parody? Not Applicable. I do not write enough parodies to have a "favourite thing to parody".
Do you actually like that thing, or are you spitefully making fun of it? If I ever parody, it is to show my utmost respect for a genre or a particular book/series/film, etc.
Do you ever write based on yourself? Yes. Frequently. Raven from Project Raven is in herself a comic version of me when I was her age... Except I wasn't an alien-human hybrid genetically engineered to be a super soldier... to the best of my knowledge, anyway :-p I often unintentionally personify myself in my writing, as well. For instance, 'The Mist', my most infamous work of prose, is a subtle reference to my desire to always be free from the bindings of romance, even though I had many boys chasing after me at the time... "I am the She-Panther. No man shall tame me; I am free."
What character that you've written most resembles yourself? Originally I would have said Raven, but I have changed a LOT over these past few years, growing in confidence and gradually becoming more able to socialise, etc, so now?.. Me. I am writing a comic which is basically myself, my family, and my friends in super-powered form, so then I guess that would be the closest character to myself! Lol.
Where do you get ideas for your other characters? A lot of my characters are based on my friends, be they old ones from my school-days, or ones that I still hold dear at present. Outside of real-life, however, I draw inspiration from the books that I read, the television and films that I watch, and the dreams that I have... In fact, most stories and characters I dream up.
Do you ever write based on your dreams? Lol! Well, I just wrote that answer. Yes.
Do you favour happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers? Looking back on my old prose I find that more often than not I have a tendancy to kill-off my characters, and that I crave end-of-the-world scenarios. At present I prefer to leave the reader with a meaningful message... I also like cliffhangers, since they are essential when writing comics.
Have you ever written based on an artwork you've seen? Yes. I was once a member of a popular writer's Forum, which is now unfortunately no longer with us, but we had a section dedicated to Writer's Challenges, and one of my favourite threads was the one where you were challenged to write a piece of poetry or prose based on a photograph or piece of artwork. In fact, one of my favourite works of poetry was inspired by a photograph of a young elephant standing, looking rather sombre, by itself. I wrote a poem about the useless hunting of their kind, and to this day I find it my most sombre, emotional piece. It sometimes, even to this day, brings a tear to my eye.
Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? Hm... No, not particularly. I may be dyslexic, but spelling is not a factor in my mental incapacities. I am more concerned with typos than anything else. I always got an 'A' or an 'A+' at school for English Language, and my teacher was always rather pleased with my ability to spell. There are some words that remain difficult for me, but for the most part my spelling ability is above-average for my age, and considering the fact that I did not learn how to spell until I was around eight years of age, and had to take a "special class" to teach me how to read and write, I am quite proud of myself.
Ever write something entirely in chatspeak? (How r u?) Yuck! No. Never. I despise it in every way, shape, and form. I can barely read it, let alone write it! Lol.
Entirely in L337? Pardon?
Was that question completely appalling and un-writer like? Indeed.
Does music help you write? Occassionally it helps to inspire me, but more often than not it is more of a distraction. I prefer quiet. Silence is preferable.
Do you have a weblog or livejournal? Um... Is that a trick question? Lol. Yes. Obviously.
Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well? Hm... Well, going through Secondary School, College, and University I found that I quite easily developed a reputation for being "that writer girl". It was my "thing" that made me recognisable. In fact, if I did NOT have a pen and paper with me, or worse even, if I was not sitting in a corner scribbling at lunch times, people whispered and wondered what was WRONG. I personally do not think that my writing is that wonderful. But, going through life, I have found that most people do not tend to write on a fictional basis, and so they think that my writing is the best thing ever... Which is weird. But, seriously, those are my experiences of the matter.
Quote something you've written. The first thing to pop into your mind. The night was cold. No, it was more warm than cold, but it resembled the mildness that comes when the two temperatures meet and make the day as uncomfortable as a seat that has developed a bad case of seat-flue.
A Dodgy Living