writing meme
gakked from southernrogue47
What's the last thing you wrote?
The last thing that was *really* written, edited and posted, was Constant Satellite, my first DW fic. The *literal* last thing I wrote was a bit of my latest/not-entirely-new PB, and I have...no idea where it's going :P
Was it any good?
CS - I...like to think so? I feel a little better about it now that I've had some reviews, haha. Seriously, though, I am my very worst critic. I liked it, and it was a bit different from my normal style--Megan compared it to more of a poem--which was fun. The new PB, on the other hand...I really couldn't even say. It was a prologue/bit of first chapter.
What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?
LMAO. A "novel" I wrote in second grade, called (and I kid you not) "The Sisters." About four orphaned sisters. At a boarding school. A near-fatal illness was involved. It's locked away in a trunk in my room, hasn't been looked at in ages, but I still have it. It's entirely possible/probable that I wrote other stories before it, and that I even still have them, but the hilariously 2nd grade rip-off (I swear, it's a playlist of all the books I was reading at the time) is the one I remember.
Write poetry?
Ach. Um. For school. They even made me write a sonnet. That one was particularly horrific, not that any of them were anything I want to claim :P
Angsty poetry?
*facepalm* You won't make me actually *say* it, will you? In my defence, I had to write *something* for school.
Most fun character you ever wrote?
Possibly Krista, just because she's so...not me. And so Krista. I also really loved writing Isra. And...actually, reviewing my stories--the random superhero's progeny was rather hilarious in her teenager-dom :P
Most annoying character you ever wrote?
Clayra. Seriously, just--Clayra.
Best plot you ever wrote?
The Phoenix/CoD plotlines that I actually had planned out were pretty fun--I like complex, twisty things that start early and grow. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed ItM.
Coolest plot twist you ever wrote?
Zekk actually being alive, in "Die Another Day," maybe? Or Lera and Devnos' twist!success and letter, perhaps.
How often do you get writer's block?
Um...fairly often at the start of a new project, especially as I am now--between a multi-year trilogy, and an entirely new world. I have plenty of ideas, just plenty of trouble committing them to paper.
How do you fix it?
Music, lots of fic, and 100xmore bashing my head into the wall/against my keyboard, until a word becomes a sentence becomes a paragraph, etc, even if it *is* crap. I write a lot of crap when starting something new.
Do you save everything you write?
Everything, somewhere. Even those really, really horrible and embarrassing stories I wrote in middle school. Even Dejarik :P
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?
ROFL. Um. Just a bit sometimes all the time. Although it's never really "abandoned"--just put on hold, or put to the side. I keep everything.
What's your favourite thing that you've written?
I don't really have a *single* favourite--Chill, because it was a stylistic starting point; Selfish, just for the archiving ;P--but even because I wasn't sure I could write Jacen or Tenel Ka; In the Morning and the Always 'verse were a work of life and love, of course (six years).
What's everyone else's favorite thing that you've written?
SW - Um, if we were going by numbers, Dejarik, probably. The irony is not lost on me, I assure you :P For people who've been reading my work in general...ItM? For the VM fandom, The Fabulous Life Of. DW is far too small of a sample.
Do you ever show people your work?
Well, if I didn't, I'd need an awful lot of people in my head to answer to previous question, wouldn't I? The fanfic, yes, I've posted a great deal of it. Although, only a very, very few people I actually *know* have read anything I've written, fanfic or original. Only a couple people have read anything/know any details about my original!fic.
Who's your favourite constructive critic?
pom, of course. One of the betas who looked at "Selfish" for archiving was also pretty awesome. Alas, otherwise, I don't tend to get much constructive crit. Reviews or flames :P
Did you ever write a novel?
*snerk* um, that would be a yes.
Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror?
Yes, yes, and yes--I think there's an element of horror in the fantasy genre in general, though I've also written a few scary stories for a contest.
Ever written romance or teen angsty drama?
Yes, and...sort of? Angst: yes, drama: yes, teen...well, middle school stuff? And I suppose Lera and Nichyn are actually teenagers. So...basically.
What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will?
"True crime," or pure detective novels; or the very literary "coming of age," etc, novels. I love characters, but I also need plot, else I just ramble on about every nuance to my characters' personalities/lives.
How many writing projects are you working on right now?
That's a very unfair question--I'm constantly threading several needles, even ones I'm not thinking about. *Actively* working on...FaIC (sort of), new!PB, TC&M. Meandering with: two Always!original!rewrites, Lera/Nichyn (fanfic, original, sequels, short stories, playlists...I'm not exaggerating), a Krista/Miko courtship short story, Isra and Isra/Gaffil fic and soundtracks...why yes, I will stop here while you still have time.
Do you want to write for a living?
Yes--I just don't expect it to ever happen, even as a part-time job.
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?
I wrote a couple stories for an annual scary story contest at the library (winners were published in the newspaper), but otherwise...nope.
Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Well, two for the above mentioned contest (1st and 3rd); otherwise, RotJ/Dejarik won a couple at the JC Awards, and Helpless and Holding My Last Breath each won one. Some other fics were nominated.
Ever written something in script or play format?
When it comes to my writing, I have far too much of a God complex to leave *anything* up to actors or directors. So, no :P
What is your favourite word?
I don't really have one. My love affair is with ideas and characters, not words, as I'm sure most of you can tell. But, um, phoenix?
Do you ever write based on yourself?
Not *exactly*. Lera has some origin points, for example, but she's really not me; and there are the obvious Mary Sues when I was starting out--but otherwise, not as a general rule. I'm really a very boring person.
Which of your characters most resembles you?
Lera, probably, more so in early drafts--she started way back in the Phoenix/CoD world.
Where do you get ideas for your characters?
Other stories, music, relationships, music, movies, school...anywhere. And then they grow on me, take their development into their own hands, and then take me by surprise when they turn up on the other side.
Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Yes--Healer's Price, for example, and I know there's at least one more I'm not thinking of.
Do you prefer happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?
Cliff-hangers are pretty much the worst ending, if that's really it--I love them if they lead up to a sequel, but on a standalone? Not so much. That said, I think any of these depend on the quality of the writing/plotting--there are some sad endings out there that I absolutely *adore* (Moulin Rouge is my favourite movie, after all), but if they're written poorly, it really wrecks the story. In general, I prefer happy endings sternly grounded with reality.
Have you ever written anything based on an artwork you've seen?
That is...actually one of the few inspiration points that have never worked on me :P
Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Yes. Well, as I write? I've gotten to the point where I work on instinct, ordering my thoughts in recognizable grammar/spelling, and I'm usually quite clean even on the first go, but I won't fall to bits if my draft doesn't pass mustard. As long as it's clean by the time I've posted it, we're good.
Ever write something entirely in chatspeak?
No, thank you.
Does music help you write?
Does air help you breathe? Yeah, music and characters and writing are all intricately woven together, for me--a character who works will gravitate toward music, which tends to help me write.
Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well?
Write well? Um, I don't know too much about people's reactions to my fiction, but my papers at school are well-received.
Quote something you've written:
From ItM, Dejah's POV: “These are the days that prophecy walks,” she murmured to the silent dark. “The days of heroes and noble deeds, of redemption and saving grace. These are the days of the goddess.” These, Dejah thought, or perhaps the ones another century from now.
Also, in computer news: My keyboard has gone mad, and started randomly typing letters significantly different from the ones I intend. Since a keyboard that works is kind of, you know, important for a writer (I've heard), even this new occasional dysfunction may mean a new computer. Blach.
What's the last thing you wrote?
The last thing that was *really* written, edited and posted, was Constant Satellite, my first DW fic. The *literal* last thing I wrote was a bit of my latest/not-entirely-new PB, and I have...no idea where it's going :P
Was it any good?
CS - I...like to think so? I feel a little better about it now that I've had some reviews, haha. Seriously, though, I am my very worst critic. I liked it, and it was a bit different from my normal style--Megan compared it to more of a poem--which was fun. The new PB, on the other hand...I really couldn't even say. It was a prologue/bit of first chapter.
What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?
LMAO. A "novel" I wrote in second grade, called (and I kid you not) "The Sisters." About four orphaned sisters. At a boarding school. A near-fatal illness was involved. It's locked away in a trunk in my room, hasn't been looked at in ages, but I still have it. It's entirely possible/probable that I wrote other stories before it, and that I even still have them, but the hilariously 2nd grade rip-off (I swear, it's a playlist of all the books I was reading at the time) is the one I remember.
Write poetry?
Ach. Um. For school. They even made me write a sonnet. That one was particularly horrific, not that any of them were anything I want to claim :P
Angsty poetry?
*facepalm* You won't make me actually *say* it, will you? In my defence, I had to write *something* for school.
Most fun character you ever wrote?
Possibly Krista, just because she's so...not me. And so Krista. I also really loved writing Isra. And...actually, reviewing my stories--the random superhero's progeny was rather hilarious in her teenager-dom :P
Most annoying character you ever wrote?
Clayra. Seriously, just--Clayra.
Best plot you ever wrote?
The Phoenix/CoD plotlines that I actually had planned out were pretty fun--I like complex, twisty things that start early and grow. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed ItM.
Coolest plot twist you ever wrote?
Zekk actually being alive, in "Die Another Day," maybe? Or Lera and Devnos' twist!success and letter, perhaps.
How often do you get writer's block?
Um...fairly often at the start of a new project, especially as I am now--between a multi-year trilogy, and an entirely new world. I have plenty of ideas, just plenty of trouble committing them to paper.
How do you fix it?
Music, lots of fic, and 100xmore bashing my head into the wall/against my keyboard, until a word becomes a sentence becomes a paragraph, etc, even if it *is* crap. I write a lot of crap when starting something new.
Do you save everything you write?
Everything, somewhere. Even those really, really horrible and embarrassing stories I wrote in middle school. Even Dejarik :P
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?
ROFL. Um. Just a bit sometimes all the time. Although it's never really "abandoned"--just put on hold, or put to the side. I keep everything.
What's your favourite thing that you've written?
I don't really have a *single* favourite--Chill, because it was a stylistic starting point; Selfish, just for the archiving ;P--but even because I wasn't sure I could write Jacen or Tenel Ka; In the Morning and the Always 'verse were a work of life and love, of course (six years).
What's everyone else's favorite thing that you've written?
SW - Um, if we were going by numbers, Dejarik, probably. The irony is not lost on me, I assure you :P For people who've been reading my work in general...ItM? For the VM fandom, The Fabulous Life Of. DW is far too small of a sample.
Do you ever show people your work?
Well, if I didn't, I'd need an awful lot of people in my head to answer to previous question, wouldn't I? The fanfic, yes, I've posted a great deal of it. Although, only a very, very few people I actually *know* have read anything I've written, fanfic or original. Only a couple people have read anything/know any details about my original!fic.
Who's your favourite constructive critic?
pom, of course. One of the betas who looked at "Selfish" for archiving was also pretty awesome. Alas, otherwise, I don't tend to get much constructive crit. Reviews or flames :P
Did you ever write a novel?
*snerk* um, that would be a yes.
Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror?
Yes, yes, and yes--I think there's an element of horror in the fantasy genre in general, though I've also written a few scary stories for a contest.
Ever written romance or teen angsty drama?
Yes, and...sort of? Angst: yes, drama: yes, teen...well, middle school stuff? And I suppose Lera and Nichyn are actually teenagers. So...basically.
What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will?
"True crime," or pure detective novels; or the very literary "coming of age," etc, novels. I love characters, but I also need plot, else I just ramble on about every nuance to my characters' personalities/lives.
How many writing projects are you working on right now?
That's a very unfair question--I'm constantly threading several needles, even ones I'm not thinking about. *Actively* working on...FaIC (sort of), new!PB, TC&M. Meandering with: two Always!original!rewrites, Lera/Nichyn (fanfic, original, sequels, short stories, playlists...I'm not exaggerating), a Krista/Miko courtship short story, Isra and Isra/Gaffil fic and soundtracks...why yes, I will stop here while you still have time.
Do you want to write for a living?
Yes--I just don't expect it to ever happen, even as a part-time job.
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?
I wrote a couple stories for an annual scary story contest at the library (winners were published in the newspaper), but otherwise...nope.
Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Well, two for the above mentioned contest (1st and 3rd); otherwise, RotJ/Dejarik won a couple at the JC Awards, and Helpless and Holding My Last Breath each won one. Some other fics were nominated.
Ever written something in script or play format?
When it comes to my writing, I have far too much of a God complex to leave *anything* up to actors or directors. So, no :P
What is your favourite word?
I don't really have one. My love affair is with ideas and characters, not words, as I'm sure most of you can tell. But, um, phoenix?
Do you ever write based on yourself?
Not *exactly*. Lera has some origin points, for example, but she's really not me; and there are the obvious Mary Sues when I was starting out--but otherwise, not as a general rule. I'm really a very boring person.
Which of your characters most resembles you?
Lera, probably, more so in early drafts--she started way back in the Phoenix/CoD world.
Where do you get ideas for your characters?
Other stories, music, relationships, music, movies, school...anywhere. And then they grow on me, take their development into their own hands, and then take me by surprise when they turn up on the other side.
Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Yes--Healer's Price, for example, and I know there's at least one more I'm not thinking of.
Do you prefer happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?
Cliff-hangers are pretty much the worst ending, if that's really it--I love them if they lead up to a sequel, but on a standalone? Not so much. That said, I think any of these depend on the quality of the writing/plotting--there are some sad endings out there that I absolutely *adore* (Moulin Rouge is my favourite movie, after all), but if they're written poorly, it really wrecks the story. In general, I prefer happy endings sternly grounded with reality.
Have you ever written anything based on an artwork you've seen?
That is...actually one of the few inspiration points that have never worked on me :P
Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Yes. Well, as I write? I've gotten to the point where I work on instinct, ordering my thoughts in recognizable grammar/spelling, and I'm usually quite clean even on the first go, but I won't fall to bits if my draft doesn't pass mustard. As long as it's clean by the time I've posted it, we're good.
Ever write something entirely in chatspeak?
No, thank you.
Does music help you write?
Does air help you breathe? Yeah, music and characters and writing are all intricately woven together, for me--a character who works will gravitate toward music, which tends to help me write.
Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well?
Write well? Um, I don't know too much about people's reactions to my fiction, but my papers at school are well-received.
Quote something you've written:
From ItM, Dejah's POV: “These are the days that prophecy walks,” she murmured to the silent dark. “The days of heroes and noble deeds, of redemption and saving grace. These are the days of the goddess.” These, Dejah thought, or perhaps the ones another century from now.
Also, in computer news: My keyboard has gone mad, and started randomly typing letters significantly different from the ones I intend. Since a keyboard that works is kind of, you know, important for a writer (I've heard), even this new occasional dysfunction may mean a new computer. Blach.