Monday, September 3, 2012

GUTGAA- Meet & Greet! Hello!

I'm participating in the GUTGAA Blogfest!  How fun!

Deana Barnhart

I'm going to answer Deana's questions but first I'll tell you a little about myself:
Hi There!
I'm a 26 year old mother of two living in southern Minnesota.  Reading and writing have always been a major part of my life.  When I was a child, reading was a way to adventure and escape without leaving the safety of my bedroom.  I remember devouring everything I could get my hands on- reading all day.  I think The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney was the first book that I finished in one day.  As I got older, writing came easily and English was by far and away my favorite subject in grade school.  I write because that's who I am.  I don't know how to be or do anything else.  It is my release and brings clarity of emotion to my emotion-driven life.  I feel everything and writing gives me away to express all that energy so that it doesn't just sit inside me, laying stagnant and unused.

-Where do you write?
I usually sit at my desk and type away on my desktop.  But, I do also carry a notebook and will write wherever, whenever inspiration strikes.

-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?
The Dictionary of Imaginary Places and the The Notebooks of Leonardo Davinci as well as a large window that allows the sun to warm my skin.

-Favorite time to write?
Anytime, really.  But, I seem to write the best late at night when I'm slightly fatigued.

-Drink of choice while writing?
Tea.  Warm, fragrant tea.  Cold water...  Occasionally a glass of wine, but that's only if I am feeling particularly vulnerable in what I'm writing.  (Liquid courage anyone?)

-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?
It really depends.  Sometimes the silence is what I need to sort through all of my thoughts but, then music can really help you capture an emotion and keep your train of thought from wandering too far away from your original idea.  I do now that I absolutely cannot have the noise from the TV or a movie when I write.

-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
The 2 stories I'm working on currently originated from discussing life with other people.  Most of my inspiration comes from life in general- whether it be my own or the life of others.  Everyone has a story, it's completely fascinating to me.  I will hear about how something happened to "so and so's brother's cousin" and then imagine everything that lead up to that moment and who could have been involved and the outcome.  My mind is always going a million miles a minute.

-What's your most valuable writing tip?
Write as much as possible.  I have to remind myself that sometimes it's not quality, it's quantity.   Yes, you want everything you work on to be brilliant- but you have to not be afraid to write crap.  If you don't get into the habit of writing as often as you can, life can be overtaken by other things and you suddenly discover that writing has taken the back burner.

32 comments:

  1. I write because that's who I am - what a great way to put it and exactly how I (and expect most of us) feel. Nice to meet you!

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    1. I'm glad you can relate! Great to meet you also!

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  2. Omigosh, I LOVED the Face on the Milk Carton books. So addictive! And I'm totally with you on drinks of choice while writing. Mostly tea, but wine can sometimes be handy. :)

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    1. I'm happy to hear others loved those as well! :)

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  3. Face on the Milk Carton - OHHHH the memories! YA stuff was awesome.

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    1. Was!?!? IS AWESOME, Gia... IS AWESOME. :)

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  4. Really great advice! Gotta keep writing.

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    1. Thanks! If you aren't writing... then what are ya doing!? Right?

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  5. I go a little crazy ( so says the hubby) when I can't write. It's a huge part of who I am, and it makes me happy.

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    1. I go crazy too... I completely relate!

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  6. I absolutely adore your reason for writing. Adore it! I love that it has become who you are.

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  7. I love pretty much everything I've ever read by Caroline B. Cooney, and I find it a little funny that you mentioned that particular book because I just finished reading another one of her series yesterday. If you've never read the Both Sides of Time books, you should definitely check them out! There are four (Both Sides of Time, Out of Time, Prisoner of Time, and For All Time) and they are all excellent.

    Also, yay Midwest! I'm from Iowa, so I'm just below you. :)

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    1. Hello there neighbor! I have not read those- I will definitely have to check them out!

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  8. I love your writing tip. We should write as much as possible. I also think writing when slightly tired seems to allow me to be more creative. Editing for me on the other hand, must be done when I'm wide awake. Nice to meet you.

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    1. I am with you! I need to be fully awake when editing- it requires a sharp eye. Nice to meet you as well :)

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  9. Anonymous9/04/2012

    Drink of choice while writing: absinthe.

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    1. shenanigans? or are you just that brilliant!?

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  10. Your writing tip is good advice. Once, one of my teachers said that authors get better in leaps of 100K words. So get the crap out by writing and the gold will follow. ;-)

    I'm from GUTGAA too, and I'm mostly writing MG and YA. In Germany, I'm already agented.

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    1. I like that! What a great way to look at it! Already got an agent? Congrats!

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  11. Haha! Liquid courage. :) So true. Crazy how the little things in life can span an amazing story idea. Life is just SO Dang interesting!

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    1. Yes- just looking around is inspiration enough sometimes!

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  12. I agree with your writing tip. I have to remind myself it's okay to take the time and write. That's my relaxation, my meditation. Wonderful blog.
    Best of luck

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  13. Anonymous9/05/2012

    I tried writing while drinking. For me, it works out a lot like driving while drunk. I think that I doing quite well, but the following morning, when I review what I've done, I see it was absolutely horrible.

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  14. Hi there, pleased to meet you. I love your featured creative minds idea - signed up for that and can't wait to see who you interview next. Good luck with GUTGAA, hope to see you at Beyond The Hourglass Bridge.
    Kat :)
    http://beyondthehourglassbridge.blogspot.com.au/

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  15. Nice to meet you. I enjoyed your answers to the GUTGAA questions. I especially enjoyed the "liquid courage" comment. LOL. But so true. Also, I agree that writing for quantity is sometimes an inroad to finding quality. It's the act of writing down and the courage to do so that garners new and brilliant discoveries. Like plucking a diamond from the dirt path you're on. Happy writing!

    Warm regards,

    Don #138

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  16. so true that it's so easy to let writing take a back burner sometimes. nice to meet you.

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  17. You seem like someone who is passionate about writing. It really shines through in your advice, which is perfect. Life is too short to waste it wrapped up in other things.

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  18. I've loved reading and writing my whole life too. I was a voracious reader as a kid, but there wasn't any YA back then. I was reading Little Women and Gone With The Wind by the time I was twelve. I feel the exact same way about writing as you do. It took me longer in life to discover how essential it is to my well-being. (I was busy raising/homeschooling four kids) but, now that I finally have I'll never let it go again.

    Anyway, I'm just hopping around to the GUTGAA blogs to say hi to everyone.I got so inspired by all the great blogs on here that I finally decided to start one. i'd love it if you'd stop by!! It's brand spanking new and in desperate need of followers.

    Good luck with GUTGAA.

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  19. Good luck with GUTGAA. These were great answers, I really liked the getting inspiration from life....that's where I get most of mine, too :) Then making it fiction is the fun part.

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  20. Hi Azia, I'm still working my way through the GUTGAA list. I love your ring - so cool! I also admire anyone who can write anything (beyond a To Do list) while parenting young children - mine are 11 and 15 now. Come say hi on my blog if you have time, or help me out with my query when the PitchPolish thing gets going.
    http://rhiannwynnnolet.blogspot.com/

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  21. Anonymous9/10/2012

    Great advice. The discipline of writing often is so important :) Nice to meet you!

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