Stolen from Andi because blog theft is all part of the biz...

What’s the last thing you wrote?

Still plugging away at my domestic violence feature.

Was it any good?

Yes, though I want it to be better, and it will.

What’s the first thing you wrote that you still have?

Wow, I don't have any of the stories or scripts I wrote as a child, unfortunately. I will have to say copies of my junior high school newspaper - I was on the staff.

Write poetry?

Yes.

Angsty poetry?

In my teens :)

Favorite genre of writing?

Non-fiction ... fiction is hard!

Most fun character you’ve ever created?

Since I am fairly new to the fiction game, I have mainly based characters on real people, but the most fun character dreamed up out of my head was a fictitious girlfriend for my real-life friend. Her name was Xena and she was a rebel to the extreme. A real pip.

Most annoying character you’ve ever created?

Probably the same one :) She did not have very good interpersonal skills, that's for sure.

Best plot you’ve ever created?

My novel plot, which I will not divulge.

Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created?

Same.

How often do you get writer’s block?

Too often :)

Write fan fiction?

No.

Do you type or write by hand?

I type. I only write by hand when I am unable to type and I am never happy about it.

Do you save everything you write?

Mainly.

Do you ever go back to an idea after you’ve abandoned it?

I rarely work on one project consistently, there is always back and forth.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?

Fiction: A short story, "Hot Chocolate and Sympathy," which is mainly about grief and perspective.

Nonfiction: It will be my domestic violence piece when I finish because the stories of the people I have met are so touching, it would be wonderful no matter who wrote it.

What’s everyone else’s favorite story that you’ve written?

People in my life tend to enjoy the stories I write in which they are characters!

Do you ever show people your work?

I show people published work. My boyfriend reads some of the unpublished stuff, and occasionally I will send it to a friend, but not often.

Did you ever write a novel?

Not yet, no.

Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

Yes! But I was so young then so you can hardly hold it against me.

What’s your favorite setting for your characters?

I don't really have a favorite - I have put them on the streets of New York in winter, in a truck cross-country, and in a car on a rainy night in pursuit of an unfaithful lover.

How many writing projects are you working on right now?

The magazine feature and novel are my two main projects. My contributions to the Onion, the Feminist Review, Estella's Revenge and Nü Magazine are ongoing. I am also writing a family memoir that is coming to me two sentences at a time at random intervals so that should be done in about 20 years.

Do you want to write for a living?

Yes but I don't see myself as a full-time novelist or anything. It would be wonderful to write creative nonfiction for activist causes.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?

When I was fifteen, my short story won "Honorable Mention" in a publishing company competition.

Ever written anything in script or play format?

I wrote many plays as a child but I don't anymore.

What are your four favorite words?

Most of my favorite words are in Italian. Scifissimo ("the grossest"), scrittrice ("female writer"), and madonna ("mother of God," the equivalent of our exasperated "Jesus Christ!"). I also like "skutch" which is an Italian-American creation meaning "thorn in my side" (as in childhood memories of my mother yelling, "Stop being such a skutch!").

Do you ever write based on yourself?

I have appeared in various forms in short stories. I can't help it; I know me best.

What character have you created that is most like yourself?

I have different incarnations in different stories. I have even been male. The funny part is when I am editing and come across an accidental "April" reference :)

Where do you get ideas for your characters?

Many people in my life have been characters. I have also created characters that combine aspects of different people.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?

No, my dreams are too bizarre.

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?

As a reader, I prefer happy endings that are not nauseating. I like when a major difficulty leads to something positive but not unrealistic. I do think, however, that if you are really trying to get a social message across, sad endings get the job done better than any other kind. Look at novels like "A Fine Balance." I was depressed for days over that one. The world is full of sad endings and will only become better when more people are made aware of them, in my opinion.

Have you ever written based on artwork you’ve seen?

No, I haven't, but that's an excellent idea.

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Absolutely. I am an editor at heart. I first knew that when I realized I was editing people in my head as they spoke to me :)

Ever write anything in chatspeak (how r u?)

No... scifissimo!

Does music help you write?

I am very easily distracted. I can write with music only if there are no lyrics or if it is in a different language.

Quote something you’ve written. Whatever pops into your head.

"I’ll never forget the way he looked when I first saw him after the accident. I suppose that everyone in an intensive care unit looks pretty bad, but I was unprepared for the swelling, the blood, the unconsciousness. His face looked like a big balloon, as if he had gained fifty pounds since I had seen him only hours ago. His head was all gashed and cut – even more so in the back, where fortunately I could not see – and blood matted his hair... thick, dried evidence of a horror that would haunt me for years."