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 My boyfriend reads some of the unpublished stuff, and occasionally I will send it to a friend, but not often.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."
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Thoughts on Writing and Happiness
Yesterday I went to a lunch meeting of the Austin WriterGrrls, a group of which I am a member, albeit a delinquent one. It was really nice to meet with other women writers and discuss our craft and our lives. I enjoyed myself.
I am coming to the end of my domestic violence assignment. It is due ten days from today. I think I will feel a small sense of mourning when it is done. The project has become "my baby" - I have worked on it for longer than any other and it means so much to me. When I see it in print, however, everything will culminate in the best possible way. One of the most fulfilling parts of being a writer.
Another fulfilling part is spending hours just writing. At the lunch, one woman described a Sunday morning where her daughter was out of the house. She made a pot of coffee, went back to bed with her laptop, and wrote for about four hours. We talked about how enjoyable that process is. Then last night I was listening to an interview done with Curt Finch (whose book I edited), and he spoke of how his most enjoyable moment as a programmer is writing software for hours. And I was like, hey! That's the same thing I feel while writing.
Perhaps when I have finished my degree (this month) and have put the domestic violence project behind me, I will have more time to just write. That novel ain't gonna write itself. (My Brooklyn accent comes out during moments of emphasis.)
I am coming to the end of my domestic violence assignment. It is due ten days from today. I think I will feel a small sense of mourning when it is done. The project has become "my baby" - I have worked on it for longer than any other and it means so much to me. When I see it in print, however, everything will culminate in the best possible way. One of the most fulfilling parts of being a writer.
Another fulfilling part is spending hours just writing. At the lunch, one woman described a Sunday morning where her daughter was out of the house. She made a pot of coffee, went back to bed with her laptop, and wrote for about four hours. We talked about how enjoyable that process is. Then last night I was listening to an interview done with Curt Finch (whose book I edited), and he spoke of how his most enjoyable moment as a programmer is writing software for hours. And I was like, hey! That's the same thing I feel while writing.
Perhaps when I have finished my degree (this month) and have put the domestic violence project behind me, I will have more time to just write. That novel ain't gonna write itself. (My Brooklyn accent comes out during moments of emphasis.)
Friday, January 11, 2008
Nü Magazine has a new website design that is fabulous, and while you're over there checking it out, you may want to peruse the latest issue. My piece, "Shannon: A Developing Soule," is on page 10.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Featuring Domestic Violence
It occurs to me that I should write about what has been my biggest writing project over the last few months. Several months ago I applied for a gig at The Good Life magazine here in Austin. The editor let me know that although the position had been filled, he had read my article, "Breaking the Silence: Why Violence Against Women is No Joke," and was interested in speaking with me about writing a domestic violence feature for his magazine.
Naturally, I was floored. Domestic violence has always been a passionate issue for me and I have dreamed of the opportunity to write something about it that could make a difference.
I have spent the last few months gathering statistics from the police and the sheriff's office, as well as interviewing survivors, activists and government officials. The experience has been life-changing for me, as my eyes were opened not only to the magnitude of the problem (locally, nationally and globally) but also to the ways in which we as a society are working against it. I have been alternately disheartened and inspired; the project has even brought me to tears.
I am finishing up as it is due this month, and it will be published in March. I will keep everyone updated.
Naturally, I was floored. Domestic violence has always been a passionate issue for me and I have dreamed of the opportunity to write something about it that could make a difference.
I have spent the last few months gathering statistics from the police and the sheriff's office, as well as interviewing survivors, activists and government officials. The experience has been life-changing for me, as my eyes were opened not only to the magnitude of the problem (locally, nationally and globally) but also to the ways in which we as a society are working against it. I have been alternately disheartened and inspired; the project has even brought me to tears.
I am finishing up as it is due this month, and it will be published in March. I will keep everyone updated.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Happy 2008
I know I have been negligent with the blog. Holidays have come and went and I just haven't had much to say about writing. That will change, I promise :)
I am still interested in doing the "Dangerous Reading" challenge I committed to, but this month I have to finish up a course and a large magazine feature I am working on, and am therefore not doing any leisure reading (well, I shouldn't say any) until February. I can catch up, though, so don't you worry!
I am still interested in doing the "Dangerous Reading" challenge I committed to, but this month I have to finish up a course and a large magazine feature I am working on, and am therefore not doing any leisure reading (well, I shouldn't say any) until February. I can catch up, though, so don't you worry!
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