Welcome to My Official Web Page!

Welcome to My Official Web Page!

Monday, December 7, 2009

I'm It! So Just Hold Still...

This week may kill me. The week before finals is horrendous, the feeling a lobster has just before being dropped in the boiling pot of water. Seriously, what idiot assigns all these ridiculous projects and tests to my students?

Right...

So I'm quite thrilled that A Girl With One Eye has tagged me. Just that visual alone is enough to make me giggle in my sleep deprived state. I'm seriously wondering if drool will short out my laptop right now. And I'm tagging Matt, Amalia, and L.T. for this so the next time they need a blog post they'll have an easy out. Man, I'm so nice!

1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
I'm writing RELUCTANT QUEEN, but my last finished piece is HATSHEPSUT. I have my first grade journal where I wrote that I wanted to be a paleontologist. And I spelled it correctly. Yeah, 'cause I'm that awesome.
2. Write poetry?
Not so much.
3. Angsty poetry?
Negative, Ghostrider.
4. Favorite genre of writing?
Historical fiction. Duh. :)
5. Most annoying character you've ever created?
Thutmosis, Hatshepsut's brother-husband. He's a royal pain in the butt. (Tehehe... get it? Royal? 'Cause he's the Pharaoh! I really need some sleep.)
6. Best Plot you've ever created?
Well, I think the overarching plot for HATSHEPSUT is pretty good. But I borrowed from Sophocles, Shakespeare, and the Bible so I can't really take credit for it.
7. Coolest Plot twist you've ever created?
Ummm... I can't really say. It would give away one of the best scenes of the book. I'll just say it should make you cry. It makes me cry and I've read the sucker a gazillion times!
8. How often do you get writer's block?
I force myself to write every day, but every few months I struggle to get more than a page a day. But this week I'm taking a break to read. I need it.
9. Write fan fiction?
Not anymore. I used to at Panhistoria.
10. Do you type or write by hand?
Type. Unless I'm revising. Then I like to alternate so I can "grade." The teacher in me is trained to write with red ink.
11. Do you save everything you write?
Inadvertently. I'm OCD about saving my drafts and I have all of them. It's not to save what I cut, but just to make sure I don't lose anything if my computer crashes.
12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
Not yet.
13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
HATSHEPSUT. I have to admit that after this last revision I'm pretty proud of it. I hope this latest round of beta readers likes it! *crosses fingers*
14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written?
Not sure yet!
15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
Nope. I'll leave that to Stephenie Meyer.
16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?
Egypt. As if you couldn't guess that.
17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Two- revising HATSHEPSUT and pounding out the first draft of RELUCTANT QUEEN. Pounding in slow motion, that is.
18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Not a real one.
19. What are your five favorite words?
Lackadaisical, plethora, myriad, frenetic, tempest
What character have you created that is most like yourself?
There are pieces of me in all my characters. Hatshepsut is very responsible and has a temper. She can also be sarcastic- some of my finer traits. And Nitokerty, my latest protagonist has traces of me at 21. That's a lot of fun! And a little scary too.
21. Where do you get ideas for your characters?
History. Herodotus. Non-fiction books.
22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Nope. My dreams are weird. Like the heffalump scene from Dumbo. If I ever have a character on PCP I'll know where to go for inspiration.
23. Do you favor happy endings?
No. I like my stories to have hope at the end, but they're not happy. I remember tragic scenes the most- Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, The Kite Runner, The Secret Life of Bees. Life isn't always pretty- a novel that can wrench your guts is a powerful one.
24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Heck yeah! And I hate finding typos. They remind me that I'm not perfect. Grrr...
25. Does music help you write?
Sometimes. I like to listen to Yo-Yo Ma. He rocks!
26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.
As they continued down the palace corridors to the main hall where the wedding would take place, Senenmut’s mind wandered to Thutmosis. Revulsion poured over him at the thought of such a hippo bellying up to Hatshepsut in their marriage bed tonight. The dolt deserved some simpering peasant girl who would fawn over the spoiled prince and his royal blood. Instead, Thutmosis was going to receive one of the most intelligent women in all of Egypt, trussed up and served to him on a golden platter.