Maggie, over at The Zombies Ate My Brains was kind enough to introduce me to her readers and ask me to answer a few questions about myself. I think Maggie and I have a lot in common – for instance, take the name of her blog – it mentions Zombies! I have been preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse for years! She loves to play computer games. I also love computer games – in fact, back in the day, I would play Tetris in order to save the lives of my children. Maggie also loves minerals – and I’m a huge fan of emeralds (preferably of the crystal clear, deep green variety, in a pretty setting on one of my fingers). Maggie lives in Canada – and I often wish I could run away to Canada. You see? We are practically twins!
How this works is that I’ll answer the four questions Maggie asked, and then I’ll ask some incredibly interesting bloggers to participate (but only if they want – because I’m all about being less bossy and controlling these days).
The questions:
1) What am I working on at the moment?
2) How does my work differ from others of this genre?
3) Why do I write what I do?
4) How does my writing process work?
What am I working on?
Right away I see there may be a problem here – this question is just not specific enough! The main thing I’m working on right now is surviving after my husband of over a quarter century left me. But I won’t dwell on that (because I’ve got plenty of posts where I do if you are so inclined to find out more), plus I really think this question is asking what of writing project am I working on.
Of course, I have my blog – I’m here almost daily, answering comments, tweaking the layout, or checking stats (I’m super needy like that). I write and post a few times a week – I’m kind of in awe of people who post daily – just the thought of trying to do that exhausts me. My friend, Maggie, just posted THREE times just yesterday — she is clearly an overachiever!
Of late, I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a book – or maybe a series of short stories – based on the situations and emotions surrounding my marriage and breakup. When I feel sad, I just sit down and write – my goal is just to get it all out on paper – raw and ugly – and then I’ll work on smoothing out the edges (or not) later on.
How does my work differ from others of this genre?
I don’t know that I have a particular “genre” in my writing. I just write about my life, my experiences, and how I am or was feeling at the time. I guess my writing is autobiographical – so that’s a genre. It only differs from others because I’m writing about my stuff, not theirs. But I’m influenced by other people’s writing and stories – because they are always jogging memories out of the deep crevices of my mind that otherwise would have remained forgotten.
Why do I write what I do?
Over twenty years ago, I wrote a novel – although that might be too pretentious of a label for the book I wrote – it was more of the Harlequin Romance variety. I sent it in and spent several weeks on pins and needles before finding my manuscript, and a bluntly written rejection letter, in my mailbox. My hopes and dreams of fame and fortune dashed, I gave up writing after that. However, I’ve always been a storyteller – and as I told my coworkers about my crazy life experiences, it occurred to me that I should write them down – and that maybe other people might enjoy them, too! And so, almost a year ago, my blog was born.
I’m also from a Mormon background – and they are very big on journaling your life history for posterity. So, I guess I’m doing a bit of that – because my kids can show my grandkids, and they can show their kids – and I’ll forever be known as “Crazy Nana Jana”.
Writing also soothes the savage beast, as it were. When I first started, my posts were lighthearted and humorous. Now that my life is not always so funny, I found that writing helps me sort through and make sense of the situation and my emotions – and the comments I get offer understanding and support, helping to keep me sane and giving me comfort.
How does my writing process work?
I attempt to post at least twice a week and, right now, that’s about all I can handle. Sometimes inspiration will strike and I’ll write more stories – I love when that happens! Occasionally, I’ll struggle to write even one decent post.
I have a list of possible stories on my computer at work and home – if something happens that I think would make a good post or if I remember a story from the past, I’ll jot it down on my list. If I’m on the go, I make a note on my phone and I transfer those thoughts to my list when I get back home. When I want to write, I’ll look over the list and usually something will pop out at me, demanding to be written. Occasionally, something will happen that I need to write about right away – those posts practically write themselves.
I normally don’t start writing and then put the post away to finish another day – it’s happened, but usually once I start writing I keep writing until I finish the post. My “book” is another matter – I write when inspiration hits – and then I’ll put it away until something triggers another session. I’m interested to see how that ends up when this is all done – I’m hoping it has a happy ending.
Here is that list of those remarkable bloggers I mentioned earlier:
If you haven’t discovered these gals yet, you owe it to yourself to check them out!
Funny…I listened to the Ramones in headphones to save my children…
I love these posts so much…I’m such a voyeur. And thank you for including me! You don’t even have to be bossy..I would love to participate.
So, when you say that listening to the Ramones in your headphones saved your children…does that mean it blocked out their screaming and bickering so that you weren’t tempted to wring any necks? I look forward to reading your post and learning more about how and why you write!
COOOL BEANS! But do you know, this one’s been going round the blogosphere so long I’ve already done it! I don’t think I knew you then, though – shall I link you? Thank you for thinking of me, and I enjoyed reading your process 🙂 http://summat2thinkon.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/a-z-april-expository-how-i-write/
I’m so new to blogging that just about everything is new to me! However, this is kind of wonderful – it’s like you were assigned a 30-page research paper for school and realized that you’ve already DONE that same research paper in a previous class that you can turn in! No additional work and a great grade to boot! I’m off to read your post and to learn a little something from the master 🙂
How new are you to it? Geez I keep finding that people who I thought were looooooooooong established and far more proficient than me are still only just grabbing their first blogaversaries (like Beth) or “new” like you….pfft! Makes me feel like I should be better at it by now…I’m coming up two years!
And it kind of is like that, but also I loved writing this one, so it’s kind of like “Awwwh I don’t get to do it again…”
Don’t put me on any kind of pedestal…I fall hard. I’m just a person with a blog 🙂
I’m not quite a year in — my blogaversary is August 4th. I still have so much to learn — I look at other blogs that have been around for about the same amount of time (or even less) and they have a gazillion views and comments. I kind of feel like the tiny, local malt shop and everyone else is McDonald’s or Wendy’s.
I think I might be Mormon, somewhere in my past. We ARE a lot alike. Storyteller, writing in one shot… TETRIS!
About that posting every day thing… yeah, I’m finding that a bit hard to fulfill. May take it back a notch, otherwise I’d never leave my chair.
However, you are definitely on my must read list. We share many things in common, and I think I can learn a lot by reading what you have to say.
Love the Crazy Nana Jana, by the way.
“We share many things in common, and I think I can learn a lot by reading what you have to say.” Right back ‘atcha, Maggie!
don’t give up! You should polish that romance and submit again! Or have it edited and self-pub. I love reading about your process. 🙂
The amount of polishing that book needs is more than all of the shoes and silver in the world! I read it for the first time in about 15 years awhile back and couldn’t believe I had thought it was SO good when I first wrote it. But maybe I can take a fresh look at it again and see if parts of it can be saved or improved — why not?
I don’t know if I am incredibly interesting, but I will certainly answer those and any other questions you may have. I appreciate the compliment. And also, I believe the internet needs your romance novel. Break that sucker out!
Perhaps I will scan through it and start posting especially awful one-liners or scenes. If nothing else, it might be good for a laugh or inspiration for future posts 🙂
This new book I’m writing (if that is what it turns out to be)? I might need some feedback from people I trust — you willing to be one of those people? You’d be required to be honest (gentle, but honest).
I am so willing! And so flattered to even be considered. And I read a LOT. Which I think is a good quality to have in a proofreader. Besides, you are such a great writer, I’m sure I will love anything you have to say. Feel free to email me anything you want.