You Asked for It!

Thank you for all the questions! I appreciate your patience with my brief episode of Tabula Rasa-itis. So here we go:

Justine Dell asked: What is your biggest fear? And don't say something lame like spiders or something.

It's a good thing you clarified, because I TOTALLY would have put spiders. :) But beyond those, I would have to say my biggest fear is split in two:

1. Losing any member of my family. (But whose isn't, right?)
2. That my best won't be good enough . . . whether in writing, or raising my family, or whatever.
3. Have you noticed that I really like lists?

Joanne asked: If you didn't write, what would you do creatively?


Hmmm . . . this is a hard question because there are so many ways to answer it. I actually love music and play the piano and (dabble in the guitar), but I don't have the discipline to practice enough to become good. So while I'd do it for fun, I don't think it could ever fill in for writing.

And I've always wished I had any talent in illustration, but alas, 'tis not my lot. BUT, if we're talking about an imaginery world here where all things are possible, then this would be it. I'd be an artist for sure! Oil paintings and maybe water colors. :)

Stina Lindenblatt, after acusing Justine of cheating, asked: What is the thing you like best about writing fiction?

Honestly, it's getting lost in another world. I've always been a daydreamer (and I was master of doing it without getting caught in school), so I suppose it was a natural shift to write fiction. But who doesn't want to escape their reality at some point for a more exciting place where you are important or even essential to the well-being of the world? The possibilities are endless! It's why I'll be writing for the rest of forever even if I never do get published.

Jackee took the liberty of asking two questions (such presumption!): What would be your ideal writing life?


I'm a little torn about this question because my ideal writing life would probably exclude all of my current life. But see, then it wouldn't be ideal anymore. So trying to strike a balance . . .

• I would have a cute little writing office with an ocean view.
• My children would wait patiently while I finish that chapter.
• The day would have something like 26 hours in it.
• I'd have a water cooler next to my desk.
• A fresh platter of chocolate-covered strawberries would be brought in by the maid at the tinkle of a bell.
• The laws of science regarding calories and weight gain would not apply to me.
• The maid, of course, would keep the house sparking clean, AND cook deliciously healthy meals for my family.
• I could go on for a while, but I might start to despise my life or something, so I'd better stop. ;)

Question #2: When did you first know you wanted to write? (But not necessarily get published).

I think the first hint that I enjoyed it was in High School. I sent an outline for a Disney-ified version of The Pied Piper to The Walt Disney Co. :D

Oh, yes I did. I knew nothing about query letters or anything, and I didn't even want to get paid. I just wanted my idea to be the next Disney animated feature-film. I still have the response they sent stating that The Walt Disney Co. does not read outside ideas. My un-read letter was included in the package. Really, I'm quite proud of my first rejection. :)

So I have this personal rule about long blogs . . . I try to avoid them. And this is getting long, so I will have to respond to these in batches. No worries, if you asked a question, I'll link back to your blog (if I have your link) and respond. I promise.