What's the last thing you wrote?
Not counting random emails, probably some scene or another for Fates.

Was it any good?
I imagine it patched a whole that needed to be patched - so, better, anyway!

What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?
Mom saved EVERYTHING we did in school, so I'm sure my first story is in there somewhere. First one I really remember was something about a polar bear who was lonely and wanted to live in a zoo.

Write poetry?
When inspired.

Angsty poetry?
As a teen, of course! (It sucked!)

Most fun character you ever wrote?
Fish Girl and Hunter. They're in Fates. Gods they were a blast. (I can't really pick one Gypsy over another. It feels like playing favorites.)

Most annoying character you ever wrote?
Patty. She was fun in her own twisted way, though.

Best plot you ever wrote?
I don't think I really write them. I think they just sort of happen.

Coolest plot twist you ever wrote?
Someone else is gonna have to answer that for me, I think.

How often do you get writer's block?
Depends on how fast I'm going through a book. It tends to happen more at certain stages rather than at regular time intervals.

How do you fix it?
Whine a lot, and then get told by BJ to sit my ass down and at least TRY for fifteen minutes a day. I swear that's why Fates got finished at all.

Do you type or write by hand?
Type. I can hand-write notes if I have to, but anything longer than that and I start getting neurotic about my ability to easily edit

Do you save everything you write?
Every five minutes. "Ctrl-S" is hot-wired into my typing. As far as stories and snippits go... Every. Damn. Thing. You never know when you'll need it later.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?
I'm not sure I ever completely abandon something.

What's your favourite thing that you've written?
As far as generally-available-to-the-public stuff, I think Fates is my favorite so far, but maybe I'm just high off the completion energy.

What's everyone else's favorite thing that you've written?
Beats me. I suppose everyone has a preference. I get lots of love for the peasants and for Karma, though.

Do you ever show people your work?
Yup. Editors keep me real.

Did you ever write a novel?
Everything I write somehow seems to turn into one...

Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror?
Fantasy, yes. Sci-Fi, not so much. Aside from various spooky elements in the Faire-Folk stuff, I don't do horror anymore. I used to, but now I'm sort of afraid that writing it down would give it power if I devoted a whole story to it.

Ever written romance or teen angsty drama?
Yup! Romance keeps creeping in my stuff... and since I was writing while in my teens, I think the teen angsty drama was sort of an inevitability.

What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will?
I used to say Urban Fantasy, but we see how that turned out. I'd like to think I'd be too cool to write one of those "Celestine Prophecy" type books, except maybe to mock it.

How many writing projects are you working on right now?
All efforts now focused on editing Fates, but a few other side-things for the Faire-Folk are kicking the back of my brain.

Do you want to write for a living?
Yes. I would like lots of people to heap fame and fortune on me for doing something I love. Wouldn't everyone?

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?
Nothing in wide circulation. Highlights turned down my poetry as a kid, the bastards.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Nope. Nominated for a couple, though.

Ever written something in script or play format?
School play while I was in jr. high. It was mixed up fairy tales set in modern times. I'm kinda scared to play the tape, but having a teacher that was willing to work with me and then let me produce it is probably one of the biggest motivators I've had to put stuff out publicly instead of just hording it on my computer and entertaining myself. It also taught me not to fear red ink.

What is your favourite word?
absquatulate - to make off with, as to avoid apprehension. Yes, it is actually a word. I judge the worthiness of a dictionary by whether it's in there.

Do you ever write based on yourself?
Experience leaks into stuff, obviously... but so does a lot of imagination.

Which of your characters most resembles you?
If you listen to my family, Ryna - if you listen to my friends, Phoenix. Actually - Bryn.

Where do you get ideas for your characters?
They announce themselves. Loudly.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?
When I have a dream worth writing about? Hell yeah!

Do you prefer happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?
I like it when I can hit all three at once. Just to mess with people.

Have you ever written anything based on an artwork you've seen?
Not that I recall.

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Grammar I try my best. Spelling? No chance. That's why there's the squiggly red line. :)

Ever write something entirely in chatspeak?
It never even occurred to me. Perhaps I should try.

Does music help you write?
Completely. It's why I have so many (and such a diverse variety of) CDs.

Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well?
I think people are more surprised and confused to find out I spend eight hours a day in a cubicle. (Most of this I've heard second-hand. Apparently I blew up a couple people's heads with this notion.)


Write a quote from one of your stories.

               "Ryna?"
                Stretch.
                "Yeah?"
                "I have something for you."
                "Oh?"
                "Yeah. Here."
                A pause.
                "Here what? Bea, there's nothing there."
                "Sure there is."
                Another pause.
                "Oooookaaaaaayyyy. I give, what is it?"
                "My nose."
                Blink. Blink.
                "Your nose?"
                "Yeah. You can keep it."

It's completely an in-joke, but that's why I love it.

Finished editing Draft Two! I didn't curl up in a corner weeping and vow to delete everything I'd ever written, so I consider it an overall success.

This is not to say this book is perfect by a long shot, but that's what editors are for! I've split them into two groups -- the ones who worked with me on the other books will get Draft Two (because I've had years and years of discussion with them on direction and such), and the new folks will get Draft Three (because I need reliable people to tell me if I'm making sense after the first group finishes with me).

In theory, if all goes well, this baby should be available in time for MN Fest '09 (August-ish). I figure it's the year where I will have officially been there half my life, so what better tribute to my ongoing obsession than releasing the third part of the trilogy?

I hate it when people who are sick as hell come to work... because, you know, they're so important that the office can't make it a day without them. Even when they could telnet in and save the rest of us their germs.

My partner fell victim to one of these, had to stay home yesterday, so of course now I've feel like I ran into a brick wall and then had all the resultant brick chips (I've got a hard head) go down my throat.

(Although, to be fair, there have been times I brought the plague back from the office and shared it around home, so I'm really just whining about the original idiot, for whom I had very little respect even before this)

So as not to be a hypocrite, I'm staying firmly in my pajammas and drinking a ton of tea with honey.

On the other hand - more time to edit Towards the Fates, which is coming along nicely. I'm on Weekend Five. With any luck I'll be done by the end of next week so I can have the whole thing ready and printed for BJ when he swings through.

Then it's on to reading From the Ashes and Into the Storm, which I haven't actually done since they published. (If I don't see the errors, I don't have to kick myself over them...) I figure I ought to now, just so I don't do something stupid and have someone eating broccoli when they've previously stated an everlasting hatred for it. You'd think I would've kept better notes...

As of 2:04 PM.

I intend to celebrate with chocolate and garage sales. :D

*dance*

I understand why it is that literary giants through the ages have hung around in coffee shops.

Not that I'm cool enough to stand among them (yet) - but I'm beginning to think I need to spend all my time either extremely caffeinated... or asleep.

Holy inspiration, Batman.