Friday, December 4, 2009

Tag--you're it!

Okay, I'm playing! Here's the latest meme going around. Wendy tagged me yesterday, and I'm supposed to tag two other bloggers... Oh man, I'm late in the game... everybody's done this one already! Wait, not these two... I tag Catherine and Mary! 

So I have to answer all these questions about my writing. I'm all about inclusion, so if you feel left out and want to play, let me know and I'll tag you too and add your link here as officially "playing!"

Okayyyy, now for the questions. I don't share very well, but here goes (cringe.):

1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
The last thing I wrote was a chapter in my wip, Fated. The first thing I wrote, that I still have, is a horrible, 120K novel that I have no plans on bringing back from the dead. Then it would be a zombie. Hmm... a zombie novel... (I'm kidding! No zombie novels from me!)
2. Write poetry?
Not on purpose. Accidental rhyming narrative is definitely not poetry.
3. Angsty poetry?
Ayyyyy, I will admit that in high school I filled notebooks with angsty poetry. I don't like being reminded of those humiliating works of desperate, heartbreaking love and longing. Double-cringe... and also, ewww!
4. Favorite genre of writing?
YA romance. 
5. Most annoying character you've ever created?
MOST annoying... she was a new grad, I can't remember her name but she bothered me so much I never finished her story. Stupid, annoying whiner. (Annoying whiner was trapped on an island with no food or shelter, blah blah whine whine. That kind of story needed a stronger MC).
6. Best Plot you've ever created?
Fated, naturally.
7. Coolest Plot twist you've ever created?
The one in Fated... and it's fabulous. Or horrible. Depends on my mood.
8. How often do you get writer's block?
Mostly I don't get fully blocked... I get sluggish. Writer's sluggishness doesn't have the same ring to it, though. And sluggish makes it sound like I need more writer fiber in my diet.
9. Write fan fiction?
No way, dude. My head can't wrap itself around writing someone else's stories. Besides, I don't have the time!
10. Do you type or write by hand?
Type. I can't read my own handwriting.
11. Do you save everything you write?
Yes, ever since starting the first, horrendous novel.
12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
Yes. I abandoned Sinister for a while, then I reworked the beginning and changed the whole story from 1st person to third. And going back to an old idea is also how Fated was reborn. I started Fated after writing my second novel, Sinister, but I couldn't get a handle on Fated. I went with a different idea and wrote Wishmaker. After finishing that, Fated wouldn't leave me alone so I went back to it. Now things seem to be going good :)
13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
A short story that was accepted for publication. The magazine, Arabella, went out of business before my slotted month came up :( Super sadness, validation to friends and family lost, a publishing credit lost, boo hoo poor me.
14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written?
I have no idea.
15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
Yes on both. My short story is romance, and my first horrendous novel is romance. Sinister and Wishmaker are both angsty teen drama. I'm pretty sure Fated is too.
16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?
Hmm. I like writing about the beach.
17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?
One and a half. Fated, obviously. Also, I keep going back to Sinister. Eventually I'd like to take a good look at Wishmaker and decide what went wrong there (I'm not pleased with the story, now that the dust has settled).
18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Nope. But can I still be a winner?
19. What are your five favorite words?
I want to steal Wendy's, but I'll do my own. "Diana Paz, represented by agent..."
20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?
They're all a little like me, and they're all nothing like me. I can't really decide.
21. Where do you get ideas for your characters?
I have absolutely no idea, but I think places inspire them. I was at my mom's, looking at the funky Snow White cottage across the street-- the same one I'd seen since I was in tenth grade, and all the characters from Sinister appeared out of nowhere, fully formed and walking around in my head. For Fated, I was looking through prom pictures (my prom was on the Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor) and the characters came out of nowhere, like actual people. I wanted to write their story.
22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?
I don't think I do. Maybe they're dreams that I've forgotten.
23. Do you favor happy endings?
Yes. 
24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
As far as my spell check reminds me, yes. Otherwise, only during revisions.
25. Does music help you write?
It helps me get ready to write, but once I start writing I like it as quiet as earthly possible.
26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.
Whatever pops into my head? Can I cheat and look? This must be what comedians feel like when someone randomly asks them to "be funny." 
Okay, here's mine: 
"Julia, are you almost done?" Mom asked. "It's after midnight. I thought you said it was only a five page essay."
Julia stared at the solitary sentence on her screen. The French and American revolutions were the same and different in many ways. "Yeah Mom," she called back. "I'm basically almost finished. I'm just going to-- you know-- read over the whole thing and make sure it sounds right. Look for typos and stuff." 

16 comments:

  1. Prom on the Queen Mary? I visited the Queen Mary as a child and it gave me the heebie jeebies in a major, major way. I actually "saw" something--perhaps a trick of the light--perhaps not. I had nightmares afterwards. Later, I found out that it's considered one of the more "haunted" locations around the world.

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  2. That was fun! I loved learning more about your writing. :)

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  3. It's so interesting to see how other people journey in their writing. Thank you for sharing yours. And, of course I'll play! :)

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  4. Great Meme! Loved your answers. I too have been to the Queen Mary when I was a kid-- glad to say I didn't see any creepy things... or did I. LOL

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  5. Great one. :) I love #26--it sounds like me on Sunday night telling my mom that I was "almost done" with the French project that was due on "Friday" when it was really due the week before on the day I was absent and I hadn't even started it yet. But shh, don't tell. ;)

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  6. Yup, 26 got me. I never did that, but I can imagine the anxiety it would provoke. Oh, and I have a 16-year-old who hates writing research papers...I'm pretty sure she does it to me.

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  7. Wendy- YES our prom was on the Queen Mary. It was sooooo beautiful. We had the ballroom with the rear deck overlooking the harbor, and at sunset it was amazing. Nothing majorly creepy happened to me, but leaving the ship was eerie. The corridors are incredibly long and they look the same in both directions and it just *felt* weird, ya know?

    Karen- Thanks! I always like going to your blog and hearing about your stories, too :)

    Catherine- Oh yeah, you'll play? Excellent, bwahahaha!! I'm sure I'll enjoy your answers too!

    Erica- Thanks :) I've been back to the Queen Mary a few times. Once a friend from out of town stayed there for the weekend and when I met up with her I got completely lost. It was extremely spooky, but luckily I didn't see any spooks!

    Jenna- Ha ha, #26 is definitely a throwback to my essay-writing days. I love writing and I have since forever... but NOT writing papers. Blech.

    Liza- Oh I bet you were a good student and wrote outlines and rough drafts and everything! I was the queen of procrastinating those dreadful things, but my mom never understood. She always saw me "writing." She just didn't know my writing had nothing to do with school.

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  8. I'm so sorry about the short story! That sucks big time. But have you submitted it any where else? If one magazine snapped it up I bet there are plenty of others who will too!

    And "and it's fabulous. Or horrible. Depends on my mood." I'm pretty sure you just summed up all writers' psyche, haha.

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  9. Hi Sara, and "sucks" was the perfect word at the time. I don't know... maybe everything happens for a reason. It was a historical romance piece set in Victorian England. My writing turned to YA after that, and if it had published, maybe I wouldn't have branched out and tried something new. I did wonder about other magazines, but after researching I found out not many magazines publish historical romance short stories, ha! So no, I never resubmitted it, but I do think about turning it into a novel someday. Mayyyyybe.

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  10. I love reading everybody's answers to this meme. It's interesting how most people like listening to music while they write. I'm like you...I have to have quiet. But I do listen to songs for inspiration.

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  11. Fun answers Diana. That really does suck about your short story. Prom on the Queen Mary sounds awesome. I just finished my answers. It was really hard to answer all of them.

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  12. Ha! Loved #26. Interesting meme. Maybe I'll try an abridged version!

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  13. Melane- So true. If I listen to music I end up singing along!

    Mary-oh yay! I'm so glad you played. I will go over and check your answers as soon as I get back on my laptop.

    Corey- an abridged version would have been a good idea. 26 questions felt like a lot! I hope you do it :)

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  14. Hey Diana - a few people e-mailed me to let me know they weren't able to comment on my blog. When you get a chance will you try to comment and e-mail me if it doesn't work.
    Thank you

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  15. Hi Mary, I just checked out your blog and it doesn't seem to have a comment link. I just emailed ya, and I hope you get it back to normal soon. :)

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  16. “Writer fiber” You crack me up. I guess that explains it better than block.

    Sinister was your second novel? Oh, I’m excited now. I hope my next novel is goes from horrendous to great.

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