Alright, I confess, I’ve been feeling a bit lazy when it comes to blogging recently, so yes, we’re doing another tag post. I discovered this one over here, so do check out the original author’s post.
TAG Questions:
W- Where– where do you do your best writing?
I do my best brainstorming while out and about – I get so much inspiration from watching the world around me. But I actually do my most focused writing when I’m at home, sitting at my desk.
R- Rituals– do you have any rituals you have to do when you want to write?
No, though I do like to brew myself a nice cup of strong black tea, and put on some energising background music to get me in a creative mood.
I- Irritate– what irritates you most when you struggle with writing?
How long everything takes. I am such a spontaneous, impatient person, and the entire writing/editing/publishing process can take so, so long. I want to move from idea to story to published book like that, but of course, that’s not how the world works, and patience is something I sorely need to work on and develop.
T- Talent– what aspect of writing do you feel you’re most talented at?
Rhythm and rhyme – As a children’s librarian who regularly reads picture books aloud to wiggly young audiences, I am very, very picky when it comes to rhythm, rhyme and flow. Not to toot my own horn, but I do feel like I’m pretty talented when it comes to drafting picture book texts that flow naturally and rhythmically.
E- Essential– what part of writing is absolutely essential to who you are?
I’ve mentioned before that I sometimes feel like a bit of a fraud because I don’t feel as deeply about writing as other writers seem to – I don’t write because it’s an essential extension of my immortal soul, I write because it’s fun to share stories with children and families. Honestly, that’s it! I write stories that I can imagine librarians, teachers and family members sharing with their little ones, which to me is the most wonderful aspect of being a writer. So, I suppose I’m more of an external writer than an internal one – I write to impact others, rather than to fill a void in myself. Or something like that.
R- Reflections– what is something that you’ve written that is a reflection that something that’s happened in your life?
I think all of my writing reflects my own story in some way. In Wild One, the active little protagonist has a wild imagination, which absolutely reflects my own childhood – I was always coming up with wild and crazy stories, and imagining myself and my toys in all sorts of epic tales of adventure (I was also constantly filthy – I used to joke with my mother about how I must be a student at a “dirty school”, where children learn how to get as dirty as possible, as quickly as possible). A Good Day for Ducks is pretty much all about being a child in the Pacific Northwest (I’ve lived here since I was three) and making the best of a rainy day. And finally, Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up is all about a little quail with an attention problem, who’s easily distracted and always ends up wandering off in her own little world – just like yours truly, who struggles to keep her mind on a single thought for more than a moment. I didn’t intentionally write myself into my stories, but there you have it!
Thanks for following along with me again this week as I take the lazy way out – I can’t promise I’ll be back to original content in future weeks, but I’ll do my best!