Never Have I Ever…

In place of the #OpenBook blog hop, I’m actually taking part in another one today.

I spotted this writer tag on Marie Lavender’s blog, and I thought I’d jump in too! It was a chance to share a few facts about myself, with some questions that don’t always get asked. The answers also help readers see if any of us authors are guilty of falling into these well known writerly stereotypes.

Here are the questions, and my answers,

Have I ever :-

Started a novel that I didn’t finish…

Only about seven, at the moment. It could be more soon. I get to the end of a story and immediately think of either a sequel, a prequel or a spin-off story which desperately needs telling. Sometimes the ideas develop into a series.

Written a story completely by hand…

No, my writing is so bad that I could have been a doctor!!! I once typed most of a short story on my phone when I was waiting for a (delayed) appointment and inspiration struck. My thumb has never been the same since.

Changed tenses midway through a story…

Not intentionally.

Not researched anything before starting a story…

Research is for wimps!!!!! Seriously, I only wrote Sci-fi because I thought it would be easy. I thought that research would be unnecessary, that you couldn’t research the future. How wrong was that? Even though I tend to leave all the ideas up to my characters (otherwise known as the voices in my head), sometimes I have to check that they’ve got it right. I actually love research and can get sidetracked for hours with obscure trivia, some of which makes it into the stories, all of it sticks in my head.

Changed my protagonist’s name halfway through a draft…

Done that, and I’ve changed it again in the sequel. It keeps my editor on her toes.

Written a project in a month or less…

I’ve done NaNoWriMo five times now, with a 60-70,000-word story every time. A deadline once a year, with all the attendant pressure, seems to suit me. The rest of the time, I’m inherently lazy.

Fallen asleep while writing…

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Corrected someone else’s grammar IRL/online…

I wouldn’t dare, I work on the theory that if I start doing picking holes, someone might do it to me. We all make mistakes.

Yelled in all caps at myself in the middle of a novel…

ONLY WHEN THE CHARACTERS DESERVE IT, THEY CAN BE SO ******* STUPID SOMETIMES.

Used “I’m writing” as an excuse…

All the time, it’s very useful when you want to be left alone. Although, with the voices in my head, I’m never truly alone.

Killed a character that was based off someone I know in real life…

Not yet, I’ve created a few; it’s only a matter of time.

Used pop culture references in a story…

I’ve had to invent the pop culture of the future, and of the alternative now, of course I’m going to use it.

Written between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m…

Most days, and between the hours of 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. as well.

Drank an entire pot of coffee while writing…

Every day.

Written down dreams to use in potential novels…

That’s how it all started, with a dream that wouldn’t go away. I wrote it down, it vanished, only to be replaced by another one. In fact, the subject of dreams led to a novel (Life and Other Dreams), which explores our dreams, and how we perceive reality. It’s one of my favourite novels.

Published an unedited story on the internet/blog/Wattpad…

No, but I have put unfinished short stories up in various places for comments, to get a sense of whether they might be worth developing.

Procrastinated homework because I wanted to write…

Not homework, but my share of the housework, decorating, going out, eating…………

Typed so long that my wrists hurt…

Oh yes! See above, (typing on my phone for an hour)

Spilled a drink on my laptop while writing…

Not yet, but I have got salad dressing from hastily constructed sandwiches (together with crumbs of cheese and/or coleslaw), on the screen and under the keys.

Forgotten to save my work/draft…

Only once, that was enough to make me paranoid about saving everything, everywhere, all the time.

Finished a novel…

Fourteen so far. Space Opera’s, Steampunk adventures and some of the exploits of Andorra Pett, reluctant amateur detective.

Cried while writing a scene…

Definitely, and more than once. If it doesn’t move me, how can I expect it to move a reader?

Created maps of my fictional worlds…

Only in my head. I have written a textbook on World-building, if that counts.

Researched something shady for a novel…

All the time, ways to die, ways to kill, conspiracies and corporate misdeeds, also enough classified research on spaceflight and aliens to set off alarms wherever people are watching; and they’re always watching.

Maybe they think I’m old and harmless. I’ll show them.

Evil laugh!!!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed that and didn’t take my answers too seriously. Feel free to use the questions for your own blog! So, what about you? Ever researched anything questionable for the purpose of creativity? Ever written a story or novel so fast that you amazed yourself? Let’s find out everyone else’s angle on this…

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