Post by laura on Mar 17, 2011 11:35:06 GMT -5
Sorry I'm late - I'm late to everything
Laura
name means: crown of laurel leaves
age: 30
zodiac: virgo
MBTI: INFJ
character traits: amusing, stubborn, spirited, logical, curious, private
theme song: "Silent All These Years," by Tori Amos
1. name: Laura (crown of laurels)
2. grew up: too fast
3. favorite food: bacon and avocado... on pretty much anything
4. favorite color: all of them <-- my hubby teased me for this answer, lol! It's mostly true - except for burnt orange, ick!
5. favorite weather: the moments before a summer storm
6. favorite drink: cosmopolitan
7. hobby: taking pictures
8. most important job: writer
9. if she had one wish: world peace? lol! I know that's cheesy, I don't know - I like it when everyone I love is happy.
10. thing she loves most in the world: talking in bed with my honey (after sex)
11. one word to describe her: imaginative
12. something else: doesn't like to let go
3. What do you eat/drink while writing?
- I don't eat while I'm writing. I'll snack or eat while reading, but never when I'm writing - sticky fingers on the keyboard, too much typing interruption. Something warm to drink - coffee or hot tea (fruity teas, like pomegranate white tea, or mango black tea).
17. Do you have one character that frustrates you more than any of the others?
- I think they all have at one point or another. Mariah was a spectacular trip to write (what do you want from me, woman!?). I'd say a lot of them are very hard to write, but not necessarily frustrating. Okay, one. Danny (from one of my novels-in-progress, Paper Birds) - he frustrates me. He's very temperamental, hard to reach, and hard to keep hold of. He's a lot like me, lol!
51. How do you like to handle romantic relationships in your story? Do you have a general approach, or is the approach tailored to the characters?
- Oh man, lol! I don't even know where to start!
6. Which book has had the greatest impact on you (eg moved/disturbed/thrilled/made you cry)?
- The Cider House Rules by John Irving (and maybe A Prayer for Owen Meany equally). Irving's stories are epic! If I ever manage to get so much life into my own characters, I'll consider myself a success.
- stylistically, I'd say anything by Lorrie Moore. I love the way she weaves light and dark, to make these perfect multi-faceted portraits of life.
13. Do you have other creative pursuits that affect how you tell your stories? (Such as photography, creative writing, etc.)
- Well, writing obviously, lol! I love taking photos too, and especially love the combination of visuals and words. I do these photo/poem things sometimes, and I'm not really sure it's much like anything that anyone else does, and I don't care if anyone thinks they're stupid, because I'm gonna do them anyway, lol!
18. Do your characters have their own theme songs?
- Yes! Some of them have whole albums, lol! But really, music plays a huge role in my creation process. A song encompasses a whole mood, as does a story sometimes. They reach toward each other and become entwined.
19. Do you like using aliens, vampires, zombies or any other non "normal" characters?
- LOL, I don't know that I'd call my human characters "normal"
20. Do you usually create backstories for your characters?
- OMG yes! I create whole lives for them. I talk about this on my blog quite often. I can't truly understand my characters until I know what they've come from.
21. If it were possible, would you carry out "romantic interactions" with any of your characters?
- does it make me seem slutty if I say all of them? lol! But in reality, I'd probably say none of them. Fantasy, all of them/ reality, none. I'm a lot like my character Leila in that way - we keep our fantasies and our realities clearly drawn. To a point, lol! And then, sometimes you just can't know
22. How emotionally attached are you to your characters?
- extremely!
23. Do you have a favorite character/family?
- no, that would be like picking a favorite child. Some of them are harder or easier on me, but I love them all in their own way.
24. Are there any stories in particular that have inspired your storytelling?
- Published Lit - Lorrie Moore, T.C. Boyle, John Irving, Stephen King...
- TV (for real, lol!), especially in terms of writing my serials. I love really well written TV shows like Mad Men, Weeds, Dexter, Grey's Anatomy (before the whole Meredith and McDreamy on and off and on and off again thing got lame, lol!)
- Sim stories - for carefully crafted writing and storytelling, Ruin and Millwood. The Sessions series for fantastic photography that makes me want to try harder with my own work. And Mao's work was an early inspiration in this whole illustrated storytelling business. I miss Mao!
28. In your opinion, what makes a good story? What do you like to read in other people's stories?
- I like rich and unique characters. Situations that emerge from those characters, rather than some shallow plot. Characters are everything for me. I won't read a story that doesn't have really original and interesting characters.
30. Do you find yourself playing favorites with your characters? If yes, then who and why?
- I wouldn't say playing favorites with the characters, but sometimes their story will grip me more than others. That's usually just a phase though. I have a rather short attention span with my stories, I like to flip between several of them at a time. I always cycle around again though. I rarely ever neglect to finish a story once I've really gotten started with it.
31. Have you ever written something that you really wish you could change when you look back at it?
- Yes, I'm reworking it in a novel. You guys never usually get to see my first drafts, so you wouldn't know that almost everything gets rewritten a few dozen times. When it's finally right, I usually know it. There have been early pieces of some LH stories that I released before I was very sure of where the story was going, so looking back on them, they don't really fit very well. But eh, that's what happens when you're reading an early draft. I'm a big fan of fixing what's broken. I'm a perfectionist. The drafting process in writing is important (or at least, important to me), you know, taking raw materials and shaping them into something spectacular!
32. Were you ever surprised at a character's popularity among your fanbase?
- Yes, Jodie actually! She was truly never meant to be a main character, and now she's one of everyone's favorites, and going on into the real world to do really big things. I feel like a mommy sending her baby off to college. I hope she makes us all proud, lol!
27. Can you give us any hints about what is coming up in your stories? (Oh, come on...)
- LOL, I think y'all have had enough of my LH teasers, haven't you?
34. What have you written so far - and where can we find it (URL/Publication)?
Lakeside Heights, obviously. And I'm also shopping around a couple short stories at the moment.
And I haven't exactly announced it officially yet, but...
You can keep up with all of my writing progress on my website.
33. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Be true to yourself - and that applies to both life and writing. You have to be who you are, and and own it, and love it. You have to write what you love. If you don't love writing about vampires or time-travel or whatever - then don't write it. Even if you were trained to write high literature and everyone hoped you'd go on to do that MFA, but instead, you wanted to get married and have babies, and write kooky and over-emotional relationship dramas about people who do questionable things in bathrooms? It's all good.
You have to be who you are. Some people will love you for it, and some people won't. But it's all you can do.
Laura
name means: crown of laurel leaves
age: 30
zodiac: virgo
MBTI: INFJ
character traits: amusing, stubborn, spirited, logical, curious, private
theme song: "Silent All These Years," by Tori Amos
1. name: Laura (crown of laurels)
2. grew up: too fast
3. favorite food: bacon and avocado... on pretty much anything
4. favorite color: all of them <-- my hubby teased me for this answer, lol! It's mostly true - except for burnt orange, ick!
5. favorite weather: the moments before a summer storm
6. favorite drink: cosmopolitan
7. hobby: taking pictures
8. most important job: writer
9. if she had one wish: world peace? lol! I know that's cheesy, I don't know - I like it when everyone I love is happy.
10. thing she loves most in the world: talking in bed with my honey (after sex)
11. one word to describe her: imaginative
12. something else: doesn't like to let go
*******
3. What do you eat/drink while writing?
- I don't eat while I'm writing. I'll snack or eat while reading, but never when I'm writing - sticky fingers on the keyboard, too much typing interruption. Something warm to drink - coffee or hot tea (fruity teas, like pomegranate white tea, or mango black tea).
17. Do you have one character that frustrates you more than any of the others?
- I think they all have at one point or another. Mariah was a spectacular trip to write (what do you want from me, woman!?). I'd say a lot of them are very hard to write, but not necessarily frustrating. Okay, one. Danny (from one of my novels-in-progress, Paper Birds) - he frustrates me. He's very temperamental, hard to reach, and hard to keep hold of. He's a lot like me, lol!
51. How do you like to handle romantic relationships in your story? Do you have a general approach, or is the approach tailored to the characters?
- Oh man, lol! I don't even know where to start!
6. Which book has had the greatest impact on you (eg moved/disturbed/thrilled/made you cry)?
- The Cider House Rules by John Irving (and maybe A Prayer for Owen Meany equally). Irving's stories are epic! If I ever manage to get so much life into my own characters, I'll consider myself a success.
- stylistically, I'd say anything by Lorrie Moore. I love the way she weaves light and dark, to make these perfect multi-faceted portraits of life.
13. Do you have other creative pursuits that affect how you tell your stories? (Such as photography, creative writing, etc.)
- Well, writing obviously, lol! I love taking photos too, and especially love the combination of visuals and words. I do these photo/poem things sometimes, and I'm not really sure it's much like anything that anyone else does, and I don't care if anyone thinks they're stupid, because I'm gonna do them anyway, lol!
18. Do your characters have their own theme songs?
- Yes! Some of them have whole albums, lol! But really, music plays a huge role in my creation process. A song encompasses a whole mood, as does a story sometimes. They reach toward each other and become entwined.
19. Do you like using aliens, vampires, zombies or any other non "normal" characters?
- LOL, I don't know that I'd call my human characters "normal"
20. Do you usually create backstories for your characters?
- OMG yes! I create whole lives for them. I talk about this on my blog quite often. I can't truly understand my characters until I know what they've come from.
21. If it were possible, would you carry out "romantic interactions" with any of your characters?
- does it make me seem slutty if I say all of them? lol! But in reality, I'd probably say none of them. Fantasy, all of them/ reality, none. I'm a lot like my character Leila in that way - we keep our fantasies and our realities clearly drawn. To a point, lol! And then, sometimes you just can't know
22. How emotionally attached are you to your characters?
- extremely!
23. Do you have a favorite character/family?
- no, that would be like picking a favorite child. Some of them are harder or easier on me, but I love them all in their own way.
24. Are there any stories in particular that have inspired your storytelling?
- Published Lit - Lorrie Moore, T.C. Boyle, John Irving, Stephen King...
- TV (for real, lol!), especially in terms of writing my serials. I love really well written TV shows like Mad Men, Weeds, Dexter, Grey's Anatomy (before the whole Meredith and McDreamy on and off and on and off again thing got lame, lol!)
- Sim stories - for carefully crafted writing and storytelling, Ruin and Millwood. The Sessions series for fantastic photography that makes me want to try harder with my own work. And Mao's work was an early inspiration in this whole illustrated storytelling business. I miss Mao!
28. In your opinion, what makes a good story? What do you like to read in other people's stories?
- I like rich and unique characters. Situations that emerge from those characters, rather than some shallow plot. Characters are everything for me. I won't read a story that doesn't have really original and interesting characters.
30. Do you find yourself playing favorites with your characters? If yes, then who and why?
- I wouldn't say playing favorites with the characters, but sometimes their story will grip me more than others. That's usually just a phase though. I have a rather short attention span with my stories, I like to flip between several of them at a time. I always cycle around again though. I rarely ever neglect to finish a story once I've really gotten started with it.
31. Have you ever written something that you really wish you could change when you look back at it?
- Yes, I'm reworking it in a novel. You guys never usually get to see my first drafts, so you wouldn't know that almost everything gets rewritten a few dozen times. When it's finally right, I usually know it. There have been early pieces of some LH stories that I released before I was very sure of where the story was going, so looking back on them, they don't really fit very well. But eh, that's what happens when you're reading an early draft. I'm a big fan of fixing what's broken. I'm a perfectionist. The drafting process in writing is important (or at least, important to me), you know, taking raw materials and shaping them into something spectacular!
32. Were you ever surprised at a character's popularity among your fanbase?
- Yes, Jodie actually! She was truly never meant to be a main character, and now she's one of everyone's favorites, and going on into the real world to do really big things. I feel like a mommy sending her baby off to college. I hope she makes us all proud, lol!
27. Can you give us any hints about what is coming up in your stories? (Oh, come on...)
- LOL, I think y'all have had enough of my LH teasers, haven't you?
34. What have you written so far - and where can we find it (URL/Publication)?
Lakeside Heights, obviously. And I'm also shopping around a couple short stories at the moment.
And I haven't exactly announced it officially yet, but...
I'm going indie! For those who don't follow all the "publishing revolution" news - that means, self-publishing, being my own publisher, publishing my own work just the way I want it.
I'll be bringing out my first novel, Likely to Fail, late fall of 2011. It's a story inspired by Jodie and Amelia from Lakeside Heights.
I'll also be bringing out a collection of short stories, poems, and photography sometime next spring or summer, called How to Stand on Your Hands.
I have a whole head full of stories to share with you all! I have a publication schedule all made out already and spanning through about 2016 so far... which means I'm gonna be hella pissed if the world ends in 2012! lol!
a little blurb for Likely to Fail:
What is it about being twenty-eight that makes everybody want to pair up and breed like the world is coming to an end?
Amelia Bradshaw doesn't want to get married. She's a strong, proud, independent woman, who bought her own house, with all of her own money, and men have never caused her anything but pain. Except for one. (Yet, she wonders?) But if Drew doesn't give up on her, with his inspiring words and his so-sweet smile, she just might consider letting him love her.
Jodie Larson is a smart, stubborn, blunt-tongued young doctor, who is losing her perfect roommate to an unfortunate wedding, losing arguments to the suave but grating surgeon on the second floor of their building, and failing to lose that pesky crush she has on her charming poet friend, Drew. And she swears, for a fraction of a sliver of a minute, before Amelia finally decided to be with him, she thought Drew might have actually liked her too.
The problem is, sometimes Amelia wonders if Jodie is right.
Amelia is just the ex-girlfriend of Jodie's brother, and they were never meant to be friends. But that doesn't mean they weren't. And Jodie wasn't supposed to actually fall in love with Drew, but that doesn't mean that she isn't. And Jodie has always known exactly what she wants, and just how to get it too, but she's never had to think twice about whether getting what she wants is worth the sacrifice of betraying someone who might, or might not, be a friend.
Likely to Fail is a story that weaves between the lives of two women who were never meant to be friends, while exploring the inspiring reaches and the unfortunate limitations of friendship and love.
I'll be bringing out my first novel, Likely to Fail, late fall of 2011. It's a story inspired by Jodie and Amelia from Lakeside Heights.
I'll also be bringing out a collection of short stories, poems, and photography sometime next spring or summer, called How to Stand on Your Hands.
I have a whole head full of stories to share with you all! I have a publication schedule all made out already and spanning through about 2016 so far... which means I'm gonna be hella pissed if the world ends in 2012! lol!
a little blurb for Likely to Fail:
What is it about being twenty-eight that makes everybody want to pair up and breed like the world is coming to an end?
Amelia Bradshaw doesn't want to get married. She's a strong, proud, independent woman, who bought her own house, with all of her own money, and men have never caused her anything but pain. Except for one. (Yet, she wonders?) But if Drew doesn't give up on her, with his inspiring words and his so-sweet smile, she just might consider letting him love her.
Jodie Larson is a smart, stubborn, blunt-tongued young doctor, who is losing her perfect roommate to an unfortunate wedding, losing arguments to the suave but grating surgeon on the second floor of their building, and failing to lose that pesky crush she has on her charming poet friend, Drew. And she swears, for a fraction of a sliver of a minute, before Amelia finally decided to be with him, she thought Drew might have actually liked her too.
The problem is, sometimes Amelia wonders if Jodie is right.
Amelia is just the ex-girlfriend of Jodie's brother, and they were never meant to be friends. But that doesn't mean they weren't. And Jodie wasn't supposed to actually fall in love with Drew, but that doesn't mean that she isn't. And Jodie has always known exactly what she wants, and just how to get it too, but she's never had to think twice about whether getting what she wants is worth the sacrifice of betraying someone who might, or might not, be a friend.
Likely to Fail is a story that weaves between the lives of two women who were never meant to be friends, while exploring the inspiring reaches and the unfortunate limitations of friendship and love.
You can keep up with all of my writing progress on my website.
33. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Be true to yourself - and that applies to both life and writing. You have to be who you are, and and own it, and love it. You have to write what you love. If you don't love writing about vampires or time-travel or whatever - then don't write it. Even if you were trained to write high literature and everyone hoped you'd go on to do that MFA, but instead, you wanted to get married and have babies, and write kooky and over-emotional relationship dramas about people who do questionable things in bathrooms? It's all good.
You have to be who you are. Some people will love you for it, and some people won't. But it's all you can do.