Friday, February 12, 2010

Random Questions For Writers

Just for a little Friday fun, a series of “writer personality” questions. Copy, paste, and answer these questions to introduce us to the type of writer you are. :)

-Do you have a pen/pencil collection? How many of those are chewed? Actually, finding a pencil is usually a huge problem...then finding a pencil with an eraser. (sigh)
-Do you prefer handwriting or typing furiously? I like to handwrite out my notes (give my eyes a computer screen break), but when it comes to writing the actual manuscript my fingers are fixed to the keys.
-How often do you get inspiration? All the time. Usually I get inspired by personality types or fractions of a specific story I hear.
-Are you blogging this on a computer or laptop? Laptop! I love having the ability to write wherever I want to. (desk, dining table, recliner, pillow top ;)
-Do you get inspiration more in the early morning or late at night? Inspiration usually occurs when I’m doing chores or something that doesn’t require too much focus. By the time the afternoon rolls around I’m ready to write!
-Do certain movies/books/music inspire you? Movies and TV shows usually inspire me the most. Even little things like a commercial about motorcycle insurance. I suddenly think, “That’s it! My character needs to ride a motorcycle!”
-How do you incorporate God into your stories? When it comes to novels, I usually put in the full gospel message. When it comes to shorter works, I’ll usually examine a specific idea, like providence or second chances.
-Do you kill off your villains or make them repent? I almost always kill them. Drama!
-Are the majority of your characters magical beings, humans, or halflings? Humans. I seem to know more about them than I do magical beings. ;)
-What genre of writing are you most comfortable in? Mystery is my most common genre. Almost any character type can be applied to a suspenseful plotline. On occasion I dabble in storylines that are more humors dramas...I know, that doesn’t exactly make sense, but I there’s no other way to describe it.
-Do you work better alone or with someone else? Alone! By the time I sit down to write I’ve got a pretty clear idea in my head. It’s hard picture joining that with someone else’s ideas...but I guess there’s a first time for everything.
-Do your stories make sense, or do they ramble wildly? Hm, well, it all makes sense at the end…but along the way I like wild rides. ;)
-Are your characters mostly Renegades, Peacekeepers or a mish-mash? My heroes tend to be anti-heroes (teetering between good and bad). My heroines tend to be “average girls” who get caught up in a plotline beyond their control.
-Are you a sucker for good grammar? NO. I prefer to write in speech pattern form, as if I’m having a conversation with my reader. Grammar check and I often have disagreements.
-How is your handwriting? Very good. Handwriting is important in my family. That being said, I prefer to type. (I need spell check.)
-How evil are your villains? I usually have a “super evil” villain as well as a somewhat bad guy who achieves redemption somewhere along the way.
-Are you long-winded or succinct? I am a very “tight” writer, which is both good and bad. I don’t ramble down ridiculous, boring rabbit trails and useless facts, but at the same time I have trouble describing things properly.
-Do you have typical writer traits such as ink stains on your fingers or a pencil behind your ear? Just that glazed over look whenever I’m trying to work out a new story in my head. Those are usually the days when I hear, “Is there a reason you’re being so quiet?”
-Would someone walking past you on the street consider you normal? Hm, I don’t think there’s anything in particular about me that stands out. ;) Unless we’re talking about my hair on a humid day.
-Do you write mostly poetry, stories, novels or a mixture? Always fiction, though I write all different lengths (full novel, short story, novella).
-Do your characters vary in accents, appearance and attitude or are they mostly the same? My characters are all over the board when it comes to speech patterns, appearance, and attitude. That was actually something I was told to do way back when I first started writing. -Do real people and/or places inspire your writing? Locations often do. I write a lot of stories that take place in New York. That is one of the few locations I’ve vacationed in. Only Angels Are Bulletproof takes place in L.A. where my mother grew up.
-What is your favorite character? Or do you choose to remain unbiased in case of a revolt? I love my gentlemen thieves, my hard-rock party boys, my good girls having a hard time dealing with life. I have trouble with those boring characters who just fill in the blanks.
-Do you talk to your characters? Do they talk back? Hm, not really, though sometimes I’ll say their lines out loud to see how they actually sound.
-Are you more comfortable with girl or boy main characters? I’m comfortable with both. Only Angels Are Bulletproof is narrated by a 35 year old man...I often get comments about how good I nailed him and how weird that is. ;)
-Do you follow basic overused plot lines with new twists thrown in or do you depart from the norm all the time? I can’t stay within the usual bounds of the “whodunit.” It bores me. I do like the “fish out of water” scenario though.
-Do you feel God has called you to be a writer/poet? Will you grasp the power of the pen? Yes, and I’m so grateful that He has!

9 comments:

Unknown said...

These are great. I think they are really random. (you might want to check the name of the post). I'm going to borrow this for tomorrow's post. Thanks for letting us see into what kind of writer you are! :)

Julie Dao said...

It was so fun to read through these answers and learn more about you, Emily! Isn't it a wonderful calling to be a writer? :) It's exciting when you first realize that you're meant for this. Happy Friday to you and I hope you have a great weekend!

Brianna said...

Why does this list seem familiar??? Didn't it get posted on HSA once a long time ago? ;-) LOL!
I still love it and think it's soooooo fun! Wish I had a blog to answer the questions on, even though I think I did answer them once when I used to be a member on HSA, but I wouldn't mind answering them again! ;-)
By the way, I'm glad I'm not the only writer that has crazy inspiration moments when watching a movie or TV show... The weirdest things will spark an idea for a detail I'd like to add or change in my book! My family is always teasing me about how after we watch something together in the evenings, I'll often run to my room to scribble notes down. LOL! It seems like a rather silly practice to most people, but to writers a lot of good ideas are sparked this way (though it may not actually have anything whatsoever to do with what they were watching/reading - it just might be something someone said, did, a word used, a particular situation or setting, etc.)! ;-)

Diane said...

Fun to read more about you and your process! :O)

www.dianeestrella.com

Jules said...

I'm going to do this but since I'm leaving the country tomorrow, I'll schedule it to post while I'm away. Lots of fun Emily and loved reading about how you write and how you are inspired. Blessings, Jules

Emily Ann Benedict said...

Thanks for catching that, Stina!
I look forward to reading your answers

Julie: Yes, it is a wonderful calling. Writing is the sort of thing that attaches itself to your heart. Hope you have a great weekend too.

Brianna: Yes, this did originaly appear on HSA (I think you were the first one to send it to me. LOL) But is just works.

Diane: Thanks!

Jules: I look forward to your answers!

Karen Lange said...

With the exception of initial notes, my preferred method is typing on my laptop.

I get inspiration all the time, so I keep a little notebook in my purse, and have paper and pens all over the house. Real people inspire me, but so do characters in books I've read.

Will have to give the rest some thought...Great questions!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Karen

Tyrean Martinson said...

Fun to read your answers, and fun to answer those questions myself. Thank you.

Victoria Dixon said...

Thanks for this. It's food for thought and that's always good. :)