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gabriel
Love and ferrets and pretending to be a writer.

2004-01-27 5:46 PM
The Interview Game

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The ferrets are: dining and getting ready for bed. Sebastian the Stout is already asleep.

Weather: cloudy, January-ish.

Reading: Singularity Sky, Charles Stross

Listening to in the car: Saint Maybe , Anne Tyler

Today I am accepting the interview challenge,responding to questions from John D. Teehan.

1. How does the first story you ever wrote compare to the first story you ever sold? What did you learn in between?

I don't rememeber the first story I ever wrote, but there was one about a girl robot I wrote when I was in the fifth grade. It's all been downhill since then. The first novel I wrote, and the second, and the third, were flawed in all sorts of ways. I didn't know how to do transitions, so I had people coming and going and showed them coming and going. I didn't indicate clearly who was speaking. I had people laughing and smiling but didn't tell what sort of smiling and laughing it was. I had viewpoint problems. I put in other people's romances when I should have stuck with just one romance per story, seeing as how I was writing romance. I didn't have anyone in serious danger in the first book, except, of course, for the guy who died at the beginning of it, but I did better with the second one, where a woman had breast cancer, and the third, where the heroine's mother had a heart attack. The heroine could have done with some danger herself, but the danger I put myself in by having a bi-racial romance was probably a bit much. In the first story I sold I did the two romances thing, too, but the editor had me tone it down and that gave me an "aha." I used more visual description. I used a setting that was unfamiliar to most readers (14th century Bavaria), and therefore interesting. Honestly, I think my setting was a major selling point, as the book club I wrote for publishes two historical and two contemporary novels per month. Most writers are too lazy to do the research, so that's what gave me the edge even though I'm not that hot a writer. Or wasn't. I'm a lot better now.

2. If your ferrets could talk, what would they say? And what would you say to them?

I do talk to my ferrets, so I suppose a lot of what I say now I'd keep on saying, but I suspect I'd have to apologize more frequently. They would say, "Why do *I* have to go bed just because *you* are tired? *I* am not tired." And, "I didn't pee on the floor. Why do you always blame me?" Of course, they would say a lot of endearments to me, too, such as, "Mommy, you are the biggest raisin in the world."

3. Family Guy. The Simpsons. Futurama. King of the Hill. The Critic. Which one?

I haven't watched TV in several years, so I had to google these to discover that they're all TV shows. I knew what the Simpsons was, because I've seen it, and I can assure my vast audience that Simpsons is not it. Maybe it's Day of our Lies, or As the Stomach Turns. No, those aren't it either. Beats me!

4. If you could live in any fictional setting (please identify source), where would you be?

I'd be living in the Harper Hall on Anne McCaffrey's Pern. I'd be a composition and voice instructor. (Of course, I'd have my hearing, too.)

5. What is your ideal breakfast?

Oh, boy. First, fresh grapefruit juice squoze for me by somebody else. Then, there is this wonderful bread I used to make, a yeast-risen batter bread, whole-grain with molasses and raisins. I'd make toast out of that and spread a light cream cheese on it. I'd have a cup of English breakfast tea with just a touch of cream, and a plate of fresh sliced pears. Oh, and ripe strawberries. Oh yes, Precious; strawberries.

Now... as per the rules regarding the interview game, I supply the following information:
RULES: 1.Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2.I will respond; I'll ask you five questions. (responses will be in the comment section by this journal entry)
3.You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4.You'll include this explanation.
5.You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

Thanks, John D! That was fun!

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:: JOURNAL HOME :: SUBSCRIBE TO THIS JOURNAL :: Click on Kathy Gabriel and read my stories :: 2-in-1 Romance by me (but the back cover's misspelled!. grrrrr.) :: November is National Novel Writing Month! :: The Feel Good Manual - happiness can be learned :: Mugs with the wet ferret :: Fractured Frugal Frieds - the best frugality site around :: The ferrets, and other pics by a talented local (very local) photographer :: Kettins_Bob's journal :: Clarion SF & F writing workshop :: Genevieve's journal (Clarion classmate) :: Phil's website (Clarion classmate) :: Nnedi Okorafor's blog (Clarion classmate) :: Online magnetic poetry :: Dave's interactive html tutorial :: Make a snowflake here - WARNING: Addictive! ::