The Rising Authors Tag Revisited

Back in the day, I was tagged to do the Rising Author's Tag (you can see it here). Wow... reading through it recently, I realized how differently my writing style/habits have changed. So, I thought it might make a fun post to redo the tag, having both the old answers, and the new.

What's your favorite writing style? 

Old answer: Hmm… probably 3rd-person. And some 1st person.

New answer: Wow . . . since writing Beloved, I've grown to love 1st person. Yet I also love 3rd person. So, there's really not just one answer to this.

Where's do you usually sit to write? 

Old answer: Anywhere—the dining room, schoolroom, kitchen, etc. I'm not picky. I'm currently on the patio. :D

New answer: Still the same, haha! I mostly prefer the kitchen table, though, or an easy chair with a lap desk.

If you write for long periods of time, does it bother your fingers/wrists/hands?

Old answer: UGH, yes.  Mostly my wrists, but my hands get writer's cramp too.  Which really doesn't help at all with school. ;)

New answer: Mhmmmm. It's awful.

Do you snack while you write? If so, what's your favorite snack?

Old answer: Every once in awhile.  But when I do, I just LOVE Cheese-It's and Mediterranean Herb Pita crackers.  (Yes people, I am VERY specific.) ;)

New answer: Um actually, I probably snack even less than I used to. But yeah, my favorite snacks are probably still the same. If you add strawberry Twizzlers to the mix.

Are you published? If so, best publishing advice you've received? If not, do you want to be? 

Old answer: Nope.  And… I don't really know.  I think it would be fun to be published, but… it's not a priority.

New answer: Pretty sure y'all know the answer to this one! ;)

Writing/publishing wise, where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? 

Old answer: Umm… I really have no idea. ;P  Maybe still just sharing my stories with my friends?  Or maybe even posting them… ;)

New answer: Well, having Beloved published, obviously . . . but in five years? I really don't see myself publishing again anytime soon. In ten years? That's up to God, folks.

Do you listen to music while you write? 

Old answer: Not often.  I get distracted REALLY easily.

New answer: Hahahaaaaa, yeah, things have changed. I listen to music all. the. time. while I write.

What's your opinion of editing? 

Old answer: Well, I know several people who would say, "I HATE it!!", but I really can't say as I dislike it that much.  Of course, I haven't really edited enough to be sure. :P

New answer: It . . . has it's place. I enjoy it, when there's nothing major I have to change. If there's a lot of research to be done, I'll always be nervous that I've got the facts wrong, which makes the editing process more difficult.

Do you enjoy research? 

Old answer: Yes, I do; at least, when it comes to writing.  For school, not so much. ;P

New answer: My opinion of it is dwindling . . . much like I said in the last answer, I'm always scared that I don't have my facts right.

Do you fiddle with the font style and size of your works? 

Old answer: Nope.  Maybe the title, but… I've never tried it with everything else.

New answer: Some, yeah. I like to make my font super small, then after I've written for what seems like forever and it doesn't look like a whole lot, I change it to 'normal' size and see just how many pages I've written. ;)

And lastly, what's your thoughts on writerly tags? B-) 

Old answer: I love them.  That's all there is to it. B-)

New answer: I like 'em.

150-word story-snippet request: Can I see a piece of your writing? 

Old answer: Absolutely! :D  This is an excerpt from a story I wrote called Katie's War:

Mom looked up in surprise.  “Katie, I thought you were doing homework in your room.”
“I finished it.  Now, what does the telegram say?”
Mom slowly opened the telegram, unfolded the paper inside, and her face blanched.  “I-I have to sit down,” she said faintly.
Katie’s eyes widened with fright.  Something’s happened.  Dad or Jerry are dead.  Oh, God, please, no, no!  She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears in, placing her hand on the back of her mother’s chair.  “Shall I get Joey?”  
Mom nodded absently.  “I believe he’s in the backyard studying.”
Katie walked quickly through the house and opened the backdoor.  “Joey,” she called.
Josiah looked up with a smile that quickly vanished at the look on Katie’s face.  “What’s wrong, Kate?”
Katie bit her lip and swallowed hard.  “We... just got a telegram.  Mom didn’t tell me what it says, but Joey, a telegram…”

New answer: Mmkay, if you insist. This is from, you guessed it . . . Beloved.

I stop at a corner, waiting to cross, reaching the curb just before a woman and her little girl. The mother glances at me, narrows her eyes, and grabs her daughter’s hand. When the light turns green, she rushes ahead of me, adding credence to my theory that everyone is bigoted against anyone different from themselves.

My feet move almost without my bidding. Down the street, walking, walking . . . always walking. Never looking back. Crossing streets, dodging thieves. Not that I have anything worth stealing anyway. A person with no one to love, and no one to love them, isn’t worth anything to anybody.

Believe me, I know.

Well, I hope that my writing has improved some . . .

******

Well, how was that peek into my writing life? I hope you enjoyed my humiliation . . .