Thursday, August 16, 2012

Eleven Questions

Annie McMahon tagged me recently with this "11 questions" meme. It looks like fun, a good way to do some introspection (something I hardly ever do -- yeah, right:)), and a good way to get some glimpses into other people, so here's the deal:
  • Write 11 random things about yourself.
  • Answer the 11 questions given.
  • Write 11 new questions.
  • Tag someone else. Maybe 11 someone elses, if you can.
11 Random Things About Myself
  1. I don't watch TV.  Don't ask me if I've seen such-and-such commercial or show; of these I am totally ignorant. I'd much rather read, or, if it's screen time, be online. 
  2. Exception to the above: I never miss Green Bay Packers football.
  3. I am a homebody to the core...
  4. ...but if I ever went abroad, I'd go to England. I'll take castles, villages, gardens, and a dose of London, please.
  5. I am quiet. Sometimes too quiet. Yet, when I was in first grade, my teacher wrote on my report card, "Too noisy in the hall." I had no idea I'd been noisy, but after that I learned to tamp down any exuberance. In the short run, good; in the long run, a loss, no?
  6. I cannot drink regular coffee. I get so jittery that all I can do is sit in a chair and quiver.
  7. People used to tell me fairly often that I look like Meryl Streep. I mean, there was a period when I was getting this all the time. 
  8. I'm a born-again Christian.
  9. The only foreign country I've ever been to is Canada.
  10. I was a TALL child, but I'm only a medium-sized adult. Guess I just did my growing early.
  11. At the risk of sounding weird, I rarely listen to music.
11 Questions, Answered
  1. How did you get your idea for your most recent book? From a newspaper article, but I don't want to say what it was about. :)
  2. What makes your books different from others in your genre?  I write commercial middle grade with a literary bent. Or is it literary with a commercial bent?
  3. What is your biggest challenge as a writer?  Getting through the first draft. I like revision.
  4. What other hobbies or occupations do you have besides writing? I teach two courses for The Institute of Children's Literature. I sometimes struggle with the fact that I don't really have any proper hobbies. Well, I read a lot. :) I sing on my church's worship team. I'm good at and creative with counted cross stitch, but it really doesn't fit into my (or my cats') life anymore.
  5. What's your favorite book in the genre that you write? I think I'm going to have to go with Anne of Green Gables.
  6. What's your favorite quote or expression? It's hard to name just one, but here's a favorite scripture from Jeremiah 42:10 that I have in counted cross on my office wall: "If you are willing to go on living in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not pull you up."
  7. Are you a listener or a talker? Listener!
  8. Name one thing you couldn't live without. Jesus. Truly.
  9. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? When I was a kid, my mom froze this horrible slushie-like stuff -- homemade from mysterious juices from the fridge -- by way of making us a summer treat AND trying not to throw something away. It was this brown, frozen goop in a pan. She made us eat it. Because, you know, she couldn't throw anything away.
  10. If you were an animal, what would it be? A cat -- provided I could be an indoor cat with a loving family and lie by the hearth. If not that -- maybe a dolphin? But I really don't want to be wet all the time.
  11. Name three adjectives that best describe you. Romantic, diplomatic, instrospective.
11 New Questions For 11 New Folks!
  1. Your house is on fire and you can run out with one thing. (Your family and pets are safe, and you are guaranteed to get out.) What do you grab?
  2. Health nut or junk foodie?
  3. What's your favorite form of exercise?
  4. What's the worst job you can imagine having?
  5. Have you ever broken a bone? How?
  6. If you could go back to college now, would you change your major? From what to what?
  7. Green thumb? Black thumb? Somewhere in between?
  8. What's the best book you've read in the last two months, on any topic?
  9. What's the hugest, gooiest, most fabulous dessert you can remember eating?
  10. What's your favorite writing tip?
  11. What's the stupidest writing tip you've ever heard?
Okay, now to tag some folks. Some of you may have done this already, so pardon my duplication. :)
My, this makes for a long post. :) Have fun!

20 comments:

Ruth Schiffmann said...

You do look like Meryl Streep!

It's interesting how one comment from your teacher in first grade could have such an affect on you. But I totally understand, because of have similar memories from my childhood. I guess it should make us ever thoughtful of what we say to others.

Thanks for tagging me. I actually just played this one over at my place, so I can appreciate all the time it took to put this post together! *whew* Thanks for sharing these tidbits about yourself. It's fun to get to know each other better through these things.

Barbara Watson said...

That was so fun to read! I love getting to know fellow bloggers and writers better.

Faith E. Hough said...

Thanks for tagging me. This will be fun. :)
I've never been to any foreign country besides Canada, either. Maybe we can bump into each other in dream land while we're both "in England" though...

Mirka Breen said...

Thank you for tagging me, Marcia. I’m going to be a spoil-sport and pass, because the thought of *ELEVEN* new questions, *ELEVEN* things about self, and *ELEVEN* answers overwhelms my feeble mind. I’d manage honorably maybe three, at least to my standards.
But you did fabulously- I especially like your answer to #7. Also, answers #2, #5, and #10, which make us sisters.

Vijaya said...

Fun to read, but like Mirka, 11 things, questions, etc. overwhelms my brain. I'm lazy... so I shall pass. I really want to shake the writer who came up with this meme.

Fun to see that we could practically be sisters, even though I'm no Meryl Streep! But we both got into trouble in school for being noisy, and now are quiet. And life/work/hobbies are all pretty much the same. Aren't we lucky to live how we do?

Bish Denham said...

It was nice to learn a little bit more about you!

Jaye Robin Brown said...

Thanks for posting! Now I have a new blog post to do.

Jaye Robin Brown said...

And oh yes, I agree with Ruth. I totally see the Meryl comparison.

Marcia said...

Ruth -- My first grade teacher did a LOT of stuff that had an effect. Despite the fact that I was teacher's pet, I wish more of it had been good. It was a very interesting year. :) I'll probably visit your meme in a day or so, then.

Barbara -- Me too. My favorite blogs are ones that revolve around a subject but include personal glimpses of the blogger, so I like doing these from time to time.

Faith -- I'll look forward to reading yours. Oh, yes, let's dream that we shall meet up in England. :)

Mirka -- Nothing saying you can't change the rules and do 3. :) Do you suppose there are 11 items because 11 is a funny number? Because it kind of is.

Vijaya -- It was kind of like an exercise. I thought 11 sounded long, too. But it's a way of writing to a prompt, which I don't normally do. You got in trouble for being noisy too? Hmmm, I suppose if we were REALLY noisy sorts we would have been irrepressible?

Bish -- Thanks! :)

Jaye -- LOL. That is EXACTLY what I think when people tag me for stuff! And perhaps I need to go see Meryl's new movie. :)

Emily R. King said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Emily R. King said...

I see a bit of Meryl in you too. I'd rather read than watch TV as well. :)

Kelly Hashway said...

Yeah Green Bay Packers! Didn't know you were a cheesehead!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

I feel blessed after reading this, Marcia. I love it when we bloggers choose to be gently outspoken about our faith. I can't live without Jesus, either. LOVE that answer!

Christina Farley said...

What a fantastic list! I love them. I'm a big fan of Jesus too!

Janet Johnson said...

I am just like you about TV! So fun to get to know more about you. :)

Marcia said...

Emily -- I figure I can read or watch TV, but not both, although it's really no contest. I'm even having trouble with reading time lately, though.

Kelly -- My husband grew up in a family of rabid fans and it definitely rubbed off. It's a fun thing our whole family shares, and fortunately it's been fun to be a fan in recent years. :)

Amy -- Thanks, and I like the phrase "gently outspoken."

Christina -- I like lists, and I guess that's the attraction of doing a post like this. :)

Janet -- Thanks!:)

cleemckenzie said...

Some interesting facts about you Marcia! You and I are definitely not the ones ask about the latest TV reality show. No TV here. I don't know how anyone has time for that.

Nice visit today.

Cynthia Chapman Willis said...

Such fun getting to know fellow bloggers better. And I'm with you: The first draft is a huge challenge. Revision is much more fun.

Anonymous said...

I'm also a quiet person.

I'm out of the loop with TV. I never know about the latest commercials and I catch shows years later in syndication or on Amazon.

Marcia said...

Lee -- Some say TV shows are a great way to study pacing and dialogue in a story, and I do agree with that. But something's got to give, and I think most of the time TV saps us more than it gives to us.

Cynthia -- I agree; I enjoy the personal glimpses.

Medeia -- Part of it is that there's so much MORE TV now, too. When I was growing up we had three channels. Sometimes there was "nothing on" on certain nights or timeslots. Now there are always so many choices.