Carol, over at Northwest Ladybug, had this really fun activity a few weeks ago. Another blogging friend of hers prepared individual interview questions for regular readers and then sent it out to those bloggers to respond to on their blogs.
And Carol issued the same invitation. And knowing Nablopomo was coming up, I took her up on it! So here are her questions and my answers:
1.) What have you found to be the biggest joys and challenges regarding your writing?
Nothing like starting me off with a bang! The biggest joy is probably those rare times when everything comes together at once. You're "in your zone" with your fiction and your characters and plot are just zinging along. And I'll also be honest here - another big joy is when someone reads your stuff and clearly just loves it. So that brings the challenge thing - getting published. Keeping up with the ins and outs of getting published, the queries, the rejections, the political stuff, etc. Another challenge I have with the writing itself is that second draft. The first one usually flows, but getting the second one down, which is really major revising, rather than editing, is my bugaboo. I do tend to revise as I go along with the first draft, but the second is the BIG PICTURE revising draft, and as I am a very impatient person, I just stink at this.
2.) Can you name an experience in your past that had an immediate and significant impact on your character? Forming it, strengthening it, challenging it, etc.
This was a totally easy one. There are two: living in Soviet Russia and teaching school there for a semester and having my DS and becoming a mom. Hands down, those are the two most character-forming experiences of my life.
3.) Tell me about something that makes you laugh.
My DH. He makes tons of puns and is great at silly jokes. Sometimes they aren't funny, but he's charming about that, too. I've never laughed so hard in my life at some of the things he's come up with.
4.) Tell me about your favorite job. What about your least favorite?
Favorite job is a hard one, because I've really been lucky to love many of them. I'm really enjoying the teaching I'm doing right now. I have two groups of AMAZING high school students whom I really enjoy. I also love (almost) any job that involves writing. I'm really a writing whore. Give me something to write and pay me for it and I'm happy. ;-) My least favorite job - EASY - selling encyclopedias door-to-door to businesses. As much as this job would stink going to homes door-to-door, it was that much worse going business-to-business, because, I mean, aren't merchants all about stopping their work days and leaving paying customers standing there because they totally NEED encyclopedias at their auto mechanic shops, grocery stores, clothing stores, etc.? The Limited, Too staff is so completely in need of encyclopedias to get through their day, for example. (Not meaning to put down or single out those salespeople, I'm just saying the whole enterprise was ridiculous).
So... wanna play? Just let me know via a comment here and make sure I can reach you via e-mail and I will send you some interview questions tailored just for you!
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17 comments:
Interesting interview! And sure, I'll play. I can always use blogging material.
I would hate selling encyclopedias. I hate selling anything.
The things I learn from reading your blog: you sold encyclopedias business-to-business?!? Sounds awful.
That, and learning that you like frou-frou drinks, are the two things that have surprised me the most.
I'm always looking for blogging topics -- I'll play, too.
This was fun to read!
I'm with you on the door-to-door thing. I spent a summer trying in vain to sell silverware and dishes to engaged couples who weren't really interested. It was horrendous-- I think I only sold one thing and that was to a neighbor who must have felt like she owed us something.
I'll play! (I'm a sucker for anything labeled "custom tailored"!)
If it's not too much to ask, I would love to play too!
This is a great peek into you Jen.
This was great! Thanks for playing!
(Kat works at Limited Too now and, even at 17, is amazed at the ineptitude of their management!)
Carol
Great interview! Selling encyclopedias to merchants? Ugh! That's tough. I guess we all have those character-building job experiences.
I once had a job doing data entry. It was a second job for me on second shift. I was just out of college and desperate for money. We were building a database for a law firm. We had to write a summary of each document, label it with keywords and stuff like that. One night, the manager comes out and asks if anyone knows Spanish. After a lot of questioning, we came to discover that I, with my three years of high school Spanish, was most familiar with the language. So, I was given a giant stack of documents, in Spanish, to read, interpret and enter. I cried and cried because I got a dollar an hour bonus for accuracy and I knew I'd never get it with that project. I didn't know Spanish! I could say my name, order a beer and tell everyone I had a date with Anita at 8 o'clock tonight. That was the extend of my Spanish. It was AWFUL.
P.S. If you're not too overwhelmed with requests, I'll play the interview game, too. Talking about myself is one of my strong points.
Like everyone else, my mind got stuck on the encyclopaedia selling. That would have to be right up there on the list of most shitty jobs. You brave soul!
If you have the time, I'd love to play.
This was a fun way to get to know a little more about you. I actually thought you were initially kidding about the business-to-business encyclopedia sales job--I couldn't believe there WAS such a job LOL.
I'd ask for interview questions, but I think you're going to be swamped. If you run short of time and inspiration, I'll play later. Otherwise, hit me with it, and I'll buckled up for it.
did you really sell encyclopedias? That really sounds like one of the nmost dreadful jobs of all time. I always feel sorry for those people. And LOL at the image of trying to sell them to mechanic - shops!
and yes please. I'd LOVE to be interviewed!
Gosh - I just saw how many requests you've got for questions.....take your time with mine...whenever you get the chance.
This was fun to read. What an exciting life you've led... LOL I haven't done any group thing with you all yet, so I'll play too if I may.
Jan
Oh, SO fun. Great answers! I'd love to be interviewed once this month is over.
I feel a bit emberrassed to ask, but I'd like to know since I don't know: have you already have books published that you've written?
as most of the other readers, I thought the idea of you selling encyclopedia's from door to door is pretty amazing. I agree the concept is pretty ridiculous.
Oh I'd love it if you wrote more of your Russian experiences one day.
I am also playing with Carol's questions when I feel a bit better, bit if you have a question to add, you're welcome to send me an extra one. I will combine then.
Is it to late to play? And... LOL... selling encyclopedias? Ugh.
:-)
Hi! I've done my interview!
Thanks again for putting together these questions for me! I haven't felt very inspired lately in the blogging department and it was such a relief to have a list of things to concentrate on! :-)
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