I'm It!

I've been tagged & now I'm it! Nope, I haven't been playing with the students at school. It's a blog game. Julie over at The Climb tagged me, so now I have to answer the following questions and then tag someone else! Thanks, Julie!! :) This is making me a little nervous - I'm not always good at the whole sharing personal info thing. But I AM a good sport, so here we go!

1)What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
The last thing I wrote was a scene for my wip in which the male mc is creating a tracking device in Steampunk England. Fun stuff. The first thing I wrote that I still have (at least I think I have it...) is a sappy story about a gypsy man playing his violin while his caravan burns. His wife has died & he can't live with the memories. (I know, I know, but I was little!)

2) Write poetry?
Not a lot anymore. I wrote a lot in high school and college.

3) Angsty poetry?
Of course, I WAS a teenage girl for a few years :)

4) Favorite genre of writing?
Romantic mystery, with steampunk running a close 2nd!

5) Most annoying character you've ever created?
A very arrogant English Lord. It was from a short historical romance story I wrote years ago. He was a real creep, and annoying to boot. He gets killed in a rather horrific manner at the end. Felt good :)

6) Best plot you've ever created?
The plot from the ms I've completed is fun with a couple of intertwined subplots. I really enjoyed weaving the plots together.

7) Coolest plot twist you've ever created?
Can't tell you that, now, can I?

8) How often do you get writer's block?
I'm lucky. That rarely happens. There are so many stories yelling at me, I never have time to write them all down.

9) Write fan fiction?
Not on paper. When I was younger I "wrote" Star Trek episodes in my head when I was trying to fall asleep at nights (well, still do actually)

10) Do you type or write by hand?
Always on the laptop. I'd lose papers.

11) Do you save everything you write?
Yup. I'm a very organized file maniac. Sad, but true.

12) Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
I'm a pack rat. Don't throw anything out. So, nothing's ever abandoned - just waiting for me to get back to it :)

13) What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
That's hard. Probably a completed ms. Even though it needs another round of revision.

14) What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?
I haven't shared much writing yet. My 2 crit buddies have only seen parts of 1 story so far. :)

15) Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
I enjoy romance, especially with a mystery or some suspense added in. My completed ms is a romantic mystery.

16) What's your favorite setting for your characters?
That's a really hard one. Settings aren't as vital to me as characters or plot. Yes, they're important, but not enough for me to have a fave.

17) How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Two on paper. I'm finishing the first draft for my nano, and beginning another round of revision on my completed ms. Two stories are running around in my head as well.

18) Have you ever won an award for your writing?
I haven't entered any competitions, so no :)

19) What are your five favorite words?
Almost anything Italian - such a beautiful language! In English: love, peace & hope for the meaning, discombobulated for the sound. Recess for rather obvious reasons! :)

20) What character have you created that is most like yourself?
None of them really. Although bits and pieces of Ali in the first half of an ms are like me.

21) Where do you get your ideas for your characters?
Everywhere and who knows. They just "are".

22) Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Sure, but not often. My dreams are generally too crazy, disjointed & scary.

23) Do you favor happy endings?
YES! The world is so often unhappy. In my job, I see a lot of kids who don't or can't believe in happy endings. They need to have access to them somewhere. They need to believe and hope.

24) Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Yes. I think it's automatic. As a teacher, it's just part of me. It's not even conscious most of the time.

25) Does music help you write?
A most resounding yes. I put the iTunes on Shuffle and enjoy a wide variety of music. No playlists, just mix it all up.

26) Quote something you've written. Whatever pops in your head.
"It's my first mutilated mammal by mail."

Phew! I'm exhausted. You probably are too :)
So...

Calista Taylor at A Steampunk Reverie,
Jenny Martin at Book Binge,
Cat Woods at Words from the Woods...

TAG, you're it!! These wonderful writers/bloggers are some of my cyber-friends from AQ. There are so many more I could mention, but I'll limit myself to just 3. Enjoy their fantabulous blogs :)

P.S. If you haven't checked out Julie's blog, scroll back up and click on her link - you won't regret it!