Since I don’t have a real interview ready to share with you, today, I thought I’d interview all of YOU! If you feel like answering any of them, use the Comments section or answer it/them on your own website and leave a link so my followers and I can read it/them. 🙂
Questions for fellow writers:
1. What is the most important piece of advice that you’ve been given about writing, or your favourite quote about writing?
2. What is the one thing you must have with you while you’re writing (besides your computer, or pen & paper!)?
3. Where is your ‘writing nest’, the place where all the magic happens?
Questions for fellow crafters:
1. Describe one of your favourite creations.
2. What tools did you use when creating that favourite work of art?
3. Of all the types of arts & crafts (scrap-booking, painting, up-cycling, sculpting, etc) out there, what would you like to try, some day?
Questions to fellow bloggers:
1. Describe the post you’ve written that’s been viewed the most since you started blogging.
2. What do you think makes a successful blog?
3. What are your favourite topics to blog about and what topics do you avoid?
Well, I hope you all play along. I can’t wait to read your answers! 🙂
PS. If anyone out there would like me to interview them for upcoming posts, please leave your name in the comments and I’ll be in touch. 🙂
mywithershins 
As a writer – Handwriting my first draft allows for more free-flow and creativity.
As a crafter – my current interest is doll making and it’s opened a portal to my childhood that is helping me find a child’s voice in my manuscript (to feel again).
As an artist – I miss the joy energy from painting my little watercolor sketches.
As a blogger – I’ve learned so much….am learning so much about technology, myself, others…my world has broadened!
Great post idea!
My very first manuscript was written in paper and pencil. I’m glad you find it so freeing. 🙂
I’ve seen the doll heads you’ve made – very cool! 🙂
I hope you will find the joy in watercolor painting again. 🙂
I’m glad we’ve connected through blogging. It’s been a bast! 🙂
I’ll take writers for two hundred, Alex…
1. What is the most important piece of advice that you’ve been given about writing, or your favourite quote about writing?
The best advice I’d ever received was when I was little, and it came from a whole phalanx of people around me within a very short amount of time, maybe 20 or so within a 36 hour period. I’d started my first efforts at putting words to paper in fiction, way WAY long ago, and I had my parents, teachers and a few adults who took an interest in me all say the same thing: “If you’re going to write, you better read as much as you can.” Either they were being very basic in their support, as folks are want to do with kids in the single digit years, or they were trying to get me to stop with as much delay as possible; the fact that some of my very early stuff was used for kindling makes both possibilities likely…
2. What is the one thing you must have with you while you’re writing (besides your computer, or pen & paper!)?
An sense of calm and a deadline of some sort. Which frankly is a difficult mix. I think the deadline need came from habits I picked up working for my college paper when I’d be hours before a column was due, and found that the pressure to produce was very exhilarating; but as I got older and gave more of a cap as to what was going out there with my name on it, I needed to keep my mind a bit better organized. When I reach the equilibrium, wherever I am, I sit down and get cracking, which flows into the next question nicely, which is:
3. Where is your ‘writing nest’, the place where all the magic happens?
I don’t have a nest really; I’m more of a hermit. It’s hard to have a place set aside for any magic in a city where shelter is at a premium and what space you have left is surrounded by distractions (a growing kid and a few busy streets with constant loud traffic outside the window). As a result, I’ve practiced the fine craft of bringing implements with me to do some writing in various places; I even worked on short stories while riding the subway at rush hour, and polished some pieces while at a corner of a bar between rounds. (Creating in both of those places, BTW, tend to leave odd effects that show up on the pages, especially the later…)
Reading is very important if one is going to be a writer, so that is very good advice! 🙂
A deadline is a good way of getting things done, although when I have a deadline, I’m far from calm! lol
I understand about surroundings ending up in stories. If I don’t have quiet, I tend to write what I hear, which leads to some interesting re-reads later on when I scratch my head and wonder where THAT came from! lol
Thanks for your answers! 🙂
what a clever idea for a post. I was tied up with (not by) grandsons so couldn’t take part but it made a great read this morning.
There’s no time limit to answering the questions, if you’d still like to. 🙂
What tools did you use when creating that favourite work of art?
That made me smile, since it relates to something I posted yesterday.
I’ll have to drop by and read what you had to say. 🙂
The most important piece of writing advice I ever received was, “Keep going.”
And so far so good!
Good advice, Mike! Thanks for playing! 🙂
1. Best piece of advice: Write every day. No matter what.
2. Must have item(s): Coffee and music
3. Writing Nest: coffee shop or my writing desk.
🙂
Great answers, C. B.! Thanks for participating! 🙂
Okay, I’ll do the writers and the bloggers.
Writers:
1)I don’t know if it’s the most important piece of advice regarding writing, but the one that’s stuck with me the most is to write every day, no matter what. Read every day too of course, but write, even if it’s just a little bit, each day. A much loved Aussie author talked about it at the Sydney Writers’ Festival a few years ago, and I loved that he was completely serious too.
2) Oxygen. Closely followed by an appalling sense of humour, and soon after that, some kind of caffeinated something.
3) Most of my writing does, and always has, happened when I lock myself up in my bedroom. It helps that I have an amazing view to inspire me from up here, but I think the isolation is the main thing. Sometimes I can write with people and elsewhere – I’ve sat in cafes before, and I’d like to try writing on the beach one day.
Bloggers:
1) While my post that is the most viewed was about what makes a good ending to a story or a book, I have more pride in my posts that have the most comments and interaction, including my about page, my post on film adaptations, and my post in which I admitted all the books I hadn’t read that people assume I have (that was fun).
2) I think the success of a blog depends on what the author wants out of it. For some, they just enjoy expressing themselves online in this manner, while many others love meeting people similar to them, and sharing in their interests with others. I think interacting with your readers is an important aspect of a successful blog. That, and just being yourself!
3) I really just blog about whatever I feel like, within the general realms of books, music and stuff. But I tend not to write about things I don’t like too much – I often feel when ranting about something I don’t like that I end up just repeating what other people say, while if I write about something I loved and am passionate about, my writing is more likely to show this.
🙂
Thanks for your comments, Matt! I agree with the write every day advice and that we should blog about what we’re passionate about. You’re lucky to have such a marvelous view while you’re writing and I’m glad you have oxygen nearby, as that’s really important! 🙂
I’m always behind on my blog readings (and newspaper readings, too!). But this is fun.
1. Best advice about writing – perseverance and finish what you starat.
2. I need a pot of green tea and stillness around me. A candle helps, too.
3. My writing nest is mostly in my den – where I’m surrounded by my fav. things – books, photos, rocks. drawings.
Always interesting to visit this blog! Thanks, Susan.
I understand, Gabe, I’m behind in my blog reading, too! 🙂
Thanks for answering the questions. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Withershins, what a good idea for a blog post. For some reason my mind is blank today–which may not be good for visiting blogs and responding with comments–but just wanted you to know that I enjoyed reading the answers some of your readers shared here.
That’s okay, Kathy! I appreciate you dropping by. 🙂
Wow, I’ll definitely have to come back and answer some of these. Great post and fantastic questions!
Thanks, Jenny! 🙂