Writer Interview #SundaySalon #wschat
For Sunday Salon this week, I’m participating in a blog hop hosted by Wordsmith Studio. It’s been three years since I joined with this wonderful group of writers during the April Platform Challenge in 2012. The group is celebrating with a blog hop this week, asking questions to get to know where we are as writers at this time.
Since this will be a text-intensive post. I’m throwing in a gratuitous goose photo that I took yesterday. I went to a travel photography workshop (more on that coming up on Saturday for Saturday Snapshot). After, I walked with another workshop participant and our cameras. This goose kept us entertained for quite a while.
Canada Goose at Shaw Nature Reserve. Note how her left foot is tucked under her wing.
On to the questions from Wordsmith Studio:
1. Are you a WSSer (a member of Wordsmith)? If so, sound off about how long you’ve been a member, your favorite way to participate, or anything you’ve missed if you’ve been away. We’re not your mother/father… there will be no guilt about how long since your last call.
I’ve been there from the beginning. I blow hot and cold on my participation, but I enjoy the Facebook group and, occasionally, join the Tuesday night Twitter chats.
2. What medium do you work in? For our writing folks, are you currently working on fiction, poetry or nonfiction, or a combination? Anyone YA or mystery or thriller or…?
Blog posts! Also, memoir and fiction (the latter mostly in November for NaNoWriMo).
3. What’s the name of your current project (ok multitaskers, give us your main one)?
TRD. It’s too early to share more than the initials!
4. What is your favorite detail, sentence or other bit you’ve written lately?
Did anyone else like “gratuitous goose?” It made me smile.
5. Any obstacles or I-hate-this-chapter moments?
Allergies! I haven’t written a word on my project in three weeks. My motivation dries up and I spend my time doing anything that feels productive but isn’t writing. It’s been good for the Verbal to Visual on-line class that I’ve been taking, but not good at all for my writing. Come to think of it, I probably did so well on the April Platform Challenge in 2012 while avoiding work on this same project.
6. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned lately from your writing?
It doesn’t get done if I don’t do it. Sigh.
7. In what ways do you hope to grow in the next 6 months/year?
It would be really great if I could invent a work pattern that doesn’t get disrupted by allergies, jet lag, or other sources of malaise. I keep inventing patterns that work — until they don’t.
8. In what ways do writing friends and communities help you do that?
Examples and models help!
9. What else should we have asked you, or what would you ask other writers?
How do you get yourself to write through the blah times?
I’ve been MIA since returning from Europe two weeks ago, but I am so glad I found this post this morning!
I, too, am trying to develop a work pattern (and self-confidence) to help focus my writing life.
I am VERY excited to read about your travel photography workshop next Saturday. I should learn more about the photography classes offered in the St. Louis area and perhaps take part in one or two
Hope the allergies subside soon…
The Shaw Nature Reserve hosts photography workshops monthly or more. It’s a bit west of St. Louis, so would be relatively convenient from Kansas City, although you’d have to dive south somewhere along the way to get to Highway 44.
It looks like they keep this page current: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/visit/family-of-attractions/shaw-nature-reserve/things-to-do-at-shaw-nature-reserve/events/shaw-photography-series.aspx
I have opinions about some of the instructors, so let me know if you’re considering taking any of these!
Thanks so much for the link, Joy!
We really need to go live in a group of writing cabins for—oh, I don’t know—maybe a month or a year. Then I think I could really get going.
Adore the gratuitous goose!
readerbuzz.blogspot.com
Joining a group of bloggers in writing cabins sounds like the perfect adventure!
I do love the words “gratuitous goose.” They make me smile. Thanks for sharing your questions and answers…and for visiting my blog.
I’m with you on the allergies. They are an untamed beast. But, your gratuitous goose is darling.
Joy, I love our anniversary celebration, mostly because it helps us reconnect and rediscover each other’s blogs. I think it’s interesting how many in our group combine writing and photography. You captured the goose vividly. It can be a challenge to get a camera to focus on feathers and fur. Thanks so much for sharing and linking to the blog hop. There will be more hops each Wednesday this month. Hope to see you there again.
I, too, love the gratuitous goose. Thanks for the link to the workshops. I’m going to check out the schedule.
Yikes! I hope the allergies get better, Joy. Thanks for sharing your update!
Travel photography sounds fun! Yes, your goose is adorable. Anyway, I enjoyed catching up with you, Joy. I, too, would like to develop a work pattern that works for me. It’s my busyness that gets me off schedule.
Having written a post for the blog hop, yesterday, and just getting home from work, I thought I’d stop by and, um, take a gander at your post. ;-D
Writing and photography have been an important combo in my own blogging since I began in 2002, especially the cycling and cat blogging.
As for writing through the blah times…inspiration always seems to appear when I have least expected it and helped me survive difficult times.