from The People Who Write Questionnaire:
If your life (so far) were a book, what would the title be?
Now that’s a hard one. Let’s see: The Writing Cure, The Unimportance of Being Earnest, Stayin’ Alive…
What is the greatest story ever told?
The one that saves you and helps you see things as they really are.
Who is the greatest literary character ever created?
The Little Mermaid
Which living or dead writer would you most like to share a meal with?
Very hard to narrow down, but definitely Alice Munro or Margaret Atwood.
What is your favorite word right now?
flint
What word has always looked or sounded strange to you?
thorough
How many words have you written today?
Between my morning pages, journal, emails, poetry and the novel, probably a couple thousand. If I’m lucky, a phrase or two will make it into print.
Where have you had your most exhilarating writing experience?
Sitting at my desk with pen and notebook in the corn crib studio at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
What is the thing about writing that you most deplore?
Self-doubt
What is the thing about writing that you most love?
The possibility of transformation by putting the right words in the right order.
What stereotype about writers have you found to be true?
Self-absorbed and self-critical
What’s the biggest misconception about writers/writing?
That answering a question like this would be easy for writers. Writers, like all humans, are caught in a tangle of misconceptions about their fellow humans on a minute to minute basis, which makes great material for writers. A moment of clarity is worth everything.
What’s the one thing no one would ever guess about you from reading your writing?
That I love listening to deep house and electro music while cleaning the kitchen after my family’s evening meal.
