two for one

GUTGAA

by Ninja Captain Alex

Happy September!

August was productive for my writing with Camp Nano, but not with the blog. So I am jumping right back into it, doing some hops and helping Deana Barnhart with GUTGAA.

Of course I can't do just one thing! Since the "What I did last summer" blog hop is this week (M-W-F), I am bumping my IWSG post to today as well as my meet and greet bio for GUTGAA. (btw, I love seeing the buttons I made for it! =)

First a quick lament for IWSG -
I'm a terribly slow reader, especially compared to some of you guys! Reading challenges of 100 books in the year, reading and reviewing three or four books a month. You guys are amazing! I'm lucky to finish six or seven a year! Yes, I'm a poke. Amazing books I can finish quickly, that's why I have to set the so-so ones aside after a while of face-making at them because I don't want to read them. I am proud to say I just finished Storm of Swords (3rd in the Game of Thrones series) and at over 1000 pages, it went pretty quick. Love those books and the series. Anyway, I want to read my friends' newly published stuff, but I have such a long and growing TBR list, it seems impossible!

Okay, techies, instead of upgrading the gadgets we have, how bout inventing that new thingie that makes time stand still for an extra hour a day?

How fast do you read?


And here are the answers to Deana's great get to know each other questions and a little bit about me:

Where do you write?

at my writing desk, of course! It was exciting to get!

Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?

a pile of “to do” stuff and three notebooks with ideas, ready to be filled with pens and pencils in varying shades depending on my mood =)

Favorite time to write?

morning – after getting kids on the bus; night – after kids go to bed. these are my only quiet times! (oh, and waiting on kids when picking up from practice!)

Drink of choice while writing?

coffee, what else? 

When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?

silence please. I need one of those "Sh!" signs from golf tournaments

What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?

sitting in my car, watching my boys’ football practices and subbing at high school – i decided to write a barrier breaking ya/mg novel about fantasy creatures in high school

What's your most valuable writing tip?

don’t quit is a given, so I will say to get many people to read your MS. you need many opinions because you will want many different people to buy it, but don't try to please them all! Compromise. Polishing it means making sure your story, voice, and best foot get across!

My quick bio - I'm pretty boring now, but my stories are exciting and I live vicariously through them. A math teacher by trade, subbing until my kids are a little bit older, I have become more serious with my writing in recent years. Always liked reading, but never thought about writing until my adventures and friends inspired me. Now writing is what keeps me going with new ideas hitting me all the time! It's awesome!