Questions and answers

My friend Jolene Perry posted this Q & A on her blog today and asked that people who read it answer them too.  So here goes....  A mini-interview!  If you like it, please consider yourself tagged and you can  answer the questions on your own blog!  Or in the comments.  Whatever floats your boat....

Do you listen to music while you write? Before you write? Or neither?
It really depends on the book.  Usually not.  Music is always really important to my books and there are always specific songs I reference in them (even if I don't say exactly what they are) but I need to listen to music when I'm not writing.  

Do you work on one project at a time? Or many projects at a time?
I tend to focus on one novel length project at a time.  But I do write short stories sometimes while mid-novel.  I also usually start at least thinking about my next book as soon as I've finished my first draft so I have something to work on while I let the novel rest.  And I usually start writing that new book as I'm finishing up edits on the last one.

Do you know when you've started writing something special? Or do they all feel special?
No.  I don't have a lot of perspective on my own work.  I know when a scene feels amazing as I'm writing it, but I'm never sure anything I write is anything other than ordinary until I've had time away from it.
Are there projects that you couldn't imagine changing anything in the story? And on the opposite of that, are there projects where you could shrug about change and jump in and do it?
No to the first question and yes to the second.  I know my weakness as a writer is in plotting, so I never take anything as being set in stone.  Everything and everyone can always be changed.  That's why I value my crit partners so much - they always know when I need to change things and nudge me in the right direction.

Do titles come easily for you? Or are they more difficult?
Sometimes they're easy, but most of my books spend a long time being called just 'Chris' or 'Casey' or 'Liz' until they find their title.

Did you know you wanted to be a writer when you started your first book?
I think I always secretly wanted to be a writer, but it wasn't a 'real' job so I never admitted it until recently.

Do you think your first book will be published? (I know this is a REALLY rude question to ask someone who is working on their first book ;-)
Absolutely not!  My first book is buried deep in a drawer where it will never see the light of day.  In fact, I should destroy all evidence of it in case I die and someone finds it and publishes it to spite me.  

Are there favorite places in your house where you like to write? Or do you get more work done when you go somewhere else? I tend to get more done if I get out of the house.  I like to write at the library, but unfortunately it's not that practical to go there all that often, so I usually write at home.  My desk is in the dining room which is also a major thoroughfare, so I get interrupted a lot.  Except when I write at 5:30am.


So there you have it!  What about you?