5 Easy Questions with Laura Pauling!

Every Wednesday, I ask a writer the same five easy questions. In an effort to support and promote fellow wordsmiths, I feature authors who write a variety of genres, from sweet inspirational to mainstream thrillers. The writers themselves may be aspiring, published, or  best-selling--all have made an impact on my life.

Thank you for joining me in welcoming… Laura Pauling!!

Laura and I met through blogging, and her intelligence and warmth captured me right away. If you don't suscribe to her blog, remedy that. She writes smart posts about the publishing industry, and she often analyzes books and movies based on plot structure. I always learn something! Laura writes middle grade fiction, and I know it won't be long until her books are on shelves.

Let's get to it!

1. Beverage of choice

My husband is on the search for the perfect smoothie but we have yet to find it. It seems to be very difficult to find that blend between yogurt and seedy berries. So if anyone has any good recipes please add them in the comments. (No seriously, I'm tired of drinking yogurt.) If you ask my kids, they'd say Dunkin Donuts coffee, and they don't mind that because they seem to get a donut from the deal. Sometimes.

2. Any pets?

If my daughter wasn't allergic to dogs, I'm sure my kids would've talked us into a cute little puppy. Instead, my son has a not-so-cute, I mean, extremely cute gerbil named Hercules who makes a lot of noise especially at night or when I'm alone during the day. Unfortunately, I mean, thankfully, he's only escaped once. Except now, my son's talking about his next pet - a snake! Yeah, no thanks.

3. Dream vacation?

Tough question. I'll put it this way, for our anniversary my husband wanted to hike and sleep at an AMC hut. So for us both to have our dream vacations we'd have to split up. He'd live in the woods and pretend to be a pioneer, and I'd rent a house on the ocean so I could watch the sunrise over a steaming cup of coffee and my laptop. I could run on the beach, talk walks...etc. Except, if there were no monetary limits, I'd love to backpack through Europe with someone who knows what they're doing. And then crash in the evening at my magical traveling beach house.

4.What are you listening to right now?

Like right now? Since it's morning and I haven't started writing yet, I'll be honest. In the background, are the groans of pirates dying, ninjas fighting knights, and dinosaurs crashing a castle - otherwise known as my kids. When I'm writing a first draft, the story dictates the music, so I've been listening to Enya and I'm on the search for music like that. Any ideas? Anyone? 

5. What's for dinner?

My husband will be at his fantasy football draft, so I'm making the kids pizza. And I'll have salad. Sometimes I feel like such a mom (I try my hardest to ignore the fact that I drive a mini van and my kids play soccer). 

***

Too funny, Laura! We make smoothies for breakfast sometimes, and our fave recipe is: a lot of ice, one cup of yogurt, a quart of strawberries, one banana, and a scoop of protein powder. I'm so glad I'm not the only one suckered into having a rodent for a pet. Our guinea pig just won't escape either. And your dream vacay bears a strong resemblance to mine--a week at the beach with plenty of time to putter around the area. No pioneering allowed!

I wish I had some music to recommend. It seems as if there are French artists who share an Enya-like sound, but I can't think of any off the top of my head. Maybe see if iTunes will suggest something and try to borrow a CD from your library? That's the "mom" in me, coming out. Yeah, I drive the mini-van too, and we have soccer games this week. I just pretend my ride is a Mustang convertible. :) Thanks so much for being my guest today!

***

Laura Pauling writes middle grade and young adult novels, sometimes funny, sometimes dark and twisty, but always with heart. On her blog, Laura Pauling, she breaks down published novels and movies to discover the secrets of story structure and likes to open discussion on publishing industry trends and issues. To learn more about Laura's writing, head to her blog and follow her on Twitter.

So, what did you have for breakfast this morning? (We're in a breakfast rut.)

Have a happy Wednesday!

Tweet

Share

Writers Helping Writers

Bill Morris wrote a funny and thought-provoking article, "To Blurb or Not To Blurb," over at The Millions. He chronicles his discomfort when faced with a friend's book he agreed to read with the intention of writing a blurb.



It got me thinking about all of the ways writers help each other. Some things are easy, like commenting on a blog, while other things are harder, like offering a critique. Agreeing to give a blurb for a friend is another sticky area.

What if you love the friend but aren't in love with the book? What if all of your published friends start requesting blurbs from you? This could be a time-consuming affair! What if you spend hours reading the book, give a terrific blurb and the publisher ultimately does not use it?

I am not in a position to offer a blurb, so I'm not worried about any of this. But every writer has something to offer another writer, and some gestures are more time-consuming or risky than others. It's up to the writer to decide what she is willing to offer.

Here are some ways aspiring writers can help other writers.

- Follow other blogs.
- Connect and encourage each other on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites.
- Offer to critique a query, synopsis, or manuscript.
- E-mail writers you don't often see.
- Share other writers' good news. Shout out a congratulations on your social networks when a writer friend lands an agent, finals in a contest, or gets "the call."
- Leave positive reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, or other sites when you enjoy a book.
- Volunteer at your local writer's group.
- Answer questions to the best of your knowledge and pass on information.

In the spirit of wanting to share, I'm showcasing a few writers' blogs I recently discovered. We found each other through different routes--Twitter, recommendations, and other blogs, and I'm so glad we connected.

P.W. Creighton: Writing Files
Laura Pauling: Exercising the Right to Ramble
Jessica R. Patch: What are You Doing Here?
Lindsay A. Franklin
Cheryl's Musings: How to Thrive on the Writer's Road

I could have expanded this list to twenty-five easily! There are so many terrific blogs out there! Won't you take a few minutes to stop by and say "hi" to the above bloggers?

How do you help other writers?
Have a wonderful Monday!

Tweet

Share