Usually, I try not to focus too much on myself in these Medium writings. You, reader, are more important.
But since I was tagged by Adam J. Hillis a while back, I decided to give this challenge a shot. Sounded like fun so hope you find it an entertaining diversion, at least!
1. I have a stuffed animal collection
As a child, I hated dolls.
Well, hate is a strong word.
Let’s just say that any disproportional plastic figurine that got into my hands either collected dust in the back of a closet, or featured as the evil villain trying to kidnap my beloved animals in my epic, make-believe adventure games.
(Something about their frozen expressions did not seem quite as appealing as the friendly look of my furry friends)
I’ve always felt drawn to animals, stuffed and otherwise, and even after I “grew up,” I could not throw away the fur buddies who had accompanied me through so many golden hours as a kid.
They’re packed away in a box now, but once in a while I bring them out and reminisce.
2. I taught myself to play the guitar from scratch
I received a guitar as a gift when I was in college. But being a busy student, I never got around to actually learning how to play the darn thing until years later.
Finally, I decided to bite the bullet, and began learning chords primarily through Youtube and Google.
I’m still no professional, but I know enough chords (about 10) and have a capo and a basic understanding of music theory to improvise the majority of songs I want to play (just maybe not in their original keys).
3. I wrote my 1st book in the 2nd grade
It was written on triple-lined paper, self-illustrated, and had a construction-paper cover, but a couple of my classmates thought it was good enough to “borrow” from the classroom library, so there’s that.
It’s still hanging out somewhere in my filing cabinet today.
4. I listen to podcasts (almost) all day long
I like to listen to educational material nearly every chance I get. I’m currently subscribed to a variety of podcasts on topics ranging from children’s writing to business, apologetics, mental training, etc.
5. My favorite novels are…
…too many to list. Off the top of my head, then, some of my favorites (aka novels that were particularly memorable and influential on me as a writer) are:
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austen
- Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
- Ben Hur by Lew Wallace
- Flush by Carl Hiaasen
- Holes by Louis Sachar
Yes, quite a few of these are children’s fiction. But that’s because the seed of writing is usually planted in childhood, after all!
6. I plan to learn the 3 most common languages in the world
I took some Spanish in high school, and some Chinese in college, and I’ve been to both Asia and South America, where I got a bit of practice with both.
It’s not an urgent goal, but one that I do for fun when I have downtime, and I hope I’ll be moderately fluent in all 3 by the end of my life. Enough to understand, speak, and read and write a bit too.
7. I learn everything important through song
That includes foreign vocabulary, US presidents, and even the multiplication table.
Yes, the multiplication table.
Pros: I learned the entire thing from 1x1 to 10x10 in less than a week and I was acing elementary school math tests in no time at all.
Cons: to this day, it still takes me three times as long as others who learned the tables through drilling to tell you what 6x7 is, because I have to speed-play the song in my head. Sigh.
8. I first started blogging in middle school
Back then, my “blogging” consisted of retelling interesting and inspiring stories that I thought might encourage my classmates and friends.
Then life got busy and I stopped. And restarted. And stopped. And restarted.
Over the years, I started a cooking blog. And a book blog. And a mental health blog. And a music blog. I learned what I had to learn from each, and am now integrating many of those lessons into my upcoming writing blog: beabrilliantwriter.com
9. I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo 12x since 2006
That would be National Novel Writing Month, where crazy (fun) people attempt to write a novel in 30 days every November.
But I never finished a book until I discovered the utility of outlining first:
10. My favorite animals are birds
Not the enormous birds of prey like hawks or eagles but the smaller songbirds like canaries and sparrows. Also, hummingbirds.
Why?
Because they’re colorful and lovely, they fly, and (many of them) sing. And because watching them makes people happy. And we could all use a bit more happiness in this world.
Tagging…
Anybody who thinks this is fun and wants to do it!
If I must name names, though, then perhaps Adam, Diabetic Cyborg, Caroline DePalatis, Janis Cox, Benjamin P. Hardy, and Nicole Akers. I know these folks are very busy, however, so up to you! If you think it will be a fun experience, go for it. If you don’t have time, we understand 😃
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