An author of YA and children's books joins us today as a guest blogger today. Cordelia Dinsmore has some really fun responses to our ten questions!
) A short paragraph on what you write about and the genre, please? (don't forget your web page address!) I write for kids, from picture books to young adult. I love writing rhyming picture books, especially for the kids in my life, but I enjoy writing middle grade and young adult for my own enjoyment. I’ve been a foster mom to many young people, and I use my writing to come to terms with the experiences I’ve had in that area of my life. My website is http://cordeliadinsmore.blogspot.com.
2) What is a typical writing session like, in 300 characters or fewer? I use the BIC method – sit with my butt in the chair and make my fingers move. Sometimes I think it would be easier to go outside and relocate my house.
3) Men: boxers or briefs? Women: underwire or banded? (apparently people want to know this!) I’m a free spirit. Need I say more?
4) If you use a pen name, why? If you don't, do you worry about stalkers? I do, but only because I thought it would be a fun thing to do. Mine is a combination of one of my favorite childhood favorites – Elsie Dinsmore – who was old before my birth, and Cordelia, because I just love the sound of that name.
5) What is the oddest thing about your writing or the way you write? It may not be odd, but my characters actually talk to me. A brand new character may first approach me while I’m soaking in the tub, and she (I don’t allow males in the bathroom while I’m bathing) will just start telling me her story like we’ve been best friends forever. It freaks me out at times, but it also makes my characters completely real to me. Except for the purple elephant. She’s still a bit iffy.
6) Give us a glimpse into how you choose the names of your characters, please? It depends. Some of my character names could be interchanged with any other name, but certain ones have to be exactly who they are. Sometimes I will know a character’s name, and what her/his role is going to be. Then I’ll look up the meaning of the name on a search engine, and it completely fits with that particular character. Weird? Maybe. But that’s how it’s happened so far.
7) Any thoughts on staying healthy while pursuing such a sedentary career? Eat one piece of chocolate every hour.
8) Dogs or cats, and why? (don't say "neither" because even if you don't have one, choosing is informative!) Both. My menagerie of one dog and two cats keep me company while I write. If I don’t know where they are, I can’t concentrate.
9) If you research, what's your method? If you don't, how do you get away with that? I haven’t done a lot of researching yet, but I use Google periodically. For a YA novel that is temporarily on hold, I made numerous telephone calls to Tennessee Technical College and the county extension office in Cookeville, Tennessee. They were amazingly helpful, and I still owe one of the ladies there a signed copy (when it eventually is publishable).
10) What is the most interesting or outrageous comment you've heard/read about your writing?
HA! It was in regards to a rather unique bovine star of a Chapter Book I wrote. I had a dairy farmer friend read it, and he said I absolutely nailed the cow personality. I don’t know if that was a compliment or not. This has certainly been a lot of fun. Thanks for having me!
1 comment:
So fun getting to know you Cordelia. And I love the part about the cow's personality. Makes me want to read to find out what those enigmatic cows are really thinking!
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