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Monday, September 3, 2012

GUTGAA Meet and Greet

Hey guys! I'm excited to be participating in GUTGAA this year (Gearing Up To Get An Agent, which you can still sign up for, here). GUTGAA is going on all September long, and week one is the Meet and Greet. I'm excited to get to know other aspiring authors out there! 

Deana Barnhart, the gal running GUTGAA (and my new favorite person), asked that we tell a little bit about ourselves, so here's my word-vomit for her survey. ;)


Where do you write?
Currently, at my very small and simple desk in my semi-cluttered office. In Moscow, Idaho. 

Yeah, I know.

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

A stack of post-its. 

Favorite time to write?

Morning, definitely. I get stupider by the hour, so it's best for me to do important things right when I wake up. :)

Drink of choice while writing?

Water, ha. I have it in my Renovation water bottle, too.

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

99 percent of the time I need complete silence. But I like listening to music while I brainstorm.

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

Uh... my being too cold in my house, ha. I think it was around February, and I thought, "Gee, it would suck to be like this all the time." XD

What's your most valuable writing tip?

Don't edit yourself while you write. It will slow you down! Draft first, revise later.




I’m a technical writer and editor from Salt Lake City, Utah, currently living in Moscow, Idaho. I play the ukulele, pretend to speak Japanese, and really want a dog.

39 comments:

  1. "Morning, definitely. I get stupider by the hour, so it's best for me to do important things right when I wake up. :)" *giggles*

    Nice to meet you, Charlie!

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  2. Post it notes, you're my kind of gal!

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  3. Great writing tip, and awesome photo Charlie! Also I love how you found the inspiration to write your WIP ;) Best of luck with GUTGAA!

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  4. I have to admit I miss cold. What I wouldn't give for a nice winter storm.

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  5. Hi Charlie,

    Thanks for stopping by my blog, silence is crucial for me as well. Even though I love music so much. I like the tip about not editing yourself, I did that with one of my manuscripts and it was a struggle to finish.

    Patrice

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  6. Hi Charlie! I'm a morning writer too. Love the pic!

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  7. I hate to be cold! Great to get to know you better, m'dear. ^_^

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  8. That is excellent advice as well, I might add. I've fallen in that trap way too many times, and then thru revisions end up editing half of it out anyway. If I only would've waited til I was all done!!
    Great to meet you! :D See ya around the GUTGAA!!

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  9. You are too cute! I love that picture of you!

    That advice is so good. I definitely have a difficult time not editing while I write.

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  10. I love the inspiration for your MS. Now I really want to know what it's about!

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  11. I have to learn to tame my Inner Critic. She wants to edit and revise before I ever finish the first chapter of the first draft.

    Yeah. She'd a tough banshee lol!!

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  12. Singing from the same songsheet regarding getting the writing done in the morning. Also, Idaho has a Moscow? Oh America, you so silly :') Have a good GUTGAA!

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  13. Guess who's your 100th follower! Meeeee!! Very nice to meet you. I'm with you on the post-its. I absolutely love them!

    AA
    http://anallegedauthor.blogspot.com/

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  14. Hahaha, I LOVE knowing the inspiration for your awesome story! Isn't it funny how lightning bolts hit you at the most random moments?

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  15. Hi! *waves* So nice to meet you!

    This is SO funny: I get stupider by the hour, so it's best for me to do important things right when I wake up.

    My characters don't wake up very early so I can't write in the morning ;)

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  16. Hi Charlie
    Great to meet you. Thanks for visiting my blog (no 152 when I grow up I wanna write a kids book)
    I am dying to reveal my cover lol
    Hope to read a query of your soon as you make me laugh just reading your blog. Cheers Julie

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  17. Hi Charlie thanks for visiting my blog. ( when I grow up I wanna write a kids book). I can't wait to reveal my cover. Hope to read a query of your soon as you make me laugh a lot just in your blog. Cheers Julie

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  18. I love about writing early because it's all downhill from the first hour. I totally feel the same! I am finally learning how to not edit on the first draft. It feels mighty uncomfortable, though! Nice to meet you!

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  19. I've been to Moscow Russia, but not Moscow Idaho. I have 2 and a half dogs (the whippet is really more of a cat in a dog suit, the Jacks are all dog though). When I have more time I need to drool over your chocolate posts because something that has chocolate chip cookie dough AND truffle in its name clearly merits my undivided attention. Good luck with your pitch!

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  20. Nice to meet you. Good luck with GUTGAA

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  21. I hope that pic is used as your author photo when you're pubbed. :) Good luck!

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  22. Hello there! Great to meet you. I want a dog too! Like, yesterday. Even have the name picked out (either Monster or Muppet, depending on the amount of fur). Looking forward to seeing you around GUTGAA!

    http://thinkingtoinking.blogspot.com

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  23. I lived your explanation for why you write in the morning! Happy GUTGAA

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  24. I lived in an apartment like that when I was in university... the heat never worked. We'd routinely wear toques (that's a Canadian word for a knit hat) and mittens around the house: cooking, cleaning, watching TV. Yep. It sucks. Looking forward to seeing you around GUTGAA!

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  25. Me again - I'd like to link us but I don't know how...

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  26. In honor of us now being best friends, I'm commenting on your awesome post. Consider this an honor. I'm usually too lazy. :)

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  27. Very interesting inspiration for your novel, Charlie. Good luck with GUTGAA!

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  28. Hi fellow GUTGAA'er. Thank you for stopping by the blog! You should definitely check out Night Circus. It has descriptions to die for. You should definitely get that dog. Mine is very helpful in the writing process. She gives me sad looks until I stop and walk her. ;)

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  29. Hi Charlie,
    The idea of being cold all the time, can't wait to see where you take it, just stopping by via GUTGAA. Look forward to hearing from you soon!

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  30. Nice to meet you! I'm in Utah too. Very cool that you want a dog. I have a dog and she's great.

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  31. Hello! I just filled out your secondary GUTGAA questionnaire, which was highly entertaining.

    Mainly I'm relieved you didn't ask what's to my RIGHT when I'm writing. It was embarrassing enough revealing the mess to my left. Good luck! :)

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  32. Hey! Nice to meet you, and thanks for the comment on my blog. :)

    I smiled at the "get dumber by the hour" line. LOVE! It's strangely the complete opposite for me. I wake up stupid, then gradually increase inteligence... LOL.

    Good luck at GUTGAA!

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  33. Thanks for making me aware of this. Perhaps my MG Christmas book can garner some interest. Heaven knows I've been meaning to start querying, for like, waaaaay too long. I'm joining up!

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  34. Loved your entertaining answers-- think I get dumber by the hour, too-- so I start writing first, and let everything else deal with my stupidity later. Smart writing tip! Sounds like you've got it all together. :)

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  35. My son is a ukelele nut. He even makes his own out of old cigar boxes. You two should jam.

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  36. Hi! I'm stopping by a few more Meet & Greets that I missed last week. I constantly edit as I write, it really slows my progress. I keep telling myself I won't and yet. Maybe on the next project. Good luck with all the pitch and agent stuff on GUTGAA :)

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  37. just dropping by from GUTGAA...it's taking a while to get through the list! And I'm also a water gal.

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