Nominated!

by krstaten

Not for an award or anything, but I’m still honored.

I was nominated by fellow writer RomarinDemetri, author of the forthcoming novel A Mirror Among Shattered Glass, to do this ten-question challenge. Basically the rules are simple: I answer the ten questions this lovely author asked, then I ask ten more questions and tag a few people to answer those, and then those people answer them and ask ten more questions and tag a few more people…You get the point.

So let’s do this.

1. What superpower would you choose?
I know it’s cliche, but flying. I have no desire to have any kind of superpower that would destroy things, or give me knowledge I shouldn’t have. I just want to know what it’s like to be in the air with nothing supporting me and to go where I please that way.

2. In what ways is your greatest weakness also your greatest strength?
My greatest weakness is probably my anxiety. I don’t know how that could be construed as a strength, other than that it makes me prepare for absolutely anything because I’m always scared of what could go wrong.

3. Living in the Northeast of my country, I ask: what rocks about the Winter season?
Well, I live in Minnesota where the best (and by best I mean OH GOD WHY) parts of winter include at least a couple feet of snow on the ground and temperatures of -40 with the windchill…but I still love it. I like snuggling up with blankets and a cat and a book by the window while those big, wet, heavy snowflakes are falling, or throwing snowflakes at my husband’s butt whenever we go outside together because I’m an adult.

4. Describe your favorite scene in a television so, and what emotional response it elicited (I ask for TV because there are more twists and turning points to choose than movies).
This is actually really hard for me because I don’t watch a lot of television. I’m going to for the part in Boy Meets World (I grew up on that show) when Mr. Turner was in a horrible bike accident, during a time in which Shawn had joined a pretty cult-like organization for “lost souls.” Everyone in this group hugs and there’s kind of a dead, emotionless feel to it. And after the wreck, Cory brings Shawn into the hospital room to see Mr. Turner. Shawn insists that he can’t be there because it’s too intense and he “needs” to be with the leader of this cult-like group, and Cory pulls Shawn into a tight hug and says “This is a hug. And this is when you hug somebody–when you love them and you want them to know that.” And it just gives me SO MANY EMOTIONS that I don’t know how to explain the response other than that I turn into a blubbering mess.

5. What book would you NEVER in a thousand years read again?
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. Seriously, I respect Hemingway in most ways but I could not stand that book.

6. Coffee or Tea?
Tea. Always.

7. What is the one force in the world that is more powerful than any other?
I could be cliche and say love, or I could be nihilistic and say money/greed. I think I believe both, depending on my mood.

8. What is your favorite cover song and who is it by?
I have quite a few, but I think I’m going to go with one my husband made me fall in love with: Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt.” He really owned that song and made it something that just feels so much more strongly.

9. If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be?
Neil Gaiman. He’s my favorite currently-living writer, and I often credit him with being the reason I never gave up on writing even at my worst points. I just want to have dinner and tea with him and talk about what it means to be a writer.

10. If you had access to a time machine, which decade would you visit and why?
That’s hard to say. I’d say the 1920s. Jazz, flappers, and some damn good literature.

So this is the part where I come up with ten questions and whoever I tag is supposed to answer them. Here goes.

1. What writer or piece of literature has influenced you the most (as a person or as a writer/artist)?
2. If you could live in any fictional universe, which would you choose and why?
3. What songs get you feeling creative?
4. Tell me about a person you know or have heard about that you find fascinating, that you feel like you could write in as a character in a story. Someone you don’t necessarily know WELL, but you know enough about them to know that they’re a character.
5. What is a hobby or habit you have that many people would find strange?
6. If you were to be reincarnated, what would you like to be reincarnated as? (You can’t be a human again, but any other living thing.)
7. What is your biggest source of writer’s block (or, if you’re not a writer, whatever it is that keeps you from creating whatever you create)?
8. What is your name?
9. What is your quest?
10. What is your favorite color?

And as for who I tag, I always struggle with this, but here goes. I’m supposed to tag ten people, apparently, but I’m not sure I know enough people that well, so I’ll tag the following blogs and go from there:

Points for Humanity, a blog by my lovely friend Natasha about her journey to discover and reinforce faith in people.

Live the Adventure, a blog by my lovely friend Anna about life and the things you learn living.

To Form Ideas, a poetry blog by my best friend Cassandra, the person who got me interested in poetry…oh, about twelve or thirteen years ago now.

Napoleon’s Battle Plan, a blog by my friend and former roommate Sarah, which thus far has only one post but it is a lovely poem.

Literary Accidents, the blog by my former classmate Cimarron who happens to be one of my favorite poets out of those I know personally.

And this semi-self titled blog by my former classmate Meredith, who reviews cool things that you should know about.

Four other people should definitely also do this but you guys can decide who for yourselves.