GUTGAA or Bust!

Deana Barnhart
 
 
Not to be confused with busting a gut. This splendiferous blogfest helps us gear up to get an agent. If you haven't heard of it yet, stop...click the link...we'll wait. Go! Shoo!

We kick off the festivities with these fun "Get to Know Me" questions. And if you really can't get enough, there's always the "About Me" section of the blog.

Enjoy! I'm off to get to know all of YOU.

Where do you write?
Wherever I can. Honestly. Mostly, I write sprawled on my bedroom floor, but I've also written at desks, in the car (with a tape recorder) and in a tree stand to name a few.

Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?
Ha - my laundry bag. Guess that's a bit of a wake-up call. :)

Favorite time to write?
Writing time IS my favorite time, no matter when it happens. I try to be flexible and fit it in around the rest of my sometimes-crazy life.

Drink of choice while writing?
Ooh, great question. It totally depends on the time of year and my characters. Once, I was drinking a local brew while writing, and I loved the flavor so much I wrote it into the tavern menus for my WIP. In the winter, I'm a fan of hot chocolate with chai.

When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?
Music is a must. I'm addicted to Pandora, and I use music as inspiration or to set the mood of the scene I'm writing.

What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
The very strange combination of a breaking storm, Dio's song Rainbow in the Dark and Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker cover art (Thank you Dan Dos Santos!).

What's your most valuable writing tip?
Be a student of the game. If you love it, truly love it, you'll read all you can, learn all you can, admire and study other authors every chance you get. It all adds up to perfecting your craft.

**Bonus tip! I can't resist - I just re-read this quote next to my desk at work and, you guys, it's perfect. "Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about." That's how it is with me and writing.**

36 comments:

  1. Nice getting to know you, the inspirations for your current WIP sound intriguing.

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  2. I am so looking forward to winter, so I can snuggle up with a hot chocolate and my laptop while writing! :D

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  3. Darn laundry, why does it never end, why? Hot chocolate though, that's a win. But I cheat and drink it all year round ;)

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  4. I look left at my laundry! I don't know why that struck me as a funny coincidence. We all have laundry. But it did! Nice to meet you.

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  5. It sounds like you are good at multi-talking...and I have laundry in the dryer to put away! :0

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  6. Great writing advice! I totally agree. And hot chocolate with chai? That sounds AMAZING. I'm a total chai addict so it sounds like something I should try...

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  7. Hello! Nice to meet you!

    And what great advice. Keep writing and keep learning too. So, so true.

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  8. I LOVE Brandon Sanderson. Have you seen his lectures? There are various links to thing scattered across my blog, because he's so good at teaching writing.

    See you around GUTGAA!

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  9. Clare - Thanks for stopping by!

    Kyra - Me too, though I feel like that wish might come back to bite me in the form of a wicked winter.

    janealfalor - I wouldn't call that cheating. I'd call it brilliant!

    Alex - It really is! I was kind of afraid no one would recognize it when I mentioned it. ;)

    VikLit - I cracked up when I realized that was going to be my answer.

    Heather - I'm good at attempting multi-tasking...whether I succeed at it is still TBD.

    halibaumstein - The chai totally kicks it up a notch!

    Kelley - You too!

    Laura - I have seen his lectures, and I saw him in person a few weeks ago...amazing!

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  10. Hot chocolate WITH Chai? You are a woman after my own heart.
    Although I usually have one or the other.

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  11. LOL Great answers. I like your writing tip. It is truly a neverending learning process.

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  12. Great advice with the last question. It's important to learn and grow. Glad to get to know you better.

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  13. I've heard so many people mention Pandora, and yet... what the? I must be backwards not knowing what that is... off too Google. Nice to meet you, and good luck with GUTGAA!

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  14. Awesome writing tip. So very true. I'm also a Pandora girl, yay! Stop by and say hello if you get the chance. I'm trying to make it easier on my fellow GUTGAANS by adding the link, lol. http://anjeasandro.blogspot.com/

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  15. Hi Nicole. Thanks for dropping by the blog. Glad to meet you and a fellow Brandon Sanderson fan!

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  16. Hot chocolate with chai? That sounds AMAZING.

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  17. I absolutely LOVE your "bonus" writing tip. That is so true. I can't live without writing either, so we must be doing the right thing, huh? :)

    Good luck with GUTGAA!!! So much fun!

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  18. I like how you say writing is my favorite time. That's true for me too. One of my favorites at least.

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  19. Hi! I love the idea of the tape recorder. Sometimes I get ideas at a speed that makes it impossible for me to write them all, so I end up losing some of them. Maybe I should try your method.
    Great meeting you! Read you around :)

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  20. Mmm, hot chocolate with chai sounds so good.

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  21. great writing tips! thank you!

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  22. I love the hot chocolate and chai idea. :) Thanks for stopping by my blog, and nice to meet you!

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  23. Another Pandora addict! Yay! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Happy GUTGAA!

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  24. Yes, we must always learn. I so agree! It's so nice to meet you!

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  25. "Writing time IS my favorite time, no matter when it happens."

    Mine too! Good luck with GUTGAA. :)

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  26. Love love love your quote. It completely hits the nail on the head of how I feel.

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  27. Saying hello from GUTGAA...Your bonus tip is inspirational and motivating. Hope to read more from you!

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  28. Oh that quote is great. That's how I feel about writing. I can't not think about it. Nice to meet you.

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  29. hot chocolate w/chai? nice... i can't wait until fall/winter! great to meet you!

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  30. I'm a bit GUTted that I had to drop out... major stuff happening! Hope you enjoy it. :)

    I love how you were inspired from different directions. It's great when things rub off each other to spark an awesome idea concoction!

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  31. Nichole,

    Are you a Brandon Sanderson fan? I am too.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. It's really nice to meet you. Good luck with GUTGAA.

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  32. Best quote EVER! I've really got to dip my toe into Pandora. I'm so glued to my iPod and my faves. Must - expand - horizons.

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  33. I love how much I'm learning with this meet and greet....hot chocolate and chai sounds delicious!!! nice to meet you by the way :)and I love the quote you ended with!!

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  34. Love your writer's advice. We have to immerse ourselves, and nothing short of Perfection and Excellence is needed. I'm a doctor, so we are not allowed to make mistakes :-). I like to bring that into my writing, too. Excellence. Muaaah!


    Dr Margaret Aranda

    www.girlpowerinamm.blogspot.com
    drmargaretaranda.blogspot.com

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