11 Answers You Didn't Have 2 Seconds Ago

The talented and lovely Elizabeth Twist has tagged me (just smacked me over the head with a silly stick, the wicked girl). She's asked me to answer these random-tastic questions, then come up with my own eleven questions and tag-unto-others. Here goes!

1. What are you reading?
I always have 2 or 3 books on the go at the same time. Right now I'm reading Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake and Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I'm whipping through ADIB it's addictive and fast, while CA is a little slower, richer. Both are awesome fun. Next on the list is The Radley's by Matt Haig.


2. What is your favourite creative activity that is not writing? 
Is 'reading' way too predictable an answer? (and yes, it's creative) Yes, I know, but it's true. I have friends, women I love dearly, who haven't read a book unrelated to their work in years. I don't understand that. Even if I wasn't writing I'd be reading. Ever see the old Twilight Zone episode where a guy who only wants to be left alone to read ends up being the last person on earth - all alone with all the books in the world? And then - his glasses break. Heartbreaking. But I identify with that misanthrope sometimes!



3. Where or how do you get your best ideas? 
Again, I am so lame and cliched - but the shower or running or driving. Any time that I am doing something where conscious brain occupied with the mundane that allows the subconscious to bubble up. 


4. If you could magically and painlessly change one thing about your mind or body, what would it be, if anything? 
I'd get rid of my allergies. I'm allergic to cats and dogs and probably horses. But I love animals. My allergies are pretty severe, so much so that instead of seeing a cute ball of fur, I see an inhaler.

5. What's the scariest movie, story, novel, or scene you can recall?
I had to stop reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road. If you've read it, and you know the part where the man and his son stumble upon a farmhouse where there's a pantry full of 'walking food' - I stopped right there. I've read horror and supernatural and I don't have trouble with most of it. It's not the gore that wakes me up in the middle of the night. It's how inhumanly cruel people can be to each other.


6. What's the weirdest thing you believe? 
I believe that I'm tall. I'm not, I'm actually below average for woman at 5'3". But I feel tall. Is that weird? I don't wear heels, I don't try to make myself look taller, because in my head, I'm tall. And nothing I tell myself convinces me otherwise. Weird, right?

7. Super strength or super intelligence?
Super intelistrength. OK, not sure why I can't choose here! I'm gravitating towards intelligence, because I could always build a super robot to be my strong-arm minion. But being so super intelligent might lead to me scoffing at the idea of unicorns and zombies - and I can't have that.


8. You're granted the ability to become invisible. Where do you go and what do you do? (Bonus question: are you wearing clothes? I mean, what about YOUR becoming invisible makes your clothes invisible too? This has always bothered me.)
I'd go to the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York City at night. Sort of like in the book From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil Frankweiler. But I'd be invisible so I wouldn't worry. And I am wearing clothes because being invisible still means I can get chilly. My clothes are invisible too.


9. What one change do you think would have the most positive impact on the world as a whole?
7 billion+ people would wake up tomorrow and take their first sip of normal, every day water and be magically convinced that, hey - it's totally cool if not everyone agrees with my religion. I can believe what I want and they can believe in what they want and we're just going to agree to disagree. Then everyone will sit down and have cupcakes together.


10. What is the crappiest advice you've ever been given?
Have a back up plan. It's also the best advice I've ever been given. It's crappy because it implies that what you're striving for now is going to fail (ahem) and it's the best because having a back up plan may lead you to something else you love - this has happened to me before. So I'm keeping the two headed coin in my pocket.


11. What's your favourite song right now?
Serpents by Sharon Van Etten

PHew! (wipes sweat dramatically off brow) Now to come up with 11 questions for my next victims, urm, friends...but first a snack. Stay tuned.