The Nully Survey!

[Abaratian]

Lady of Midnight gave me this part of the forums to handle, and I figured to start it off, I'd throw out a little survey. It'll tell me about you all as writers, but will also give me a clue as how to better handle this section of TMH

Who?
Do you have a pseudonym? If so, do you mind telling us what it is?
How did you come up with your pseudonym?
Any authors that you would like to be like?
What do you want people to say about you as an author?

What?
What genres do you write?
Do you write poetry or prose? Novels or short stories?
Who is your target audience?
Are there any themes you like to use?

Where?
Where do you get your ideas from?
Where is your favorite place to write?
Do you end up writing most of your stuff in this favorite place?
How do you store your stuff?

When?
How old were you when you started writing?
What time of the day do you get most of your writing done?
Is there a time of year that you find you write more during?
When do most of your writings take place?

Why?
Why do you write?
Why did you pick poetry over prose, or visa versa?
If you were to publish your stuff, is there a point you would like it to make?
Do you write for yourself, or for potential readers?

How?
Pen/Pencil or computer?
What do you do to improve your writing?
How do you decide what ideas are good or not?
After your death, how do you think people will remember you as an author/poet? Not how you would like them to remember you, but how you actually think they will remember you.

And a final question...
What things would you like to see in this part of the forums?

[Abaratian]

Who?
Do you have a pseudonym? If so, do you mind telling us what it is?My pseudonym is L.M. Barton
How did you come up with your pseudonym? It was an insanely long process that was pretty personal, and somewhat embarrassing. But let me just say that Clive Barker's surname did have a part in my chosen surname
Any authors that you would like to be like? Um... honestly? JK Rowling - I would love to be filthy rich from my writing, and have millions of fans that discuss my books and write fanfiction/draw fanart constantly. Plus seeing movies of my books made... and she's a semi-celebrity!
What do you want people to say about you as an author? That I'm great to my fans, I'm good at keeping characters realistic and sympathetic, and that my books are fun to read, whether or not one considers my technique impressive.

What?
What genres do you write? Basically everything except Sci-Fi... I don't think I'm really smart enough
Do you write poetry or prose? Novels or short stories? Prose of all kinds! I write some poetry, but I really have to be in the mood.
Who is your target audience? Young adults and twentysomethings. I don't really think older adults will have a lot of interest in what I write, although there are plenty of adults who read like... Twilight (gag), so I guess I can't say.
Are there any themes you like to use? Actually, yes! The biggest one for me is that you can't judge good or evil, I think all of my stories have villains that aren't so evil and protagonists that aren't so good, and I want readers to question that a lot. I also like to throw out the idea that love can come from unexpected places.

Where?
Where do you get your ideas from? Every writer gets asked this question, and I know everyone hates it! I get a lot of ideas from dreams. But also I get a lot of ideas from overhearing a single sentence or phrase or concept and then my brain just starts elaborating on it. This initial sentence/phrase can come from TV, movies, the radio, or even overhearing people in real life.
Where is your favorite place to write? Right now, I don't really have one. Before I moved, I loved to sit in my room and just write everything. But we had to leave that house and now there's no place where I really love to write.
Do you end up writing most of your stuff in this favorite place? Most of my stuff gets written at school, actually. When I should be paying attention, but I don't.
How do you store your stuff? Well, the stuff on my computer all gets stored in special folders. But my physical stuff is all kept in notebooks until the notebook is full, and when the notebook is full, the good stuff I save and put into binders, and the junk I throw away. I probably shouldn't throw so much away, but I do.

When?
How old were you when you started writing? I've been writing stories my whole life. Even when I was a kid and couldn't wrap my head around books longer than 10 pages long without pictures, I was writing little "books" and drawing pictures for them! Most of them involved animals, sleep over parties, or girl superheroes.
What time of the day do you get most of your writing done? During the day, at school, but also at night right before I go to bed. However, my best stuff is normally written early in the morning, but that's usually when I write the least.
Is there a time of year that you find you write more during? The summer, probably. I'm really active, doing a lot with my friends, and get a lot more inspiration.
When do most of your writings take place? Present-day. Very few of my stuff takes place in the past, but some of it does take place in the future. Also, almost all of my stuff takes place during the summer. Maybe because that's when I get the most of my inspiration.

Why?
Why do you write? Because I love it, and it soothes me.
Why did you pick poetry over prose, or visa versa? I just think there's so much more to prose. So many more opportunities for research, practice, wriggling out ideas... It's so much more challenging and really exercises your brain.
If you were to publish your stuff, is there a point you would like it to make? Not really, just that anyone can write
Do you write for yourself, or for potential readers? A mixture. Obviously, I write ideas that I enjoy. But every step of the process, I keep the readers in mind. Or else I would just write a whole lot of porn

How?
Pen/Pencil or computer? My best stuff begins on paper and is then transferred to a computer.
What do you do to improve your writing? I read a lot! I read books I enjoy, but I also like to read articles, magazines, and books about writing. I know this girl that reads nothing but manga and wants to be an author - but her writing is terrible! I think you need to read everything you can get your hands on if you want to be worth your reader's time.
How do you decide what ideas are good or not? It mostly just depends on how detailed the ideas are. If they're really detailed and complex, usually it bothers me to the point that I can't help but write them. But if they're vague, they're easier for me to store away for later.
After your death, how do you think people will remember you as an author/poet? Not how you would like them to remember you, but how you actually think they will remember you. Someone who was so versatile that it probably hurt her career. Someone who wrote sequels just as good as the originals. Someone who didn't have the best technical skill, but really knew what people wanted to read.

[Deleted]

Abaratian, I love your pseudonym! L.M Barton sounds impressive, lie J.K Rowling, H.P Lovecraft, C.S Lewis and so on. Anyway, I'd very much like to read something of yours! ;D

Now I'm going to do this too! Awesome idea, by the way! ;D

Who?
Do you have a pseudonym? If so, do you mind telling us what it is?
I don't have a pseudonym yet, because I've honestly never thought that I'd publish anything under any other name than my own. Perhaps I will, though. I'll definitely consider it.
How did you come up with your pseudonym? I haven't got one.
Any authors that you would like to be like?
Yes! First of all, I agree with Abaratian: getting filthy rich like J.K Rowling sure wouldn't hurt. But I would like to be one of those authors (like Stephen King or Terry Pratchett) who publish about a book a year (maybe two years if it's a slightly bigger project). Don't get me wrong, I let some stories brew in my mind for several years, but from the point of actually starting planning, and then writing, I want it to take no more than a year, even less to finish the first draft.
What do you want people to say about you as an author?
"Since I read her books I can't sleep without a light on."
"Her ideas are brilliant, but her characters are amazingly well done, alive and very human."
"She's so nice to talk to, I really feel that we connected."
"We have banned her books. The library may take them in, but *insert upright conservative organization here* will never approve of that garbage."

The last one I would take as a compliment. Pissing people off as an author is unavoidable in my humble opinion, something that happens to all authors eventually. Sooner or later somebody will accuse you of something completely idiotic, and I for one find it very amusing. I've already had one who suggested that I ought to kill myself because I didn't contributed anything good to society. Neat.

What?
What genres do you write?
Mostly horror/folklore/erotica, I think. I have a thing for the macabre, the darker fairytales and the morbid aspects of folklore and mythology. Add to that a fascination for all things erotic and sensual and you've got a genre that applies to me.
Also, it might be my own sexual orientation, or the fact that I'm a major in Gender Studies, but my stories also tend to have gay erotica/gay romance in them. A queer theme, you know.
Do you write poetry or prose? Novels or short stories?
Prose. Everytime I try my hand at poetry, I start to rhyme. I've written two novels (first drafts which I'm in the process of editing) and a few short stories. I plan to write a lot more.
Who is your target audience?
That's a hard one. It's not an age group thing, more like a preference thing. If you like horror/gay love/erotica in any combination then I guess you're my target audience.
Are there any themes you like to use?
I think the horror/gay love/erotica thing mentioned earlier counts as themes, yes? Also the folklore/mythology theme. And queer theme. I don't think that I have anything else, at least nothing that is obvious to me.

Where?
Where do you get your ideas from?
Mostly I get my ideas from real life, from people and situations and settings. But the otherwordly stuff comes from my dreams. I've had horrible nightmares since I was a little kid and lived quite happily surrounded by those monsters all my life. And of course I also get inspiration from reading, both books and comics. In the words of Terry Pratchett: "If you have enough book space, I don't want to talk to you."
Where is your favorite place to write?
I have a lovely little one-room apartment where I love to write. My favorite place is in my bed, propped up against a mountain of pillows with my laptop perched on my lap. All of my necessary books are withing easy reach, as are my bottle of diet coke and snacks.
Do you end up writing most of your stuff in this favorite place?
No, I wouldn't say most of my stuff. But those times that I'm able to take the time and prepare that place I write in longer bursts than at my desk.
How do you store your stuff?
I store it all in folders on my computer. One big one for all my projects and a lot of tiny ones. Other than that my apartment is cluttered with notebooks of all kinds, filled with little notes and blurbs.

When?
How old were you when you started writing?
I've written since I could read, basically. In school and at home I had one little notebook for every "book" I wrote. Mostly it was monsters eating people and when I was thirteen it was a whole forest full of vampires having sex. Hah, I remember a story about a plane crashing into the ocean and then a bunch of sharks (or was it one?) swum by and ate all the passengers. I was seven years old and made lots of pictures for my little book...XD
What time of the day do you get most of your writing done?
In the morning. I'm a morning person and like to get up at about 8am. Ideally, I have time to write then.
Is there a time of year that you find you write more during?
Autumn, I think. The whole season puts me in the mood of writing. The slow pace, the changing colors, the smell... Autumn is the season of melancholy and afterthought.
When do most of your writings take place?
In the mornings, in Autumn, and in November. During NaNoWriMo I usually almost finish a whole first draft, which feels amazing.

Why?
Why do you write?
It's like getting the question "Why do you breathe?". Because I have to.
Why did you pick poetry over prose, or visa versa?
As explained earlier, my poetry lacks a certain something... like quality.
If you were to publish your stuff, is there a point you would like it to make?
Overall, with my writing? I guess I've noticed that my stories tend to bring out gender issues in different disguises. Gay couples, for instance, shouldn't be that rare in literature when it's so common in our everyday lives.
Do you write for yourself, or for potential readers?
I suppose I do both. Mostly for myself, but when I send stuff in I try to hit my target, so to speak. But I adjust the target to fit my stories, not the other way around.

How?
Pen/Pencil or computer?
My trusty macbook ideally, but I have a notebook with me everywhere. Random notes are scribbled down where I stand, but when I sit myself down to write I do that by my computer.
What do you do to improve your writing?
Except for writing? Reading. I love to read, and I agree with you Abaratian; I just don't believe that a person can be a good author if he or she doesn't read.
How do you decide what ideas are good or not?
Do they stick? My old teacher used to say that the best ideas are those that come around... and around... and around until you finally write it down. When it starts to develop on it's own in my head, when the characters chime in in their own voices, that's when I sit down and listen.
After your death, how do you think people will remember you as an author/poet? Not how you would like them to remember you, but how you actually think they will remember you.
I think that people would remember me as someone who pissed people off never censored herself, who wasn't afraid to go that extra mile to give them goosebumps and nightmares.

And a final question...
What things would you like to see in this part of the forums?
Maybe a thread where you can ask each others opinions about your own writing?

[THE LADY OF MIDNIGHT]

Wow I love this you guys! I'll have to do mine soon.

[tarrielass]

Who?
Do you have a pseudonym? If so, do you mind telling us what it is?
Nah, at the moment I don't have. But I have considered starting writing as Tarrielass, when I get to the point where I feel ready to put something on the net.
How did you come up with your pseudonym?
Abarat -my passion. Tarriecats -the tar reminds me of sailing ships, a subject I love, and wildlife is another passion of mine.
Any authors that you would like to be like?
Michael Crichton, because of his intelligent style of writing, and Clive Barker. 'Nuff said.
What do you want people to say about you as an author?
"Her characters are so alive, I wonder if she puts anything of her real life in what she's writing." *blush*

What?
What genres do you write?
Anything, the most important being fantasy and some strange kind of scifi, I also love writing detective fiction (hardboiled and whodunnit) and stories about love and being young (with a slightly erotic tone).
Do you write poetry or prose? Novels or short stories?
Anything. Mostly novel...ish stories.
Who is your target audience?
Mostly young adults, I think, which is a bit contradictory, I'm still underage after all.
Are there any themes you like to use?
Contrasts in strong persons, seafaring adventures and hardboiled masculine characters, rebellion.

Where?
Where do you get your ideas from?
Conversations, books, movies and music, but the most important source are my dreams.
Where is your favorite place to write?
My own room or outside in the summer in the sunlight, or the kitchen, with a cup of cappuccino in my hand.
Do you end up writing most of your stuff in this favorite place?
Yeah, I could say so.
How do you store your stuff?
In...whaddya call them? Folders?

When?
How old were you when you started writing?
I was about as old as when I learned to talkXD My parents wrote my stories for me.
What time of the day do you get most of your writing done?
Morning and afternoon. Crazy, that, I'm most active in the evening.
Is there a time of year that you find you write more during?
Nope. Evently through the year.
When do most of your writings take place?
Summer. I doesn't like cold D:

Why?
Why do you write?
I need to. Too much good ideas in my head to let 'em go away.
Why did you pick poetry over prose, or visa versa?
I didn't:3
If you were to publish your stuff, is there a point you would like it to make?
Hmmm. If I published my anti-war stories, it would be kinda like 'I didn't raise my boy to be a soldier', but more likely the message would be 'life is wonderful, life's a gift'.
Do you write for yourself, or for potential readers?
For me. I rarely find anyone to read my stuff.

How?
Pen/Pencil or computer?
Both. I prefer pencil, though.
What do you do to improve your writing?
I re-read my texts and learn from my mistakes.
How do you decide what ideas are good or not?
I just kind of feel them differently if they're good or not.
After your death, how do you think people will remember you as an author/poet? Not how you would like them to remember you, but how you actually think they will remember you.
Good imagination, but hard to get into.

And a final question...
What things would you like to see in this part of the forums?
I'd like to discuss about writing with others with a passion for it.