As of July 4, 2017

So, I got tagged by kimcgray95 and I will finally be telling you more about my writing life! (Music so you won't be bored to tears.) THIS IS GONNA BE CRAY!!

1. Describe yourself as you would a character in a fanfic.
She was a girl of relatively short stature, perhaps made to seem taller by her almost endless chocolate hair. It flew loose whenever she moved, as if it had a mind of its own; but she didn't seem to notice. She was skinny, but not terribly so; although it did seem to propose a challenge finding clothes that fit. Her tanned skin told of her warm summer home, and her age was nearly impossible to decipher. A teenager, surely: but whether she was going in or coming out of it was anyone's guess.

2. Do you have a ritual before/during/after you write?
I can't really say anything definite, but in general I'd have to say no. Aside from sitting in my favorite comfy chair (and preferably being alone), I just start working. Sometimes I peek back at my work to get up to speed, but I tend to be pretty good at remembering exactly what I'm working on.

3. Which fanfic was your favorite one to write?
This is a bit straightforward, perhaps because I haven't been writing fan fiction very long, but I'd have to say Luigi's Mansion. I know it's the only one I've completed thus far, but since I worked over a year on it I really did have a lot of good times writing it. In fact, in the beginning I hadn't even planned to share it with anyone; it was just something I was writing for pure fun. It was pretty sad when I finished :(
If I had to give an honorable mention I'd say Crazy Mario Land. Those are just ongoing short stories that let me go nuts and not focus so much on detail as on humor, and literally everything gives me inspiration. I even make myself laugh while writing sometimes.

4. Authors you admire?
Man, I really wish I could read more.
J. R. R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings)
Jane Austen (Sense and Sensibility)
Brian Jacques (Redwall)
Marguerite Henry (King of the Wind)
Michael Shaara (The Killer Angels)
And some others that slip my mind. (Does Shakespeare count? You can't argue with the classics ;) )

5. How many words do you think you could write in an hour if you really concentrated?
Man, that's debatable. I'm usually a pretty slow writer, and sometimes take forever just sitting there staring at my work. So, for passable writing, I'd say 2 to 3 thousand words if I really concentrated. (I have this bad habit of editing while I compose.)

6. What was your first fanfic pairing and plot?
To be technically accurate, I haven't really got one yet. I've worked on a couple of Super Mario fan fictions, but it wasn't really integral to the story most of the time. But, I'd have to say Mario and Peach. I've got a couple chapters of Crazy Mario Land that revolve around it (see Valentine's Day episode).

7. Inspiration, time, or motivation?
It's a mix of all, of course, but for me, I think the biggest is time. Sometimes I get a bit of writer's block, but usually there's always something I'm up to working on. Luckily, inspiration comes to me everywhere, and with that comes motivation. Rare is the time that I can afford to write and choose not to; but sometimes, rare is the time I can afford to write. :)

8. Why do you write?
Off the bat, I honestly couldn't tell you. I guess I just find it satisfying to put these imagined scenes into words, to share them with others, etc. It's kind of like getting to be your own movie director. Everything's at your disposal, all you have to do is say the word. And with my kind of imagination, I've got a lot to say :)
Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the endless possibilities there are. Sometimes I'm shocked and think, 'Why has no one written a book like this before?' And so I do.
That, and apparently I'm very gifted with grammar and everyone is always encouraging me to write. So there's that. I suppose it can also help with stress... and make you feel good when you're in your own little world...

9. Are you planning on writing anything other than fanfiction?
As of the moment, no. I've got so many ideas already lined up that I don't feel much urge to go off into MORE little worlds. At least as of now, people will find me easier for my fanfiction.
Which is not to say I couldn't do it, but I'm not feeling any huge vibes to do so right now.

10. What inspires you the most?
All my inspiration comes when I'm away from the writing desk. For certain things it's different: the things the doofus people around me say and do give me more than enough ideas for writing humor, and music and even watching movies can help inspire me to write big novels. It's incredible how much I've piled up that I want to do just by going about daily life. But in large part, it would be music. All kinds; instrumentals, soundtracks, anything I hear might hit me in a big way. Try it - think about how it might fit into your own story, how it might go perfect for that one scene... it can be incredible.

11. Out of your fanfics, which one is your favorite?
Man, I wish I had more to choose from 😆
Going with before, it would have to be Luigi's Mansion. It's my first fully completed novel, so I'm proud of it as a milestone, but a big part of that is simply because I love the game ;)
Crazy Mario Land is up there too of course. Technically each chapter is a different little fic, but I have some favorites in there.
The only thing that dampens it is that they're my earlier works, so I feel like their quality may not be so good. Sometimes it even seems a bit cringey to me. But that's what I've got.

12. Strangest thing you ever wrote or thought about writing?
Hmm, I'm really not sure. I didn't write a whole lot as a really little kid, and none of my old ideas strike me as very weird... I guess it would have to be this old story collaboration I did with my younger sister. Basically, the setting was these two neighboring colonies of 'civilized animals' who would intermingle and have parties and adventures and open restaurants and such. I don't believe it ever got very far 😆

13. Which fanfic do you wish you had written better and why?
Once again, that would (sadly) be Luigi's Mansion. As my first attempt at a major novel, I go back and read the earliest parts now and feel inadequate. I mean, I guess it's okay, but there are definitely things I would reword and little things I could add. It's moments like those that I wish I'd saved it for later when I was more experienced. Oh well...

14. What is the best fanfic you've ever read (not your own)?
And now I REALLY wish I had more time to read regularly. There are so many books in my library I swear I will get around to, but for now:

Lost in Nintendo Land by Captain_Kit - very imaginative and assertive! I recommend it ;)

If Mario Had Facebook by NintendoLuaisyLover - just great, always good for a laugh.

Super Mario Galaxy by TacticalCat - beautiful writing, makes the game seem so gorgeous!

Super Princess Peach and What if Bowser Died? by kimcgray95 - I'm still reading these, but let me tell you they are GREAT. Quality, easy-to-read writing with a good mix of humor and seriousness - go check her works out!

Smash Academy by blazingEmber - Really good storytelling in an engaging read!

Mario Does STUFF by MrYtheOrangutan - Seriously funny storytelling right there.

I could probably go on for a while but that would not be wise. So, I recommend if you are interested in my recommendations to check out my reading lists, which have all been me-approved ;)

15. What is your guilty writing pleasure(s)?
I'm going to be completely honest, I don't really have any that I'm super guilty about. I do like to add a bit of romance to stories, but it's usually nothing more than mere attractions, and it's generally not the main focus. I never do anything explicit, so... I intend to keep it that way, since in a way I like to think my writing can be good for even younger children.
The only other thing possibly I could mention is injury; I think I probably enjoy piling it on too much when the situation arises, such as somewhat excessive bleeding/bruising. But I think I'm pretty good at reigning that in. I try not to be too mean to my characters, after all...
Aside from that, I do quite enjoy delving into friendships, psychological states, and feelings sometimes. But hey, I guess I'm just an emotional writer.

16. Do you plan out your story before writing it or do you just wing it?
That depends :D I never write outlines, but I think there's always at least some level of mental planning involved before I begin. What direction will the story go? What are the surefire things that will happen? Sometimes specific episodes or lines come to me and I write them down to add later; they sometimes come to me months in advance before I actually use them. So I guess it's a mix of just about everything.

17. Are you a fast writer?
As I've said before, no, not really. I feel pretty darn slow sometimes, and even when I'm pumping I only get a few thousand words per hour. But as far as publishing and updating goes, I do manage new chapters of my books every couple of weeks. So I guess you can be the judge of how fast I am.

18. How old were you when you started to write stories (fanfics or otherwise)?
Not extremely young, actually. I think the earliest things I wrote were probably from around fourth or fifth grade. So, I'll say nine or ten years old. That was also when I first showed an interest in drawing.

19. Why did you start writing?
As I said before, I think as I got older I just felt this need to open up a world no one else had opened. I knew I could do it, and I felt inspired. I wanted to read certain kinds of books, and seeing them unavailable, I took it upon myself to write them.

20. List six sentences from your works that you're really proud of.
Well, this will be something... I wish I had more material to draw from!

"It is a strange thing how sometimes the grandest things to be enjoyed in life are intertwined with the bad. As if nothing can ever truly be perfect; and it is only perfect if one has the strength to look past the evil that clouds it." - The Lord of Smash: The Fellowship of Smash

"However, when Mario opened the fridge to dive into last night's pudding pie, he snapped awake and screamed like Michael Jackson. The fridge was practically empty." - Crazy Mario Land

"Turning to stare at the floor behind him, he felt the turmoil stir within him like a storm. Maybe it was the biggest mistake of his life. Maybe this entire night had been a huge, terrible deadly mistake. None of this was supposed to happen this way. But it had." - Luigi's Beta Mansion

"Link was sitting on the floor twirling his sword in a bored manner. 'When do we get to the old guys fighting?'" - Super Smash Bros. Prose, Parodies and Poetry

"He was quite still in the midst of the turmoil, and it was only when he glanced around briefly at the judge and jury nearby that she noticed the upset demeanor and the eyes flash rebelliously. But still he did nothing." - Super Mario Sunshine

"At last, Luigi came out of his trance; slowly, he looked up, his tired eyes coming to rest on the shining, beautiful prize lying on the ground only feet away. A last reminder, a fitting reward; gold and ruby blazed in the firelight. King Boo's crown." - Luigi's Mansion

Alright, that's finally over! Now to pick on some people...

Pikminfan
AngelGamerLove
agirlthatisagamer
Captain_Kit
DonalBuckley

Don't feel pressured, I know it's a lot :)
If you made it all the way here you're a real trooper!!