Thanks to Jessica M. Baumgartner (jessicamariebaumgartner.com), I’ve been nominated for the sibling of the world blogger award. Before I go an answer the questions though, go and check out her book By the Stars. There’s another one coming out pretty soon.

1. What do you like to eat when writing?

Carrots. Carrots and whiskey. Especially Alaska (Mat-Su valley) carrots and scotch. That’s what I’m doing right now.

2. If you could be any monster, which would you be?

Sully from Monster’s inc. He’s big and friendly with broad shoulders, nice teeth, and a shiny coat. That would make me feel super-good about myself.

3. Do you find that the psychological effects of writing warp reality at times?

Yes, sometimes and only when I get really into it. Most of things I’m working on now are tongue-in-cheek kinds of things and so the whole point is warped reality so it gives me a bit of distance from what’s going on. Reading actually tends to warp my reality more. Crime and Punishment made me feel like I was losing my mind.

4. Blanket, hoodie, or robe? (You can only choose one)

Hoodie!

5. What do you hate most about editing?

The part where I have to do editing. It sucks, necessary, yes, but still a pain.

6. What do you love most about the writing process?

Making shit up. I love the fact that there is a legitimate way you can daydream on paper and let other people in on it, without being a total weirdo. I mean think about it. I’m fantasizing about some romantic interlude, scratching that down on paper and then someone reads it, maybe even likes it – and somehow that’s not weird.

7. Caterpillars or butterflies?

Caterpillars are way creepier than butterflies. The whole thing is bizarre though. A worm that turns into a flying insect. The only thing stranger is the tadpole frog situation. It’s almost alien.

8. What are your thoughts on the possibility that the characters you create could be real on some plane of existence?

For the sake of my characters, I hope not, but the universe is a bizarre place and I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if one of my characters was trying to write me as a character in a book (a book that would suck, BTW.)

9. When sending work out for critiques how do you cope with waiting?

Whisky and more writing. It’s the only path. If I get feedback, that’s great-even if it’s tough. If not, that means the work really extra sucked, and that’s not awesome.

10. How do you celebrate when your work gets published?

I’ve never been, so I’ve never had occasion. I’ve been co-author on a lot of technical papers on subsistence in Alaska, which is cool, but it’s just work, so no celebration. If I did get one of my stories published though, I would celebrate with whiskey and more writing. It’s the only path.

Now, it’s time to pass along the joy of the blog award nomination. These awards are great because they allow us to connect and give us an excuse to talk about ourselves. So, here are my nominations:

Matt Bowes (pontiuscominius.wordpress.com)

Gabriel Penn (officialgabrielpenn.wordpress.com)

Emily Russel (pisscoffeeandvinegar.wordpress.com)

May B. B. (http://maybbooks.com/)

Tarquin Carlin (blogofmanycolours.wordpress.com)

Jeff Baumgartner (jbaumgartner13.wordpress.com)

I know I should have more, so if you feel like you’ve been left out, assume you’ve been nominated and feel free to berate me for not officially nominating you. If you’ve been nominated, just answer these questions and pass along the nomination with your own questions.

1. Do you agree with Scully or Mulder, why?
2. If you could write an episode for a TV show, which one would it be?
3. How much time do you spend writing?
4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
5. Why do you love/hate Star Wars?
6. Do you have an elevator pitch for your work in progress (WIP), what is it?
7. What’s your opinion of the #7?
8. What was the last book you finished reading?
9. What was the book that got you interested in reading?
10. Why do you blog?

There are my 10 painless questions. Answer and send this along to some other bloggers!