I’m a real person.
Pinky Swear.
Proof I Exist: Me & My Birthday Margarita
I have real-life friends who read this, and have met some great bloggers who read this that can vouch for me. Some even like me in person enough to want to continue being my friend. (!!!)
No, not the Imaginary Friend kind of friend, the real-life kind. The kind that goes out in public together, chats in my kitchen, drinks champagne out of juice glasses in fancy hotels. Which proves I’m a real person.
I recently began joining in on the writing challenges over at Trifecta Writing Challenge, and they’ve asked for those of us new to (their) town to take a moment and introduce ourselves. Show that we’re real. What makes us tick. And write.
Since I have a looooong drive back home today with the kids, I figured I’d take a moment this morning to do the Trifecta Writing Challenge MeMe, as requested. Hopefully tonight once I am unpacked, laundry started, kids in bed, house recovered from being left in the hands of my husband, I plan to zip on over there to read about the rest of the Trifecta Groupies.
You are welcome to join in, too. Or at least go give them a visit & read about the other crazy cats over there, spewing out fabulous writing week after week.
1. What is your name (real or otherwise)?
Kim. I’m quasi-anonymous over here, but I do use my real first name.
2. Describe your writing style in three words.
Erratic. Descriptive. Longing.
3. How long have you been writing online?
I began back when planning my wedding in 2003, getting involved in wedding planning journals, message boards and the like. I really jumped in when I had my son in 2005, and kept it up for years. I moved over to my current blog in 2010, because I wanted to shift from journalistic writing to what I do now, plus my husband requested I do so more anonymously. So here I am.
4. Which, if any, other writing challenges do you participate in?
Write on Edge (memoir & fiction), The Lightning & the Lightning-Bug, 100 Word Song. I link all my responses to prompt pieces here.
5. Describe one way in which you could improve your writing.
I need to work on my dialogue. Ugh.
6. What is the best writing advice you’ve ever been given?
Don’t spell it out, show it. If I need to explain everything, I’m insulting my readers’ intelligence and I’m not drawing the picture in me head well enough.
7. Who is your favorite author?
Impossible to answer. I am awed by J.K. Rowling’s ability to create a new world, Jane Austen’s insights into society, David Sedaris’ ability to make me laugh until I cry, Homer’s lyrics…there are books I read where a sentence or phrase stops me because it is so, so perfect I just need to let it dance in my head before moving on. I have different loves for so many writers.
8. How do you make time to write?
Right now I’m in my PJs at my Mom’s house with a kid on either side of me, sneaking in 20 minutes before it’s time to start packing up for a long drive back home. I get up to 2 hours in the morning when both kids are at school, before picking up my Preschooler. I sneak in ideas, sentences, paragraphs on my Droid, emailing them to myself for when I can sit at the laptop.
It’s about squeezing it in when I can, in snippets.
9. Give us one word we should consider using as a prompt.
Wretched.
10. Direct us to one blog post of yours that we shouldn’t miss reading.
I should probably say the post where I re-told Snow White in 33 Words, since Trifecta awarded me 3rd place for that week’s writing challenge.
However, I’m going to say In a Flash, because it was tough for me to hit ‘Publish’, and it’s the most like me: simple words but more complicated than seems upon first reading.
If you’d like to know even more, check these out:
My About Me page.
The My Book page, or why I even started this blog to begin with.
The page where I link up all my Memoir posts, as well as fiction.
My Favorite Posts page: The Lists, The Funny & The Sweet or Introspective.
Do you have any questions for me today…?
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If you are new to Let Me Start By Saying…welcome! Read some fiction, About Kim, or for some funny, my Favorite Posts page. Thanks for visiting!
1 Click Below = 1 Vote = Happy Kim
One of my frustrations with writing is not seeing a real picture of you and not really “knowing” you…this helped a lot. awesome
and thanks for talking about 100 word song
Lance recently posted..The Robot Doctrine
Funny thing is, I prefer people not to see me when they read me. I like it that way. I know eventually I may be forced to ‘come out’, but for now? I prefer people seeing my brain, my words rather than me.
Thus, the delicious margarita being the center of the photo, and not my face.
I’m HAPPY to spread the word about 100 Word Song. It’s way cool, dude. It forces me out of my comfort zone, which is good stuff.
NICE to meet you! Actually I have been stalking you for sometime now, but just wanted to take this second to let you know how much I enjoy your writing…thanks for sharing your life with us out in the blogosphere!
Oh, I’ve seen you around, girl.
Thank you so much for sticking around (even if you’ve been hiding under tables and piles of unfolded laundry), and your kind words mean a lot. Really.
1. you rock
2. going to check out this Trifecta thing now
Vinobaby (aka Kerry Ann) recently posted..Gone Baby Gone
1. As do you.
2. Get over there! They have 2 great prompts, and everyone seems really involved.
Kudos to you for writing so much with young children under roof. Beyond journals, lesson plans and grocery lists, I was not able to write until my three were teens!
Kim Nelson recently posted..Kim Revealed
It is not easy! And half the time I’m checking my stuff to make sure I don’t add in any “MoooOOOOOM?!”s as I’m writing, since it’s what I hear every other sentence I type.
How nice to get to know you a little! You are such a talent, and reading this helps me understand where you write from. And THAT is a place I wanna know even more about.
Jen Has A Pen recently posted..Wienerful Wednesday
Thanks for taking the time to read it all! You’re always so generous with the compliments…
I love talking to other writers, getting to hear where the Stuff comes from. Also, hearing that I’m not the only person who has character talking in my head, sentences that repeat themselves louder and louder until I write them down. It’s good to know I’m not insane.
I like the stealthy side of you.
Hairy legs and all.
Snork…
Patty recently posted..The wall…
LOL! You’re too much….
Thanks for linking up, Kim. It’s been great getting to know everyone who takes part in the challenges. Obviously, we liked your Snow White piece a lot, but I’m glad you didn’t choose that one because I thought ‘In a Flash’ was fantastic. We’re really enjoying having you onboard and we look forward to more of your writing over the next weeks and months. And good pick for the word — it’s this week’s prompt!
Trifecta recently posted..Trifecta: Week Sixteen
I’m so glad I stumbled across your community, because I’ve had a blast jumping in on these prompts. I love the variety of writing styles of the members, and I think THEY challenge me to become a better writer.
So, thank YOU.
And thanks for choosing my word for this week’s prompt!