With all the questions I’ve been asked via comments I decided to put up an FAQ page. (Frequently Asked Questions) Below are some questions related to my blog, my writing and myself.
Q-#1: What is Pen & Paper about?
A: Pen & Paper is blog I launched on January 4th 2010. The blog consists of writing and my general interests such as art, animals, TV, movies and traveling. Typically, it’s updated three times a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but I do bonus posts for special occasions.
Q-#2: What made you decide to do a blog?
A: My brother and my Dad suggested it and the rest is history.
Q-#3: How did you come up with the name Pen & Paper?
A: Prior to the blog’s launch, I wanted to give it a unique name and giving it an animal name was out thanks to my sister(it was a drag to me because I love animals). Anyway, I came up with the title after looking through a memoir I’ve been working on. The memoir, now titled “The Bookshelf Archives: An adventure in writing.” used to be Pen & Paper but I decided to use it as the name of my blog. Why? the name had a certain ring to it that I liked. Also the title is based on the fact that I do most of my writing in a notebook with a black ink pen. Even though I did ask for suggestions on a name, Pen & Paper was the one that seemed to stick and that’s how my blog got its name.
Q-#4: There seems to be some humor found throughout this blog, any reason for that?
A: Simple, comedy is one of my favorite genres, I love to laugh. Studies have shown laughter can make a difference in a person’s health. Kids (usually at five years old) laugh 500 times during their childhood; adults only laugh 300 times, that’s a huge drop! In one article on heart health, laughing for 45 minutes relaxes the arteries and also burns calories. In hard times, I’ve found watching sitcoms or listening to stand up comics like Bill Cosby to be relaxing and entertaining.
Q-#5: There’s a lot of blogs online right now about writing, why add on to it?
A: Well, sure there’s variety but one more writing blog couldn’t hurt. From what I’ve read, blogs are a good way to build a platform and for a person to get his or her work out there. Going by the number of hits and positive feedback my blog has received, I think it’s safe to say this was a good idea.
Q-#6: Why isn’t there a “Contact me!” page?
A: To be honest, I hadn’t thought about posting one. There’s one on my main website which is listed on my links page, it’s just a few clicks away. I might put up a contact me page, later on. But in the meantime, I can be contacted via twitter which is on my links page.
Q-#7: Are you on the latest social networks? (Facebook, Twitter, etc…)
A: Facebook and Twitter, yes. As for Myspace, Chatrooms and such, not interested!
Q-#8: I really like reading this blog and would like to link it to my own blog, how can I do so?
A: How nice! well it’s simple, just post a comment with a link to your blog and I’ll take it from there. Keep in mind though, I only link my blogs and website with certain networks such as Facebook and Twitter. On the internet, anything goes and the last thing I need is to link my blog to a place crawling with viruses, questionable content and suspicious people.
Q-#9: I’m not much of a writer but I’m interested in your artwork that you’ve mentioned, how can I find out more about your work and where to purchase it?
A: Just ask, I have a few photos on Facebook. All my work is done by hand with the help of tools, how-to books and photos for reference. I will post some more information as well as prices later on. I plan to sell my work on eBay so check back for a link!
Q-#10: Going into some questions about your writing and blog posts, is there a reason why your characters have different ethnic backgrounds?
A: Yes, inspiration for my characters come from different sources. As a result, my cast is diverse mix. Bruce W. Smith wanted to create cartoons with characters of different ethnic backgrounds, at some point I want to do the same with my own characters.
Q-#11: You mentioned your nationality in your black history month posts,was there a reason for that and is it true?
A: Absolutely! this was a project I’ve wanted to do for some time. Plus, I would NEVER lie about my heritage or being a female for that matter.
Q-#12: Does being a female writer bother you sometimes?
A: Yes and no. While I’m happy being all girl and an African American, I found out recently that the number of screenwriters (and directors) who are of a certain minority is small, some of these numbers haven’t changed in years! Also, there’s a lot of writers in the movie, tv and comicbook industries that are guys and only a handful of women working in said industries. I try not to dwell on it too much. I have looked into participating in writing fellowships, workshops and UCLA’s screenwriting program. There are a few fellowships, workshops, film festivals, etc… that cater to certain nationalities and female writers, which works out for me because I’m both.
Q-#13: In some blogs I’ve seen the writer rants about something in their personal life which can be kind of annoying, how is yours any different?
A: Simple, I’m not that kind of person. Sure, I mention different things going on in my life but I don’t turn it into a rant that takes up 90% of my blog post, that’s ridiculous. One way I get around it when it comes to certain people(mostly those who are my age) that ask me certain things I just simply tell them this: “It’s none of your business.” Why? a person doesn’t have to tell everybody, every single detail about their personal life. There’s just some things better left unsaid.
Q-#14: I commented on your blog but I can’t see it, what happened?
A: Unless you hit the comment button, then your comment might be marked as spam of some sort. Keep that in mind if you decide to ask about linking my blog or posts to your own. I only approve of certain comments, mostly to keep out the ‘riff-raff’ such as viruses, advertisers trying to sell me something, etc… the list goes on.
Q-#15: Do you have a specific target audience in mind when it comes to your writing?
A: Actually, yes. I typically try to write for a middle grade audience when it comes to fiction and an all ages audience for screenwriting. Though my writing, such as this blog, has gained the interest of both people in my age group and adults. But I mainly hope my writing is appealing to people of all ages and nationalities.
Q-#16: You mentioned earlier about having the same goal as Bruce W. Smith which is creating characters with different ethnic backgrounds, why would you want to do that when so many people have already accomplished it?
A: Very simple, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now. You don’t see a lot of characters in animation that have various ethnic backgrounds. Also, the difference with my characters is most, if not all of them, are animals but they all have a unique ethnic background of some sort.
Q-#17: What genres/categories do you write for?
A: Mostly comedy and fiction, I do write non-fiction from time to time such as essays and short memoirs.
Q-#18: Do you base your characters or stories on yourself and things that happened in your life?
A: To a certain degree, yes. Some of my characters have many of the same traits, interests, etc… that I have. Some stories of mine are also based on actual events. For example, Sienna, the protagonist of the Hooked on Mutts series is based on my late dog with the same name.
Q-#19: Are there certain genres you don’t/won’t write?
A: Yes. Just to name one, horror is a genre I don’t/won’t write about.
Q-#20: I really like this blog, how can I help promote it?
A: How nice! well there’s always posting links on Facebook, Twitter or emailing a link, but ask me first before doing so. Then of course there’s good ol’ word of mouth.
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This is it for my FAQ page… for now, at least.
Have question?
Just ask.
I’ll continue to update this page as more questions come up.
