Five Questions

[smallhobbit]

howsmyenglish  on DW recently answered five questions, so I asked them to provide me with five, and here goes:

1. Why do you write? What does writing give you? Is it just pastime for you or do you have a specific goal?
I write because I enjoy it.  It gives me personal satisfaction at having achieved something, and, as a side note, it's given me new friends who I would never have met otherwise, which has to be good.  It's a pastime; I'm a story teller, so I tell stories.

2. You write both fanfiction and original stories, right? How are they different for you?
I only write the occasional original story, and generally because I'm responding to a prompt where what I want to say won't fit into one of my fandoms.  With original stories I have to build everything from the beginning, with fanfiction I can use established characters and, to an extent, established settings which makes it simpler.  There is, of course, a crossover to an extent - clearly the Ocelot etc are all original, and so some of my ficlets are really entirely original, and some of my recurring characters in various series e.g. DCI John Garrett in some of my Lewis fics, Inspector Stanley Hopkins of the Met River Police in my BBC Sherlock fics, are mine alone (Hopkins' name is borrowed from ACD).  Other than that, I can 'see' my characters and their locations whether they are of fandom origin or original.

3. What is your favorite British city/town? Why?
The one I return to most often would be London, and it has a lot to offer.  I'm not sure I would call it my favourite.  Over the past few years we've stayed in Oxford, York and Cambridge and I've enjoyed visiting them all, but I wouldn't call anywhere a favourite.

4. If you had 10 years of life to spare, to do anything you wanted, without consequences to this life of yours, what would you do?
Travel.  There are so many places I want to see.  I'd go on a grand tour of the world.

5. What annoys you and what do you enjoy most in online communication?
Apart from the distraction when I should be doing something else (which is my responsibility entirely), the fact that people believe they can say what they like without any consideration for anyone else.  I most enjoy the conversation and sharing with people from around the world who I would never get to meet otherwise and who share in my joys (like my granddaughter) and are supportive with my woes (as when my mother was ill), and not just that, but all the little things of everyday life - to sum up: new friends.

Comments

[howsmyenglish]

It was only when you wrote "they" about me that I realized that with English being so much more gender-neutral than Hindi-Hebrew-Russian there's no way for you of knowing whether I'm a girl or a boy unless I tell you! I'm a girl! :) (Should I give myself a name? Mm... Howsmyenglish does reflect the content and purpose of my journal, but it's not very convenient as a name...)

Thank you for the answers! I find, the five questions game is a nice way to get to know someone just a little bit better... And it is very interesting for me to see just how much people differ, even in the smallest of things.

Should you wish to ask me 5 questions - go ahead! But no need if you don't feel like it.

[smallhobbit]

I would not use a specific pronoun until I was sure - some people are happy with their anonymity, others make it clear (as when I refer to myself as a proud grandma). I would stick to the user name you have chosen - it sums up your reason for being here very well.

I'm glad you found my answers interesting. I won't ask you any questions at the moment, but no doubt as I read your posts there will be areas where I wish to know a little more.

[howsmyenglish]

I just love this userpic of yours!

[smallhobbit]

Thank you - it's one of my two Welsh dragons.