Welcome to the collaborative way to know fellow writers better!
A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the September 2021 TBIN Interview Questions! Here's a collection of the responses that have gone live:
Your challenge is to pick one you haven't read from below and be sure to highlight it with the goal that everyone gets an even number of reads!- All Hot Girls Have Weird Scars On Their Knees — Prove Me Wrong by Nia Simone McLeod
- September Interview Questions with The Brain is a Noodle by Kevin Alexander
- From My Dandruff to My Toenails by Barb Dalton
- Getting into a Flow and 9 other Quips by Ashlea Morgan
- In A Sea Of Questions by Ravyne Hawke
The original questions were available below if you were curious to read my responses as well!
October Interview Questions
If you publish these somewhere other than TBIN, please do tag me so I can make sure I read through them! As always, would love to house them in TBIN. Also, for ease of access for others who might want to fill out this interview, feel free to include a direct link so that they can copy and paste the questions right over!
All of the responses will be published under the twitter tag #October2021TBINInterview.
[1] Does writing energize or exhaust you?
[2] What is one food that represents the country you are currently in?
[3] What type of friend would you like to be?
[4] What have you given up on?
[5] What is one thing you're committed to learning more about?
Faves?
- Favourite soup?
- Favourite stationery item?
- Favourite novelist?
- Favourite blue item?
- Favourite unhealthy beverage?
Articles to share
- Your top piece last month
- A piece that deserves more love
- A piece that's fewer than 3 minutes
- A longform piece
- A poem
My responses!
[1] Does writing energize or exhaust you?
I'm really excited to read everyone else's reaction because for me, it's both?
It energizes me when I have something to get off my chest and I'm actively just placing ideas on a page, and I get into a flow.
It exhausts me when I'm talking about something that's more raw,or has a lot of conflicting angles such that I have to tread carefully.
[2] What is one food that represents the country you are currently in?
Since I'm in Canada, I wanted to promote the concept of poutine, which is fries covered with cheese curds and gravy. It pairs really well with a hangover!
[3] What type of friend would you like to be?
I've been thinking about the kind of friend that I'd like to be, especially in a period where I'm recovering from friendships that have seemed … less reciprocal. While I want to be there for others who might be struggling or need a shoulder, but I've realized that I also need friendships that nourish me. I've wondered if this would be stigmatizing to say, if it's taken in a way to mean that people who might have their plate full don't deserve friendships (which is not what I've said but often what I'm accused of saying). I would like to be a supportive friend wherever I can be, but have also been overwhelmed with guilt for honouring my needs when they arise too.
It's been a balance. I wish to be someone who is able to have the time and community to nourish me, such that I can then contribute back to the community and support others. I have tried for too long to pour from an empty cup but told that not doing so was stingy and selfish. Finding this middleground that still follows my key values has been a journey.
[4] What have you given up on?
I have given up on the idea of trying to all the things, all at once. I might have grand dreams, but they cannot exist together, in the same moment, particularly since I suck at multi-tasking.
For me to consider pursuing different long-term goals looks like dedicating batched time towards each project that I'm focussed on each thing with all of my heart, instead of half of my attention.
[5] What is one thing you're committed to learning more about?
I've known about Coursera for a long time but only recently remembered them again! They offer free courses, and I'm looking to take short classes about different things I'd never studied just to cater to my novelty-seeking self. Taking suggestions! My first stop might be art history — it seems like such a wild topic.
Faves?
- Favourite soup? pork bone soup
- Favourite stationery item? sticky notes
- Favourite novelist? timothy findley
- Favourite blue item? my lip balm
- Favourite unhealthy beverage? sprite
Articles to share
- Your top piece last month
- A piece that deserves more love
- A piece that's fewer than 3 minutes
- A longform piece
- A poem