Thanks to Mike over at Mikes Film Talk for hitting me with this tag (it only hurt a little, really… ;)).  We all know Mike and we all know he’s full of awesome stories and interesting facts but if somehow you DON’T know Mike, you should go visit him…like NOW…

This particular exercise in sharing the WordPress love (pronounced lurve) is fairly simple, you answer the 11 questions posed by the “Tagger” and then set another 11 questions for the 11 bloggers you “Tag.” (That was a LOT of 11’s…) You probably should link back to the blogger what “brung ya.” Aka, who tagged you and maybe thank them? Just a thought. (And yes, I stole that entire paragraph directly from Mike.  I am lazy.  And sleepy.)

So here are Mike’s Sandra’s 11 questions:  (hehehe, sorry Mike!)

1. Have you ever been made redundant from your job and how did you feel about it?  Yes, a couple of times actually.  The most awesome one though was when I worked at a jewelry store and with absolutely NO warning whatsoever, I was “made redundant” and very literally pushed out the back door into the pouring rain.  No lie.  Nobody had a clue it was going to happen and the owner’s son actually apologized to me about it. 
2. If you were interviewing someone for a writing job, what 3 qualities would you look for and why?  Grammar, non-boringness, and the lyricalness of their writing. 
3. What is your favourite board game and why?  Hmmm…I’m fond of Apples to Apples…and Monopoly. 
4. When you look at the stars, what do you see?  Usually unicorns and pixie dust.
5. When you look at the ocean, what does it remind you of?  All the evil things that live there, hiding, just waiting to eat me…bastards.
6. How do you overcome writer’s block?  By reading Kerouac or Anais Nin…changing writing locations…writing words meaninglessly until they finally form into something that I need them to say…
7. If you could say 3 encouraging things to another person, what would they be?  You’re amazing.  Never, ever doubt yourself because I never do.  It ALWAYS gets better – ALWAYS, even if you don’t know it for a really long time.
8. Do you prefer to write your stories/books/poetry/prose/articles on paper first, then type them up and edit them, or do you like to type them straight into your computer to edit?  I prefer to write long hand, then type them up.  I do type some stuff first though depending on whether I’m writing for work or on my personal stuff.
9. Do you like writing in one genre or more?  I write in a lot of genres – movie reviews, book reviews, non-fiction (I guess reviews count in non-fiction too, huh?), young adult, fiction, literary, poetry, screenplays, stage plays
10. As a writer, do you think actions speak louder than words?  Depends on what you’re writing.  In fiction, actions can be used as a better way of telling but in poetry it’s all about the words. 
11. What is your favourite quote and why?  Oh dear, just one??  I’m cheating and doing three.  Why these three?  These three best describe me and how I live or at least attempt to live. 

“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger as reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.”
― Anaïs Nin

“And it’s the wonders I’m after, even if I have to bleed for them.”
― Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

“the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

As always, I’m not tagging anyone because I can never remember who loves tags and who hates them.  So if you feel like doing this, you’re tagged!  Do a post or answer in the comments.  Oh, here are my questions if anyone wants to play along.

1. What author has inspired you the most?
2. What director has most influenced your taste in film?
3. How many instruments do you play?
4. Why do women in horror movies always run up the stairs when it’s the stupidest thing ever to do?
5. Who in your life has had the most influence?
6. Where do you most want to travel in the world?
7. Have you ever fallen in love with the wrong person? 
8. Better yet, have you fallen in love with the right person?
9. How much time a day do you spend writing?
10. Whose the most famous person you’ve met?
11. What is sleep like?