I'm excited to be participating in my first blog tag! Thanks to Bethany at A Ruby in the Rough for inviting me. This was a fun post to write!
1. Vital Stats and Appearance
(pen) Name: Lauren Watt. Yes, that's my real name and a powerful last one.
Nickname: Most people don't call me by nicknames, but my immediate family, especially my dad, will sometimes call me L.E.W. (pronounced Lou) because those are my initials. A few friends also call me Detective Watt because I love researching and solving mysteries.
Birthday: My birthday is May 10th.
Hair color and length: My hair is brown and has some natural amber highlights. It currently falls several inches below my shoulders.
Eye color: Blue.
Braces/piercings/tattoos: None, but I used to wear dental braces.
Righty or lefty: I’m a righty, but sometimes I eat with my left hand for a fun challenge!
Ethnicity: I'm Eastern European and more specifically have some Scotch-Irish, Belgium, Slovakian, and German blood.
2. Firsts
First novel written: I don't have any novels written.
First novel completed: None.
Award for writing: When I was 13, I received an honorable mention in an essay contest hosted by Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh and won $50.
First publication: I've had multiple articles published online, but the first time I had an article published in print was in a magazine this year.
Conference: If we're talking about writing conferences, I've never attended one. However, I remember listening to a session about writing and self-publishing at a homeschool conference I attended when I was around 12.
Query/pitch: None. I do have a few books I'm planning, though, so Lord willing, I may eventually be querying!
3. Favorites
Genre: Memoir.
Author: As far as memoirs go, I really enjoyed Katie Davis Majors and Andrew Peterson's memoirs.
Writing music: Occasionally, I will listen to Quiet Quest Study Music on YouTube while writing, but I mostly write in silence or at least as silent as my family's house is! There is often a dog barking and lovebirds singing.
Time to write: I generally write in the evening or afternoon, but when I write varies depending on how I'm feeling. Sometimes I'll even write in the middle of the night when I'm having insomnia.
Writing Snack/Drink: I don’t often snack while writing, but one of my favorite snacks is a glass of water and apples slices with peanut butter.
Movie: I rarely watch movies and couldn’t watch any for years due to my sensory sensitivities, headaches, and low energy, so my options for choosing a favorite are limited. However, last year I watched Tangled Ever After, and it was the most action packed, dramatic, and hilarious six-minute film that I've ever seen.
Writing memory: When I was around 6, I dictated a short story to my mom that was called The Cow on the Clothesline. It was about an acrobatic cow that jumped onto a clothesline. Let's just say that I had an active imagination and that my poor mom had to type as fast as she could. ;)
Childhood book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
4. Currently
Reading: I am slowly reading multiple books at once. Some of the books I am currently reading are The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippets, Being There by Dave Furman, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and By Design by Susan Hunt.
Writing: Letters, emails, DMs, and blog posts.
Listening to: Christmas music. Please don't tell me that it's too early!
Watching: Videos from the Piano Guys. Their music and the accompanying video footage is amazing.
Learning: I've been taking classes on The Young Writer's Workshop and have been learning a variety of skills such as how to be more productive, make money, and research. I'm also learning to trust God in everything, which is a lesson He is continually teaching me.
5. Future
Want to be published: Yes! I would like to publish a memoir about my illness and a book about how to minister to the chronically ill and their families.
Indie or Traditional: I'm not sure which route I'll go, and I might use both routes for different books. There are pros and cons to both.
Wildest goal: My vocation is to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and my neighbor as myself. That is a high standard to live to and one I never entirely will until heaven, but I try!
...
I'm supposed to tag eleven other bloggers to answer these questions and link back to Savannah, the creator of this tag. That's a lot of people to tag, so I'll just tag five by name. If you're a blogger reading this, consider yourself tagged!
Anna @ Anna's Idea Blog
Cassie @ Starlight through the Storm
Jovey @ Jovey's Journal
Lilly @ A Daughter Serving the King
Melanie @ Mellie's Blog
8 comments
This was such a fun post to read to get to know you better Lauren! Congratulations on having an article published in a magazine!
Thank you for tagging me in this challenge—I’m hoping to share a post like this in the future :)
Aww, thanks for your kind words, Bethany! I’m glad you enjoyed this post. Thanks for encouraging me to write it!
This was such a great post, Lauren! It was nice getting a behind-the-scenes look at what you enjoy reading and writing. The books you hope to write someday sound so good! I would love to read them.