The hiatus has been long, and will be longer… we’re bored. No new Jamie, no new Claire. Lots of memes, many very clever, won’t talk about the rest. Thru The Stones (Davenport, IA, this coming weekend) is exciting, but I can’t write any more about it since it hasn’t happened yet. So, in the meantime, you get us. Jen from Outlander Musings and Nymerias at Outlander Dreaming decided to interview each other about their blogging, and have been dragging ( 🙂 ) the rest of us into this. No, really, it’s fun – and I’m happy to learn more about my fellow Outlander bloggers. Jen challenged me to answer a few questions, and since I’m totally into shameless self-promotion, I agreed.
1. If you are a book reader, has the Outlander series ruined you for other books?
I am definitely a book reader! I usually have at least two books going at once (for the record, right now I’m rereading Voyager, preparing for the Thru The Stones trivia contest on Friday night, and the final installment in one of Nora Robert’s trilogies). In general, if I were to classify the types of books I prefer, honestly, whatever we’re going to classify Outlander as probably wouldn’t be in my top three genres. It’s not really scifi – the time travel aspect isn’t really a major component, in the way it is for, say, HG Wells’ The Time Machine; the period of history they take place in is not necessarily my favorite; and I usually prefer books with an actual plot (oh, cut that out, no, there really isn’t a plot in Outlander – it’s the story of lives, not a problem that needs to be solved or a tale of a single moment in time). But the language, the romance, the insight into these very human people keeps me reading. I’ve read the entire series several times, and love them more with each reread.
I do read some scifi (heavier on the sci portion, though) – all of the Dune and Harry Potter series and anything by John Connolly; I love post-apocalyptic fiction; I’ll confess that I’ve read most of Nora Roberts’ catalog and all of JD Robb, her alter ego; and most of my favorite authors are in the legal/crime thriller genre – John Lescroart, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, Dennis Lehane, Quintin Jardine (a Scottish author! books take place in Edinburgh).
“Ruined” me for other books? No. If you’re a serious reader, someone to whom books would be the first thing you save in a fire, to whom reading has filled holes in your life you didn’t know existed, one author couldn’t possibly “ruin” you for another. Shrimp may be my favorite food, but I also love spaghetti, steak, lobster, tacos… Oh, OK, I just figured out another one of my problems.
2. Almost every blogger has a different reason for blogging and none of us do it the same. What drives you to blog?
I’m not sure my site owner would consider what we do here at threeifbyspace “blogging.” But I have written other blogs. I have a degree in journalism, and took every short story and poetry writing class my college offered. Somewhere between moving into an adult life and having children, I forgot the joy of writing. I wrote for business, I wrote for some membership groups I belonged to, but I didn’t really write for me. A couple of years ago, I entered – and won – my local library’s poetry contest. I became interested in a TV show, Falling Skies (if you wonder where the name of this site came from, it came from Falling Skies), and went looking for information about it – just like we all go looking for info about Outlander – and found this site. When I talked with the owner about writing for it, we had just recently learned that Starz was going to be doing the series, and I asked to write about Outlander as well as other shows. I rediscovered how much fun I had writing, and being recognized for it. In the last year, I’ve taken a screenwriting class, written a couple of short plays, and begun a novel. I’ve worked my way up to editor on this website, and I hope to continue and meet some new personal goals.
3. Book Jamie or Series Jamie?
Both? While I love Jamie, he’s never been my ideal man. And Sam is adorable, and doing a great job, but I’m 20 years older than he is. Heretical statement – there are a couple of other fictional men that make me crazier.
4. Does you family know about your blog and if so, what do they think of it? Is it weird for them or are they into it?
Yeah, they know. Hubby appreciates my renewed interest in writing, I think, but encourages me regularly to find a way to make money from it. My mother keeps asking why I do this when I don’t get paid. My kids get it a whole lot more – one of my sons is a fiction writer, and publishes some of his pieces here on threeifbyspace. My other son is a musician, and understands the need to “get your creative on, Mom!” None of them really is interested in the same kind of books or TV I am, and I don’t think any of them have ever read anything I’ve written on this site.
5. In the grand scheme of your life, how much influence has the Outlander Universe had on you?
I don’t know how much influence the Outlanderverse has had on my writing, but it’s certainly had an impact on me. I’ve made a couple of true, lifelong friends through Outlander. In a way that the other programs I review haven’t done, Outlander has allowed me to refine my writing skills and gain confidence to try other things. And dad blast it, it’s FUN! I had fun going to Seattle for the awesome MOBY retreat; I had fun going to San Diego for the world premiere (and coincidentally, San Diego ComicCon); fun at Emulsion and Heart of Lightness; and I’ll have fun in Davenport next weekend. Sometimes, as moms, wives, adult women, one of the things we lack the most is FUN. And that’s what Outlander is for me!
OK, Koko from Outmander.com and Theresa from OutlanderKitchen.com, it’s your turn!
Learn more about Jen from OutlanderMusings.com and Nymerias from OutlanderDreaming.com
If you write about Outlander, join us on Facebook at Outlander Writers Love Support (OWLS).
Follow me on Twitter: @ErinConrad2 or @threeifbyspace
