Envious of: George

What's enviable: Beauty, brains and writing prowess. My blockmate and very good friend George graduated magna cum laude from journ school and was a reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She recently moved on to greener and less stressful pastures. =)

When did you find out you could write well?
Actually, my mom did that for me (although I do not consider myself a really really good writer, or at least someone at par with the writers I admire). I think I was six years old then, and I wrote a poem about nature out of boredom. The smile on my mama's face made me really proud of myself.

Does it run in the family?
Nope heehee. They all hate writing. My brother has some talent, but he does not have enough confidence to pursue it. Writing is all guts, I always tell him. He does not listen and continues to watch tv. Someday (soon), he'll have to be pulled off the sofa with a crane.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?
The nature poem. Eeeew. Hehe.

How do you build your vocabulary?
I read. It is only through reading that you learn new words and how to use them in context.

What books do you usually read?
Anything I could get my hands on :) but I now have a preference for young adult lit and anthropological stuff. It really depends on my mood.

Favorite authors?
J.D. Salinger, Ian McEwan and Kazuo Ishiguro. I like the clean and honest way they write.

Any rituals?
None. Whenever I encounter writer's block, I just talk to the people around me until I get the urge (or the inspiration) to write again :)

Tip for writers or aspiring writers:
Read, read, read. And always write what you know.