Writing Prompt: Profile Brainiacs Martilla, Nash, Hudgins, Young, and Rose

What is Write Nonfiction in November – a.k.a. NaNonFiWriMo?

As of today, nonfiction writers have 85 days to prepare for a month-long marathon of writing nonfiction in November. Are you busy writing nonfiction these days? If so, we want to hear from you!

Let’s get some momentum going for Nina Amir’s uber-clever alternative to NaNoWriMo. Kudos to those who love fiction, but not everyone does. Truth in nonfiction is just as exciting, if not more! Rah rah rah for NaNonFiWriMo! NaNonFiWriMo is short for National Nonfiction Writing Month, which is taking place in November 2013. Will you join us?

What’s the big deal about NaNonFiWriMo? Who cares? I care. Nina Amir cares. And you should care, too! NaNonFiWriMo is not as well-known as NaNoWriMo and does not have nearly the following or the buzz surrounding its fiction counterpart. However, you can change that by creating a buzz for us.

Want to Help us Create a Buzz for NaNonFiWriMo?

Effective today, Nina Amir and I are going to start rewarding bloggers who create a buzz for NaNonFiWriMo 2013.

• What: We are looking for bloggers who love nonfiction as much as we do. We want you to start sharing links for our writing prompts and telling your friends about NaNonFiWriMo 2013. (92 prompts as of today…)
• When: Starting now! It’s not too early to spread the word. The more people we get to join us in November 2013, the merrier!
• Where: Everywhere! Share URLs through your social media networks. E-mail your friends. Encourage them to train with us now and join the writing marathon in November. Interview us on your blog. Leave detailed comments on our 92 prompts. We’re ready for you!
• Why: Because you love nonfiction! Because you have appreciated the creative writing prompts to get you to write nonfiction! Because you are excited about joining us in November 2013! Because you want to spread the love and help us share this great, fantastic alternative to the fiction counterpart.

Benefits of Creating a Buzz for NaNonFiWriMo!

Every single blogger who shares URLs of the writing prompts, leaves thoughtful and detailed comments (not just “I like it”) or interviews us on your blogs or does other cool things to help us create a buzz for NaNonFiWriMo 2013 will be rewarded!

Every single act of social media sharing, commenting, and interviewing gets you a token of appreciation. Nina Amir and I will start tabulating tokens of appreciation by listing them publicly on this site.

You get good karma by spreading the love and your blog may get a fresh set of eyes. Who doesn’t want new readers? Who doesn’t want to be known for doing good things on social media?

Be sure to leave comments or use the contact form on this site to let us know of your buzz-worthy efforts and we’ll be sure to reward you appropriately!

Today’s Sub-Theme – Braniacs

Our third sub-theme in August’s “All About You” theme is braniacs. Another great topic to tackle in celebration of YouTube’s Geek Week. Would you believe that every single one of today’s featured braniacs considers himself or herself to be a geek? It’s true!

Today, your job is to write basic profiles on braniacs Melanie Martilla, Marc Nash, Val Hudgins, and Claudette Young and Meena Rose.

Recap: List of Bloggers

In this space, we will keep a running list of all the bloggers we are featuring in August.

• August 2 – Women, God, and Faith: Kirra Antrobus, Maia Duerr, Rachel, Rachel Barenblatt, and Katie Orr.
• August 5 – Food Bloggers: Michael Lee West, Tara Kuczykowski, and Robyn Stone.
• August 7 – Braniacs: Melanie Martilla, Marc Nash, Val Hudgins, Claudette Young, and Meena Rose.

Creative Idea Gal’s Thoughts

The common thread in today’s featured bloggers is their penchant for being smart and writing about brainy, intellectual things. The five bloggers all claim fame to learning, knowledge, and education and it shows in the depth of their writing. They analyze, poke, prod, and question brainy topics that most of us would never even think about tackling on our blogs.

These folks write with a flair, question things beautifully, argue their points so well, that it challenges us as readers to dig deeper and comment more than just “I like it or I agree with what you said.” See if you can pick up on the unique flavors of each blogger and determine why they are so smart.

Creative Idea Gal’s Softball Questions for Today’s Bloggers

My questions for today’s featured bloggers are a writing prompt for them, intended to spark creativity. Hopefully, the bloggers will be inspired and respond to my questions as thoughtfully and creatively as they already write on their own blogs.

Melanie Martilla

(1) Does the title of your blog, Writerly Goodness, have a special significance?

(2) You write frequently about Caturday Quickies. What does that mean? What is Caturday?

(3) Are you inspired by your training coordinator job? Do you write about your job?

(4) Why do you call yourself a writing geek? Why do you call yourself a keener?

(5) How does being an experiential learner affect your writing?

(6) You mentioned that learning and writing go hand in hand. Can you describe how you tie both into one on your blog?

(7) You list several cultural references on your blog (Ukrainian Christmas, Algonkian conference, etc.). What inspires you to write about those cultures?

(8) What is the learning mutt side of your brain? How does that impact your learning or writing?

(9) Does your pup-child Nuala inspire your work? Have you considered writing a nonfiction book about dogs?

(10) Your curriculum vitae is impressive! It is also a nontraditional addition to a blog. Has posting your c.v. helped you get noticed, get writing work, be featured on other blogs?

 

Marc Nash

(1) Your Twitter feed features a bunch of clever wordplays with hashtags (example: Murdoch on the Orient Express #AuthorBooks). Do you plan to compile those wordplays into a book?

(2) You call yourself a literary Molotov cocktail thrower. That implies there is an element of danger to your writing. Can you explain?

(3) What is “semtex semiology?” Internet search engines do not recognize that phrase! Did you invent that phrase? If so, why?

(4) You write at length about your university dissertation. How does that fit into your writing?

(5) What is the meaning of the title of your blog, Sulci Collective? How did you come up with that name?

(6) How do you invent so many wordplays? Are you afraid that someone will steal those ideas or plagiarize you somehow? Why or why not?

(7) Your book 52FF features 52 distinct flash fiction stories using diverse, exotic, and interesting themes. What inspired you to write about those themes? Real-life experiences? Fantasies? Television shows? The news?

(8) You have been interviewed extensively. Is there anything that the interviewers have not asked you that you would like an opportunity to discuss?

(9) Why do you like reading difficult, challenging books? What do you learn or gain from those experiences?

(10) Do you write for the Good Men Project? If yes, can you discuss? If no, can you describe how you support that initiative?

 

Val Hudgins

(1) When did you become a vegetarian? What was the biggest influence in helping you to go veggie?

(2) Why do you call yourself a geek girl? Why do you call yourself a G33k?

(3) Your vegetable podcasts are fabulous! Can you describe the creative process of creating podcasts?

(4) How does your day job impact your vegetable writing for your blog?

(5) Have you written a book based on your knowledge of vegetables? If no, do you plan to? Would you consider creating transcripts of your vegetable podcasts and turning those into books?

(6) Who are your biggest influencers in the vegetable world? Why do you look up to these people?

(7) How does your blog, Going Veggie, stand apart from other blogs that provide consumer education on vegetable issues?

(8) You carefully write your mission statement and state that you want to inform without preaching. Why do you suppose preaching about the goodness or health benefits of vegetables is not the way to go? Do you have personal experiences dealing with preachy behaviors to share?

(9) Can you describe the cooking classes that you’re teaching? What types of information do you share with your students?

(10) You call yourself an eternal optimist. Eternal optimists usually become that way because of persistent dark forces in life. Is there any difficult experience from your life that taught you to be optimistic?

 

Claudette Young and Meena Rose

(1) Did you meet each other in person before collaborating on this writing project?

(2) How do you reconcile your distinct writing styles to form one cohesive brand?

(3) Claudette writes a lot about daily learning and failed attempts. Why are those themes important?

(4) Meena’s engineering education and multilingual skills somehow developed into poetry. What inspired you to write poetry?

(5) Why is it important to write about philosophical questions and debates?

(6) The names of your virtual rooms are clever! What inspired you to create these rooms and why are they important?

(7) Claudette and Meena both have 7 WIPs (works in progress) each, for a total of 14 books in the works. Phew! How do you manage book writing with blog writing?

(8) Are there any plans to do in-person training or conversations of your philosophical questions and debates to live audiences in your respective home states?

(9) What are your opinions of traditionally printed paperbacks versus ebooks? Which is better? Which do you prefer?

(10) Notwithstanding the 14 WIPs combined or the blog, what is the single-most top priority in writing?

 

Writing Prompt 092

Prompt: Write a basic profile on bloggers: Melanie Martilla, Marc Nash, Val Hudgins, Claudette Young, and Meena Rose.

Writing Tips:

• Conduct basic Internet research.
• Answer these questions in your writing: who, what, when, where, why (bonus: how?).
• Write your profile as descriptively as you wish. More details make your writing juicier!
• Bonus: interview the bloggers by asking them questions by e-mail and posting their replies on your own blog. Makes for good reading!

If you complete today’s writing prompt in the form of a blog post, please upload it here! Nina Amir and I want to hear from you!

About the Author

Amanda M. Socci is the creator of this unique 10-month training program providing writing prompts to nonfiction writers. Amanda is a diehard creative and an aspiring book author, currently blogging a book on faith, A Slice of Faith, on a community website. Visit Amanda’s blog. Follow Amanda on her journey to book publication. Like A Slice of Faith on Facebook.