Averil Dean's Blog, page 21

Grudge

Do you hold grudges or do you believe in forgive and forget?

I try to hold grudges. A grudge is necessary sometimes, even admirable, especially if you’ve been badly wronged. In fact, some of my favorite people are vengeful as gods—a loveable quality, I feel, and a sign of wisdom and vitality. But I tend to forget things inadvertently. I remember that I want to dislike the person and that there is a reason to do so. Sometimes I recall a vague outline of whatever they did to hurt me. But the ang...

Circles and Squares

You’re throwing a party — for you! Tell us all about the food, drink, events, and party favours you’ll have for your event of a lifetime. Use any theme you like — it’s *your* party!

Oh, it would be tiny. One round table, Spanish guitars, a lot of wine to keep us talking and a chef behind the scenes to keep us fed. Actually, I have a scene in Blackbird that describes the kind of meal I’d like:

They sat on the terrace beneath a flowering crabapple tree. Its blossoms drifted to the table, into the...

Cartoon Hearts

What was it that drew you to your significant other? Their blue eyes? Their ginger countenance? Their smile? Their voice?

I met my husband through an old-school dating service, where you’d go to an actual office and browse through a library of three-ring binders. Each person had a written profile and a picture, and a truly awful video should you be inspired to watch it. If you found someone you’d like to meet, you’d stop at the front desk to request an introduction.

One day I was on my way out...

Galoshes

If you could learn a trade — say carpentry, electrical work, roofing, landscaping, plumbing, flooring, drywall — you name it — what skill(s) would you love to have in your back pocket?

Hmm, interesting question, Sir Promptsalot. Pleasant mental images of me in leather apron or mechanic’s jumper, wielding a wrench or nail gun or sexy plumber’s crack (that’s ass cleavage to you, boys) and plunger, ready to play Ms. Fixit. I’d love to be able to repair my own car, or even understand how the damn...

Sting

Who did you idolize as a teenager? Did you go crazy for the Beatles? Ga-ga over Duran Duran? In love with Justin Bieber? Did you think Elvis was the livin’ end?

Small Expectations

We want you to ponder your best, and worst, expectations.

Okay, I’m pondering. There’s a lot of meat on the bone with this one, especially for a group of writers. Expectation is one of the tools of good storytelling—setting it up, knocking it back, dropping hints about what a reader may expect to find in later pages and then deciding whether they will or they won’t. Then there’s buyer expectation. What can a potential reader infer from the cover, or the publisher, or the author’s name, or the...

One Hand Clapping

How do you handle conflict? Boldly and directly? Or, do you prefer a more subtle approach.

I would like to say that I handle it boldly and directly, that I’m mature and articulate in my points of dispute, or the one at the front of the picket-line with a bullhorn and catchy slogan. Sadly, this is not the case. I usually handle conflict with silence.

I suppose silence is a cowardly modus operandi, but sometimes I think the other person only needs some space to hear herself, which she’s not going...

Birds

Are you a night owl or are you the early bird? What’s your most productive time of day? When do you do your best work?

I’m always up early, but it takes me a couple of hours to get the caffeine flowing and shake off the night. At the moment I’m curled up in my office with a cup of Peet’s on the hearth and Izzy the fur-person wedged into a corner of my armchair. This is where I spend most mornings, and quite a few evenings as well.

In fact, I spent almost the entire weekend in this very spot, f...

Carrots

Have you made your bucket list? Now’s the time — write about the things you want to do and see before you become dust in the wind.

I have never made a bucket list, but here goes:

Renovate a classic Airstream or Spartan trailer and travel around the States with my husband.
See my son perform on Broadway.
Foster a child.
Go to Australia.
Own a horse—a plodding, elderly sort of creature who will take me on rides through the forest in exchange for carrots and chunks of apple.
Learn to knit.
And play pok...

Grassy

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT! What’s your favorite way to spend Saturday night?

Photo by Camilla Akran