cindyvine, From Somewhere in deepest, darkest Africa, under a mountain, 748 Fans, 117 Hubs, Joined 11 months ago
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Alekhouse interviews cindyvine
Last week's interviewee asks a published author some intriguing questions
1. I am so happy to have the opportunity to interview such interesting person and accomplished writer. I have enjoyed reading the variety of hubs you've published here. In an effort to let everyone get to know you a little better, maybe you can tell us a little about how living in so many different countries has influenced your writing.
I'm not so sure about being an interesting person!I think I'm quite boring actually, but strange and random things do tend to happen to me. I am a strange and random thing magnet. I think that living in so many countries has given me a large pool of experiences to draw from for my writing. I am the ultimate people-watcher, and the more you travel, the more people you meet, and I file away descriptions in my subconscious memory box. Although I am a visual person, I tend to see everything and everybody as words. When i go to a new place, I write a description of it in my mind. I'm a little weird that way, basically I live writing in my head. Maybe I'm in the Autistic Spectrum?
2. Where would you say is the most memorable place you've ever lived? and why?
Each place I've lived in has good memories attached and it's really hard to say which one was the best and most outstanding. They were so different, I loved the Transkei as it was like a wild frontier place - the green hills, cattle grazing, huts on the hills, I loved Swakopmund in Namibia, the stark desert, friends I made there, wild times - oooooooh memories,Botswana was great as well, although it was marred a bit by bad memories of my ex-husband, New Zealand, some good memories but mostly I remember life there as being a continuous struggle to make ends meet, Korea some good memories - my first ever white Christmas, actually my only white Christmas was there, Thailand, hmmmm who can ever forget delicious cheap Thai food eaten at restaurants overlooking the sea, China, I had the most amazing friends, the country had the most interesting history, it was an experience. And now, Tanzania. I am loving it here. Life is very simple and basic. Goodness, I never really answered your question. I went off on a tangent somewhere.
3. You are a published author, who just finished her third novel. When did you first begin to write and how do you prepare yourself for writing a novel?
As a child, I was a read-a-holic. I firmly believe, that you cannot write if you don't read. At the age of 12 I discovered Wilbur Smith and Robert Ludlum. At 13 I was into Leon Uris and Chaim Potok. Authors who are great at setting the scene and all have vivid descriptions. When I read something, I want to be able to picture it in my head. If an author can't do that for me, make me read and at the same time see the story unfold in my head like a movie, then I can't read them. I guess that is what I try and do with my writing, use words to create a movie in your head. At Teachers Training College, I started writing Children's books for some of my assignments and the lecturers said I was talented. It was their positive comments which inspired me to write. Then of course, I had all those many weird, wonderful and sometimes frightening experiences which were excellent material, just sitting there, waiting to be written about. How do I prepare myself?I have the basic plot, then I break it down into chapters and write down keywords or a few sentences what I want the chapter to be about. That gives me the structure, and then I just start writing and the words just flow. I feel as if I live the story as I write it. I become very involved in what I'm writing.
4. You spent quite a bit of time in China and from time to time remarked in your hubs on some of the difficulties in living and working there. Can you tell us a little about that?
China was difficult for me. I grew up on a farm so am not a crowd person. Wherever you go in China, there are huge crowds, so many people, and sometimes it made me claustrophobic. I found the people to be a little rude, very selfish, pushing and shoving you everywhere, spitting all over the show, towards the end I found myself becoming a little agoraphobic. I loved the old history, but that is something the Chinese don't really treasure. So many historical buildings get bulldozed in the name of progress. The blocking of Youtube, Facebook and all Blogs and Nings did make it difficult. The pollution was something else. But, I am pleased that I had the experience. I spent three years there.
5. In your book Fear, Phobias and Frozen Feet you speak about the abuse you suffered in a past relationship. How did that experience change you as a woman?
I think that my past experiences have made me very wary about entering into another relationship. After my abusive relationship, I went into a wild wanton woman phase and had many many different men. I think I was trying to substitute love with sex. I guess I just wanted to feel wanted. Then I got breast cancer and I took a good long look at my life, and decided that I would rather write books than have relationships and go through more pain. For me now, my writing has replaced sex, men and relationships. I realise that one day I might regret my decision when I am all wrinkled and alone, but for the time being it suits me. I feel that if I die tomorrow, I can already say that I have lived my life to the fullest and have done things many people just dream about.
6. You have a a couple of really good blogs. One is on abuse and relationships. How important is it to you to "get the word out there", so to speak?
I want people to know that you can rise above abuse, you can escape and get away and make a new life for yourself. In my book, Stop the world, I need to pee, the protaganist, Fenella Fisher, did just that. She escaped from a very abusive relationship, had some hilarious adventures along the way, but she got out. I want people in abusive relationships to see that it is possible.
7. You have a wonderful sense of humor, which comes through loud and clear in many of your writings. How do you switch so easily from the serious issue of abuse to some of your hilariously funny diatribes about men?
I am a Gemini so I guess that makes me a person who can be serious one minute and funny the next. I enjoy writing humorous hubs, but at the same time, there are serious issues that people need to be made aware of. Sometimes, you can combine a serious issue with humor, as I did in Madame le Safety on Safe Sex. Even in my serious hubs, I think some of my humor still comes through. I also enjoy writing travel hubs about some of the places I've been to.
8. At times, those very humorous hubs contain a bit of good natured sarcasm. Is it difficult to keep from going over the line, given your past experience with abuse?
There is always a fine line between wit and sarcasm and I think I do tend to cross it from time to time. As a child, I was quite quick with my comments and sarcasm, and guess it's just a part of me. But I am generally a very positive person and I think that's what stops me from becoming a cynic.
9. You have said that you write off-the-wall and off beat "stuff" at times. Can you tell us about that?
Sometimes I do like to push the boundaries and shock people. My sense of humor has been known to be a little coarse. I think it's because I grew up with 5 brothers. I'm also a little random. Someone says something which makes me think of something else and then I go off on a tangent. I've noticed that my son is exactly the same, also quite witty, some of it inappropriate. I am getting better at being more appropriate as I get older. When I was younger, I used to speak first and then think later, which got me into many interesting situations. It did train me to think quickly to get out of the situations though.
10. And now the dreaded final question: Who are your favorite hubbers on hubpages and why?
There are so many hubbers I enjoy, it's dificult to single anybody out. Everybody has something good in their writing which appeals to me in some way. But, there are four hubbers I would like to mention. Cris A was the first to befriend me and comment on my hubs, AEvans became a friend, Blondepoet and I got up to a lot of mischief in the forums and hubjacking when I had unlimited internet access in China, and Ralwus has become a very good friend and my American editor. I do feel bad just singling out those four because there are so many who are my favorites. I'd like to wish all hubbers and their families a happy and successful 2010. I love all of you and you are all my favorites!
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