I’d like to welcome my friend and very talented author, Kristin Kisska, back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.
Something crazy you did on vacation:
Years ago, I visited the Cayman Islands for a long weekend getaway with a friend. She convinced me to go on a snorkeling trip to Stingray City, which is a sandbar area between the islands frequented by stingrays. For about two hours, I swam among dozens of wild stingrays. Very cool experience, but probably not one I’d ever repeat, especially since Steve Irwin died from a sting.
Something you’d never do again on vacation:
I decided to “brighten up” my home office. Famous last words. Over one stay-cation, I selected a paint color I thought would be tan with rose undertones. After all the walls had been painted, it looked more like Pepto Bismol. Ugh. I spent the rest of my vacation repainting my office gray. I will never do that again, nor will I undertake a DIY project as a “vacation.”
Your favorite thing to get from the ice cream truck:
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream bars. I loved them as a kid and stumbled across one recently—they still sell them! Of course, I had to test and still see if it is my favorite. Yup!
Some dessert that you wish you’d never bought:
Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone, but I’m really not a fan of chocolate ice cream and chocolate cake.
Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer:
As much as I dream and fantasize about escaping to the beach for a DIY writing retreat, I know in my heart of hearts that I wouldn’t get any work done there. Still, my go-to place to write is my writer’s cave (a.k.a. my home office). My favorite summer place to *read* however, is absolutely at the beach.
The worst place to try to write in the summer because of all the distractions:
Any place I visit with my family over the summer qualifies as the worst place to write. Too many people juggling in too little space makes me a grumpy and frustrated writer. I need quiet and routine to hit my creative zone.
Favorite thing to do on a summer evening:
I love going for walks outside on a summer evening, especially in Virginia. With the sun out later, we usually get a break from the intense daytime heat, and the balmy evening is so calming. The crickets and cicadas offer a pure summer soundtrack. If I’m lucky, I’ll even get a peek at firefly or two.
Least favorite thing about summer:
Mosquitos. They love nibbling on me for their breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Favorite place to visit in Virginia:
The beach is my happy place, so my favorite Virginia haunt is Sandbridge Beach. It’s one of Virginia’s best-kept secrets and the setting of my upcoming short story, “Vendetta by the Sea,” which will be published in the mystery anthology VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES III this autumn.
Somewhere you’ve visited way too much. Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt:
Tysons Corners mall in Vienna, Virginia. Honestly, I’m not a shopping person, to begin with, so malls hold little appeal. Add massive crowds, gridlock traffic, and terrible parking, and you’ve created my perfect storm.
The thing you like most about being a writer:
My absolute favorite moment of being a writer is when my characters hijack my story and take over. When this happens, I’m no longer the driver but a passenger along for the ride, and I try to capture the events unfolding as best I can. I’m guessing it’s a lot like the thrill of surfing a wave.
The thing you like least about being a writer:
Writer's block. Nuff said.
The thing that you will most remember about your writing life:
I can’t pick just one because I’ve enjoyed a few personally epic milestones thus far in my writerly journey. My top three moments are: writing “The End” on my first novel, signing my first ever published short story, “The Sevens,” and getting a call from my literary agent to offer me representation.
Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over:
I wish I’d started attending writer conferences sooner. Much of writing is such a solitary adventure. Meeting and networking with other authors and those in the publishing industry would’ve helped me create a stronger support group over time. Book people are fantastic!
Most daring thing you’ve ever done:
In my twenties, I decided to move to Prague, so I bought a one-way ticket to give it a shot and see if I could find a job. Three years later, I moved back to the States to go to grad school. Those were (and always will be) the best and most adventurous years of my life.
Something you chickened out from doing:
As I was starting college, my professor uncle embarked on a year's sabbatical in Australia. He was taking his entire family to Sydney, and they extended an invitation for me to join them. I decided against going and started college on time, but I always will wonder about the fun adventures Down Under I might have had if I’d taken that gap year.
The nicest thing a reader said to you:
The comment came from another author who’d read one of my short stories, “A Colonial Grave.” She told me it was so good; she was jealous she hadn’t written it.
The craziest thing a reader said to you:
Someone wrote a review about one of my short stories: “To the Moon and Back” was the perfect mix of terror and pity.” While I appreciated that they honed in on the pity elements, I hadn’t been gunning for a tone of terror as much as motherly love.
The funniest thing that happened to you in an airport:
I lived in NYC in my twenties. At the time, Delta had hourly flights to Washington, D.C. called the Shuttle. Since my family was living in Virginia, I flew back for weekends fairly regularly. One Friday evening, I rushed to LaGuardia airport after a long day at work to catch the Shuttle. After handing in my flight pass, I was allowed access to the passenger waiting lounge, where I promptly fell asleep and missed my flight. No one bothered to wake me up, so I woke up in a completely empty lounge. At least there was one more flight scheduled for later that night.
The most embarrassing thing that happened to you in an airport:
While going through TSA at O’Hare, my teen daughter’s bag was flagged for inspection because they found powder (her eye shadow case had broken). The guards determined that one of us had to be patted down, so I volunteered as tribute. With hundreds of passengers passing through the security zone witnessed my embarrassment as a female guard patted my body, swept under my bra line, and otherwise made me blush. One of the guards then asked for a Q-tip, and I was so grateful it was meant to swab my hands and not some other body cavity! We finally got the all-clear and made it to our gate on time, but my daughter will NEVER be allowed to carry makeup in her carry-on luggage again.
The best summer job you ever had:
While in college, I was considering a career in law. Since my home was right outside of Washington, D.C., I wrote to the United States Supreme Court to see if they offered any summer internships. They did, and I was ultimately offered one. For three months, I worked among the Supreme Court Justices as a courier and even met Thurgood Marshall and Sandra Day O’Connor. Though the internship was unpaid, it was an amazing experience!
The worst summer job you ever had:
In college, I worked nights and weekends as a seating hostess at a local restaurant and got a first-hand experience of how much attitude people can throw around if they have to wait for a table. Hostesses don’t earn tips, so it’s really a thankless job.
