Sponge’s Birthday Interrogation! (In Other Words: I Have Survived My First Year Of Blogging And I Made You Ask Me Questions So I Could Talk About Myself)

Hello, world.

I am a small, persnickety creature, and my purpose in life is stories.

Also I deserve cake and ice cream and a blimp full of presents because it is MY BIRTHDAY.

I am somewhat amazed at myself for not murdering my dear little Sponge before now. But here we all are. District 13 is alive and well, and so am I! So where is the cake?

In honor of this occasion I asked you, dear friends, to ask me questions, and this post is all about answering those questions.

So without further ado, I present you with the Sponge’s Birthday Interrogation:

If you could choose the soundtrack for a book/movie, what songs would be on it? (Tanya Goffy)

I thought you’d never ask.

My movie is about a boy who runs away from a severely deranged family life to join the circus but accidentally joins a murdery one and there is also a girl who sells burritos. (Before you start trying to make an OTP, guess what? They are actually siblings.) There will be lots of family issues, wacky nonsensicalness, morbid humor, and angst. Much angst. And of course, music.

Here be a list:

Dead (lyrics snippet: I didn’t apologize for/ When I was eight and I made my younger brother/ Have to be my personal slave) Genius, right???

Oh! Carol (Don’t ask me why this song is here. It just is.)

You Still Believe In Me

Icarus

I Want to Be a Clone

The Abandoned Castle of My Soul

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine (lyrics snippet: My heart is darker than these oceans/ My heart is frozen underneath)

Bullets

Come Home (lyrics snippet: There once was a girl/ Who’s now just a ghost)

This may seem like a lot of songs, but this is me restraining myself.

I’m sorry if any of these songs grate upon your nerves, but some of them are just made to do that. Man, now I actually want to make this movie.

If you could have a gigantic metaphorical billboard, what would you want it to say? (Annie Xia)

Probably this poem by Shel Silverstein:

Either that or this:

Hello, my name is: Bill

Were there other name contenders for your blog? (Annie Xia)

Yes. Originally I was The Story Parasite, but I figured Sponge was more appealing. So I went with that.

What’s something awesome that you’ve discovered recently? (Annie Xia)

Schwachkopf means moron in German.

It is more fun to have recommendations thrown at you or to throw recommendations at other people? (Annie Xia)

As much as I love getting recommendations from thoughtful friends and sea urchins, I must admit that I would rather throw books at people. I love throwing books at people. And throwing movies. And Broadway shows. Because obviously everyone needs to share in the joy I have found.

Me gently recommending my favourite book to my friends

The weirdest character name you have ever come up with (Chelsea)

Hm. That’s hard. Perhaps Sqiddermund? Or Confused Pizza? Though actually one of my characters came up with that one on his own, so it doesn’t really count. I had a character named Smylled Grimly once. That was pretty weird.

The weirdest character you have ever come up with (Chelsea)

That’s a really difficult one to narrow down. I have a lot of insane characters.

For now I’ll go with Lochinvara, who is obsessed with snail-hunting, so much so that she faked her own death, abandoning her son and husband, so as to pursue her passion fully. Also the terms of endearment she uses are rather bizarre. “Midget banjos,” “stocking stretchers,” and “fine young clams”  are a couple of examples. Yeah, she is essentially completely nuts.

Your favourite song? Why? (Chelsea)

FAVOURITE SONG? ARE YOU TRYING TO TORMENT ME?

Are we talking pop music? Broadway? Movie scores? I CAN’T JUST PICK ONE.

But I can give you a smattering because I’m nice.

Broadway: What Have I Done? from Les Misérables, because I love Valjean’s inner struggle and the evolution he undergoes throughout this song.

Pop/Contemporary/Rap etc : Mansion by NF, because…these lyrics just get to me. The part about fear? It’s all such a vivid description of the horrors inside of our minds. “My mind is a home I’m trapped in/And it’s lonely inside this mansion.”

Movie scores: Fairy Dance from Peter Pan, because James Newton Howard is a master and this is one of his pieces that has been with me the longest. It’s haunting and beautiful.

(Also as a side note, Switchfoot is practically my absolute favourite band, so if you want more songs (because I haven’t thrown enough music at you yet in this post, clearly) just go listen to everything they ever wrote. Because it’s genius.)

Why are you a sponge? Why not a celery stick, or a spoon or a colander? (Chelsea)

I chose a sponge because of the idea of a sponge soaking things in, in the same way that I soak in stories. Except that’s not even accurate because I am so picky about which stories I soak in. But even so. That’s the reason.

If you could only eat one type of chocolate for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Chelsea)

Why would you ask me something like this? I guess I’d say Lindor dark chocolate truffles? But why???

What kind of food do you like to eat regularly? (whether you do or don’t) (Somewhat Reserved)

Tacos, Pizza, Cheesecake, Animal crackers, Salmon

What is/are your favourite book genre(s)? (Somewhat Reserved)

It used to be fantasy, easily. Now I will read contemporary, fantasy, magical realism, science fiction, historical fiction, etc. I don’t have a favorite genre, unless Really Great Books counts as a genre. I like well-written, amazing literary masterpieces from most genres. (Just not horror. Or romance. Ugh.)

Do you often use your library? (Somewhat Reserved)

Me when someone mentions a library

Yes! But not even as often as I would like to. I frequently check out books from my library, but sometimes I go weeks without seeing its face and that makes me morose. I don’t know what I would do without its assuring presence. I live within walking distance of my library, for which I am continually thrilled.

Do you write your first drafts on your PC or by hand? (Somewhat Reserved)

I have tried both, and I prefer to write first drafts by hand. I like the feeling of a pencil in my fingers, and paper can make me unreasonably excited. I find that I can concentrate better for a first draft on paper, then I can copy it into the computer to start the serious editing. (Editing? Ha, ha, this hardly ever happens, but you know, it’s a nice idea.)

What one song do you think sums up your life? (Middle Earth Musician)

Honestly?

The World is a Very Scary Place

Pretty much.

(Or More Than Useless by Relient K, maybe?)

What fictional character do you wish was your friend in real life? (Middle Earth Musician)

Um. Possibly Herbert Pocket from Great Expectations (THE BOOK, mind you, not any of those horrid film adaptions). He has a big family and his quirky cheerfulness would offset my moodiness nicely.

Have you ever created a fictional character that you absolutely hate? (Middle Earth Musician)

Oh, absolutely yes. So many…

I hate Lucinda for being one of the most brutally thoughtless mothers ever.

I hate Mercedes for destroying and then murdering Winston, who was a sweet child and would never hurt anyone.

And I hate Princess Emily for being one of the most totally boring humans on this planet, and any other planet, known or unknown.

What movie\tv show have you seen that you wish you hadn’t? (Middle Earth Musician)

Teacher’s Pet (2004)

This movie traumatised me as a small child and I STILL HAVEN’T RECOVERED.

Me attempting to escape the terrors of my past

Favourite random quote (Middle Earth Musician)

“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally- and often far more- worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” -C.S. Lewis

I love this quote so, so much.

What is something you have written that you’re proud of? (The Temperamental Writer)

Zindor realized that his feet were on the ground, but none of the rest of him was. So he was still standing up.

Who are your top five favorite super heroes? (The Temperamental Writer)

1. Quicksilver (Evan Peters) Sorry, MCU.
2. Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) I’m loyal, okay? Sorry (again), MCU.
3. Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) The first movie was better. Just saying.
4. Vibe (Carlos Valdes) I can’t believe I’m putting him on this list, but…I’m putting him on this list.
5. Alfred (Michael Cain) Don’t you dare tell me Alfred doesn’t count as a superhero.

What are your favorite books you have read so far this year? (The Temperamental Writer)

I’ve talked about Joseph a lot on this blog, haven’t I? This book is short, simple, and liable to totally shatter your soul. Read it, friends.

MORE BROKEN CHILDREN. Um. Yes. Doug has such a distinct voice and you can’t help but love him. (I’m not lying.)

Another whimsical romp. This book is short, graceful, and funny. I read it aloud to my sisters and we had a lot of fun with it.

This book is so whimsical. It’s funny but it also makes you think. Ideas like keeping dreams in a drawer or misplacing shadows captivate me.

I demand to know why Frederic and Duncan are not on the front cover.

Beck and Joey are siblings! And they care about each other! Also their mum is abusive, so there’s that.

Is Magneto the most brilliant and powerful mutant ever? (The Temperamental Writer)

Nope.

Are you an actual sponge. (Katie)

What accent do you wish you had? (Katie)

SCOTTISH. Probably.

What’s your guilty pleasure in stories (love triangles, the chosen one, whatever trope is normally looked down upon that you actually like)? (Katie)

Honestly, I have to say the Chosen One deal. It can be totally botched (and has been countless times) but I really like it when a character is thrust into something huge and terrifying rather than pushing their way to the center of the story through sheer brilliance and skill. I guess I am kind of drawn to clueless wimpy characters, though I know a lot of people find this type of situation annoying to no end.

In Conclusion

I cannot thank all of my awesome and dedicated followers enough for putting up with me for this long! It’s amazing! You are the best, every one of you, and you all deserve ice cream and your very own caribou.  I have so much fun reading your comments and getting to know you. There are so many different kinds of people in the blogging community and you are all fantastic humans! (Because, despite my general fear of humans, they are fantastic.)

Special thanks to those of you who submitted questions! This post was a blast!

AND NOW-

Plot twist- it’s my turn to interrogate YOU now. Didn’t see that one coming, did you? I have created a small survey for you to complete- if you so wish: Sponge Needs You

Help me figure out how to keep my Sponge in good health- and fun for you to read!

Thank you all muchly again! You are all awesome! Having this blog in the past year has been a wonderful experience and I am thrilled to share all my random obsessions with all of you.

Your support in this first year has meant a lot to me. I look forward to exploring more stories with you in years to come.

Happy writing!