E-book – Toward the within…

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have had the pleasure of being nominated for the Liebster Award by Sandra Bellamy, author of the blog QuirkyBooks. 🙂 Thank you so very much! I am truly grateful.As a part of being a nominee of this word, it is my task to answer eleven (11) questions, the answers to which I have posted below. So, I am going to dive into the questions, and let’s see what happens.

Below my answers, you will see my nominees for the Liebster Awards!

What first inspired you to start writing a blog?

Well, it is more of who rather than what. I would say that my clients first planted the seed in my mind about writing a blog. You see, I worked with adolescent and young adult women, who believed that my life would interesting to share…I wasn’t quite sold on the idea. That is, until my friend, photographer Dolores Juhas, suggested I begin one during my second visit to Rome. For whatever reasons, I thought then that it would be interesting to begin writing, especially as I had already resigned from my position, and felt more free to write about life publicly.

What is the biggest challenge you have ever had to face when writing your blog?

I suppose I am always concerned with issues dealing with privacy/self-disclosure. As a therapist, I think it is important to be mindful of what I share of myself in the world. I have tried, therefore, to write more self-reflective pieces that could be applicable to the lives of those who may take the time read the blog. I think it is important for therapists to show themselves as being human beings, who struggle and work through their issues, without going overboard with the details.

If you travelled through time, what time would you want to arrive at and why?

Well, I would prefer to travel forward in time. I would like to see what the world will be like in a hundred years. Why? Thinking about how much things have changed in the experience of living for human being since 1912 makes me curious about how 2012 will be viewed a hundred from now. Will we have changed for the better?

The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you prefer to eat chocolate or sweets (or neither)?

If I were to be blatantly honest, I would say that I prefer Milka Hazelnut Chocolate bars. 🙂 Otherwise, in general I prefer chocolate. I am not a fan of sweets, except perhaps mints. They are always handy.

Do you prefer to read or to write?

How about both? I consider myself a prolific reader. I go through books of various genres. I’ve always been like that since childhood. I am grateful to my ex for purchasing a Kindle for my birthday, because it has allowed me to continue with my book-buying obsession. Right now, I am hooked on Japanese manga–don’t ask why. 😉

What is your favourite genre of writing and why?

I prefer poetry. Even though I have a tendency to ramble, it is a function of my struggle to find the right words to capture my thoughts. Poetry I find lends itself well to image-based and minimalist thinking. I can choose one word/image that represents a host of ideas without having to go into lengthy explanations.

Then again, I also like writing essays.

What is your favourite non-fiction topic to read about and why?

Oh, may I plead the fifth on this? Why? I have a wide array of interests. There isn’t one particular subject I prefer to read about at any given time. Rather, I become fixated on a topic, read and learn all that I can about it, and then I move on to the next topic.

If you could buy one book that would help you to solve a problem in your life, what would it be and why?

Wow, is there a manual out there titled, Life of Diedre M. Blake: How to Guide? If there is one, then I will absolutely buy it. Otherwise, I think I will have to write that book myself. Currently, I am doing extensive research on this subject.

Rome, Italy (2.21.11)

Do you prefer to write at night or during the day?

Well, I have found recently that if I lock myself in the basement of a university, armed with a laptop, the soundtrack to The Last of Mohicans or The Lord of the Rings Trilogy or Vivaldi‘s Four Seasons, I can write from morning until late in the night. If I am at home, however, I find that I tend to write late at night or ridiculously early in the morning.

If you could be any character out of any book, who would you be and why?

Hmm…Strangely enough, I would be Jane Eyre. I guess because I relate well to her story. Also, perhaps I am a bit of a romantic, and would like to believe that the hardships of life serve a purpose and can help to lead you to self-love and the love of others.

Do you prefer to read a printed book or an e-Book?

Printed. My apologies to the trees, but there is something comforting to the feel of paper in my hands.

Who do I nominate for the Liebster Award? Well, see below:

(Disclaimer: I recognize that some of these blogs may have more than 200 followers, but still I would like to acknowledge them. Also, I am not very technologically savvy to know how to find out the number of followers a blog has if it is not posted.) 🙂

http://thisisreed.wordpress.com/

http://proluce.wordpress.com/

http://lonelygirltravels.com/

http://haikudoodle.wordpress.com/

http://asjellis.wordpress.com/

http://anecdotaltales.wordpress.com/

http://susynreeve.wordpress.com/

http://jpgwriter.com/

http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/

http://mesayah.wordpress.com/

http://12novels.com/

Until Next Time!