I am absolutely delighted to welcome author of Wake, Abria Mattina to the blog today to share a 25 quirky facts about herself!
Her debut, Wake has had a lot of great response. Readers have praised Mattina for her eye-opening and realistic novel that is about the struggle to redefine life after experiencing cancer and caring for an ill loved one.
So without further ado let me turn the blog over to Abria Mattina- An author, fellow blogger and the brilliant mind behind Letters From Real! ;)
25 Things You Probably Didn't Know About
Abria Mattina
Abria Mattina
1) I frequently go back to my alma mater to write, because I did a lot of writing in study spaces and hallways over the years and I still like the atmosphere. I just carry a backpack instead of a professional bag and I blend right in.
2) I’m super jealous of people who speak more than one language.
3) I don’t have a favourite book. Rather, I have a small collection of books that changed my life or shaped the way I think about the Big Questions.
4) I have mixed feelings about my decision to major in English at university. On the one hand it led to shaky job prospects, but on the other hand I learned valuable things about storytelling, which I consider my “real” career.
5) My biggest pet peeve is when people don’t take me seriously. I look younger than I actually am, so this problem comes up a lot. I still get asked what grade I’m in.
6)I can’t write if I know there are people behind me who can see my screen. It used to be that I couldn’t work unless my back was to a corner, like a Sicilian mobster, but I’ve relaxed ever so slightly. I don’t like people to see my drafting process, because the initial draft of everything is pure garbage.
7) I have synaesthesia, a neurological disorder with many advantages, such as improved memory. The disadvantages are that I can barely stand oral stimulation (food and kissing, anyone?) and I have mild dyscalculia. You should see me try to dial a phone.
8) I used to be an Irish step dancer. For a long time it gave me an even greater high than writing. I stopped when I went to university, but that was probably a good thing because I was well on my way to destroying my knees.
9) I write my fiancé into every single book I create, even the putter drafts that never turn into real books. He knows it, too, and has taken to asking, “Who am I this time?” He actively “helps” by getting into character and trying to give me material.
10) I’m attracted to sad, dark, twisted books. My idea of a “tearjerker” is the average person’s idea of a soul-crushing tragedy.
2) I’m super jealous of people who speak more than one language.
3) I don’t have a favourite book. Rather, I have a small collection of books that changed my life or shaped the way I think about the Big Questions.
4) I have mixed feelings about my decision to major in English at university. On the one hand it led to shaky job prospects, but on the other hand I learned valuable things about storytelling, which I consider my “real” career.
5) My biggest pet peeve is when people don’t take me seriously. I look younger than I actually am, so this problem comes up a lot. I still get asked what grade I’m in.
6)I can’t write if I know there are people behind me who can see my screen. It used to be that I couldn’t work unless my back was to a corner, like a Sicilian mobster, but I’ve relaxed ever so slightly. I don’t like people to see my drafting process, because the initial draft of everything is pure garbage.
7) I have synaesthesia, a neurological disorder with many advantages, such as improved memory. The disadvantages are that I can barely stand oral stimulation (food and kissing, anyone?) and I have mild dyscalculia. You should see me try to dial a phone.
8) I used to be an Irish step dancer. For a long time it gave me an even greater high than writing. I stopped when I went to university, but that was probably a good thing because I was well on my way to destroying my knees.
9) I write my fiancé into every single book I create, even the putter drafts that never turn into real books. He knows it, too, and has taken to asking, “Who am I this time?” He actively “helps” by getting into character and trying to give me material.
10) I’m attracted to sad, dark, twisted books. My idea of a “tearjerker” is the average person’s idea of a soul-crushing tragedy.
