I love cats
... but after acquiring my third cat, it dawned on me that I might have overdone it. It’s like a cat lady starter kit. They’re everywhere. One of them comes running every time she hears the printer and starts clawing at the sheets of paper as they appear. It’s like a shredder function you never asked for.
Nicolai Houm By Paal Audestad
I was raised in The USA
I went to elementary school in Wisconsin. This probably led to my love for English literature and the great American novels. I have not been back since, except for a wedding in Texas. So my English is not what it used to be. Oddly enough I still think in English a lot of the time.
I used to own a small farm
I lived there with my wife and daughter. Jeez ... the amount of manual labor that goes into producing a single potato! We loved it for ten years, almost broke our backs ... and got out of dodge. The simple life in the countryside is a romantic dream for many writers, but it sure ain’t simple, and you won’t get any writing done.
I frequently go surfing when I’m supposed to be writing
Surfing beats everything. The bliss, the allure of the ocean and the thrill of riding a wave! According to a recent survey on Surfline.com Norway is actually the 16th best place in the world for surfers to live. Three spots above the UK. I don’t think they took into consideration the water temperature.
I work part time as an editor of children’s books
Three days a week I get to help other writers. It’s highly rewarding and it gives me a new perspective on my own writing.
I prefer writing from a woman’s point of view.
Most of my novels and short stories have a woman in the lead role. I like the challenge, and for some reason I find male protagonists less interesting.
I can do the splits
Seriously. I have picture proof. My daughter who is thirteen and a gymnast challenged me. I googled «splits in a week» and bought a yoga mat. One and a half years later, after 200 hours of torturous stretching, I did it. Not only was the pain excruciating, it turned out to be an utterly useless party trick, since I have to warm up for three quarters of an hour.
I don’t read as much as I should
Often I don’t get past the first twenty pages of a book, before I get so inspired (or occasionally irritated) that I’m compelled to write instead.
I wish I could sing
I envy those who have the gift of a beautiful singing voice. Singing seems like such an immediate and instinctual way of turning emotions in to art.
I have experienced the weirdest wildlife sighting while writing a novel
One early morning, while I was living on the aforementioned farm, I looked up from my laptop, onto the field outside my window. In an area about the size of a tennis court stood a moose, a deer and a fox, all at the same time. They looked just as puzzled as me.
