Answers!

Molly asked what inspired me to start blogging?

It's so long ago I'm not sure to be honest! As far as I can remember in February 2000 someone I knew online told me about Diaryland and I thought it was cool and signed up. Updated a few times, got bored and didn't go back. Then 8th November that year I was at uni and I had unlimited internet in my room and nothing to do. Remembered diaryland, signed into my account again, deleted the original entries (which I sort of regret now) and that was it. 7 main blogs (this is my 7th) and many other one off entries and random ideas later my 9th blogoversary will be in November this year.

It was easier to figure out what keeps me blogging. Fact is, I enjoy it. I gives me something to do, makes me write. It's a huge huge outlet for me. It has also allowed me to make some great friends and also keep in better touch with some of my IRL friends too. The biggest thing about blogging for me I think is the ability to share information and experiences. I've always felt that one of my roles in life if you will is to show that being disabled isn't the end of the world and how much more than what people see there is to it. Blogging is probably the best way to do that. It's also why I enjoy taking part in things like Blogging Against Disablism Day and The Disability Blog Carnival so much.

The second question Molly asked was what my favourite film is? Hard to say. I'm not hugely into films and watch them again and again and again. I'm a now and again DVD type of person. Probably the Harry Potter films are my overall favourites. I also like the Sister Act ones and all three of the Thunderbirds ones too (yes, including the not as great 2004 one). Narnia is a favourite in books and I've liked the films too although prefer the books.

Diane said that when she stops writing due to tiredness or pain she has trouble getting going again and remembering where she was and wondered if I had any tips. Firstly, sorry for the crappy rewording of your question, going from memory here. Write or Die is a great resource for making you write and getting those words down. You need to remember to copy and paste into a document and save it when you're done though!

I've also been learning this year about a process called "Free Writing" (I think it also has other names but I don't know them). You set a timer and you just write. It doesn't matter if it isn't what you planned to write you just write it. In that time (I do 10 minutes) you don't go back and edit it and you don't second guess yourself. If you can't think of anything to write then you sit and write about how hard it is to write and ramble on about that until you get over it.

Something else I do is I write what I want. If I've written point (or character) A and need to get to point/character B and don't know how to do it I skip the getting there bit and write the next bit then do the getting there and joining up afterwards.

My sister left loads of questions on here. Which kind of surprised me because, she's my sister, I figured she knew all she wanted or needed to. But they were interesting questions!

If I had to get a pet what would I get? I'd get fish. I am very animal phobic and fish seem low maintenance, fun to watch and something I'm not phobic about.

If I was changing my name, what would I change it to? I don't think I would change my name, it's who I am! And I've said for years that if I ever get married I won't change my surname. But two names I really like are Zoe and Naomi.

If I had one wish what would it be? I probably should wish for a better world, more understand of disability issues. A world like this one. But in reality I think I would wish for children of my own. I would love to hold my own child in my arms (bet that surprised you!)

If I had to eat one food only for a month what would it be? Probably cheating to say one meal, not one food but - jacket potatoes and cheese. Easy and very very yummy and not too bad for you.

I haven't forgotten that Diane also asked about Crip Culture or that Karen asked about what CP treatments I've had or that a while back Jacqui asked for the story of my powerchair. All of those things are topics I'd love to write about but which are long ones and need to be in separate entries. I hope to tackle most of them this week.