It’s that time again! And author friend, Claire Banschbach is the News #BlogBattle Winner! We’ve not had the chance to grill her for information interrogate question interview her, so I’ve asked her by for a tidy little visit. She thought she might be up for it.

What do you think, Claire? Can you take the heat?

I’d love to attempt to answer some questions thrown my way.

Fantastic! I knew you’d be up for the challenge. Let’s start with something simple. 😀

1) Kinesiology is the study of human movement and you’ve got a degree in such an awesome thing! Now you’re looking to get a doctorate in PT. Love it. Knowing this about you and also your love of writing, I wonder: does having a degree in kinesiology aid you in your writing? Do you have a deeper understanding of human movement, limits, and fluidity? What advice do you have for us non-kinesiologists?

It has really helped, and not just with helping the good guys run away from the evil henchmen. As I work through PT school I’m getting an even deeper appreciation for the human body and just what it’s capable of. As far as writing goes, now I’m getting a pretty good idea of just how far to actually push characters, how war wounds will actually affect them, and how to make action scenes work within the realm of reality. Although I finding myself wanting to open a Fictional Character Rehab Clinic. That would be an awesome job.
As far as advice goes? Don’t be afraid to do your research when it comes to science stuff. I know I’m terrible at actually doing research, but get in there! Look at pictures and videos, ask questions. There’s a lot of big words out there but the human body is really amazing!

Haha! Yes! Can I be the receptionist at the Fictional Character Rehab Clinic? What a super fun idea. Actually, that could totally be a fun and possibly funny middle grade reader story for super heroes in need of rehab. And of course you have to bring up research! Yikes, but that can feel like such a dirty word sometimes. Of course, if we look at it like you say, as its own sort of adventure, it can truly be a fun and eye-opening experience. I know we all want to write characters with a sense of realism, not too far departed from all the rules of reality.

2) What is your biggest hurdle to overcome as a writer? 

Just one hurdle? 😉 One of my biggest hurdles is pacing, I think. If you’ve read my stuff, you know I’m big on action so I tend to pack it in and forget to slow things down occasionally. That and I think I write the same three character types over and over again, and I need to work on deeper POV… I’ll stop now. 🙂

I think those are hurdles we are all jumping together or at least in the same race. Now I’m curious about what tricks of the trade you may practice to overcome such hurdles. Of course, it sounds like you look for balance, which is fantastic. If most writers were honest, they’d probably say the same about character types, too. hehe And POV is always an interesting one. My but you’ve brought up so many thoughts in my head and we just don’t have time to cover it all today! We’d best move on because my friend, Susie, is watching live from her home near Saturn and is impatient for the answer to your next question.

3) If my friend, Susie Alien, were to fly in from the outer rings of Saturn and ask you if you’d give her your Texas A&M football team in exchange for a special rock from outer space that can grant you two wishes, would you do it? Why?

Yes, the alien question! Well, I flipped back and forth on this one, but Aggies are nothing if not extremely loyal to their teams. Especially the football team. Even if we run out of time (lose), the favored saying is “I’ve seen them win, I’ve seen them lose, but I’ve never seen them quit!” So, I’ll have to say no to Susie Alien even though I have no idea what our team looks like this year. Now if it was my Aggie Ring, I wouldn’t even have to think twice about saying no!

Susie flipped off the connection as soon as you said no. Poor dear. While I’m sure she’s off sulking on the back side of Saturn, she’ll get over the loss of the famed Texas A&M Aggies. Some other time, when we’ve got a chance to sit and chat again, you’ll have to explain to us why the ring would be an immediate no.

Claire, thanks so much for being a willing victim participant.

Thanks for the questions! I had fun answering them!

Always a pleasure. 🙂 Come back again soon!

And for all our friends, if you want to find out more about Claire or her books, visit her website: Claire Banschbach

If you’re interested in joining our fun little #BlogBattle community, here’s more info on how: #BlogBattle