20 QUESTIONS with GRETA HEINEMANN
Twenty things you (probably) didn’t know about CBS Writers Program fellow, Greta Heinemann.
1. My first job was… Delivering newspapers. If we’re talking about “real” jobs: Covering the desk for a German Film PR company.
2. If I wasn’t a writer, I would likely be… An unhappy digital/reality producer going to night school to become an architect or environmental designer.
3. I collect… Collecting is just one step away from horting… I have an old BMW 535i sitting in my driveway (that I plan to restore one day), an everyday car and a motorcycle… so I’d say I collect/hort motorized vehicles. (I’ve made a deal with myself to not ad anything to the collection until I sell my first piece of material)
4. My favorite word is… My favorite word is always the one that fixes my current problem on the page.
5. I’m a big fan of… Good people. They’re worth more than anything else, especially in this town.
6. The single best piece of (writing related) advice I have ever gotten… As a writer it is your job to constantly hone your craft.
7. I have always wanted to… Live in a trailer park for a little while and use the experience for stories.
8. The best thing I have ever read, (but did not write) is… Probably Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange” – it was also the first book I ever read in English (as opposed to my native tongue).
9. People often tell me that I… Work too much; that’s if they know me. People who just met me almost always tell me that I don’t have a German accent (which I love to hear).
10. I really think that my best work (published or not) is… A pilot I wrote last fall. It was probably the most challenging, psychologically complex thing I’ve written thus far and is currently getting me some great meetings.
11. I find inspiration in… Places and music, or if you want the artsy-abstract answer: Analyzing the external, emotional, and psychological dynamics of experiences I have made myself or learned about from others.
12. The best thing about being a professional writer is… Everything. From getting paid to make shit up to living all kinds of different lives through your material.
13. I spend way too much time… I’m surprisingly good with my time management (It’s probably the German in me) so I’d say “in the car.”
14. The funniest person in my cell phone is… To be determined. I just looked and there’s a handful of contenders. I might have to set up a comedy roast-off or whatever the kids call it these days.
15. It really bothers me when… People aren’t grateful or complain about privileges and opportunities that were given to them while others would truly appreciate them.
16. The worst thing about being a professional writer is… The anxiety that comes with never knowing where your next paycheck will come from and worrying about “being good enough.”
17. One mistake that most aspiring writers make is… Worry more about getting reps than about becoming a skilled writer.
18. If I knew the apocalypse was coming in 24 hours, I’d… Grab my partner and head to my friend’s house (where all my other friends would go to, too). On the way I’d loot for booze, comfort food and cigarettes (not for me, but for my friend) and then make it a good night with my “chosen family.” Also, one of my friends is dangerously close to being a dooms day prepper, so with her skillset we might actually survive. (The fact that I have thought this through several times before writing this is slightly concerning.)
19. The three websites I visit most often are… I just looked it up. Netflix, Amazon (prime for streaming) & Feedly (it’s a news aggregator)
20. You’d be surprised to know that I… wanted to marry Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when I was 5 years old.
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