Every Sunday, dailywaffle.co.uk will bring you a quick 60 second interview with a different member of our writing team. This week the spotlight falls on our resident techy expert, Kimberly (@kengel)
What / Who inspired you to write?
Honestly, I think my inspiration for writing started with taking notes in school while growing up. Strangely, perhaps, I found a lot of comfort in holding and using a pen as a child and I was always the student to take far more notes than necessary. Only because, most likely, I enjoyed writing them down so much. It was a comfort that naturally led me to explore ideas in textbooks, stories, and novels, rather obsessively. Something of which hasn’t changed and probably never will. And without a doubt, as a generation Y’er, the Harry Potter series left its impact on me too, but not just as a story I love dearly, but as a reason to write, and to write for myself as well.
What topics do you most enjoy writing about and why?
As you can tell from DW and the other blogs I write for, technology and more specifically, social media, are my favorite subjects to write on. I’m obsessed with how our humanity is affected by the ever evolving and intelligent media and gadgets we’ve created. I embrace the world’s progress, but I also, at times, fear it. It’s a topic which I think can be discussed for days at a time.
More than that, though, I also love getting in touch with my creative side. I’m a professional day dreamer, ever since I was a child, and have found that short stories and ideas for novels are the things I think about all day long. In my spare time I like to blog about these spurts of of inspiration that often come to me when I’m walking to and am riding the subwayin NYC.
Name 3 people who inspire you
First, I have to go with my 11th grade Journalism teacher. He was the first one to encourage me in regards to my writing, at least in the sense that I could go somewhere with it, and as an impressionable young person then, his words have stayed with me ever since. Simple as that.
Second, I choose my older sister because she’s the most successful person I’ve ever known. In her infancy, she decided she wanted to be a veterinarian and stuck with it. She’s now been practicing this trade for the last five years, demonstrating her persistance, dedication, and courage to never give up on your biggest dreams. Definitely worth looking up to.
And lastly, I’m inspired by Derek Jeter. What can I say, I’m a New Yorker (and also a 90s child)! But not only has Jeter proved himself a worthy leader, and a successful player, but someone who always sticks to his principles and doesn’t let the media frenzy influence him to be someone he’s not.
Give me one fact about yourself
I played competitive softball growing up, and when I was 13, my team went to the national tournament in Sterling, Virginia. My greatest moment came in the quarter finals, where I had the game winning hit in extra innings! It was a day and moment I’ll never forget, especially because as I rounded first base, watching my teammate score the winning run, my father, who was coaching first base, was the first one to hug me.
What is the most blatant lie you have ever told?
When I was in high school, my friends and I once told my parents that we were going bowling, but instead we caused trouble on the town by throwing toilet paper on private property. Yikes, I was a rebellious young one! Promise I don’t do that anymore : )
