LeAnne Martin recently caught up with LeAnne Martin and sat down to have a conversation with herself.

LeAnne: You interview people all the time for your arts blog and your articles. Does it feel weird to be interviewing yourself now?

LeAnne: Yes, very. Don’t ask any tough questions or I’ll describe in detail your most embarrassing moment.

Deal. Let’s jump right in, shall we? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I was an avid reader as a child. At 8, I started writing four-page mysteries solved by a twin boy and girl. (It must have been during my Bobbsey Twins phase.) I continued writing fiction throughout high school and college. After graduation and a rather circuitous career path that included a stint doing payroll (scary, since I’m terrible with numbers) and copy editing, I started writing magazine articles. I found I enjoyed interviewing people, which is one reason why I enjoy doing my arts blog.

I hope to get back to fiction someday. I have my town already (author Richard Hugo calls it a Triggering Town) but the characters are being very quiet right now. Perhaps they’re all on holiday.

What is your favorite topic to write about?

I have written several articles on the arts, and those articles and interviews formed the basis of the first few posts of my blog called Christians in the Arts. I interview artists and art lovers of all kinds. My fascination with the arts and with people has truly come together in this blog.

I just launched a second blog about another favorite topic: beauty. By that, I don’t mean physical beauty but rather, the beauty around us—beauty that God created or that His creatures create. It’s a vast topic and one I’m going to enjoy exploring.

Over the years, I’ve written about dozens of other topics, including single parenting, observing the Sabbath, following God during hard times, and more. Many of those articles are available here on my site in the Articles section.

Where do you write? Do you use a computer or pen and paper?

I have an office in my home. (By the way, I’m thinking of calling it a study or studio or space instead. Office sounds so utilitarian.) It’s a gorgeous room, with three windows and lavender walls. A vintage dining room table—with dings and scratches from meals served in its earlier days—has a new role in life as my main desk. I need all that space because I am a piler, not a filer. I also need room for family photos, a candle, baskets and mugs to hold various office supplies, and a clear area for my daughter to plop into the chair opposite me and draw pictures or write stories or do her homework. I have two freestanding bookcases and a large built-in filled with books, magazines where my work has appeared, art pieces, more photos, dollar store gifts from my daughter. On the top shelf lies the now-dried throwaway bouquet from my wedding that was so beautiful I just could not toss it—and my single friends were grateful they didn’t have to feign interest in catching it.

I write at a small fold-out antique Queen Anne table on a laptop that basically never leaves the room. When I want to write away from the office, I use one of the fun yet functional notebooks I carry with me at all times. As for preferred writing implement, I would like to say that I use a well-loved fountain pen I received as a gift many years ago that has become an extension of my hand. However, I never got the hang of using that pen and the ink dried up. A scary thought for a writer, actually. My tool of choice is a cheap workhorse: the PaperMate stick pen, blue ink, medium point.

Hey, this is kind of fun. What else you got?

Moving on. What advice would you give to beginning writers?

This is a question I hear often. Here’s the plain truth: writers read and writers write. Do those two things as much and as often as you can. Be prepared to work hard and stick with it. If you want to get published, learn the craft and learn the business. Go to a writers’ conference. Attend workshops that interest you and buy CDs of those you miss. Study market guides. Take a continuing education class taught by a well-published writer if you can, and study books on writing—such as the classic On Writing Well by William Zinsser. Check out writers’ websites like Terry Whalin’s at www.right-writing.com. If you have access to a writer’s group in your area, go to a meeting before you commit to it. Make sure the people there know more about writing than you do, especially if they are going to critique your work.

But most of all, write, write, write, and read really good books. Keep at it. Remember, everyone starts out a beginner.

You like to write but you also like to talk. Talk about your speaking.

Well, I try to limit the bulk of my talking to those times when I actually have something to say. I minored in speech in college but focused on writing for years. Then, a few years ago, I realized I had a story to share and a desire to share it. I enjoy being in front of audiences, talking about what God has done for me and can do for them as well. I love to talk about the arts and beauty especially. I have also taught at writers conferences. For more info on my speaking, check out my Speaking page.

Switching gears a bit, you mentioned earlier some of the jobs you had before you started writing. What was your strangest job in college?

Did you have to ask that? I was a fragrance model—one of those women who stands around in the cosmetics department of major department stores, eau de toilette bottle in hand, ready to spray innocent passersby with the latest, must-have fragrance. Let me hasten to say that I did not spray anyone without permission. Most people would see me with the bottle and go all the way around the department to avoid me. Or they would rush by, eyes averted, pretending they neither saw nor heard me. The job involved a lot of rejection, which actually was good practice for becoming a writer.

Okay. Now for some fun. What is your favorite drink?

Are you kidding? I’m from the South: Coke and iced tea (but not together). My current favorite Starbucks specialty is the green tea frappucino. But what I drink most often is water. I’m never without a Dasani bottled water in hand. Sometimes I have more than one bottle going at a time because you never know when extreme thirst might strike—or how far away your water might be. I’ve tried other brands, but Dasani tastes best. I like the design on the bottle and the color of the label. If I were a folk artist, I would make a water bottle tree.

What’s your favorite type of food? Let me guess: grits.

Most definitely, with salt and butter and occasionally cheese and, at some fine eating establishments, I order grits with shrimp. Oh my! I also like Mexican food, Italian food, and most everything else. Except sauerkraut.

You’ve been known to skulk into your pantry to eat your favorite snack so you won’t have to share. What snack do you sneak?

First of all, I do not skulk. Second of all, I knew this would come up! It’s chocolate of course. What else could it be? Milk chocolate is best but dark will do in a pinch if there’s nothing else in the house. Hershey Kisses and plain chocolate bars are my favorites. I also like to see how many M&Ms I can stuff into my mouth at one time. I’m afraid I’m not very good at savoring. I go for the “eat it as quickly as you can before your brain reminds you how much fat you’re consuming” method. Oh, I also love Lindor Truffles. Not only are they smooth and delicious, but whenever I have one, I get to say “truffle” with a fake French accent.

Now, here’s a question for you, LeAnne: are we done now?

Yes we are. Thank you for your time, LeAnne. And thank you, dear reader, for making it this far. You deserve a truffle!