Maribeth Barber Albritton

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Friends, I almost forgot I had a blog post due this week! Between helping my mom with our winter garden, podcasting with my brother, writing a new novel, planning a special blog series, formatting Operation Lionhearted‘s 32 chapters in Scrivener, and preparing my self-publishing/marketing plan, my brain feels like it’s just about reached “Full Capacity.”

Thankfully, Kristianne of the Whimsical Wanderings blog nominated me for the Liebster Award last week! Not only is this tag a Godsend (bless you, Kristianne–you saved A Writer’s Tale this week!), but I also thought it might be a nice way to introduce myself to all my new readers/newsletter subscribers. At the time of this writing, I have 190 FOLLOWERS on A Writer’s Tale and 109 SUBSCRIBERS to The Wordsmithery! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Y’all are helping me build my author’s platform, one subscription at a time–quite a blessing when Big Tech Censorship has me re-evaluating how and where I’ll promote my writing this year.

So without further ado…the Liebster Award Tag!

Kristianne’s questions:

What is your blog all about? What do you write about on there?

“Celebrating Story, Christ, and Craft” (my blog’s tagline) sums up what I do on A Writer’s Tale: I talk about movies, books, and TV shows from the perspective of the Christian imagination. It’s one thing to exercise your Christian worldview while studying a story’s themes and characters, but when you add a well-cultivated, Christ-saturated imagination to the mix, it gives everything a different, more vibrant flavor. I’m very passionate about this subject, so I highly recommend reading my About page and this article from the Anselm Society for more detailed explanations!

 Have you ever finished a full-length writing project or wanted to?

Yes! I started writing my novel, Operation Lionhearted, in October 2016 and finished my first draft a year later. I’ve been editing it (with six drafts so far), sharing it with beta readers, and submitting it to publishers and agents ever since. I recently had a pretty disappointing setback, but I’m confident I can get things back on track within the next few weeks and still have it self-published by Christmas, as planned.

I’ve also finished several full-length Doctor Who and Star Wars fanfiction projects! You can read those on my Archive of Our Own profile.  

Are you an introvert or an extrovert (or an ambivert)?

I am definitely an introvert. I love my church community and my friends, and even I had cabin fever last spring when we were under Lockdown! But I do need to be quiet and recollect myself after any significant socializing.

What inspires you the most? Certain books? Movies? Music?

I would have to say movies and television shows. My mom, sisters, and I have been obsessed with the Hawaii 5-0 reboot these past few weeks, and it’s gotten my imagination so fired up, I’m actually writing more effortlessly and happily than I have in a long time! Operation Lionhearted was inspired by Star Trek and the Mission Impossible movies, and all my fanfics were driven by my intense love for various films or shows.

What book are you reading right now? (Or if you’re not reading anything right now, what was the last book you read?)

I’m currently reading four different books:

1. A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle* by Sarah Arthur
2. The Princess and the Goblin* by George MacDonald
3. Book Girl: A Journey through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life* by Sarah Clarkson
4. The Interior Castle* by Saint Teresa of Avila

What kind of music do you like to listen to (if at all)?

I’ve spent a lot of time with Taylor Swift’s most recent albums lately, but I also enjoy Josh Groban, old Russian Orthodox hymns (seriously), Fernando Ortega, Michael Card, Alison Krauss, Owl City, Celtic Woman, Two Benedictions, Steven Curtis Chapman, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Hamilton. But mainly I listen to instrumental and movie soundtracks. John Williams, George Winston, Howard Shore, and Joel Clarkson are my daily companions while I write.

Which type of character would you like to be in a book? The protagonist? Mentor? Sidekick?

Ooooooh, this is a great question! I would love to be the Mentor figure. This isn’t really surprising: I share a personality type with Galadriel and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I’ve always said I want to be like Call the Midwife’s Sister Julienne when I grow up.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I spend two weeks in England in 2013, so I’m going to avoid the obvious answer of “going back to the UK” and choose Central Europe instead. The history, architecture, and landscapes of countries like Germany, Austria, and Hungary are especially compelling to me. And since I already know a smattering of German and really enjoy learning that language, I think I’d hold my own over there 😉

What is your favorite season? Why?

Down here in Louisiana we wear short sleeves and keep the air conditioner running on full blast for about 70% of the year…so when autumn finally get here with its cooler temperatures, cloudless skies, and longer shadows, we’re beside ourselves with glee!

Generally, which do you prefer: books or movies? Why?

I know the “right answer” should be “books,” but again, I feel like I’m often more affected and inspired by movies. Perhaps it’s because I’m a very visual person?

Who is someone you look up to and want to emulate? (It can even be someone from the past.)

I could never limit this to just one person! My list of role models includes (but isn’t limited to):

• my mom, who, in the words of Wendell Berry, is “joyful, though [she has] considered all the facts…”
• Saint Teresa of Avila, whose joy, humor, and passion for Christ reassure and inspire me to go further up and further in…
• Sarah Clarkson, who is possibly the most personally relatable, contemporary Christian author I’ve read…
• and Peggy Carter, who stands up for herself and never loses her dignity while doing it.

If you are a blogger who’d like to take these questions and run with them on your own site, go for it! Or, if you’d like to share your answers in my comments section, feel free to do that as well! I’d love to see your answers for these questions!