The Sword and Laser discussion

More than likely this is in the wrong place. Bloggers, readers, authors alike, in your reading and writing along the trails of the interwebs, what is the strangest question you have asked a author, or answered yourself on a blog?

Yes,there is a half baked idea in this question.

I think the strangest question I was ever asked was, "As an author, how do you stand writing dialogue?"

I wasn't exactly sure how to answer, because personally, I really enjoy writing dialogue. LOL

You should have said "I usually sit when I do"

My favorite: Neil Gaiman on the best advice from a writer he's ever received. Most unexpected answer:

In the shower today I tried to think about the best advice I'd ever been given by another writer....And then I remembered. It was Harlan Ellison about a decade ago.

He said, "Hey. Gaiman. What's with the stubble? Every time I see you, you're stubbly. What is it? Some kind of English fashion statement?"

"Not really."

"Well? Don't they have razors in England for Chrissakes?"

"If you must know, I don't like shaving because I have a really tough beard and sensitive skin. So by the time I've finished shaving I've usually scraped my face a bit. So I do it as little as possible."

"Oh." He paused. "I've got that too. What you do is, you rub your stubble with hair conditioner. Leave it a couple of minutes, then wash it off. Then shave normally. Makes it really easy to shave. No scraping."

I tried it. It works like a charm. Best advice from a writer I've ever received.

Thus proving once again that Harlan Ellison is a god among ants.

As a writer, once someone finds out what I do for a living, I've been asked, "And your wife is okay with that?" often enough for it to stick in my mind.