Ask Shawn Gossman Anything!

[Shawn Gossman]

I see! Do you have a favorite literary device? Like alliteration, metaphors, etc.?

Euphemisms

I prefer nicer words. Even in copywriting, I don't like creating copy or sales speak, which angers or creates deep fear.

The only time those words are good is in horror content.

 

[Juneberry]

I see! Do you wear glasses ever?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I see! Do you wear glasses ever?

Sunglasses.

I have prescription reading glasses. I don't wear them as I should.

When I was a kid, I wore glasses until my early teens and my eyes got better.

 

[Juneberry]

What time do you try to go to bed, usually?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

What time do you try to go to bed, usually?

On days I have to go into the office - 9:30 PM. On days I work virtually - 10:30 PM. My commute one way is 80 miles so I have to get up early to drive.

On weekend and vacations, I usually stay up until 11-11:30 PM unless I need to get up earlier than usual.

My step-daughter is 16. She says I'm old for going to bed that early. She stays up until dawn and sleeps all day.

 

[Juneberry]

Do you get along well with your kids/step-kids?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Do you get along well with your kids/step-kids?

I do. very well I don't have any kids so I treat hers as my own

 

[Juneberry]

Do you want kids of your own?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Do you want kids of your own?

No. I'm nearly 40 years old. Suppose I was in my 20s, maybe. Now I'm older, I look forward to traveling at some point. Her oldest has moved out and started a family of his own. Her youngest is 16, so she's close to being an adult. She can live with us as long as she wants, but once she gets to that adult age, we can go off and travel, and she can find out what it's like to be a grown-up

 

[Juneberry]

Where is your favorite place you've been?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Where is your favorite place you've been?

The Shawnee National Forest which is our local forest

 

[Juneberry]

Do you have a favorite tree?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Do you have a favorite tree?

Bald Cypress (a swamp tree)

They also have rooting components called knees, as pictured below. You'd almost think they're stumps but they're a part of the tree.

 

[Juneberry]

Those look really neat! Why is it your favorite? :3

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Those look really neat! Why is it your favorite? :3

They're unique to my area.

I live in southern Illinois at the very bottom of the state.

We have swamps that look like swamps in the Bayou of Louisiana. But we have no alligators...

These swamps are natural. They, at one time, were frequent along the area from the formation of the Illinois basin.

They're different in this area. They still freak people out that we have swamps when they don't understand local natural history.

The area in this photo (Heron Pond Swamp Preserve) got me into hiking and nature.

 

[Juneberry]

I see! This is a very interesting thing to learn.

Next question: Do you know what your name's meaning is? :3

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Not really. So, I looked it up.

The name Shawn is Irish and commonly spelled in other forms such as Sean, Shaun, and Shon.

There is a lot of religious meaning attached to it. If that is the case, I will assume the name is ancient.

Now that was very interesting to learn, haha.

 

[Juneberry]

I write fiction, and I love names. xD
Do you watch much TV?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Not anymore. I used to and I watch it every now and then, mainly Cartoons because it only gets turned on when the stepdaughter turns it on. She'll watch a cartoon movie and my attention will eventually turn to the movie LOL

 

[Juneberry]

Do you have a favorite movie?