I don't write because I want to be published--that interest came much later. I just have stories in my head, and I like sharing them. That sounds simple (at least I thought so when I began at age seven), but it's incredible how complicated it is if you want to do it right. It's easy enough to make up a tale of adventure, mystery, romance, and swashbuckly awesomeness in your own head. I've reached a point where I view it as if I'm translating those thoughts to text. I have to find a way to skillfully convey the same emotions, events, and thematic occurrences in a new medium.

My methods for learning involve lots of practice and getting critique from a variety of other writers.

Most of my critique partners and forums are linked on the left, and if you live in Bellingham, e-mail me for information about joining any of them. We're always glad to have more members.

Also: I absolutely love NaNoWriMo.

I always found it easy to finish short stories, but after the two embarrassing novels I finished while I was in junior high (no, you will never read them) I couldn't seem to finish any of my books! When I was twenty-one, I found NaNoWriMo and decided to try it.

I've heard certain people crap on NaNo for encouraging people to create drivel, but that's ridiculous. The beauty of a book is that it can be edited! It doesn't have to be finished when you write "the end," because you can go back and insert or delete whatever you need to make it a polished, beautiful piece of fiction. I'm not alone in this--Jay Lake, whose voluminous credits are listed on his website, has repeatedly instructed writers to give themselves permission to write crap. NaNo gave me that permission, and then I did what I really needed to do: tell the story without getting hung up on whether or not I was doing a good job. That part comes later!

And so I proudly list my NaNoWriMo projects. (Soon I'll add summaries and unedited excerpts hot from a NaNo'ing keyboard! But I have to get brave enough first. Also, find time.)