NRR: Can you share with us how you
got started into writing?
I'm pretty sure I've been writing
stories and scenes as long as I've been reading. I started (and didn't finish)
at least a dozen novels during high school and college, but it wasn't until I
was in my late 20s that I finally buckled down and wrote an entire novel--a big
fat fantasy that clocked in at just under 175,000 words. And, let me tell you,
it contained every possible trope and stereotype (not intentionally!) Of course
I thought it was a work of unparalleled genius and was convinced that it would
be only a matter of weeks before publisher snapped it up and made me the
next Robert Jordan. Needless to say, that failed to happen! Fortunately
for me, that was right about the time when the internet was becoming mainstream
and I happened to stumble upon a writers' chat online. There I met other
aspiring writers as well as a number of seasoned pros, and I learned about
things like submission protocols, critique groups, and writing workshops. The
workshops I heard the most about were Clarion and Clarion West--six week
workshops held in (at the time) Michigan and Seattle respectively, that focused
on science fiction and fantasy short fiction. I happened to be in a phase of my
life where I could take six weeks off and so I sent my application in to
Clarion West--including, as directed, two of my best short stories (which,
again, I thought were works of unparalleled genius!) A few months later I got
the word that I'd been accepted. At that time I knew that I was on the fast
lane to success!
