I am all about well-drawn and compelling characters who are easy to relate to. If I feel as though the characters in a book or story are my friends, and I don't want to leave them at the end of the story, that, to me, is good writing. I'm also a big fan of a natural writing voice. It's funny, but I can pick up a book that's critically acclaimed or has won all sorts of awards, and fight my way through the first chapter, before often giving up on it. Whereas, there are many books that are lesser known that I've picked up and been sucked in during the first paragraph, simply due to the writing voice. Those are probably the two things I strive the hardest at in my own writing: solid characterization and a compelling voice.
I started writing about sixteen years ago. Before that time, I didn't like writing at all. I was never the girl who kept a diary, or liked to jot down her thoughts. But then I became pregnant with my son, and something inside my brain changed. That's how I can easily keep track of how long I've been writing. I think I was always afraid of putting honest things to paper (or keyboard) for fear that others might read them. But there was something about being pregnant that urged me on to want to put myself out there and be known. This process, for me, became addictive. The more I put myself out there as a writer, and delved into deep emotions, the more I wanted to do it. Because of this, I've always thought of writing as something I do more for myself than for publication, or anyone else.
