Fairy and folk tales, great children's literature, and the usual princess fantasies made me understand as a child that it really might be possible to turn a corner and meet a dragon, or do some little magic and find myself in a completely different world with new things to discover. I studied literature in high school and undergraduate school with the idea that I'd grow up to become a poet. Instead, I started writing technical manuals for companies, supporting computers for universities, and writing songs. Writing songs was my favourite creative outlet for years, until I began to feel the call to write something longer once again. Now, I'm working part time to finance my postgraduate work in creative writing, and my dissertation's due in September of 2011. I am inspired by inspiring others, and my creative writing teaching and facilitating experiences have been very valuable to me, so teaching writing is part of my future, even if I never manage to publish a bestselling novel.