When did I become a writer? I'd say kindergarten, starting with a really nice piece of Berenstain Bears fan fiction. My subject matter has since changed, but I'm still working with words — wrangling them, rearranging them, making choices about them, occasionally making them up. And these days, I'm doing it professionally as a freelance writer in Portsmouth.

Over the course of my career, I've turned out stories at a newspaper, turned phrases at a PR and marketing firm and turned rough ideas into polished copy for individual clients. All in all, I'd say it's turned into a pretty good gig. Especially for someone who got her start doing Berenstain Bears takeoffs.