Believe it or not, writing romance right now isn't my first experience with professional writing. I had my first professional publication in 1995 (though I'd had professional performances of my work - a couple plays and a screenplay - prior to that). It wasn't fiction, though. It was a trivia/history book on the Oscars, called - sadly enough - The Oscars Fact & Trivia. Unsurprisingly, it tanked, lol. But I got a taste of what it was like to do publicity then, and had a few book signings and radio interviews that were kind of fun. I've wanted to do something creative professionally since I was 14, actually. Back then, though, I thought about acting. Then it switched to filmmaking. Then marriage and kids happened, and I shifted my priorities again.
What pushed me in 2005 to give it a go again was a number of factors. First of all, my kids were getting a little older. I had more time on my hands. I didn't have any family nearby, but Craig and I had agreed that we'd like one parent at home full-time while the kids are young so I didn't want to go back to work outside the home yet. I also saw people I knew getting involved, which is always encouraging. The part of the Buffy writing community I hung around in was always hugely supportive of each other's skills and dreams.
I had

But I stick with it because I *love* to tell stories. I have since I was 4 years old. Writing is really my addiction. And writing professionally has the potential of giving me the biggest audience. That's really what it comes down to. That's what I remind myself when I think I suck and I should just quit - which is often, just ask Pepper, lol. I *need* a creative outlet. Fanfic was terrific for me while the show was going and right after, but without another fandom to fall into - Buffy was really an anomaly for me - that well dries up. So I do what I have to in order not to go crazy, lol.