I first remember writing in sixth grade. I would carry a small, blue three-ring binder and give it to my teacher to edit.

I began writing my first story in sixth grade, though I never finished it. It was a YA tale about a group of children who stumble on a cell of neo-Nazis who are planning a takeover of their small town, and the children take it upon themselves to thwart the plot. I've written and finished several short stories since then, though The Moroi Hunters is the first novel I've completed.

I've been experimenting with the planning process to see what works best for me. At first, I started with just a kernel of an idea and some notion of where I want the story to end up (and maybe one or two intervening events). Then I would just start writing and see where the story took me. However, I've found that some moderate level of outlining works well for me, so I have a clearer idea of where the story is going (I don't like to do too much outlining because, once I start writing, I often find that the details of the story necessitate changes). It's a little more work upfront, but I find it saves a great deal of effort later.

As for the act of writing itself, I enjoy the tactile sensation of pencil and paper, so I write my first drafts by hand in a notebook. I type the handwritten draft about once per week, revising as I go, so I get a second draft at the same time.

I envision an image of a major character or event in the novel, even if the depiction is not quite literal to the story, that captures the tone and feel of the novel. Because I want the cover image to be representative of the entire story, I don’t usually settle on an image until the novel is completed. Then, because I have no talent in drawing, painting, or the like, I search through my collection of fantasy art and peruse the work of artists at cons to find one whose style I think fits the image.

In terms of fiction, I read primarily fantasy and some sci-fi. I am particular about the elements I like in my fantasy, though I am more open to forms of sci-fi. Sometimes I sprinkle in a "classic" novel (along the lines of Doyle, Shelley, Stevenson, Verne, Wells, etc). Recently, I have become interested in several sub-genres: fantasy mysteries, medieval mysteries (or at least those that take place before all the modern techniques and technology), very science-heavy sci-fi (à la Catherine Asaro), and non-American fantasy (the Witcher series), sci-fi, and historical fiction (like Dumas, but also particularly dealing with samurai).

In terms of non-fiction, I read primarily philosophy and physics.

I don't remember the first story I ever read, though I remember (kind of) the first story that really impacted me. A friend in high school gave me a copy of the Darksword Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and the Icewind Dale Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. Although I don't recall which I read first, these kindled my love of fantasy tales and led to many years of playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (2nd Edition is still my favorite).

My single favorite book is Dune by Frank Herbert (and I'll include here the entire library of books in the Dune universe, also by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson). As to why, that can end up being a whole dissertation, but briefly: The imagining of the Fremen culture and how perfectly it evolved to suit a world like Dune; the fact that the planet Arrakis is itself a character in the novel, as it affects the humans living there even as it is affected by them, and it changes and evolves over time; the political and social structure of the Imprerium (royal families rule entire planets, but even that isn't enough for their greed and ambition, and they have even developed a language and culture around intrigue and assassination); the concept of a technologically advanced society that has outlawed computerization or artificial intelligence because of a near genocidal war against thinking machines; and the continuing competition between technological advancements versus biological development and genetic evolution.

For the sake of space, I'll just list my next four favorites (in random order), though they are not single books but rather series: the collection Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, the Saga of the Noble Dead by Barb and J.C. Hendee, the Legend of Drizzt books by R.A. Salvatore, and the Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

Let me start this answer with a brief clarification. I thoroughly enjoy the work of dozens of authors. Author A may have one book I like more than anything by Author B, but Author B may have more works that I enjoy to a lesser extent. So, when I think of "favorite authors," my primary criterion is how readily I will read something new (or new to me) by a particular author without knowing anything else about the book. In other words, if you came up to me and said, "Here, read this, it's by Author A," how likely will I be to read it.

That said, my list (in alphabetical order) is: Michael Crichton, Arthur Conan Doyle, Barb and J.C. Hendee, Tracy Hickman, Carl Sagan, R. A. Salvatore, Robert Louis Stevenson, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jules Verne, Margaret Weis, and H.G. Wells.

In a macro sense, I enjoy the process itself, of sitting down with pencil and paper and, through the power of my imagination (and a bit of research), bringing entire worlds to life and telling stories that I think need to be told. In a micro sense, I take pleasure in a particularly well-crafted line or turn of phrase. As a medium, I like writing because you essentially get unlimited, free special effects--literally, anything can happen and it doesn't cost anything more. In a sense, it's the closest one can come to being god, controlling universes from the largest to the smallest detail. And one need not worry about the characters missing a day because they're sick or becoming too old for the role, or about dealing with the characters' pay or labor issues.

I don't think I have any yet, but I'm sure I'll be super appreciative when I do.