Always wanted to write, never really followed through until I discovered the internet--no judgment. (I can't really count the reviews, as most tend to be highly supportive, and the critical ones have all been constructive criticism.) I have lots of ideas I'm just setting down, and it's great! None of it is perfect; I'm at the stage where getting it down is more important. Maybe someday, I'll go back and actually edit. This is learning by doing. Character development, story line, etc. I start out with vague ideas of where I want to go, and the results often surprise me. What do I like? Anime. I started out writing fanfiction on mediaminer. Graduated to my own stories after that. Science fiction, fantasy. Do I have an all-time favorite book? There are too many--and just coincidentally, most of the authors are women. CJ Cherryh, Janny Wurts, Katherine Kurtz, Louise Cooper (Time Master series), but there are others I absolutely love--can SF writers change your life? Absolutely! Roger Zelazny. I memorized whole passages of "Lord of Light." Samuel Delaney. Dhalgren. Empire Star. Too too many. The author who started it all for me, and I came across her in a Junior High reading book too many years ago to mention, is Zenna Henderson. "Pilgrimage: Book of the People." There is wonder out there. Believe it.