Rules: 
1. Answer the questions.
2. Tag at least two people.
3. Have fun, and make the answers as short or as long as you like!

1. When did you discover you enjoyed writing?

I always seemed to enjoy writing from a young age, and this probably had a lot to do with the fact that my English teachers always told me I wrote at a "college level." (Though, after having attended college for a semester, I can confirm that college students write at a fifth grade level, if the school I went to is a reflection of the average college.) However, it wasn't until I tried writing with my own characters, at my own pace, and with my own ideas that I realized how much I truly enjoyed it. I, also, believe that my history with role-playing largely contributed to my interest in writing.

2. What are your strengths in writing?
I've been told that I write very vivid but well-restrained descriptions. I can divulge a lot of detail in few words while avoiding straying from the focus of the plot. I, also, believe I am skilled in writing "hooks," or the few opening paragraphs that serve to interest readers in my stories and urge them to read on.

3. What are your weaknesses in writing?
Staying focused on one piece is definitely one of my weaknesses. As I write one thing, different ideas diverge from the one I'm already working on, so I end up with all these little plot bunnies that I simply can't wait to write. And when I indulge them, I lose focus on the story I was initially working on. In the same vein, I also struggle with completing stories and closing them in a way that I feel actually brings closure without rendering the conclusion completely boring. I believe the conclusion of a story is just as vital as the beginning because, if you have a bad conclusion, what was your audience waiting for the entire time they spent reading your story? I tend to focus a lot more on wording than actual succinctness of the plot and techniques for conveying said plot, and I need to work on that.

4. What is your favourite genre to write in?
I know that I really enjoy writing horror, but I'm not very well-read as far as horror goes; I don't have much confidence in my ability to write horror scenes, as much as I love them. The majority of my pieces fall under the urban fantasy/dystopia or sci-fi dystopia genres. However, I really enjoy writing slice-of-life or general angst. Tragedies are also something I enjoy; I like a bad ending as much as a happy one. One thing I am certain of is that I can't write without some form of romance or tight bond, such as a parent/child or sibling/sibling bond.

5. Do you consider yourself a good writer?
I have my strengths and weaknesses just as any other writer. There are definitely fellow amateurs that I envy, let alone literary masters. However, I know that I've come very far since I first began writing, and I'm proud of my progress. Maybe I'm not a great writer now, maybe I never will be, but I'm confident in my ability to improve.

6. Do you like to let a lot of people in real life read your work?
That depends on who is doing the reading. My pieces tend to contain some form of homoeroticism, so there aren't many people I can trust with my pieces. In high school, I had some close friends that I always shared my writing with, but I am no longer in contact with any of those friends. Mostly, I just share my writing with my closest online friends, if I don't just publish it to one of my accounts.

7. How often do you write?
I'd like to say I write often due to the sheer amount of role-playing I do almost every day, but as far as real literary pieces go, it varies. Sometimes, I go through periods wherein I write every single day, even if it's just something short. However, there are plenty of times that I won't write anything other than rps for weeks. I try my best to write a little something every day, however, or most recently, when the inspiration strikes.

8. Who are your favourite authors and why?
Most people find it strange when I tell them that I don't read very much at all. The last time I finished a book was literally four or five years ago, and before that, it had been even longer. I've really been trying, recently, to read more, but I always seem to lose focus before I can finish a book. Some authors that I would like to read are Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, and George R.R. Martin. As of right now, I am waiting to read Metro 2033 by Dmitry Gluchovsky.

9. Do you have any OC's? If so, describe your favourite ones.
Wow, this is going to take some time... I have less OCs when compared to others, but the ones I do have are quite detailed and lovingly crafted. I think of new ones quite often, however. Probably my favorite OC of all time is Keith; I've written some pieces with him and published them here on dA. He is a very curt, taciturn and cold man with a ruthless drive for revenge. His entire life has become devoted to vengeance, and he seldom cares who is mowed down in the crossfire.

Another favorable OC of mine is Nolan. I haven't shared any pieces with him as of yet, but he has been around for quite some time. Despite being staunch and pretentious on the outside, he is a very passionate and driven person that cares for those closest to him to a fault. He's, also, a raging workaholic and possesses a very healthy sex life despite his seemingly prudish disposition. In the words of my step-father, he seems "so prissy you'd have to make an appointment to hit that," but he rarely refuses a good romp with an, to him, attractive partner.

It's incredibly difficult for me to choose between my OCs, and if I hadn't stopped myself, I could have listed many more that I consider to be my "favorite." As of now, many of my OCs are under-developed, so there are others I would like to list here but won't because I consider their characterizations too fickle to summarize accurately.

10. Do you write fan-fiction? If so, for which fandoms?
I used to write nothing but fan-fiction (solely for the Devil May Cry fandom), but I have been branching off from it for awhile now.

11. Do you prefer writing by hand or typing?
I enjoy writing by hand because it allows creativity to flow more easily from mind to paper and because I simply enjoy writing on paper (because I write in cursive, which I think is fun, for whatever reason). However, my hand gets far too tired far too quickly and easily when writing on paper, and the last thing I want is to have to quit in the middle of a burst of inspiration simply because my hand is aching. I believe typing is far more quick and efficient, and with a little concentration and the right mindset, the differences are virtually nonexistent.

12. Are you a huge critic when it comes to writing?
I tend to be extremely picky regardless of whose writing I'm reading, whether it be my own, a friend's or a stranger's. I could easily be described as a "grammar Nazi," though I don't act pretentious or look down on others for simple mistakes or even great ones (because I'm not perfect and I often make the same mistakes myself). I believe a good piece of writing will speak for itself, whether the grammar is perfect or not. I've simply possessed an excellent intuition for grammar from an early age, so I can easily spot most general mistakes, and they tend to irritate me if they're not corrected. For me, it ruins the immersion of a story when I come across a typo or grammatical error. Proper punctuation and, to a lesser extent, spelling tell a story as much as the author's vision does.

Disregarding grammatical mistakes, I tend to focus on what I view as most significant amongst the errors I find, when critiquing someone else's work, and leave the remaining errors out or mention them very briefly. I don't like to seem pedantic or harsh, so if I can't explain to someone how they could do something better, I usually won't criticize it, even if I view it as lacking. When it comes to my own work, I'm definitely my harshest critic, and I'm not satisfied with my work until I feel it is perfect, to the extent of my ability.

13. What format do you like to write in the most? (Prose, short story, vignette, poetry, etc.)
Definitely prose; I have attempted writing poetry several times with humiliating and disappointing results. Thus far, I've mainly written vignettes, as far as original fiction goes. I have yet to finish a short story, and I always start them with the intention of writing something comparable to a novel or novella.

14. Who do you tag?
 and 

(Please send links when you're finished because I would really love to read your responses to these questions!)

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