Well b/c I am a bum at times I thought before the lovely Michele Lang left us that you all should get to know her better. (and here is where the bum part comes in) I didn't send her a request for her bio so instead I am totally taken it from her website!
*clears throat* so without further adue I present the lovely Michele Lang
A lot of people believe writers are born, not made. I’ve heard of writers who sprung out of the womb fully formed as storytellers, ready from early childhood to spin their yarns.
This writer was born and made. I’ve been crazy in love with words and books since I started reading at two (my first read was Little Bear…and that book still makes me cry). But I needed life to toughen me up enough to translate that passion for stories into finished work.
Like some writers and artists do, I suffered from shyness as a child. In order to cope, I hid within my mind, in a lush world populated by book characters and people I met in dreams.
It got pretty crowded in there, and eventually I had to deal with the outside world, make a separate peace with it in order to grow, not just survive. So to navigate the soul-killing aspects of life in school I developed a strong, capable persona. She was the warrior who dispatched bullies and placated teachers so that the dreamer could roam in her inner garden.
Sounds like multiple personality disorder, doesn’t it? Maybe it was, but my strategy worked for a heckuva long time, at least on a superficial level. My warrior woman went to Harvard Law School, practiced litigation in Connecticut and New York, kicked butt in a very satisfying way. Her shy deer counterpart dreamed on, well hidden, well protected.
And the whole crowd inside the garden was happy. We all could have continued on our merry way indefinitely…the only person who felt dissatisfied with this situation was, well, me.
I’d survived way too long split up into a bunch of different pieces. My dreamer, walled off from the outside world, couldn’t manifest her visions without the help of the warrior. But the warrior was too busy fighting other people’s battles. Fortunately for me, a series of events blew my old habits away.
First, my oldest child was born. An incredible person, who immediately taught me two things: (1) I am strong enough to do anything I have to do; (2) I am not going to live forever. My husband and I decided to move back to New York, live closer to family and friends.
And then 9/11 happened. My oldest was 9 months old at the time, and we’d moved back to the metro NY area only a few weeks before. I froze up for a few months after the attack on our country. You know what brought me back to myself? Stories. Dreams. And novels that that breathed magic back into the desert of daily life.
My children and husband sustained me. Romance novels entranced me. Everyday heroes inspired me. Now my writing has cracked my old life wide open, and I’m learning how to grow my secret garden here, in the everyday, magical world.
This writer was born and made. I’ve been crazy in love with words and books since I started reading at two (my first read was Little Bear…and that book still makes me cry). But I needed life to toughen me up enough to translate that passion for stories into finished work.
Like some writers and artists do, I suffered from shyness as a child. In order to cope, I hid within my mind, in a lush world populated by book characters and people I met in dreams.
It got pretty crowded in there, and eventually I had to deal with the outside world, make a separate peace with it in order to grow, not just survive. So to navigate the soul-killing aspects of life in school I developed a strong, capable persona. She was the warrior who dispatched bullies and placated teachers so that the dreamer could roam in her inner garden.
Sounds like multiple personality disorder, doesn’t it? Maybe it was, but my strategy worked for a heckuva long time, at least on a superficial level. My warrior woman went to Harvard Law School, practiced litigation in Connecticut and New York, kicked butt in a very satisfying way. Her shy deer counterpart dreamed on, well hidden, well protected.
And the whole crowd inside the garden was happy. We all could have continued on our merry way indefinitely…the only person who felt dissatisfied with this situation was, well, me.
I’d survived way too long split up into a bunch of different pieces. My dreamer, walled off from the outside world, couldn’t manifest her visions without the help of the warrior. But the warrior was too busy fighting other people’s battles. Fortunately for me, a series of events blew my old habits away.
First, my oldest child was born. An incredible person, who immediately taught me two things: (1) I am strong enough to do anything I have to do; (2) I am not going to live forever. My husband and I decided to move back to New York, live closer to family and friends.
And then 9/11 happened. My oldest was 9 months old at the time, and we’d moved back to the metro NY area only a few weeks before. I froze up for a few months after the attack on our country. You know what brought me back to myself? Stories. Dreams. And novels that that breathed magic back into the desert of daily life.
My children and husband sustained me. Romance novels entranced me. Everyday heroes inspired me. Now my writing has cracked my old life wide open, and I’m learning how to grow my secret garden here, in the everyday, magical world.
And now that you have met Michele she has something fun for us (YEAH BABY)
Contest! Contest!
I am writing a short story based on the world of NETHERWOOD, set in the dangerous cyberworld known as the Netherwood. The Netherwood is like a mix between World of Warcraft and Second Life – it’s a virtual world that is so real, people prefer it to their ordinary daily lives.
In the comments, tell me what avatar you would pick out for yourself in Netherwood – give me your avatar name, and your fantasy of what you would do in cyberspace if you could get away with it with no consequences.
Here’s mine: Avatar name: Warrior Woman. WW has perfect abs, fights with two ceremonial swords, and has the ability to fly. My fantasy…calorie free chocolate J
One commenter will win a signed copy of NETHERWOOD, another commenter’s avatar will appear in the short story I’m writing!
I am writing a short story based on the world of NETHERWOOD, set in the dangerous cyberworld known as the Netherwood. The Netherwood is like a mix between World of Warcraft and Second Life – it’s a virtual world that is so real, people prefer it to their ordinary daily lives.
In the comments, tell me what avatar you would pick out for yourself in Netherwood – give me your avatar name, and your fantasy of what you would do in cyberspace if you could get away with it with no consequences.
Here’s mine: Avatar name: Warrior Woman. WW has perfect abs, fights with two ceremonial swords, and has the ability to fly. My fantasy…calorie free chocolate J
One commenter will win a signed copy of NETHERWOOD, another commenter’s avatar will appear in the short story I’m writing!
8 comments:
This is a great story, Michele. How cool!! Oooh, I can't think of an avatar, though.
Wait, I will base on on my kitten, Oblio, who has a secret power to figure out where he will make the most trouble and go for it, but it's really a positive power, because it shakes enemies and friends alike out of their dreary patterns. Oblio is the hero with the pin, always going around to burst people's safe bubbles. That's not a very good hero for an adventure story, is it? I just woke up.
What a great bio. That was wonderful.
Avatar name: Aella (means whirlwind in greek mythology) cuz nobody gets by me! If I could do anything in cyberspace I'd axe out all of the hateful websites so that there would be only goodness and love. (I'm in a "can't we all just get along?" mood today). :O)
Oooo this is hard! when I was little, I used to play that I was a warrior princess and my horse had the ability to give nightmares to the bad guys. This magic power is the first thing that came to my mind now, but really, it seems a bit negative. How about my power is the ability to change the emotions of the people around me, to fill their souls with hope. I'd also like to fly. Name name would be Yuuki, which is Japanese for Hope. :)
Hey guys --
I love all of these avatars :) Awesome names for all of them! Oblio reminds me of the Norse god Loki. I totally relate to Aella. And I *love* the name Yuuki! Can I use all of these?
My kids are Pokemon freaks and I think I get some of the avatar love from them. LOL
Feel free to link to an image, like I did in my Kovner post!
I'll check back later tonight/early tomorrow...
Michele
i would be a volumptuous babe in leather that is a kick ass martial artist who has her own seis and long sword down her back. She also has super strength and the ability to teleport. My name would be Meiyo which is japanese for honor.
http://www.tektek.org/avatar/20729528
Built myself an avitar picture!!!
Carolyn Jean - Love the name of your cat.
If I'm not too late I think my avatar would be called Dominari. And she'd shut down all the sites that allow illegal downloading of e-books.
You DIK ladies do rule :)
OK, I put your names into my magic hat...
Ciaralira, you've won a signed copy of NETHERWOOD! YEY! visit me at my website and email me with your mailing info.
As for the avatars, you guys rock :) I am going to do my level best to weave all of these into my story...I'll let Sarai know when it's posted.
Thanks again for having me here -- I had a fantastic time!
Michele
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