El, as a long standing member of our writing community and member of the board, what is your vision for The Phoenix? What would you like to see this site accomplish?

The Phoenix is well on its way to becoming every bit as exciting--and as much fun to be a part of--as our dear old "The Short Story Workshop". I see The Phoenix evolving into the most active workshop on the web. My hope is that the success of The Phoenix will exceed even that of SSW in its heyday.

As a past recipient of a "Golden Quill", what did this award mean to you?

"Drawing Miss Hiller," was the first story I'd submitted anywhere, and I was shaking in my bunny slippers when I sent it to SSW. When the story received a Golden Quill, I was ecstatic. Receiving the quill boosted my confidence and made me more determined than ever to work hard at becoming the writer I'd always wanted to be.

When do you find that you are most creative?

I find I'm most creative when I'm not trying to be. Often a story idea will drift into my mind when I'm playing my cello--or for that matter, when I'm cooking dinner or mowing the lawn. Writing the story is a whole different ball game. Before sitting down at my computer, I find it helps to scribble plot ideas onto scrap paper as they pop into my mind. The casualness of jotting down my thoughts on used envelopes and the backs of old grocery lists keeps me from feeling anxious about the project. When I finally sit down to the 'puter and start writing, I'm relaxed and raring to go (if I can read my scribbles).

How did you come by your interest in paleontology and has this had any effect on your writing?

Ever since I was a sweet (that's my recollection, dang it, and I'm sticking with it) little girl with blonde ringlets wearing frilly pinafores and patent leather shoes, I've liked old dead stuff--especially dinosaurs. That my first dino find turned out to be a cow bone didn't discourage me or squelch my interest in fossils. As an adult I worked for many years as year-round preparator at the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota. I live in Wyoming now, but I'm still nuts about fossils. Through the years I've jotted down ideas for stories involving paleontology, but until recently, none coalesced. "Nietzsche's Dragon," co-authored by my son Darby, is my first fossil-related story.

Which authors do you feel have influenced your writing, and why?

Perhaps the author whose technique I admire the most is Peter Benchley. His images and characters leap from the page.

I find that your stories have very strong characterizations. What do you feel your strengths and weaknesses as a writer are?

Why, thank you, ma'am. Trying to breathe life into a story's characters has always been a real challenge for me. I've found that dialogue is the easiest way to do it, and I think I'm getting better at it. What I still find extremely difficult is conveying a character's thoughts and feelings, by way of actions or otherwise. Example: "She'd never been interviewed before, and the thought of the upcoming Phoenix interview made her want to flee to the mountains and hide. Instead it sent her racing to the corner Qwik Mart for a giant Hershey Bar with almonds."

Given a stormy winter's day, how would you spend it?

I spend stormy winter days worrying about all the little animals who might be cold and hungry, and going around putting out food for them. I find it hard to concentrate on anything else.

As an American and a member of the world community how have the events of September 11th affected you, your life, and writing?

I'm more discerning in my political views. As regards national security, I'm not as apt as I was before the attacks to swallow rhetoric. I feel more patriotic now than I ever have in my life, but at the same time, I feel like Dorothy must have when she pulled back the curtain and exposed the, er, wizard. I'm greatly concerned about our country's welfare, its world standing and its future. The events of September 11th affected my writing by keeping me from it for a long time.

Have you had anything published? Tell us about that experience. If not, would you consider attempting to get your work published?

I've never submitted a story to a paper publication, but two of my stories have appeared in e-zines. Both stories were first posted at The Short Story Workshop. Thanks to the reviews they received, they evolved into much better stories.

Do you feel that gender affects how we write? And why or why not?

Tom Clancy novels certainly differ from Danielle Steel novels, but Clancy novels also differ greatly from Stephen King novels. I don't think gender affects how we write as much our individual personalities do.

To date, what has been your most thrilling moment as a writer, and what was your most devasting moment?

My most thrilling moment was when I received an email from Ken Foster, editor of BookWave, telling me that he'd selected my story collection as October's Editor's Choice. My most devastating moment? Hmmm...I guess that's yet to come.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our writers?

When I'm not in the mood to write but am thinking about a particular story I'm working on, I often visit websites containing writing tips. Doing this has helped me improve my writing. There's a lot of good information on the web for writers.