Oooh, I've been tagged to do a seven things meme! Oooff!

Wow. Seven things you don't know about me. Thanks for the tag, jayjay!

1. I'm a certified badminton coach -

I have the certificates and everything. Haven't played for years though. When I crossed the pond to the UK, I took my badminton and squash rackets, but haven't played since I've been here.

2. My first love was in the US peace corps.

He was lovely, the relationship was intense and when we ended it, I thought that I would die. I didn't though and I wonder why, because I was so dramatic. For a few years after that, whenever I saw someone of similar height and colouring, I'd pause.

And yearn.

We were good people, but not for each other.

3. My favourite song is Stardust's Music Sounds Better with You .

No matter what mood I'm in, it makes me dance and giggle like a little girl. I also do this little half soft shuffle no matter where I am. It's rather embarrassing when I do it in the town square. I have it on my mp3 player and play it all the time.

4. I'm a nail biter.

I want to stop. I tell myself I will stop. One of these days. I will.

5. I've written fanfic in the Harry Potter fandom. I've written loads of meta. I've also been a beta reader.

Strangely, I've grown like my fanfic better. I think I have a distinctive narrative voice, and good characterisations. Although I'm known for my meta. A beta reader is someone who reads people's fanfic and makes suggestions, be it continuity, grammar, vocabularly etc. I was a damned good beta reader, with my help I actually got people into selective writing communities.

6. I've written fiction. All sorts of fiction, mostly to do with minorities

But not in that emo self searching way that it seems you have to do. I like my characters to get on, and have whims and reasons. I should go through my stash (I keep the manuscripts in my yarn stash!), and actually take my writings and get them organised.

Not necessarily for sale, but just because I can.

7. When I was fourteen I read Homer's The Odyssey and the Illiad. I wanted to read Paradise Lost but the nuns stopped me.

I attended a Catholic school, which understood the tension between the Pagan and the Christian, and kitted out their library accordingly. That's why I like Neil Gaiman so much, because he acknowledges such tensions in his work, and creates his own mythos. I wish I could do that.

Bonus fact about me:

My writing style and writing outlook are influenced by comics. Particularly Marvel and DC. My mum made my brother read comics as a child, so that he would be tempted to read books without pictures. I grew up with my brother, an avid comic books collector. As a result of this, I have a fetish for writers who can paint a visual.