I Think, Therefore I Am: But who am I? There are many definitions of who someone is.... But in the meantime, let me start with this: My name is Ryan (and I'm, female, for those who don't know me). I'm a writer of fantasy who happens to be a Murphy-ist. My major is currently declared as Comparative Literature and I have recently declared an independent major in the Art and Craft of Fantasy Writing, and I intend to declare a minor in French; but my real ambition is to be published on paper and paid for it. I got one step closer to that in September 2000, thanks to Kaliope's Korner, when I got e-published. Since then, I've been writing and pursuing my publishing career as I get time. I gave a poetry reading on March 10, 2003 when a poem of mine got accepted into a juried multimedia show. But I still want to attain my goal. About three or four years ago, I figured out that fiction and poetry writing may not be the most lucrative choice for me to have made (considering I rather like this lifestyle I currently have, featuring food and shelter). Recently, I've been playing with ideas for future positions, including journalism, political satire, or magazine editing. Before all this can happen, though, I need graduate from college: I am in the midst of my junior year at Oberlin College in Ohio and hope to graduate after the fall semester of 2005.

On AOL Instant Messenger (when I'm on, which isn't a lot of late), I am known as REH613 (it's my initials and birthday - I know, how unique).

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Moving ever onward...

Extra, Extra!:

My spare (ha!) time has been devoted to either trying to get myself published in various magazines and entering contests to that ends, or to working on the prequel to The Hunt for Silvera on and off. I don't know when it will be done, seeing as the first installment took from February of 1999 until August of 2002 to complete. Otherwise, college and its associated workload fill my time. Sadly, that means that working a bit on this site has gone to the wayside. In the meantime, go take a look-see at my on-line LiveJournal for some of the recent happenings of my life not covered here. As always, feel free to return here at anytime -- consider yourself personally invited.

Bon Voyage:

I took my long-awaited trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland in late June and early to mid-July of 2000. (I had an absolute blast, I'd recommend it to anyone!) It was truly an experience I'll never forget. To immortalize the memories and give me some serious story fuel, I kept a journal, which I posted as I promised to do a few months before my trip. It may be the most detailed recollection I'll ever be able to give without my jumbling the tale of the three glorious weeks I spent away from my native soil and life as I'd known it for the past (then) sixteen years.

To be continued...:

I loved the United Kingdom and Ireland so much, I decided to embark abroad once more. I went to trip to Australia in July 2001, but I haven't got my journal completely posted. Unfortunately, at this point I'm not sure it's ever going to get posted, but anything's possible.

"Chapter One: Herstory Made":

Writing has been my passion for as long as I can remember -- I hope to eventually earn my keep from it. (That day hasn't come yet, my e-publishing a few summers ago was in a nonpaying market.) But until that marvelous day comes, I will post my (better and/or more recent) writings here. But first, go to this link to make sure you understand that these are copyrighted and that you may not take or use them without my explicit permission.

Initiation (1996)
Dragon Slayer (1997)
Lizzie Stanton, I Knew Thee Well (1998)
Younker in the Rigging (1998)
Captive's Confession (2001)
The Hunt for Silvera (1999-2002, in .PDF format)

Quotable Notables:

My writing obsession extends not only to my own persuit of the written word, but others' opinions as well. Some of my favorites I've collected are here.

But Wait, That's Not All!:

Not only do I write stories, but I've tried my hand at a few poems (okay, so using "poetry" to describe it is debatable... so sue me) as well. These were done while I was in high school, the ones since then may get put up at a later date, but right now that's up for debate. Feel free to peruse and comment: just remember that I don't take kindly to flames.

The One They Call Ortaile (1999)
Your Words (2000)
Life is a Poem (2000)
The Prisoner From Darelia (2000)
The Fire (2000)

Mes Amis:

Surprisingly enough, I do have a social life and friends (gasp!). A few of my friends have web pages of their own and have given me the URLs...there are also a few who said they would give them to me and haven't done so. Their loss, I suppose, if they don't, but it sure would be nice to have them. Those whose pages' URLs I have, I've displayed links here.

NOTICE, January 30, 2004: Some of the URLs I had no longer work. I removed them if this is the case. Those who have either resurrected their sites or have created new ones are still free to send me links and I will include them on here.

DivaVivaLeFreek's Random Weird Page Alan's Ego-Booster Chris, At the End of the Rope Matt's Room Erica's Website of Random Chrissy's WAM Page Jeff, Himself and the Others in His Head Sarah and her "Freaks for Friends" Makoelf.com (Ale's site)

I also have a few other pals that I hang out with, though more in high school.... They're the kind of people that don't mind getting turned into cartoons...uh, right, guys? Everyone isn't there, maybe one of these days I'll immortalize them all in Freek form....

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