Welcome to The Wicked Quill, home to the best bits of Shay’s fiction.

So, how did I get here? Sometimes I wonder the same thing :D I guess it was a combination of things; hard work, long hours, good laughs and exhausting rants, not to mention a helluva lot of blood, sweat and tears…and of course, a lot of strange ideas, threats, sleepless nights, shortcut showers, burnt dinners and fruitful chat sessions :D

Note: For the impatient, my fiction can be found using the navigation panel to the right.

But more than all that, I got here because other people believed in me. And for that I would like to say a few words and offer my thanks to them below.

I was introduced to the wonderful world of fanfiction back in early 2003, when I stumbled across Kat’s ‘In the Heat of Battle’ over on ff.net, and followed the breadcrumbs to Nuns With Pens.

I skulked around for a few months before I was dragged out of the shadows of lurkdom by faithrss, alecsangel and a few others. I was encouraged to try my hand at writing…even when all I could foresee was failure on my part. Despite my protestations - for which I was rebuffed time and again - they didn’t let up on me and finally I caved.

My first standalone was ‘Wriiten Confessions’, a rather pathetic story (IMO) about Max realising her feelings for Alec and writing them in a letter that she never meant to send, rather than openly admitting them. Alec happens upon the crumpled paper in the waste basket and…*lightbulb*! It’s one of those stories I look back on and cringe when I read it, but it was my first foray into the world of DA and therefor has a special place in my heart.

After the positive responses and continued encouragement from fellow Nuns, friends and strangers, I was officially hooked. The enjoyment I experienced while spinning my fantasy world and allowing my favourite non-canon couple to finally get together combined with the unbelievable high of all the feedback I’d gotten was too good to pass up just because I was worried about how my writing would be received.

Besides, I needn’t have worried about that; there were some awesome, loyal, caring and immensely helpful people out there who made sure to inform me of how they veiwed my writing skills. These people inspired me with their comments, (and some also with their own writing, as well) and my endless thanks go out to them: Candyabble, Lotamoxie, Nerian, HisVampira, Sassy, Electricgurl, Natacup82, valeria, winter, iluvaqt, elle6778, izabelevans, SGOU, panda, Rosana, minnie,  ellie, Pai and so many others - if I tried to list everyone else I would run out of space!

But yes, these are (some of) the reviewers who took the time and effort to detail what they liked and what they didn’t, who provided great food for thought, wonderful and helpful suggestions and ideas, and constructive criticism that helped me to learn from my mistakes and strive to grow in my writing. Some of them were even brave enough to join forces and write with me for a time, something I will always cherish. So, guys, THANK YOU for everything.

(Word to the newbies out there and those still unsure of their ability to write: You won’t know until you try, and even then - keep trying! Uncertainty is no excuse!)

Not long after, I got the idea to rewrite all of DA. Oh yeah, major project for a newbie writer, right? But I figured that if I started and it went over well, I could only improve. (That story is called ‘Chaos’, and is still in progress today! Anyone starting it fresh, all these years later, will notice the changes and improvements as the chapters go by. It’s my baby, I’m proud of it and I intend to finish it eventually!)

I had so many ideas and great hopes for it…still do, in fact! And let’s face it; I had insane aspirations to try and become as good as writers such as (in no particular order): Infie, Lyra, Restive (Bavite) , Baloo, Roon, Misslara, Kat, Scarlet, Jewel, Sorrow, Era and others. An impossible dream, but one worth pursuing all the same!

I don’t think I am anywhere near their calibre, but I have come a very long way in my quality of writing and in the development and implementation of ideas and characters, mostly due to these very people and the kind words, constructive criticism and constant encouragement of everyone on Nuns With Pens and Gumboot Mafia.

I am forever in their debt.

~Shay, October 2007