Noticing Newbies

Hi there!

Okay, first of all, this is my first ever writing forum. I'm very excited to learn the ropes and get to know many new people, but I ask that you please give me a little bit of grace as I learn the ropes!

I like to consider that I'm a pretty easy person to get along with. I strongly prefer positivity over negativity, and I appreciate any and all CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Criticism that tears me down isn't appreciated. By that, I mean you tell me that either I, or my work, is terrible in some way but don't give me any pointers to how to fix it. That's not remotely helpful, and all it does is tear me down. Please don't do that.

I'm not quite sure what got me into writing. I do know that my interest started when I was in kindergarten and learned my first words. I used to beg for my mother's computer so that I could write my three sentence long 'books' and then decorate the page with stick-figure illustrations of my characters. I was six years old back then, and that was eleven years ago. Since that time, my writing has improved a lot. I wrote my first novella when I was twelve, and despite the fact that it was only 30,000 words long and completely terrible, it was the first story that I truly finished. I've continued to write a new story almost every year. Right now, I'm trying to find a literary agent for my newest project, a children's early reader mystery book.

I am a strong catholic and active in my faith. I love pink, cats, sunsets, and too many other things to name. I also like bringing attention to issues that are relevant to me, so if you're reading my works, you'll probably see a pretty common theme of mental health, as well as a lot of teenage girl struggles.
I should also mention that I am seventeen years old!

Anyway, sorry for the long introduction, but I can't wait to interact and learn with this new opportunity!

Crystal :)