I don't tell people I'm a writer. Being a writer impacts how I look at the world, how I relate to people, how I listen, how I speak, how I interact with my friends. But, I'd rather people get to know Alyson who happens to write stories, than get to know a writer who happens to have the name Alyson. Certain things happen the first time someone learns that you are an author. A balanced conversation of question and answer for both people instantly becomes "me" heavy. When I'm with close friends, I probably talk about myself far too much, but when I'm with people I hardly know, talking about myself is very uncomfortable. When strangers hear I write, they starting a thread of questions, and for the most part, everyone asks the same ones. You write? What do you write? Do you write stories like the Hunger Games? When do you have time to write? When do you have time to be a normal teenager?