I think everyone has summed up the answers to your questions nicely.
I just wanted to address Jen's fear of feedback. I can understand this. When I first started posting (was that really only a year and half ago? it feels like ages.) I was nervous. It's hard being your own worst critic and anticipating having those sad private thoughts broadcast in front of other people, especially people you admire.
However, I *strongly* urge anyone who is a closet writer, to come out and post. First of all, I *promise* you, no one is going to say, "you suck" "this is awful" etc. Not going to happen. You will be amazed at the outpouring of compliments and encouragement. Second, if you take the constructive criticism (and that's the only kind there will be, I promise) to heart, it will make you a much better writer. I have learned SO MUCH from the talented people here. There have been so many times when I've posted something and known something was not quite right, but just didn't know whyI didn't like it what I could do to fix it. But then I post, and someone says, "You know, if you just..." And there it is. The answer I was looking for. They've helped me with everything from simple word choices, to naming characters/companies, to rearranging my entire story to make it more cohesive. Anybody's Baby is a COMPLETELY different story than what I would have submitted to the archives without having posted it first. I love that story, it's probably my favorite of all that I've written, and that's because whenever I read it, I think back on all the fun I had posting it and working on it with other people.
Annie
