I’ve always written poetry ever since I can remember. It’s the best, easiest, and cheapest therapy on the market, but I never wrote a story until the third season of Xena: Warrior Princess. I was reading a piece of fan fiction. I’d discovered it while downloading some pictures of Xena and Gabrielle for my kids at the local library. I’d come across something called ‘alt’ fiction and on a whim decided to print some up for myself. When I read it I felt so liberated. There were others out there with this truth in their head. It was empowering. So, there I am reading this long since forgotten piece and it just faltered at the end. I thought about how I might have ended it differently and began to try my hand at writing the ending. I really enjoyed myself and so I began to write full stories. Slowly. I’d like to think I’ve improved since then.

Inside the Head of Trish Shields is a 2002 interview at Whoosh!.

From Fanlore, the fan run non-profit wiki about media fandom.