I also don't have organized religion on Pern. I figured - since there were four holy wars going on at the time of writing - that religion was one problem Pern didn't need.
A real scientist solves problems, not wails that they are unsolvable.
I did not have a chance to write novels until my youngest child started school fulltime.
The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly felt by the writer - will go through all the processes it takes to publish a story and still hit the reader right in the gut. But you have to really mean it.
I'm very fond of the Talent series, and also the Crystal Singer trio.
I didn't raise Todd to be a writer, but he happened to be one anyway.
