About Kristi Gott

Hi there! Bring your imagination and join me on journeys that evoke a sense of wonder. 

I love writing stories for those who love nature and animals. It reminds me of my own childhood.  

My specialty is writing in a whimsical, light style spiced with creativity and imagination.   

Today I live in a cute cottage on the central Oregon Coast with my beloved labrador retriever mix, Coos Bay Bear.  

Coos goes with me on inspiring adventures, and he always smiles when I read my stories to him.  In a way, he is my co-author! 

Together we are happy wanderers in the Siuslaw National Forest wilderness and the Oregon Dunes. 

Let's visit the lighthouses of the Oregon coast and travel back in time to other historical eras and places. 

The ocean is calling our names. 

There are a variety of genres in the stories.  

These include historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, magical reality, romance and mythopoetic. 

WRITING BACKGROUND 

I've been a bookworm, a story and poetry scribbler, and a sketcher since elementary school.  In high school, I spent the midwestern nights at home reading the classics.  Editing the high school newspaper helped lead me to journalism and creative writing. 

Nonfiction Writing 

For many years I was a part-time West Coast correspondent for a national and international magazine.  I also wrote for other magazines and for newspapers. 

Writing news, interviews, and features was so much fun. Sometimes I published stories and poetry too.  

Conferences and Classes 

When I lived on the California central coast I loved going to the Santa Barbara Writers' Conference each June.  There is a huge writing community there with many nationally known, award-winning writers who have groups and classes. 

I enjoyed taking local classes from them in nonfiction, fiction, and screenwriting. I also took continuing university education classes from retired college teachers in ancient literature and film appreciation.  It was so much fun! 

Midwestern Countryside Childhood 

Growing up in the countryside of the Midwest, I explored the fields and forests on horseback or walking my dogs.  It was a life close to nature and animals. 

The wonders of it are still with me today. 

My mission is to share that sense of wonder and closeness to nature and animals with others. 

I began college as a Journalism major and later switched to Social Science.   

The specialties within it are still fascinating to me today - multicultural studies, anthropology, archeology, psychology, sociology, history, Native American culture, political science, comparative religions, philosophy, and political science. 

For most of my life, I worked in healthcare, and I obtained multiple certificates and licenses. I saw the need to have computer skills, too. 

The result was a Bachelor's Degree in Social Science and an Associate's Degree in Computers, along with healthcare-related certificates, licenses, and studies.  

Continuing Education Online 

Today I continue taking continuing education university classes online in a wide variety of subjects.  I'm a perpetual student and a bookworm. 

Recently I took the six month certificate course "First Time Novel Writers" through the Univ. of Michigan at Coursera. Before that I took a six-month certificate course on fiction writing, "Creative Writing," from Wellesley, also through the online Coursera site. 

 I am often entering the weekly short story contests at Reedsy online, where authors can comment and give feedback on the stories.  Each week there is a "prompt" with multiple approaches to writing a story for the week's theme. 

I'm in a variety of online writing groups and classes, and I watch youtube videos by successful writers who give instruction and ideas. I'm also taking "Complete Creative Writing - All Genres" through Udemy, another online educational site. I am continuing to study and practice, with the goals of learning and improving. 

LEARNING BY DOING 

Lifelong learning by doing is one of my approaches.  Each day, week, or year, we can grow in understanding and depth on whatever we study and practice  This applies to my writing too! 

THIS WEBSITE 

Regarding this website, I am using site builder and blog software from Godaddy. It is costing me about $20 per month. 

Thank you for visiting.  Have a wonderful day!