Bio

I’ve had a Web page since 1994 (and have been on the ‘net for far longer), which I suppose makes me an old-timer. I’ve always been somewhat of a geekgrrl. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Psychology, I worked as a systems programmer/analyst for Toronto-Dominion Bank for two years before stepping off the corporate cliff and immersing myself in the arts: writing, teaching piano, and doing some freelance art.

Photo by Beckett Gladney.

I have a literary agent at Curtis-Brown in New York, and have published a book (The Writer’s Online Marketplace, Writer’s Digest, Jan/2001) as well as nonfiction pieces for print and online magazines. I created a Web resource for writers called Inkspot which won a bunch of awards and a newsletter circulation of nearly 50,000. Inkspot began as a hobby but soon became a fulltime career.

During the height of the Internet Goldrush, Inkspot attracted the attention of half a dozen U.S. companies vying for acquisition. I ended up selling to a publishing services company, living in Philadelphia away from my husband Jeff for six months, and working as an employee instead of a self-employed entrepreneur.

To make a long story short (see my Woodpile Philosophy), the company who bought Inkspot shut it down early 2001 due to lack of financing, and I’m back to being a freelancer. Now I work on my novels and short stories as well as work on nonfiction projects, and have a Weblog for writers called Inkygirl, a regular column with WritersMarket.com (part of Writer’s Digest Books), and The Muse’s Muse.

I also do freelance illustration work. You can see my writing and illustration work portfolio here. Occasionally I do some freelance photography.

In my spare time, I write songs for and perform with a filk music group called Urban Tapestry. Check out our MySpace page for soundclips from our most recent CD, Sushi and High Tea (remixed/remastered tracks from our live concerts in the UK and California) as well as from Myths and Urban Legends. We’ve performed in Germany, England, across the U.S. and in Canada.

My song, “ Technonerdboy” aired twice on national radio, and “My Jalapeno Man” has won a Pegasus award. Both have aired on Dr. Demento, I believe, as well as “Sex and Chocolate“, a song I co-wrote with Jodi Krangle. You can see a list of our songs here. I play flute, guitar, penny whistle, piano, and Celtic harp, and have performed on CDs by Lloyd Landa & Karen Linsley, Ookla The Mok, Puzzlebox, and Andrea Dale. If you’re curious about filk, see The Filk FAQ. Here is a list of my recording projects. I sometimes play in Irish music sessions in Toronto.

I have my own font, have been a cover story, and have turned my life into a comic strip (debbieohi.com). My newest comic strip, Will Write For Chocolate focuses on a house full of freelance writers. My hobby projects include: Waiting For Frodo (completed comic strip, Canoe interviewed me about it), The Filk FAQ, and Reading the Lord of the Rings…A Final Attempt (the Sunday Herald Sun interviewed me about it).

I was interviewed by Comixtalk, BlogTO and WOW!Women on Writing in 2007:

• Comixtalk interview
• WOW! Women On Writing interview
• BlogTO interview

The best way to find out what’s happening in my life is to check my Blatherings or Inkygirl.

You can purchase some of my paintings and other handmade art in my Etsy shop. Prints are available in my deviantART shop. I have other merchandise with my art/cartoons in my Cafepress shop.

Also see what makes me happy and my pet peeves.

Contact me.