I used to be an editor and I was editing young adult series. I didn't really like the books that I was reading, so I decided that I would write a book about something I'd want to read if I was 16. It turned into a Cinderella story. . . I developed a proposal and the characters of 'Gossip Girl' for my job.
My parents were always very supportive and accepting. They even shared my curiosity for life, or perhaps I theirs.