Default path for writing a file (in PythonWin)

[dbrown2 at yahoo.com]

A couple questions from a relatively new Python user trying to get his
bearings:

What should be the default path for myfile.write(mystring) if I use
myfile = file('thefile','w')?  It looks like files are going to a
library or package directory for me.  Is this a Python setting of
PythonWin? Is there a way to change it?

Also, I have not been able to get a startup file to work in PythonWin.
 I guess I need a specific description of where to place the startup
file, what to name it, etc.

I would like to use Python interactively but getting a comfortable
enviroment with customized default settings has not been possible so
far (though I like PythonWin quite a bit). Any tips for these issues
or more generally would be appreciated.

David