This is not an exaggeration; I began writing when I was five-years-old. My first piece, written for my kindergarten class, was entitled “The Eagle That Had Acrophobia. After proving to my teacher that I knew what acrophobia met I was given a gold star.

I wrote my first play in second grade. I played the main character, who was called Mouse. Unfortunately, that nickname stayed with me through high school.

It was due to my Seventh Grade English Teacher, Bill Mulvey, that I realized I could make money as writer. Mr. Mulvey looked at my talent for writing and my passion for history and current events. He suggested I become a newspaper reporter.

I did that. After earning a B.S. in journalism, I was a working reporter for 26 years. It was in newsrooms where I learned the skills that made me a writer. I learned how: to gather facts; tell a concise, to organize a story; to work with an editor; to effectively use language; when to start and end a piece; and to a concise, accurate piece deliver under deadline pressure.

After leaving reporting I moved into public relations and marketing. I worked for two agencies in the Milwaukee-area. In addition, I did freelance public relations. Telling an effective story is the key to successful publication relations. Doing that helped me further hone my story telling abilities.

I left marketing because I realized the time was now to become a fiction writer.

I am now concentrating solely on creative writing. I am currently working on what I hope is the final rewrite on my first novel. I also write short stories. I have submitted several of my short stories for publication. I have received many polite, encouraging rejections.