I started writing in high school, as a reporter for my high school newspaper. Believe it or not, there was a lot to it. I definitely learned the "fundamentals", but more than that... I discovered I had a 'passion' for meeting people, interviewing them, and frequently making my 'twist' on it. People said it was the best part of the paper... who knows.

I've had a 'private-audience' for quite some time. More and more of my readers encouraged me to publish my work. At a certain point, I thought... "why not." - My readers are typically well-educated, and appreciate a non-formulaic / non-predictable story. - I'm flattered by the response I've gotten over the years.

I have a 'bunch' of faves: Hemmingway (no surprise there...) / Joseph Heller, (is there a better book than "Catch 22?" / Norman Mailer / Salinger / -- all these sound like 'name-dropping' and 'clichés'... But really, a good writer has to be a "reader" first... I love to read.. . as much as I love to write.

I go to the gym a lot... it's a very social place for me. I ride motorcycles... you'd be surprised how many people you meet when you're a 'rider'. I'm a student-of-life, an 'observer' and 'participant' of 'the world' and what goes on in it. I'm interactive with: life, love, sex, and just the "joy" of being alive.

I DO... it was a VERY boring story of my memoires. TOTALLY self-serving... but, I leaned a lot, and change my writing focus away from me, and more toward my reader... the rest was 'progressive'; year after year, people said they liked my "voice"... The foundation of writing is the failed attempts, the "stupid-stuff", the number one sin of most writers is... "Don't be boring!"

It's actually a secret... I DO have a creative process to "get me started", but... I'm not prepared to divulge it. I kinda stumbled on it, and don't want to share. (Sorry)

Yes, I read it in grammar school, and it was called "Hotrod", a story about a kid who built his first hotrod, and how it became a 'way-of-life' for him. It was similar to the movie, "American Graffiti..." - A good read then, and probably now.

I was a professional photographer as a young man, and leaned the value of 'depicting' an image My photography experience has served me well over the course of my life. One of the more interesting aspects was: 'meeting people'. I'd literally ask them if I could take their picture. I was surprised at how often taking the picture led to more contact; (frequently, I didn't even have film in the camera.)

Man, I'm a "life-participant",,, I don't NEED inspiration to get me out of bed... I "welcome the dawn", eager to start the day, and just as eager to write. I'm not bragging at all, to me... Life is sweet, under-appreciated, full of joy and fulfillment. --- "L'chaim"... "To life'... It's a gift, appreciate it.

Develop your writing voice / READ!! / go out and explore / be open to other views... --- Most importantly, "Write with passion, 'feel' it."