Once, in Junior High School, I wrote a skit for a school talent show that was based on something Red Skelton had performed on his television show. The look of shock and disbelief on the faces of those charged with approving my act, and their subsequent rejection without a word as to why I was disqualified, left me with the idea that whatever story I wrote was going to be only for me. Instead, I began to research and expand on required essays in public schools and university all of which were received with praise. I began to write to receive the accolades.

Later, as an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, my reports were embellished with far more information than my peers. Supervisors would roll their eyes when I appeared in front of them needing report approval but the follow up detectives were appreciative. Later, as a supervisor and investigator, I was allowed to write as many long and informative entries as I wished. That included articles written for local publications as a representation of the LAPD. It gave me encouragement to return to college to study writing and communications.

Some of my earliest efforts at more sophisticated fiction were done at that time.  That led to my involvement with writers from the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) and then a writing coach, Joel Saltzman, who published my story written for his seminar.

Encouragement was all I needed. Marilyn, my wife of over fifty years, has been extremely tolerant of my need to flush stories from my brain and acts as one of my readers. She, our two adult sons and other readers keep me filling up pages of notes and mostly finished fiction. ‘It Started in Roswell’ may be the first novel to be published but there are over eighty stories in a queue waiting for their turn to come to life.

So I guess you could say that I have always thought of myself as a writer and continue to do so. It did not matter what education or occupation I followed. The important thing was that within each realm was the means to express myself in print. I have always written the truth as I saw it and fiction as I wish it to be. Point of view for both has always been up to the reader to discern.