“Originally, I had a dream that I would become a comic book artist. That was where my focus was and I started writing stories so I would have something to draw. Eventually, I realized, with a nudge from a friend or two, that if I focused on either writing or art, I would have a better chance of improving at one or the other. I realized that my art was not at a level for publishing so I focused on writing. Eventually, a publisher hired me to work on some comics.
Then, one day, I said, “I’m going to write a novel.” Everyone laughed, but I wrote it and even more importantly, I finished it. It was awful, cliché, and in need of work, but I had finished it and felt invigorated to try again. That novel was eventually published as Evil Ways and my writing journey took off with it. From a couple of editors reading my novel, I was hired to write some short stories and novellas. I’ve been working fairly steady since.
The important lesson I learned was that my work was my resume and the importance of finishing what you start. Once I had a book in my hand, it was easier to show it to editors and publishers and that in turn led to other writing opportunities. Each new published piece was another line on my resume. Each new project became another step on that ladder.”