My Journey Through Publishing

I have been writing all my adult life. I was just in my twenties when I started a software company, and I took on the job of writing the user manuals (that was back in the day when software came with user manuals). It wasn't a particularly creative genre, but it was a great exercise in writing clearly and concisely.

After I sold that company I went to grad school, enrolling in a program that included both information technology and journalism. I was also writing a wide range of things, including magazine articles, curriculum, and children's stories (one year I won the Pockets magazine best story contest).

Upon graduation my preference would have been to pursue journalism and writing, but IT just paid a whole lot better. I had a family to feed and all. I taught computer technology for Purdue University for a number of years while consulting with businesses in IT on the side. Along the way I co-wrote two textbooks and provided editing for other textbooks and popular IT books.

At the same time I began writing sketches (mainly comedy) for church groups with a writing partner, Doug Irving. We published under the name Over The Top Publishing and sold through the web all over the English-speaking world.

Eventually I left Purdue to work on my own. The sketch writing and drama morphed into storytelling, which I still do for groups, talking about Irish and Scottish history, growing up on an Indiana farm, and more.

And finally I have the time to pursue writing the ideas that pop into my head.