People often ask me...

...how I got started as a writer.

My fondness for writing developed in creative writing class at Rapid City Central High School. I received an A+ on my short story about a teenage boy who is separated from his family while sightseeing in a Louisiana swamp. He stumbles across a large building hidden deep in the bayou that is filled with mounted animals representing many species. The boy is found years later, mounted and on display with the rest of the animals. My teacher asked me to stay after class and interrogated me about my plot, characters, and geographical research—not convinced that I had written the story myself. I never watch scary movies and have never, ever watched a "slasher" film. This story developed from my imagination and my teacher thought it was one of the finest horror stories she had ever read. That's when I knew I was on to something.

Unfortunately, after high school graduation, I let many years pass without lifting a pen. But even then, I continued to read. Constantly. Daily. I realized the importance of words and appreciated the beauty of the English language. I began to write in the dark of night when I could not sleep. That was over thirty years ago and my respect and love for words increases with each passing day.

...what I do when I cannot think of anything to write about.

I have not been faced with this problem. In fact, I experience the opposite—I don't have enough time to write about all my ideas! Occasionally, I have short bouts of writer's block and have been known to agonize for days because I wasn't happy with a word choice. Ernest Hemingway was asked what was the hardest part about writing.  He quickly replied, "Finding the right word." The search for the perfect word is never-ending, but my list of what I want to write about far exceeds the time I have available. I exploit my experiences in life and the drama and excitement provide plenty of material. I will be writing well into my old age.