The Long Journey..

I’ve always enjoyed creative writing.

When I was about 10 years old I used to type short stories on an old typewriter (i.e. not electric… the kind of machine where keys would get stuck together if you typed too fast). My parents gave me the “oh that’s nice” routine…but I stayed with it. Later, in my sophomore year of college, I debated whether I should pursue a business or journalism degree. Business won out— largely because I already had several business courses and actually had an interest in the business world.

After years of business writing (way different than fiction writing), I decided to write the novel that had been in my mind for many, many years. I’d tried years before to start it, but I wasn’t quite sure the correct path. I read books on the subject and, as a business person, I actually outlined the novel in a big excel spreadsheet :-) as a way to move forward. That was not so successful, as you might imagine.

In 2014, I took a month long sabbatical from work and started Chapter One. I promised myself I would work until the novel was completed. A surprising thing happened, I found that the storyline unveiled itself as I wrote - no excel needed! I’d write and get excited, wondering what was going to happen next. I also reached out, over time, to several professionals for feedback, education, and coaching. As I wrapped up my novel, I asked my three children (all excellent writers and editors) to read the manuscript for their feedback.

While the storyline is fiction, it was important to me to memorialize within it some of my life experiences. As my daughter Hayley read through, she asked me several times - did that really happen? The answer was usually yes—I wanted to preserve some of my experiences for future generations (my grandchildren, even great grandchildren).

So when you read the novel, feel free to send me a note and ask me if that really happened!

Happy Reading!
Tom