I probably could have been successful in any number of careers. I had a knack for engineering as a kid and was pretty good at math too, but as often happens, my life took a different path.
I decided to focus on narcotics right after high school. While drug addiction didn't pay well, it did leave me with a plethora of stories and an abundance of lessons learned from life on the bottom. Those memories helped shape my writing and sharpen my wit.
Once I figured out there was no future in my chosen field, I began to yearn for something more. All that was needed was a little motivation and a way out. My personal inciting incident couldn't have come a better time.
After bouncing around the porn industry for a number of years, I met my future wife. This woman not only inspired me, she saved me from myself. It didn't take long before I settled into a life of sobriety and mundane professional endeavors. Sales, customer service, marketing, no job was too boring, no paycheck too small.
Despite the long odds, I somehow landed myself a respectable job with a sizable salary inside the insurance industry. Sadly, it was mind-numbingly tedious and incredibly unsatisfying. I quit after a dozen forgettable years and more than a few unpleasant memories.
I'd always written, even during my drug abusing days. After putting my profitable insurance career in the rear-view mirror, I decided to enroll in Colorado Film School's screenwriting program. After earning a degree there, I earned a journalism degree from Metropolitan State University.
I graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 and figured my life would be set. Boy, I could not have been more wrong. Other than a few freelance opportunities, making a living in journalism is a long shot at best- Especially when you're a 50 year old recent college grad.
Needless to say, I'm back in sales and still writing. I figured now was as good a time as any to shop my work, so here I am. I've got four screenplays and three novels under my belt. Two of my novels have received some positive feedback, but I've yet to follow-up.
One of my screenplays, Swank's!, was recently selected as a finalist in three well known screenwriting competitions (out of four entered). Due to non-disclosure agreements, I won't be able to mention them by name until late summer 2019. Suffice to say, Swank's! is trending and definitely worth reading... What are you waiting for?
