Without going on overlong, as some of this has already been covered,
it wasn't terrific as a kid. We moved every 6 months to a year, blowing
from town to town (economic reasons), always the new kid, hence very few
friends at any time. None that lasted more than that 6-12 months. No
one town that constituted a home town. So I read a lot...novels, comics,
you name it.


Wasn't a nerd in high school; I just passed through their ranks
unnoticed, like some kind of translucent Eisenglass figurine at the back
of the room. I went back to the 20th reunion...to find that only one
person sorta kinda remembered me. No one else.


As for writing...I always knew that I'd be a writer, for as long as
I can remember. Even as a kid I collected pens, had an interest in all
things writing. The second that I was old enough to take typing classes,
I did. Ended up taking 4 semesters of it, until by the time I left I was
the fastest typist they'd ever produced, 'cause I knew full well I'd need
that skill when I got going. In my senior year, having studied the style
and structure of most of my favorite writers (I can do a lethal imitation
of just about any writer's style), I decided, at 17, that I'd prepared
enough...time to start Writing, and selling. And I did, right then.


And I've never looked back.


jms