As far back as I can remember, I have loved words—especially the written word. I dabbled in poems and short stories as early as grade school and would often write about our family adventures, especially our ski trips in Colorado.
I took a few writing classes in high school and published my first articles in college: in the Top O’ the World Newspaper at Western State College and the Gunnison Country Times. Soon I decided I wanted to focus my studies on writing, so I transferred to the University of Montana where I earned a journalism degree in 2002.
For the record, I think good writing is hard—very hard. I love the following quote by the children’s writer and illustrator, Dr. Suess. “I know my stuff all looks like it was rattled off in 23 seconds, but every word is a struggle and every sentence is like the pangs of birth.” That pretty well sums up the process to me. Sometimes the words flow easily, but often it feels like a painstaking craft. Even in spite of that, I do still like it.
As far as professional experience, I interned with the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and also wrote a number of stories for the Argus Leader in South Dakota. Eventually, I took a full-time position with Worldwide Challenge, the magazine
of Cru, writing about topics like nomadic herdsmen in the Mongolia Steppe as well as saving marriages among Ecuador’s soldiers and sailors http://worldwidechallenge.org/content/access-granted
For outdoor writing, besides creating Backcountry Beacon, I have also written for Outdoor Utah Adventure Journal, Outside Bozeman and Utah Sports Guide. Here are a few of my stories: