While in college, I met a lot of people with various goals. One of my best friends, Pat, was always telling us these great stories he'd make up on the spot. We'd all try to do the same, but we always seemed to fall short. We'd tell him he needed to write a novel and, even though my stories didn't sound all that great to me, he'd tell me I should try developing some of my plot lines. I did come up with and start writing one such story, but the whole thing waned after the third chapter. I realize now that was because the writing process seemed forced. I was writing because someone else wanted me to, not because I had personal motivation or even a good idea for a story.
     I have to admit I never really enjoyed writing anything. I'd sit and remember all of the times teachers would tell me I had to write a paper about things which I didn't find interesting. This was especially true of English teachers. They'd tell students to write a short story about whatever we wanted, then would give us a bad grade based on the topic ... or so it seemed. I think they expected their students to write about nice, safe topics. It also seems they expected every student to have enough ability to write like Mark Twain or Louisa May Alcott.
     All of that changed in college. Professor L.A. Smith always gave us a wide variety of topics to write about for each type of paper she assigned. Her guidelines were to write about our interests and about things we knew. I found I had at least some writing ability by writing those papers ... and getting good grades. One paper was about my grandfather and that was later read as the eulogy at his funeral. I still didn't become an aspiring fiction writer, but Professor Smith's advice is what leads me now that I'm writing.
     I'm not sure how other writers got their start; however, I started small because I knew I had to develop my writing skills and style. In 1999, I began writing poems, essays, and short stories about my Christian faith and beliefs. Even though my friends and family told me they thought I was a good writer, I doubted my own skills. My writing and my thoughts about my ability to write changed when I got the idea for my story about Detective Jake. Although I've had some periods when I couldn't write at all, the story continues to develop.
     So why did I choose to write about Detective Jake Stalb? The main reason is I've always wanted to write a good story and I can't allow the dream to die. I could've, and have, tried to write non-fiction. One day those may also be completed and published. Until then, I want the chance to entertain people and allow them to step into another life ... even if only for a short time.