Subscribe to Big Sky Writer

The Big Sky Writer substack is designed to inspire and encourage readers and listeners to love God, treasure the Bible as the divine Word of God, and to love our country.

I'll primarily use stories to share these goals because I believe that stories have the ability to connect us to our God, our country, and to each other in meaningful ways.

I hope to inspire and challenge readers to deepen their relationship with God, gain a greater understanding of the scriptures, and appreciate the unique aspects of American culture.

I’m a Storyteller

I’ve been telling stories most of my life.

As a kid, usually the stories were designed to get me out of trouble. I can remember the time my older brother and I were playing in the living room and we broke something. When an adult came in to administer justice, all I had to do was cry and point at him.

He got in trouble and I got off free.

Okay, that’s not a great example of storytelling, but it worked.

A note to my brother … sorry about that. It was wrong of me.

A Training Ground for Storytellers

In my professional career, I was a History teacher for over a quarter of a century and told a lot of stories. I always tried to capture the minds and hearts of my students as I told a story.

But most of the classes I taught were required, which meant the students had to be in them whether they were interested in the subject or not. And in many cases, history was not high on their list of worthwhile subjects.

But being a classroom teacher was a great training ground for a writer and storyteller.

If you were boring, you could see it right away.

Eyes would flutter. Heads would bob. Quiet conversations were carried on while you were trying to make a point. Students would pass notes. Some would study for other classes.

When those kinds of things were happening, it wasn’t the students’ fault.

What it meant … I was failing as a storyteller. But I could do something right away to capture their hearts and minds. And I could see right away if it worked.

Today, I write novels, screenplays, short stories and podcasts.

But I’m not in the classroom anymore.

Most of my day is spent in front of a computer screen.

I can’t see the immediate reaction of the audience in order to improve my story.

I do get feedback — from producers and editors and managers — but it is after I’ve produced the original story.

Sometimes I miss the immediate feedback of the classroom.

I could use your feedback

As I share thoughts and observations about life and introduce you to stories and storytellers, I would love to get your feedback.

Please consider subscribing to this newsletter and stay in touch.