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Joseph O'Day
Most of my work since 1986 has been as an editor, but I have considered myself a writer first. My story as a writer began in high school.I grew up on a farm, and my parents were active in the Grang...view moreMost of my work since 1986 has been as an editor, but I have considered myself a writer first. My story as a writer began in high school.I grew up on a farm, and my parents were active in the Grange, both state and national. My mother entered Grange sewing contests for many years and won so many times in a row that they asked her to take a break so that someone else could win! When I was a teenager, the Grange had a national safety essay contest. I decided to enter. My mother told me not to get my hopes up, but I was confident, and guess what, I won!After high school, I went on to undergraduate and graduate work, and writing papers was what I enjoyed the most. In fact, I was disappointed when a course did not require a paper. Two of my English professors were so impressed with the paper that I wrote for them that they encouraged me to get my master’s in English, but I felt called to go to seminary. A few years later, in the eighties, I wrote and published a booklet with InterVarsity Press, "Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts."In the eighties, my older brother tried his hand at writing a science-fiction novel but grew tired of it, so he handed it off to me to finish. I improved his part of the novel, beefed up the characters, and completed the plot line. I eventually self-published it as "Imperial Guard" and recently published it as an ebook on Smashwords and elsewhere.In the nineties, I wrote several articles for magazines and contributed chapters to two compendiums. After the turn of the century, I wrote a book on "The Lord of the Rings," trying to beat the premier of the third movie. I almost found a publisher, but again, I had to self-publish. "The Ring of Truth: Truth and Wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings" also is now an ebook. Two years later, I published four children’s picture books with Ambassador Books. Shortly after the publication of the fourth book, the publisher declared bankruptcy! Two of those books are available as ebooks on Amazon: "I Like Snow!" and "I Like Rain!" The other two ("I Like Wind!" and "I Like Sunshine!") will be available soon.Over the years, I have written for preschool, grade-school, and teenaged kids and for adults. Despite disappointments and setbacks, I continue to write. I love it and hope to be able to write for the rest of my life.view less