Robert Young

I'll tell you right off, I'm not someone who always wanted to be a writer. Heck, as a kid, I didn't even like reading! I'd rather play, and if there was a ball involved, that was even better. In the classroom, I'd be the squirmy one, looking out the window or counting down the minutes until recess. Oh, there were bursts of interest in writing along the way, especially when I could get up and read a funny story to the class. But, as I got older, writing became more of a chore, something to do for a grade. When high school graduation came, it was clear I wasn't going to be a major league baseball player, and I sure didn't want to fight in a war (Vietnam) that made no sense, so off to college I went. That's where I got excited about the power of words. Reading can take you anywhere, and it can teach you anything you want to know. I graduated in 1973 with a degree in education. Armed with my interest in words, I began teaching. The books my students read intrigued me, and it wasn't long before I was thinking I wanted to be a writer. I just didn't have a clue on how to go about it. So, I started small: letters to the editor, magazine articles, short stories, plays. Some of them even got published! My interest in nonfiction came after my son, Tyler, was born. Watching him explore the world with wonder ignited my own curiosity, which had somehow cooled over the years. That's when I started writing nonfiction. Nonfiction is about wondering, asking questions, seeking answers, and sharing them. The curiosity I rekindled still guides me as I write today.