I have no great ideas to share and no important stories to tell. So why do I write? Because I enjoy it. And why do I write fiction in particular? One reason is that I don't know enough about anything to be able to write non-fiction. The other reason is that I like using my imagination.

Maybe if my life were more interesting, I'd write about my own adventures and achievements instead of making up stories and calling them fiction. But since I don't, this biography may end up being the least informative section of my entire web site. You shouldn't even read it. You should read another section instead, such as the bibliography.

As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure why I included a biography in the first place. This web site isn't supposed to be about me; it's supposed to be about my books. I spend a lot more time making them interesting than I do making myself interesting.

If you're wondering what my literary credentials are, I don't have any. I've never taken any writing classes, except for the ones I was forced to sit through in junior high and high school. The only thing I learned in those classes was that when I got to college I wouldn't take any writing classes if I could help it. And I could help it, so I didn't.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm sure there are a lot of writing classes that people benefit from, so I don't mean to denigrate any creative writing programs, but I don't think anyone can actually teach you how to write. They can teach you grammar and punctuation, they can show you examples of good and bad writing, but I think writing is something you have to learn by yourself through repeated trial and error. At least, that's how it was for me. Maybe I'd have a different opinion if someone had taught me how to write.

I didn't always want to be a writer. I wasn't always interested in fiction. I didn't even like to read that much. But when I was in college, I happened to pick up a novel and start reading it. I liked it, so when I finished it, I read another one. And after that, another one. Before I knew it, I was spending most of my free time reading. A few years later, I decided to try writing something myself. And the rest, as they say, is history. But in case you're not a historian, you can check my bibliography to see what I've written.

Even though I haven't always been a writer, I've always had some sort of creative impulse. When I was younger, I thought about being an artist. I was halfway decent at it, and I still enjoy cranking out the occasional work of art every now and then, but it's much easier for me to express myself through writing. That's because whatever my talents as a writer are, my artistic skills are a lot worse.

And I hope I don't sound too snobbish when I talk about my "creative impulse." It's no big deal--everyone has one. Or at least they did when they were younger. I never met a little kid who didn't like to make up songs or draw pictures or tell stories. I think that's our natural inclination as human beings. But somewhere along the line, as we grow up and become adults, most of us lose interest in that sort of thing. I never lost interest. Or maybe I just haven't grown up yet.