Writing the 5 Paragraph Essay: A Collaborative Approach to Reading and Writing

Receiving a master’s degree in English from BYU with an emphasis in creative writing was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with all things creative: novels, plays, movies, painting, music, dance, origami, cosplay, juggling, computer games, DnD . . . the list goes on. 

On the STEM side of life I spent eight years in the United States Air Force as a radar technician. Working with the highly mobile radar of a forward air control post I traveled the world in C-130s, was buzzed by A-10s, and became proficient with various weaponry. Since the third grade I have been a student of the history of military aircraft, especially World War II.

As a published author of many short stories and four young adult novels I’m ready to help students create with the written word. In creative writing I teach the power of the word, the beauty of the sentence, the joy of the completed story. As a university instructor in critical reading/writing, I learned that a good author won’t tell you anything. A good author wants to see what you see after you read his/her book. We will learn how to know what we see and how to talk and write about it.

As a dad I homeschooled all eight of my children to support positive, independent thinking. I kept reading with my children long after they could read for themselves—until they left for college. I advocate reading and writing with classroom presentations and programs. I’ve been mentoring youth writers in the Juab Jotters writing group for several years.

When I’m not teaching you will find me pursuing my own never ending education, playing computer games with my children (great family time), cosplaying (last year it was Mystery Men), and spending time with my children and grandchildren (soon to be six).