Newsletter and Other Work with a Personal Voice

That Long Walk is storytelling and paid content about storytelling. It initially grew never-dead ambition to be a newspaper columnist. That desire was initially fulfilled when I wrote blog pieces for the Kitsap Sun. I address issues that don’t fit neatly into a social media meme, focusing mostly on the stuff that moves us, because I believe little is as simple as a meme pretends it to be. The paid content addresses storytelling itself, for people who want to get better at it themselves, or just find the backstory compelling. Subscribe, and share it with your friends.

Earlier content I wrote leading up to this effort deserves attention. So here are three links to pieces I wrote as a reporter, pieces that reflect the tone Motivational Runner will continue.

Our Conversation About a Word that Starts with ‘N’
A school administrator used the real 'N’ word to explain why another version of that word was in the text of a curriculum on Martin Luther King, Jr. This piece was what we call an “explainer,” delving into why the repeated use resulted in a paid leave. PDF version

Goodbye to a Father
Because of a chance encounter with a member of Congress who would become governor, I had a special insight into the relationship between the politician and his dad. I wrote about that when his father died. PDF Version

President Takes Oath, Becomes Senator
I feel a little bad about this one, because I draw someone I admire greatly into a petty grammar complaint and a bigger misplaced copy issue. I cracked up at the ending, which is OK because I don’t remember writing this. It sounds like me, though. PDF Version

Newspaper Reporter

In 1999 I became a newspaper reporter at 37. I had abandoned the trade shortly after college graduation, but even after the long layoff I found myself immediately at home in the newsroom. Over 16 years I wrote for three publications, the last 13 for the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, Wash. I can still write. Here are samples of my work.

What Makes Us Make Lasting Life Changes?
This piece was a passion project that didn’t quite get me the Pulitzer I coveted (only kind of kidding here), but did get recognized by the parent company and left me happy. PDF version

The Roots of a Revolt
Someone passed along a tiny tidbit of news that led to a larger dissection of how an environmental champion on a left-leaning island was defeated in his bid for re-election to the city council. PDF version

Tim Sheldon Makes No Apologies for Dual Role
Our region has a state Senator who also was a county commissioner. I hung out with him one day to hear him talk about his dual role. PDF Version

Author

Seriously, I wrote two books. I’ve got another one on the way, but let me apologize for the first one and explain the second one.

Kidding. I’m not apologizing. Over at That Long Walk I have a piece giving the history of Going Too Far (PDF version), how it didn’t turn out as I’d planned. It’s mostly my fault.

Spill Your Guts’ Guts, though is something I’ll stand by, even if it was self published. I stand by it so much that my plan is to rework it and reissue it. The original book is essentially a transcript of podcast episodes I did in 2011. The podcast was fun and I told great stories, but it was a ton of work I did not have the energy to continue. I took the text of those episodes and lightly edited to make them more suitable for a book. It was largely work I wanted to do so I could learn how to do it. Now the plan is to rewrite the text to make it more something I wrote instead of read out loud, and I’ll update it where needed.

I’ve got another book in the works. Stay tuned.