PitchWars Bio

Howdy, Folks! Happy to make your virtual acquaintance. 

This is my 2nd 3rd year participating in Pitch Wars and I figured it was high time I complete a more in-depth bio. So, hold on to your seats and welcome to my crazy life!

It definitely feels like a rollercoaster sometimes. 

The short scoop about me is I'm a writer (!), Jedi Master, Humorist-in-Waiting, dreamer, and mostly a lover not a fighter.

Some random facts about me: 

I once sat in an open-air bar in Thailand…with a boa constrictor wrapped around my neck. 

I had to wear a back brace for scoliosis through most of high school…for 23 hours per day.

I do voice impersonations, generally of the animated or puppet kind. For example:

 

But you came here to know about my writing, yes? 

I could say I've been writing since 3rd grade, and while technically correct, I'm not sure how much study of craft went into those stories and the related, um, artwork. I use that last word very loosely. While I'm a creative person, drawing is not a strong suit. My stuff looks more like this...

But I digress. 

I'm the dad of four wonderfully creative & fun kids---three girls, one boy---and husband to an amazing wife. They're also all avid readers & storytellers which provides me with all kinds of idea fodder on a daily basis.

I've completed three novels: two are epic YA fantasy and the other is a humorous contemporary MG novel, WHEN YOUR BEST FRIEND WANTS TO BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND (AND OTHER HORROR STORIES) which I will be entering in PitchWars again. I've done some extensive revisions and added more stakes. After almost ten years away from writing, I returned to my passion when I started college in 2006. Writing creative papers led me to revisit all those stories, plot lines and ideas I'd left buried in a box in my garage. Since then, I've been regaining my mojo (at least here and there!) and working to hone my craft.

One other story is close to my heart and is yet to be told: our family's journey through pediatric liver disease and subsequent transplant for my youngest daughter, Sarah.

And it's that story from where so much of the rollercoaster ride of life stems from. Sarah is 7 years post-transplant and doing great but with any such procedure there's always the daily challenges of dealing with an immuno-suppressed individual. (Feel free to ask me about our journey; I'm always happy to share!) Here is a bit of our story. 

Despite the fact I wasn't chosen by a mentor the past two years, my experiences have been amazing. I received such great feedback from all five mentors I submitted to and became part of this amazing community. I wouldn't do anything different and even if I don't get chosen again, I will power on, continue to improve my craft and encourage others to pursue their dream.

It's great to meet you all and happy to be along for the ride. Don't be a stranger on the feed!

-Kirk