After a bit of a hiatus to study for my exam I’m back with blogging. Here’s an author interview with Ron Levi, who has written a non-fiction guide to youth ice hockey in North America

English: Image taken during a youth hockey tou...
English: Image taken during a youth hockey tournament in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The teams playing are MODO Hockey (Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) and Tingsryd AIF (Tingsryd, Sweden). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How long have you been writing for and what made you start writing?

I’ve been writing since high school – over 30 years ago.  In college I wrote poetry which I never published, and I’ve done technical and business writing, but my first published work is Navigating Youth Hockey: The Definitive Guide for Parents and Players which was released 4/25/2015 on Amazon.

Do you write for a living, or do you also do other work?

I am a Project Management Professional. I’ve had a long career in technical sales, telecommunications, and program management spanning multiple industries.

How did you get into being a professional writer, and how much effort did it take to find time to write?

I’m still not writing full-time – I’m not sure if I have that much to say. I enjoy writing about what I know well.  My first book is a distillation of a blog I kept for several years while my sons were growing up and playing ice hockey.

Were you always good at telling stories, or has it come to you as an adult?

I don’t think of myself as a story-teller.  I’m more of a guide.  My goal is communicate experiences that I have come to understand or see clearly in a way that helps others understand it equally.

Were you good at English in school?

I was good with grammar and I loved poetry.

What advice would you give someone who wants to be a writer?

Just do it! Stop talking about it, don’t worry that it won’t be perfect or good enough, and don’t put it off any longer.  Get that first book out of the way, and keep at it.

What is the most useful advice you’ve been given?

Love others.

What is the strangest advice you’ve been given?

It’s a poor dog that won’t wag his own tail.

How do you deal with the stranger reviews?

I just accept them all and am thankful for every one that takes the time to read what I’ve written an offer an opinion.  Whether flattering or otherwise, they are all valuable and appreciated.

Who do you write for?

I write for people like me.  I write for ordinary, everyday people trying to make sense of the world around them and to do the best for their families. I try to bring at least a little order to some of the chaos.

What sort of things do you write?

I write about process, advice, growth, coaching, parenting, and love.

What do you have in the drawer?

(i.e. what have you written but not yet published) I’m working on a semi-fictional road trip.  Picking up where my non-fiction guide book leaves off, the next one will fictionalize some real events, people and places that I experience over many years of travelling around North America in various hockey circles.

Describe your writing process, what, where, when and how please?

I take notes and gather stories that I find of interest or relevance, and I save in the folders (electronically).  I sift through them and shake them around to see if anything coalesces and begin fleshing it out if anything looks interesting.

Where can we read your words?

You can find my first book, Navigating Youth Hockey: The Definitive Guide for Parents and Players on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VCDG58K

Links to blog, website, book sales etc.

 

 

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