Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Randy Pearson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Randy, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
At an early age, I realized I had a unique way of thinking about the world. It’s what I call my “what-if” brain. “What if this would’ve happened instead of that.” This is what started me writing stories. After sharing my work with people, it became obvious that I needed to actually know how to craft a story. I took a couple of creative writing classes at Lansing Community College, which certainly helped. But then I joined a writing group called Writing at the Ledges, which really kicked my creativity into high gear. Working with like-minded people, having them critique my stories and me critiquing their work, really helped to hone my skills. In addition, the group self-published four anthologies. In addition to contributing stories, I helped to proof read, edit, format, and even sell these books. All of these skills helped me when I published my first novel, Driving Crazy.
In terms of speeding up the learning process, I certainly could have joined the group sooner than I did – I was nearly 40 at the time. I spent my 20s and 30s mostly writing for fun, and rarely sharing my work with others. It took Writing at the Ledges to give me the confidence to put myself out there.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am an author, humorist, and storyteller. In addition to a short story collection called Tell Me a Story, I have published four novels, soon to be five.
My debut novel, Driving Crazy, had its option picked up by West Prospect Pictures out of Marshall, Michigan. They are currently working on turning my funny road trip story into a limited run series.
My two Trac Brothers novels (action/adventure stories with lots of humor as well as some Michigan history) have received high praise, especially from people who live in the upper part of Michigan’s lower peninsula. To appease that fan base, I will be writing a third Trac Brothers story in the near future.
The second installment of the Off-Worlding series will be published in early 2026. These sci-fi comedies have been my favorite stories. The idea had been in my head for over 30 years before I finally thought I could to it justice. I even have the beginnings of this story that I wrote using my Atari 800 computer, saved on a 5 1/4″ floppy disk.
I try to put humor into everything I write. Partially it’s because that’s how I see the world, but mainly it’s knowing we all need a laugh in today’s society. That’s my service to the world.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being an indie author, I have to work hard for each and every sale. I set up a table at craft shows, fairs, festivals, author events, even church rummage sales – anywhere I can meet and talk to potential customers. Last year, I did 21 events from late March through mid December throughout Michigan and Ohio. What is most rewarding for me is going back to an event I did in a previous year, and having people come up to me, eager to pick up my next story. Having someone excited to see me again, to tell me how much they enjoyed my book, that brings me such joy, and makes me realize I’m not wasting my time.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Primarily, my mission in writing stories is to entertain. If someone picks up one of my books and spends their valuable time reading it, I want to make sure it’s time they feel is well spent. It’s my goal that by the end, they get some laughs, thrills, and excitement. Perhaps they may learn something, either about themselves, or the world around them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://randypearsonauthor.com/
- Instagram: none
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.randydpearson
- Linkedin: none
- Twitter: https://x.com/RandyDPearson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@randydpearson-authorhumori9840
- Yelp: none
- Soundcloud: none
- Other: Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6533281.Randy_D_Pearson
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/stores/Randy-D.-Pearson/author/B01DPZ04WA
