Gary Kelley, author
Qualifications and Interests
Past and present
Member SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators)
Past member WWA (Western Writers of America)
BA and MAT degrees in elementary education
Retired middle grade teacher (34 years experience)
Member Knifemaker’s Guild
Professional Beekeeper
Maker of Fur Trade Era artifacts
www.theblademaker.com
Life member National Rifle Association
Founder Miniature Knifemaker’s Society
PADI certified SCUBA diver
Traditional and Primitive Archer
Member Forest Hills Black powder Brigade (Living history reenactment group)
Knife and tomahawk throw competitor
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Volunteer
Oregon Dept. of Fish and wildlife master hunter
Oregon State Hunter’s Safety Instructor
Oregon State licensed Wildlife Control Agent
Field Editor Blade Magazine
Staff photographer and writer Tactical Knives Magazine
Bio/ ABOUT ME
I was going to write a biography, but that would be too boring, so I’ll just write a few things about me. If you want details on why I’m qualified to be an outdoor writer, and why I’m interested in the west, mountain men and Indians look on the “qualifications”. That lists some of my experiences, past and present, that let me know what I’m talking about in my stories.
Now about me, I was born in 1945, grew up in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and Rapid
City, South Dakota, Pocatello, Idaho, McClain, Texas, and Spokane
Washington. I was a career elementary teacher. My first job was teaching in
Freeport, Illinois. Then I got a job in Beaverton, Oregon. We bundled
everything up in a U-haul truck, towed our VW bug, and followed the Oregon
Trail west. For the past 40 years I’ve lived on my little half-acre
farmstead in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland.
First off, I have ADHD. Didn’t know there was such a thing when I was a kid.
Everyone just knew I was a pest, with too many ideas, and I was always
“getting into everything”. Now I’m a retired elementary teacher, and it
wasn’t until I attended workshops on ADHD that I recognized the symptoms and
said to myself, “That’s me they’re talking about.”
I’ve always been disorganized, and forgetful. Now I’ve finally given up and
accepted the fact that that’s who I am and I live with it. Sure I write
notes to myself, and lose them. I make charts, and schedules, but rarely
stick to them.
I color code folders, make myself reminders on a hand-held recorder, and use
all the tricks I can to help me function, but I still can’t find things when
I need them, have trouble finishing anything on time, and even lost an
entire book manuscript I wrote years ago. Maybe it’ll turn up sometime. But
I’m not complaining! My life has been full of fun, new experiences,
interesting ideas, and fabulous learning opportunities.
My world opened up in 4th grade when I became a serious reader. School was
boring until then, and I was a poor reader. Then one day a sympathetic
librarian introduced me to one of W. Ben Hunt’s illustrated books about how
to make Indian stuff like drums, moccasins, and how to whittle. Wow! I could teach myself. Now school wasn’t so
boring. Then in 5th grade I learned about Edgar Rice Burroughs and Tarzan,
then John Carter of Mars. Now reading gave me access to other worlds. Then
when I was in college I got to take a speed-reading class. I learned you
don’t have to read one word at a time. You can actually read a whole line at
a time, and when you get good at it you can read two or three lines at a
time. Now when I read, I look down the middle of the page and let my
peripheral vision take in the outer edges. It’s like listening to someone
talk, only faster.
I have a great love for the west, and living history. I’m a modern-day mountain man. As a
re-enactor I have learned to make my own buckskins, and furs, black powder
rifle, knives, and powder horn. I can start a fire with flint and steel, and
throw a knife and tomahawk. The thing I like about living history is that
you do it, instead of just reading about it. This is very helpful when I’m
writing a How-to article for a magazine. When I write about how to make a
powder horn it’s because I’ve done it myself and I usually have the photos
to prove it. I think that’s just being honest with your readers. I’ve read
enough to spot a phony when I read one. You know, someone who says the right
words but you can tell they don’t really know what they’re talking about.
And I owe it to my readers to be the real thing. This is especially true
when writing middle grade fiction.
Some writers struggle with ideas to write about. That’s not my problem. My
problem is how to turn them off. I think of story ideas when I’m eating,
driving, and sleeping. Sometimes I get good ideas in my sleep and wake up to
write them down. Most of the time they just keep me awake.
No, my problem is getting anything finished. But, as you can see, there is a
way, and I do finish projects, like this one. It may take a little more work
for me to finish a book, but you can’t just give up. So I keep at it, and so
can anyone.
If you look at my “qualifications” you can see that I’m into a lot of
different things. And I do many of them at the same time. I have unfinished
projects in my shop, in my garden, in the chicken house, and in my office,
and I’m comfortable with that. I just go from one to the other, as I can,
and eventually the important ones get done. Ever see an engraving of
Leonardo Da Vinci’s workshop? When I first saw that I was really encouraged.
He was as messy as I am, and he had a lot of unfinished projects. So,
there’s hope.
Okay, now a little about my family. I’ve been happily married to my wife,
Marlene, ever since we got married. We have 4 grown children, Clint, Chris,
Kim, and Daniel. And, I have 5 grandchildren. That’s all for now.