At the age of 14, he discovered a large, book-filled room in his Jr. High School called a "library." As he wandered aimlessly, searching for a comic (none to be found), he noticed a book with a picture on the spine. It was a picture of a fellow in a strange, tiger-striped helmet. He seemed to holding a fuzzy basketball. The book was Red Planet: A Colonial Boy on Mars, by Robert A. Heinlein. A nice lady let him take the book home, with instructions to return it in two weeks. He was instantly addicted and read every sf book in the library.
After reading Starship Troopers , he decided to be a mercenary soldier. For that reason, he joined the ROTC (it also allowed him to avoid gym class). At 17, he became disillusioned with the military and decided to become a science fiction writer. He acquired an ancient typewriter and wrote a story that was strongly influenced by a John Wayne movie named Hatari , and the novels of Andre Norton. When he finished it, he put it in a drawer and forgot about it. About the age of 29.5 he started writing his second story, which he sold to Galaxy Magazine. Every five years, or so, he wrote another story.