I was eighteen when I first realized that what I really wanted was to be a writer, and I’ve called myself a writer ever since, regardless of my day job. I’m listed as a writer on LinkedIn. I put down “writer” whenever I’m asked for my occupation. And I always called myself a writer in conversations. 

A short while ago I realized that I wasn’t just a writer, but that I really was a storyteller. Writing is just the tool I use to record my stories for publication, just as a hammer is a tool a carpenter uses when he creates something — he’s a carpenter, not a hammerer.

I’ve told myself stories all my life. None of them go anywhere, but it’s part of the learning process, and I’m still learning. I tell stories, as a raconteur, about whatever comes to mind when I talk with people. What I write is stories, short or long, not advertising copy, user manuals, magazine articles (though I’ve done that), non-fiction of any kind (though I’ve done that). I write fiction: Science fiction, fantasy, and other strange things.

I tell stories, and most of them are still available. See Allen Wold’s Books to find out what they are.