The major influence for becoming writer was being a voracious reader from a very young age. My mother said I was reading Dick and Jane books by the time I was three. In the seventh grade, my grammar school created a special award and called me up on stage to present it at the eighth grade graduation ceremony (a long time ago). It was for reading more non-required books (and making a report) in one school year than any other student in the history of the school. I read anything and everything - way above my reading level. I was making up my own characters and stories almost before I could write.