
The writer
My name is Tom Rozek and I live in Providence, Rhode Island. I provide a variety of writing services for clients locally, nationally, and internationally.
How I started
My interest in writing began with science fiction. I read the Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov when I was 12, and not long after that another sci-fi book called Armor by John Steakley, about soldiers fighting giant space bugs. This inspired me to write my own stories and then a novel when I was 14. That taught me a lot about the writing process, but also about how much you can do by just doing it, rather than waiting for a “better” time to start. A lesson I have found to be applicable in life and business as well.
Lots of books
They say if you want to write, you’ve got to read. I would be interested in books anyway. But the books I have read (around 350) have been very useful in providing inspiration, in showing me how powerful writing can be, and sometimes just what to avoid. Some of my favorite books are The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire series by Edward Gibbon, Endurance by Alfred Lansing, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, and The Human Use of Human Beings by Norbert Wiener. Favorite Shakespeare play is Coriolanus.
Writing practice
In 2015 I tallied up everything I had written to that point. It came to about 980,000 words of fiction and 620,000 of nonfiction. This ranged from a 200,000-plus word second novel to one-page stories, and from a philosophy book to short essays. What’s a big lesson I learned from writing so many words? The value of keeping things simple and to the point!
Outside experience
I’ve worked in multiple industries, ranging from farming (traditional and hydroponic), to skiing, to commercial print finishing. Besides the obvious benefit of the paychecks, these jobs have given me insight into the needs of different businesses, and experiences to draw from when working on writing projects. How many people can say they’ve been a designated vegetable taster?
Some fun stuff
I’ve written two illustrated children’s books, called Adventures of a Bowling Shoe, and Is This My Shoe? both available on Amazon. (No, the shoe industry is one place I haven’t worked.) I’ve also been published in Teleport Magazine and The Weird and Whatnot magazine.
I know what it’s like to hire someone
Working with freelance illustrators on those children’s books, along with freelancers for some other projects, gave me very valuable personal experience from the client’s perspective. This informs how I work with you, because I know how important it is to communicate clearly and effectively, to follow project guidelines, and listen to feedback.
-Tom Rozek