Don Oylear

My Path to Becoming a Writer

At the age of 19, I worked double shifts, night & graveyard, in a sawmill to support my soulmate wife, Ann Mary, and our newborn son, Greg, while living in Polson, Montana. My work week included parts of all seven days of the week. I became a Certified Lumber Grader on night shift which was a well-paying job. I chose to leave that field to go to college at 22 and received a BA in Journalism Radio/TV, U of Montana at 25. I worked all three years of college, part of that time working as a 6PM to 2AM radio DJ Monday through Saturday. Ann Mary worked all of those college years, as well, with barely a week off after our second son, Steve, was born. I received my degree shortly after Steve’s birth. I wrote and produced educational media for two years for and with college professors for use in their classes.

I first worked in broadcast TV at age 26 in Missoula as a commercial writer/producer. I moved into sales at age 28 and sales management at age 29. I was recruited to Seattle at age 30 to work for King Broadcasting Company in Television Sales. During the six years I was in that job, I used three years to complete an Evening MBA program at Seattle University. I was called on to manage a Radio Rep Division for KBC at 36. At 37 I became General Sales Manager for KING AM/FM. This led to a multi-station Market Sales Manager gig in Portland, OR. for Infinity Broadcasting, then a Senior Vice President GM of three stations for CBS Radio in Pittsburgh at 48. I was doing exceptionally well but felt I had climbed the Radio mountain and I walked away from big-time broadcasting at age 56. We moved back to Montana, owned our own business and eventually I completed my first book, Wild Horse Island at 68. I published it via Amazon at age 73. That’s my not so straightforward path to becoming a writer.

At this stage in my life I’ve come to realize, I am a privileged white male. I have not felt the discrimination of being an immigrant, a person of color, of being a woman or judged for my sexual orientation. I have not been held back or thought of as less than. I am not a recovered alcoholic or a recovered drug addict. People tell me I am a pretty good storyteller and they want to read more. Stay tuned!