Steve's latest book, "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful" by TallFellow Press will hit the stores in September. His midgrade novel, "The 130 Tales of Winchell Mink" (Harper Collins) will be published in 2002 and is about an 11 year old boy with some very unusual problems. Sounds like a winner. Steve, also known as Dr. Failure, presents seminars on turning failure into success for businesses and school districts. Please visit Steve's great website and be sure to check out his books.
1.SR: If you enjoyed reading or being read to when you were a kid, what were some of the books you enjoyed? Did any of these have any influence on your life?
SY: I hated reading. I could read eloquently out loud but couldn't retain a thing. It showed in my school work and kept me from thinking I could write until I was 40 when my girlfriend gave me a book called, "Why Johnny Can't Read." Everything it said was about me. That's the first time I realized I had Attention Deficit Disorder.
2.SR: How did you become interested in writing?
SY: My b.g. is stand-up comedy. I wrote my own material. When I realized I didn't have to retain what I wrote, I realized I might just try it.
3.SR: How did you get involved with television? That sounds very exciting, please explain a little about what you did?
SY: It's kind of a natural step from writing stand up. Of course you have to have a sense of how to write a good story. Moving from Philadelphia to L.A was necessary. I thought getting an agent was necessary though most of the work I've gotten came from my own efforts. I write freelance and also have written on staff. While a lot of TV writers take it in stride, I do think of it as pretty cool. Working with people like Betty White and Marie Osmond. Because of my owning comedy clubs, I have known and worked
