Ask the Author: How did you get started as a writer?

(Note from the author: Many thanks to the good folks at Ebinger School on Chicago's northwest side for inviting me to attend their annual Career Day. This question arrives from one of the school's eighth-grade students.)

Answer: I came from a blue-collar area of Chicago, a neighborhood filled with cops, firemen, electricians, and other laborers, so the thought of becoming a writer never occurred to me. The only people I knew growing up who worked for the Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun-Times delivered or sold the newspapers, my grandfather included. Growing up, I never knew writing was a realistic option.

At the University of Illinois at Chicago, I began writing sports for the college newspaper. I then became the sports editor and, later, an editorial columnist. That work gave me a practical grounding in the craft and inspired me to do more. I began do freelance work for one of Chicago’s daily newspapers and a few magazines. And so my career as a writer began, even as I continued to think I might become a high school teacher and coach.

Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.

Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.