Defiance Press: Rick, you’ve been remarkably open about having dyslexia and how it’s affected your writing journey. This seems like it would be one of the biggest obstacles a writer could face. Can you tell us about your experience?
Rick Steeby: It’s probably my most interesting writing quirk, and it’s definitely shaped my entire relationship with the written word. The thing is, I was diagnosed very late – twelve years after leaving the army, when I was already reading fifty novels a year. The testers couldn’t believe it when they told me I had dyslexia. By then, I’d already proven to myself that it couldn’t stop me from reading, so when I decided to start writing at 63, I figured I could overcome it for that too.
Defiance Press: Take us back to the beginning. What was learning to read like for you?
Rick Steeby: Brutal, but I didn’t know why at the time. At one point in my life – graduation from high school – I swore off reading anything I didn’t have to for staying employed. I figured I was just not smart enough or something was wrong with me, but I didn’t know what.
Here’s where God’s sense of humor comes in again. In 1975, needing employment after leaving the army, I started work on the Alyeska Pipeline Construction as a security guard. I ended up with a six-week tour guarding pipe in a storage yard. It was mid-winter, 55 degrees below zero, working night shift with no one coming or going. Bored out of my mind, I started reading to stay awake. I read everything in the camp library.
Defiance Press: So boredom forced you to become a reader, despite the difficulty?
Rick Steeby: Exactly! And here’s the beautiful irony – the first novel I forced myself to finish front to back was a Louis L’Amour book. I loved the story and characters so much that I endured reading a second book of his. After about four weeks, I’d read everything by Louis in our little library, but also over a dozen other books when none of his were available. I got completely hooked on reading and haven’t stopped since.
Louis L’Amour gave me a gift, though he never knew it. He doesn’t know it, but before I knew I had dyslexia and reading was hard, his books taught me that I could push through the difficulty if the story was worth it.
Defiance Press: How does dyslexia specifically affect your writing process?
Rick Steeby: The editing process is by far the most difficult part for me, just like learning to read was. I know I’ll never be a fast reader, but I learned to be way faster than when I started. Same with editing – ten years ago, any self-editing was nearly impossible. I couldn’t see the mistakes that were right there on the page.
My spelling is better than it was, but sometimes I look at words like “who” and can’t decide if they’re spelled right. Homonyms are absolute killers for me. I might write “there” when I mean “their” and not catch it even after multiple readings.
Defiance Press: What tools have you found helpful?
Rick Steeby: Thank God for Windows, Grammarly, and AutoCrit! These tools help me find errors I overlook constantly. But the most important tool I use is the computer-generated voice reader. I listen to my drafts because I hear the double words or the missing words that I miss when reading on the screen.
Grammarly and AutoCrit have both helped me identify areas where I struggle and learn to correct them as I go. AutoCrit is constantly getting better, and I keep taking classes on using their latest features. The company is diligently responding to feedback with new tools.
Defiance Press: How do you handle the frustration that must come with this challenge?
Rick Steeby: Learning to read unaware of being dyslexic taught me that it couldn’t stop me, period. So when I got my college degree at age 50, or started writing at 63, I approached it with the same attitude. It’s going to be harder for me, it’s going to take longer, but it’s not going to stop me.
I’m slow in the editing process, but as I learn and apply new knowledge, it gets faster. The key is not to let perfect be the enemy of good. I do my best, use every tool available, and then I work with professional editors who catch what I miss.
Defiance Press: Has dyslexia affected the way you approach storytelling?
Rick Steeby: In some ways, I think it’s actually helped me. Because reading was always work for me, I developed a real appreciation for stories that grabbed me and held me. I don’t have patience for unnecessary words or scenes that don’t move the story forward. If something doesn’t entertain me or advance the plot, I cut it.
As a pantser who doesn’t outline, I also think dyslexia has made me more intuitive about story flow. I can’t rely on detailed notes or complex plotting systems, so I’ve learned to trust my instincts about where the story needs to go next.
Defiance Press: What advice would you give to other writers struggling with learning disabilities?
Rick Steeby: Don’t let it stop you. Use every tool available – there are amazing assistive technologies now that didn’t exist when I started this journey. Find what works for you and embrace it. There’s no shame in using spell check, grammar tools, or text-to-speech software. The goal is to tell your story, not to prove you can do it the hard way.
Most importantly, remember that your unique perspective as someone who processes information differently might actually be your superpower as a writer. You see the world from a different angle, and that can make your stories stand out.
I also learned in Toastmasters to view criticism as an opportunity to learn. Sometimes I have to accept that in my writing, I failed to convey my message clearly. But the inability to grasp the point can also be on the reader or listener. You can’t please everyone, and that’s okay.
Defiance Press: Looking back, do you see your dyslexia as having shaped you as a writer in positive ways?
Rick Steeby: Absolutely. It taught me perseverance before I even knew that’s what I was learning. Every book I read was an achievement, every story I wrote was proof that I could overcome obstacles. That mindset – that sense of having to work harder but never giving up – that’s at the core of all my characters.
Wyatt, my main character in Gold Miner’s Daughter, faces his own obstacles and self-doubts. He doesn’t think he’s worthy of his family’s legacy, he struggles with fear and past trauma, but he keeps pushing forward. In a way, that’s my story too – maybe not the war trauma or the family legacy, but the experience of facing something that seems insurmountable and finding a way through it.
The dyslexia also made me a very careful listener. When people tell me stories – and as a former police officer, I heard a lot of stories – I pay attention to the details, the emotions, the way people actually speak. That all goes into creating authentic characters and dialogue.
Defiance Press: Any final thoughts for aspiring writers who might be facing similar challenges?
Rick Steeby: Write your story. Whatever obstacles you’re facing – dyslexia, age, lack of formal education, financial constraints – they’re just obstacles, not stop signs. I started writing fiction at 63 with dyslexia and a high school education, and here I am with a book being published by Defiance Press.
The most important thing is to keep writing, keep finishing stories, and keep learning. Every manuscript teaches you something new. My first twelve manuscripts were practice – Gold Miner’s Daughter was lucky number thirteen. If you’d told me ten years ago that I’d have a published novel, I might not have believed you, but I would have kept writing anyway because I love the process.
And remember, everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. Your job is to be awake enough to notice them and brave enough to write them down.
Discover a story born from perseverance in “Gold Miner’s Daughter” – coming soon from Defiance Press and Publishing.
