Writing Beyond Journalism
Storytelling * World-Building * Creative Writing
A creative publishing company built around the belief that stories can inspire curiosity, confidence and wonder.
Pointed West is my Oregon-based children's publishing and educational media company, where storytelling, imagination and learning come together to create worlds children can explore, characters they can connect with and stories that stay with them.
* Founder * Writer * Storyteller * World Builder *
I Don't Just Write Stories.
I Build Worlds.
Every Pointed West story begins with a spark—sometimes inspired by real life, sometimes by a question, a memory, an observation, or simply an idea that refuses to leave me alone. I love following those sparks until they become characters, worlds, and stories with lives of their own. Some begin with something real. Some begin entirely in my imagination...
...And sometimes, one idea becomes an entire universe.
Writing
-
Original rhyming children's literature
-
Character-driven storytelling
-
Educational narrative
-
Age-appropriate language
What began with questions and awe from my son's online classmates during his 2nd-grade COVID computer school while we were visiting family in the Sonoran Desert became an educational storytelling series designed to help children explore Earth's ecosystems one story at a time.
Explore the World
10 ecosystems. 10 adventures. Hundreds of animals.
World Building
-
10 planned ecosystems
-
Recurring storytelling structure
-
Animal characters
-
Geography and real-world discovery
Content Design
-
Maps
-
"Did You Know?" pages
-
Real photography
-
Educational extensions
Sandy the Saguaro & Her Desert Freinds
Writting Sample
I grow and I grow in the bright sunshine.
I love the desert, it's the home I call mine.
I get bigger and taller but stay in the same place.
There's Lots to see with all the visitors in my space.
Hopping by is a group of soft rabbits.
Cottontails and hares have similar habits.
They dig to make burros and sleep in the ground,
To keep them cool and safe all year around.
Snakes slither by, all colors and sizes.
They sleep in holes and come up with sunrises.
Most are just fine but it's good to steer clear.
The ones with the rattle make a noise you can hear.
I'm making new friends every day around me
And still growing big and strong as you can see.
I even make flowers, just look at my stem.
The birds and bees love it and I share with them.
Scooter Magoo & Pumpkin
A real boy. A rescue dog. A world of adventure.
Character Development • Children's Fiction • Series Architecture • World-Building
Where the Story Began
Every great story begins somewhere.
For Scooter Magoo & Pumpkin, it began with a little boy nicknamed Scooter Magoo and an orange rescue dog named Pumpkin.
Scooter Magoo is inspired by my son, Titus, whose adventurous spirit, endless curiosity, kind heart, and wonderfully imaginative personality became the foundation for the character.
Pumpkin was inspired by Ani, the rescue dog who was my constant companion for more than fourteen years. Her warmth, loyalty, humor, and love of exploring the outdoors became part of Pumpkin's personality.
When Pumpkin passed away, creating these stories became a way to keep her spirit—and the joy she and Titus shared—alive.
🫎 Scooter Magoo
The Curious Explorer
-
Always asking questions
-
Loves helping others
-
Brave but thoughtful
-
Finds wonder everywhere
-
Favorite Moose Jacket
🐕 Pumpkin
The Loyal Best Friend
-
Loves new adventures
-
Big-hearted and loyal
-
Always looking for hidden clues
-
Sometimes notices the magic before Scooter
✨ Their Dynamic
Loving and Silly
-
Scooter asks the questions.
-
Pumpkin notices what he misses.
Together, they turn ordinary days into extraordinary adventures.
The World of Scooter Magoo & Pumpkin
Every adventure begins with an ordinary day—until Pumpkin discovers something extraordinary.
A mysterious stick becomes a magical map. Before Scooter realizes what's happening, the map whisks them away to somewhere new.
Across each adventure, they explore landmarks and wildlife, discover new cultures, help others, solve problems, and return home to find that no time has passed at all.
At bedtime, Scooter falls asleep beside his globe-shaped nightlight, wondering where the magical map might take them next.
Scooter Magoo & Pumpkin
Adventure Series - Alaska
Writting Sample
“Good Girl, what did you find?” Scooter says looking at the unusual stick. Then right in his hand, the stick magically transforms into a rolled up map. Pumpkin lets out an excited yip. “Wow! Pumpkin did you see that!?” Pumpkin licks his face as Scooter unrolls the map.
This magic will take you somewhere new.
Follow the map for things to see and do.
When you are ready to come back to your home.
You must help solve a problem at the end of your roam.
Then the words change to a map of Alaska! When he looks up, he can’t believe it! Scooter and Pumpkin and him are at the beginning of the map in Alaska. The first Alaska adventure spot is Denali National Park. It is huge with animals, plants, rivers and the tallest mountain they have ever seen.
What I'm Building
• Character-driven adventure • Educational storytelling
• Emotional themes • Series development
Adventure Series
9 destinations written
and in development:
❄️ Alaska
🌺 Hawaii
🇫🇷 France
🕰️ London
🏯 Japan
🇦🇺 Australia
🇮🇹 Italy
🏺 Egypt
⛰️ Yellowstone
Dozens more planned and outlined. Future adventures could take Scooter and Pumpkin to every state, every country, and anywhere imagination leads.
One Story. A Whole World.
More than books on the horizon
Explorer Club
Adventure Passports
Printable Activities
Adventure Maps
Travel Journals
YouTube Adventures
Animated Shorts
Audiobooks
Plush Pumpkin
Scooter Hoodie
Adventure Kits
Scooter Magoo & Pumpkin was designed from the beginning as a story world that can grow far beyond the page.
Holiday Adventures
Maps and destiations is not all.
Also in development:
🎄 Christmas
🎃 Holloween
🐰 Easter
🎇 Fourth of July
❤️ Valentine's
🎊 New Year's
🌷 Spring
☀️ Summer
🍁 Autumn
❄️ Winter
Enjoy the festivities with these two silly and loveable pals as they enjoy, play, learn and discover their way through favorite seasons and holidays.
Why It Matters
In a world that often feels rushed, I wanted to create stories that encourage children to slow down, ask questions, explore with open hearts, and notice the beauty in people, places, and nature. Scooter and Pumpkin remind us that courage doesn't mean being fearless. Sometimes it means staying curious, being kind, and being willing to help.
The greatest adventures aren't measured by how far we travel,
but by the kindness we share and the memories we make along the way.
Jane the Unicorn
Character Development • Emotional Storytelling • Series Architecture • Children's Fiction
Nine books. One journey toward self-belief.
Jane is a curious, hopeful unicorn growing up in a magical forest filled with friends, challenges, and opportunities to discover who she is. She isn't perfect. She gets discouraged. She makes mistakes. She wonders if she's good enough. But every challenge gives her another opportunity to grow. Her journey isn't about becoming someone else. It's about learning to believe in herself. Jane dreams of one day earning her beautiful rainbow horn. At first, she believes the magic she is looking for exists somewhere outside herself—in spells, wishes, or something extraordinary waiting to happen. But Jane's journey teaches her something different.
The magic was inside her all along.
Jane the Unicorn Earns Her Rainbow Horn
Book 1 - Introducing Janes World
Writting Sample
Jane is grateful for everything she learned. Her focus and pure heart make this easier than she thought.
Once the young unicorn is free, she gives Jane a gift. Jane is overwhelmed with gratitude. It turns out it isn't just any gift…
When Jane opens the box a rainbow shoots out to the sky. Colorful stars and hearts rain down on her and fill her horn with colors. Jane has finally earned her rainbow horn.
Jane is proud of her new rainbow horn and how hard she worked to earn it. All of the learning, focus lessons, and courage were all worth it.
The younger unicorns love to play with Jane and admire her rainbow horn. One day, when they are big enough, they will also go on a quest and earn a rainbow horn.
Nine Books. One Journey.
Each book explores a different emotional skill while continuing Jane's larger journey toward self-belief.
The individual stories stand on their own, but together they create a larger coming-of-age arc.
Book 1 — ✨ Introducing Jane's World
Book 2 — ❤️ Courage
Book 3 — 🧡 Kindness
Book 4 — 💛 Optimism
Book 5 — 💚 Growth
Book 6 — 💙 Calm
Book 7 — 💜 Wisdom
Book 8 — 💗 Confidence
Book 9 — 🌈 Jane Earns Her Rainbow Horn
The Magical Forest
Jane's world is populated by characters who each bring a different perspective, personality, and lesson to her journey.
🌳 Wise Tree - A patient guide who reminds Jane that answers sometimes take time.
🦌 Dotty the Deer - Gentle, joyful, and always ready to help.
🐿️ Sophie the Squirrel - Curious and enthusiastic, sometimes reminding Jane that wonder can be found everywhere.
🦊 Foxy Faye - Clever, confident, and a little mischievous, helps Jane see problems from new perspectives.
Together, the characters create a world where children can explore big feelings in a safe, imaginative environment.
More Than a Story
Jane's adventures gently introduce children to emotional concepts they encounter in their own lives—fear, disappointment, kindness, perseverance, confidence, gratitude, and the courage to try again.
Rather than teaching these lessons directly, the stories allow children to experience them alongside Jane.
The lesson lives inside the adventure.
The goal is to create a world children don't simply read about—but can continue exploring through play, creativity, reflection, and imagination.
Read
📚 Nine-book collection
📖 Future stories
Create
🎨 Coloring books
🖍️ Activity books
🌈 Rainbow journals
📝 Printables
Experience
🧸 Plush characters
🎬 Animation
🍎 Teacher resources
Beyond the Books
The Real Inspiration
Jane began with a simple reminder I wanted every child to hear: You don't have to become someone else to be worthy of believing in yourself.
I wanted to create a character who could make mistakes without being defined by them, feel afraid without being weak, and discover that confidence doesn't mean never doubting yourself.
Jane's journey became a way of exploring those ideas through magic, friendship, and adventure.
Every child deserves to discover the magic already inside them.
Magic isn't something Jane finds.
It's something she discovers inside herself.
More Stories in Development
The worlds I've created extend far beyond the stories featured here.
My writing doesn't stop with the stories I've already developed into series. I have dozens of original characters, story worlds and long-form ideas in various stages of development, ranging from playful early-reader series to middle-grade adventures, graphic novels, teen fiction and adult novels. Some are built to teach. Some are built to make readers laugh. Some explore growing up, identity, courage and self-discovery. And some have become much bigger worlds—stories with mysteries, time travel, historical settings, complicated characters and enough room to grow across multiple books. This is a glimpse at what else is currently being created.
The Backyard Astronauts
Turning imagination into adventures. Join these galaxy exploring siblings as they take a cardboard spaceship to worlds and galaxies beyond their imagination. In every book, the neighborhood becomes the galaxy. Grounded in childhood wonder. Each adventure explores a new “planet” hidden in the familiar places around them.
I Want to Be...
A simple, imaginative career-exploration series that lets children step inside the possibilities of who they might become—from astronauts and park rangers to veterinarians, photographers, athletes and beyond. The concept is built around a child's imagination and excitement about the world ahead.
I Can...
A collection of original characters and story worlds created for young readers, with an emphasis on imagination, discovery, emotional growth and adventure. A series of adorable and endearing animals as they overcome obstacles, solve problems, and discover their strengths along the way.
Stages Learning Series
A larger educational framework designed to grow with the reader from toddlers through children, teens and adults. Topics range from animals and plants to feelings, Earth, space, electricity, weather and how things work. Educational documents and activities avalable. A cycle constoantly introducing more advanced concepts as curiosity expands.
TEEN & MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION
The VIP Teenage Girls Club
Middle Grade • Friendship • Coming-of-Age • Self-Discovery
Coming-of-Age • Friendship • Self-Discovery
A group of middle-school girls makes a pact to support one another, pursue the things they love, and figure out who they are before the pressures of growing up begin defining them.
Each book follows a different girl in the group, telling the story from her perspective and opening the door to the parts of her life her friends don't always see. One may be a skateboarder. Another a guitarist. Another may discover an entirely different passion.
As the girls grow, their interests, friendships, families, challenges and ambitions become part of the larger story. They see other kids getting caught up in crushes, social pressure and the expectations around them—and decide they want something different.
They make a pact to choose each other, pursue their talents, and become the strongest versions of themselves.
The series explores friendship, independence, confidence, identity, resilience and the complicated process of becoming a young woman—without suggesting that growing stronger means becoming invulnerable.
One friend. One story. One perspective at a time.
Stories with a Purpose
Stories can entertain us. They can teach us.
They can help us see the world and ourselves a little differently.
I believe the best stories do more than fill a few minutes. They make children curious. They make unfamiliar things feel approachable. They help us understand animals, nature, science and one another. They remind us that being different can be wonderful. And sometimes, they simply make someone feel less alone.
That's the kind of storytelling I want to create.