Please meet fantastic endodontist AND newly minted writer Dr. Randall Rex Calvert who has successfully extracted hidden gold from my root canal (I swear I didn’t hide it there) and will extract more in December (it seems there is a lot!). Randy’s story is so incredible, I want your listening ear. It’ll blow off your socks and inspire you to jump to the clouds.

A few months ago I went to see Randy due to tooth pain (my dentist uncovered the need for a root canal). Randy started the appointment by telling me a story—a story about my tooth and teeth in general, their roots, how they work, what's inside, how they live, how it all relates to the body as a whole, and I sat there, listening, absolutely mesmerized, thinking to myself, “This here is a born storyteller.” Those weren't simply facts about teeth, they were stories with plenty of mystery, thrill, and action. After looking at my tooth Randy confirmed that I did indeed needed to excavate things my root canal (all the hidden treasures in there), and I believe I mentioned something about writing. Or maybe I said I was a writer. I can't remember exactly now, but we go to talking about writing, and Randy said it was always his dream to write, and he had an idea about a novel, but nothing on paper yet.

After I left, I sent Randy Stephen King’s On Writing and my little book Blue Sparrow (I also secretly asked everyone in the building upon seeing Randy to casually ask him, “So how is that novel going?”). Then I called a few weeks later and talked to Randy's wife Terri on the phone, asking if Randy has started writing his first novel. She said he hasn’t yet. I decided to shelve my attempt to call every week, to give Randy space.

Well, fast forward to last week. When I called to schedule my appointment, Terri said, “He started working on his novel last month!” I was so excited, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

And so today at my root canal appointment we talked for what seemed a magical eternity, and Randy thanked me for sending him the books. He said that after over 28 years of practicing dental care, he is making the leap.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the newly mined writer in our midst—Randy Calvert.

Randy is in the process of closing his practice so he can start writing full-time this coming year 2018, as early as January (or maybe June-July, as it takes a while to wrap up such a wealth of business). As of today he has committed to getting up at 4 AM in the morning, and I've committed to reminding him every day with an email to do it and to report his progress. (OR ELSE.)

Randy has an incredible storytelling talent. He wanted to be a writer since college. And now, after all these years, he’s giving himself the gift of making his dream a reality.

In the course of my appointment he has told me not one, not two, not three, but FIVE book ideas that have blown my mind. One of them is about a dentist. John Grisham, do you hear me? You’ve got a contestant here. Randy has got a good one up his sleeve. You just wait.

I asked Randy’s permission to share this story with you which he granted.

And now I ask you to please send a word of encouragement to Randy in your comments, and just so Randy knows how much you support him, in the next two months please pick up the phone and call his fantastic practice (and Randy is fantastic—I hardly felt any pain—his touch is golden) and say, “I’m just calling to give my words to encouragement to Dr. Randall. How is his novel coming along?”

Thank you. I love you. Please share this incredible story high and wide, and please share yours below. Together we can do it.

Onward.