Name, Age, City and State: Torry Martin, ageless hippie, Nashville, TN

Job-title: Actor/Screenwriter/Author/Comedian/Humor Columnist/Networker/Teacher

Web/blog site URL: www.torrymartin.com

Give us your job description in 25 words or less. It’s hard to go into a job description because I do so many different things. I think the job titles I listed are pretty much self-descriptive. Basically I’m a cross between being a Hippie for the Holy One and a Gypsy for Jesus. I am an idea person and have chronic ADHD so I multi-task in a lot of different areas within the entertainment community. I love to collaborate with film makers and writers. I also created the character of Wooton Bassett for “Adventures in Odyssey” produced by Focus on the Family.

Describe a typical workday. I’m a freelance writer and an actor and comedian so every day is different. One day I may be writing a humor column for “On Course Magazine” which is a magazine for Christian teens and college students. The next day I could be writing for “Clubhouse” magazine for FOTF where I write blogs as Wooton. Then I could be writing for the “Cloud Ten Pictures” website or for “Front Yard Worship” magazine or “Enrichment Journal." In between all that- I could be writing a book of comedy sketches with one person, and have 3-4 screenplays being worked on with other writers that I am teaming up with. (I ALWAYS work with writers who are infinitely more talented than me. I like learning from them while I work. Plus- I like working with friends!) Sometimes I am teaching writing at conferences, or speaking at high schools, and other times I am traveling as a comedian or working as an actor. I basically just go wherever God leads me and it is a different story for every day. I truly am a cross between a gypsy and a grab-bag in my giftings.

What led you to realize that you wanted to do this type of work? Well I always knew that I wanted to be an actor. I didn’t like myself growing up and I was most comfortable when playing a different character on stage. Writing was something that I more or less stumbled into. I barely graduated high school and had a “D” average. I still don’t understand even the basics of grammar- but I am able to tell a story. I guess what led me to realize that this was the type of work that I wanted to do- was God. God led me. I was happily living in a remote cabin on 80 acres in Bear Valley, Alaska 10 years ago. It was after asking Jesus to be the Lord of my life that all this other stuff started to happen. It still amazes me.

Did you have any heroes or mentors in your industry that you admired? Yes, I did. I’ve learned a very important lesson though and that is that sometimes you should never meet your heroes. (Ha!) Your heroes are people and they are fallible and will likely disappoint you. That’s why I tell people to lower their expectations when meeting me. Only when they lower them (REALLY low) can I ever hope to meet their expectations. Between you and me- I keep thinking people will one day discover that I’m not a writer at all but I’m basically just a hippie with a keyboard! As far as mentors go- Marshal Younger from “Adventures in Odyssey” has taught me more about writing and story than anyone else. He has also been an example of the type of Christian I want to be. His integrity and character is something I hope has rubbed off on me- even more than any of his writing or story ability. I remember when I was asking him for advice one day on the phone and he said, “Torry, I think that if someone can’t write a great story without using sexual innuendo, bathroom humor and foul language, they have no business calling themselves an artist.” That statement had an impact on me and set the bar for my career. Anyway-out of all the people I have met who I consider to be my heroes- Marshal Younger is still one of mine. Yeesh- that sounded really cheesy didn’t it? “Cheesey” stuff like that is exactly the kind of stuff that makes Marshal go “Blech!” I can hear him now; “We don’t write cheesy stuff, Torry! NO CHEESE!” Oh well- if ya read this Marshal- all I can say is “Sorry! You bring out the cheese in me. So just grab some crackers and enjoy.”

What type of education or training was required to land your job? I don’t know how to answer this. Like I said- I just barely graduated high school. My mom took a night class with me just to make sure I graduated. (NOTE: You never want to take a Psychology class with your mother. It will seriously mess you up. Ha!) I was cast in a national tour for Columbia Artists after just one year of college so I dropped out and then never went back. School really wasn’t for me. Life has been my teacher and passion has been my drive. I have a passion for acting, writing and entertaining. I then surrendered those things for God to use and- He is the One who directed my career and gave me the gifts for it. It wasn’t anything I did at all. He just gave these gifts to me and all I did was thank Him and surrender them back. Then he led my steps and made holy introductions for me and ta-da! Here I am. Ain’t I pretty?

What do you love most about your job? I love making people laugh. I just love it. I also love touching their hearts with something I’ve written. One of the other things I love the most is the fact that my career has positioned me in a place where I can invest in the lives and careers of others. That is my biggest bonus. I am all about “passing it on”.

What one part of your job do you wish you could hire someone else to do? The writing part. I hate writing. I struggle with every sentence. For me, I am more of an idea and joke kind of person. I specialize in character, humor, dialogue and plot elements. I fail in structure, grammar, writing drama and I lack any typing ability. (I only type with two fingers and it takes forever) If I could just sit in a room with someone who could make a good idea better, type, format, contribute to the story, structure it and had good grammar- oh boy. THAT would be the best!

What advice would you give to teenagers wanting to get into your field of work? Go to college. Stay in school. Pay attention and learn to be independent as a writer. I am the exception- and I don’t know why that is. I am completely dependent on working with other writers though in order to complete a story. Just between us- I wish I was smarter. I wish I had a mind that could understand grammar and structure and I wish I had learned that stuff in school. I’d no doubt be much further in my career than I am. I also wish that I had never done drugs in high school and college. It has seriously affected my mind and my ability to concentrate. Even though it’s been almost 17 years since I smoked marijuana- I know it has affected my ability to process stuff. I watch smart people sometimes and just get really discouraged with myself because I’m not as smart as them. BUT- I am a unique creation and God is using my past for His purposes sooooo…who am I to complain?

How does your job allow you to use your God-given gifts? That is a very interesting question to me. Hmmm…

My appearance is off-putting to most people. I have long red hair, I’m grotesquely obese (according to my doctor), my mind is scattered, I’m socially awkward, and I’m not a “pretty” person. BUT- for some reason- when I’m writing something or telling a funny story- people forget about my appearance and my awkwardness or stupidity. They embrace the story or the character or humor and forget all about who it is coming from. I can express myself on paper in ways that I could never express myself in person. If God had not allowed me to be partnered with other writers who saw something in me- I doubt that anyone ever would have heard my name. So for me- it really isn’t my job that has allowed me to use my gifts, it was God’s people who looked beyond my social awkwardness and beyond my appearance and then encouraged me and invested in me that has allowed me to use my gifts. Then they mentored and helped me and loved me. I want to encourage all of you to do that for someone else as well. Investing in the lives of others has some amazing rewards. What’s most surprising is that when investing in the lives of others, sometimes the life you change is just as much yours as it is the others person’s.

Do you have any hobbies or off-hours pursuits that teenagers would find of interest? My favorite pastime is reading and studying the Bible or end time eschatology. I also enjoy discussing politics and watching the news. Hmm, as for other hobbies, I like coffee shops and bookstores , gold panning and fishing and…oh yeah… I loves me a buffet!

Is there anything you’d like prayer for? Yes, I’m a diabetic and I need to lose weight to get it under control. If you could have the readers pray for that, I’d appreciate it. Also- I want to walk more by faith without doubting. That is an area that I want to grow in. Less fat- more faith. Yep. That’s about it.