Meet Author C. Orville McLeish | Published Author, Copy Editor, Ghostwriter and Self Publishing Service Provider

We had the good fortune of connecting with Author C. Orville McLeish and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I didn’t grow up in a rich family. My parents could only afford to take us to fifth form in High School, and then we would be on our own. As siblings, we understood this, but I think what affected us was not really having a clear map for where our lives would go after High School. Maybe we didn’t care. So, in 1993, I was out of school, no money, no friends, no qualifications, no dreams and aspirations, and no idea what to do with my life.

My first job was a SANDER working with my brother who was a Carpenter. All day, I would be sanding furniture from morning to evening. I hated it.

My Second job was in my PASTOR’S SUPERMARKET working less than minimum wage. I hated it.

My third job was as a CEMENT MIXER with my brother who was transitioning from a Carpenter, to a BUILDING CONTRACTOR. After my first experience ‘slabbing’ a roof, I knew that was not for me. I hated it. I was destined for failure and a life of hustling and I knew it. I could not see a way out, nor was I looking for one. I was more than resolved that I was a failure, and my life would never have any significance whatsoever.

My youngest brother, who had dropped out of High School, was working with a Land Surveyor, who happened to also know one of my Aunts. They put in a good word, that I was smart and had much potential, and I was hired as a Trainee Surveying Draftsman, a trade I knew nothing about. It turned out that they were right about me; I did have potential. I quickly learned the trade, until I was almost Senior Draftsman with that firm, but the salary was inconsistent. After eight years, and a death threat from a drunk boss, I left. I remember praying that God would provide a job that would pay me a certain amount of money per month.

Within three weeks, I was hired by another soberer Surveyor, and my first drafting assignment was a very prominent project. During the interview, he did mention that I could make as much as what I was asking for per month, and I saw that as a confirmation from God, though it took me many years after that before I saw my first check in that amount. I was really good with computers. Luckily, to avoid me being too idle a couple summers, my mom sent me to do summer computer courses when the operating system Windows was just coming on the market. So, I have always been good with computers, but I didn’t know anything about CAD Drafting. I knew how to draw plans manually, but not via computers. I really sucked at using the computer for drafting, and that was required of me on this new job. This is where I began to learn about myself. I would go home, and spend my nights teaching myself, then go to work the next day and do my job. I had to spend a lot of time correcting mistakes as well.

Somewhere along my drafting journey, I discovered that I could write plays and I loved it. A PASTOR in Ohio had an opportunity to read one of my plays, and he loved it. This was the time when the INTERNET was coming on mainstream. The Pastor gave me a space on his website for my plays, and I continued to write while working as a full time Surveying Draftsman. I was an International Playwright, and I didn’t even know it. Eventually, I had enough plays to launch out on my own.

At some point in 2002, I realized that the money I was making from writing plays was more than what I was making from my nine to five job, so I knew the day would come when I would be out of the nine to five environment. The day did come. Surveying Draughting was also a field that was fast becoming extinct as the new Commissioned Surveyors coming on the mainstream preferred to do their own plans. They never liked paying Draughtsmen anyway.

This is where I started to create my own world, without even knowing it. I moved from writing plays, to writing movie scripts, but the movie script market was too hard to crack. I entered the JCDC Literary Writing Competition every year, and was awarded every year: gold, silver, bronze medals; trophies and gifts. I got tired of entering because what I really wanted was exposure.

One day God told me to publish a book from some material I had presented at church. That was a shocker. I knew nothing about publishing, but by this time I knew I had a unique gift of understanding enough that I could teach myself anything. I was also very computer literate, and knew how to find my way around cyberspace, so with intent research, I discovered self publishing, and taught myself everything there was to learn. I then published my first book. From there I started writing and publishing my own books; until that expanded to writing and publishing books for others; and my world just kept expanding and expanding and expanding.

There are several things I had to learn about myself. Each of you will have a different journey than mine, because along the way, you will have to discover what is in you, and how God or Creation itself is interacting with you to bring you into greatness. You are born to be great. You are born to succeed. But the path reveals itself through knowledge, belief and application.

These are the qualities I discovered about myself, as I journeyed through life:

1. I never resolve that I CANNOT do something, because I am a learning being, which means, I can learn to do everything.
2. I am never too old for school, and to learn something new.
3. I have never used a lack of money as an excuse not to accomplish or go after my dreams. I learned that desire always precedes finances. The money always comes.
4. I have never put any limits on myself, because I serve a God WITHOUT limits.

Today, I have written for Pastors, Bishops, Evangelists, Doctors, Nurses, Entrepreneurs, Business Men and Countless people with a PHD behind their names; well learnt men and women all over the world and the only subject I have is a pass in Principles of Accounts that I got a couple years after leaving High School. My world should not have been possible for someone like me, but I believe that I am an example for many to know that:

1. Success is not always about academic excellence. Education is good, and you should do your best to attain it. It may aid in making your journey so much easier, but more is required to become who we are made to become. Many are educated, but can’t get a job, or they are working for a mediocre salary. Get your education, but dig deeper for more.
2. It is not always the qualified that are called.
3. It’s not a gift to walk in purpose. It is your birthright.
4. Your passion can be turned into wealth.

When I was first approach by some of these people to offer my services to them, it was nerve wracking at first, even now sometimes. I get nervous when I write and send off material for client critisism. I keep imagining them just canceling the job because I wrote rubbish, but that has never happened. To be praised by the learned and well-respected men and women in different parts of the world has been humbling, and I truly understand just how powerful the God who lives inside me really is, and just how filled with potential I am. I also believe I have just scratched the surface of my potential as a human being.

It doesn’t matter who you are, or how old you are, God wants to use you to accomplish that thing you have been dreaming about; whether it is a book, music, art, whatever it is that you are passionate about; if you believe enough in your dream and are willing to invest in it, I guarantee you that God will cause you to do great and mighty things that will blow your mind.

Everyone has something in them that God wants to use to impact this world. Believe in yourself and go for it.

I am a Published Author, Ghostwriter, Playwright, Screenwriter, and Publishing Guru and this is just a summarized version of my journey. I have a registered online business, and I just officially launched my Publishing Company a few months ago. This is my world, and it is an ever-expanding world, because God has no limits, so I put no limits on myself because God lives in me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It really depends on which country or state I am in. There are different things to do in different places, but one of my favorite thing to do is eating out and trying different places and different tastes. I also love going to the movies if something good is playing. So I would say dinner and a movie a few times. If I am in the Caribbean, a trip to a falls or beach would definitely be in the mix.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to acknowledge my wife, Nordia McLeish. Getting married to her was a great inspiration in starting my journey as an author.  

Website: https://corvillemcleish.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_corvillemcleish/