Adaptive Writer, Workout Regular and Camaro Fan
Introducing Van Mitchell! Freelance writer! YMCA regular! A man happy to tackle all kinds of stories, preferably without a meeting that lasts all evening.
For Newspaper Week, we gave Van the 20-questions treatment and found a veteran writer with a simple approach: Work hard, keep growing and make time for a workout.
Van has written for more than 20 years, including about three years with our newspapers. His first job was at a newspaper in Stillwater. How did he choose the profession? He liked writing and decided to make a living at it.
Sometimes the origin story really is that straightforward.
His work earned second-place recognition in an Associated Press contest for a feature article. He doesn’t belong to a civic or professional organization, but his assignments keep him connected to a variety of people and subjects.
That variety, and the flexibility to explore it, is his favorite part of freelancing. City government and school stories rank among his favorite projects here. Long meetings, however, occupy the other end of the list.
He says readers might be surprised by how much time researching and writing a story takes. Keeping up also means adapting to new technology, which explains his proposed job title: “Adaptive writer.”
One career moment he wishes someone had captured behind the scenes was getting to cover Oklahoma State University in the Final Four in Seattle. Quite an assignment for a fellow whose childhood career plan was to become a police officer.
Van grew up in Guthrie, one of six siblings raised by two parents he describes as great. For 18 years, he served as his parents’ caregiver. His mother died in April, and he is now finding his way into a new chapter.
Asked what place feels like home, he answered honestly: He’s starting over and hasn’t found that place just yet.
His days include work, exercise at the Guthrie YMCA and television in the evening. Workout classes are the hobby he makes room for, even when life gets busy. An ideal day off adds sleeping late, movies and sports to the schedule.
For a movie he wishes he could see for the first time again, he offers two contenders: “Rocky” and “Forrest Gump.”
For adventure, he’d like to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. And if he could choose any car? A Camaro, something he has enjoyed driving before.
The smell of peanut butter cookies takes him back to childhood. He hopes his 8-year-old self would be proud of him, because he keeps working to become a better person. That continued growth is also what makes him proud today.
His request for household magic is practical: a house that cleans itself.
There you have him: Van Mitchell! A caring person, longtime caregiver and experienced writer, working on his next story, and his next chapter.