Teacher. Former soldier. Author. Professional collector of embarrassing moments.

Meet Adam Hall, an Australian bloke who has managed to turn a lifetime of questionable decisions, unexpected disasters and spectacularly bad timing into a career as a storyteller.

And somehow, he's still allowed out in public.

Adam has worn more hats than most people have had hot dinners. He's been a check-out chick, deli attendant, trolly boy, soldier, Army Cadet instructor, pub manager, security guard, real estate agent, turf farmer, fruit picker, professional karate student, cleaner, pool lifeguard, band tutor, storeman and, for nearly twenty years, a teacher in Australian schools.

Some might call that an impressive résumé.

Others might suggest he's had trouble holding down a career.

Adam prefers to think of it as extensive research for his books.

Throughout his life, Adam has developed a remarkable talent for finding himself in situations that defy explanation, challenge common sense and usually end with someone saying, "Only you, Hall. Only you."

For years, he's entertained friends, family and anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot with stories of his adventures. Eventually, after hearing "You should write a bloody book!" more times than he could count, he decided to give it a go.

The result is his This Shit Happens series, a collection of laugh-out-loud, real-life adventures featuring unforgettable characters, ordinary Australians and the extraordinary things that happen when life doesn't quite go according to plan.

Adam doesn't write to impress literary critics or win awards for complicated vocabulary. He writes the way he talks — with a healthy dose of Aussie humour, a bit of cheekiness and absolutely no hesitation in making himself the punchline.

Away from writing, Adam lives in country New South Wales with his wife, Julie, who has spent years shaking her head, rolling her eyes and occasionally asking herself how she ended up married to him.

She's also one of the few people who can verify that the stories are true.

Although she'd probably prefer some of them weren't.

Adam Hall isn't a comedian who makes up funny stories. He's just an ordinary Aussie bloke who has lived through enough ridiculous situations to fill several books.

And the worrying part?

He's still out there making new material.