At BYU, Card started a theater company. His theater company produced plays at "the Castle," an outdoor stage in Provo. His company's plays were the first plays ever produced at the Castle. Card also got a part-time job as a proofreader at BYU Press. Later, he got a full-time job copy editing. In 1976, Card got a full-time job as an assistant editor at the "Ensign", a church magazine. He moved to Salt Lake City. While he was there, Card published his first piece of fiction, a short story called "Gert Fram." The story was printed in the July 1977 fine arts magazine under the pen name Byron Walley.