q & a

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When did you start writing?

I first started writing for fun when I was eight years old. I wanted to grow up to be a writer, but along the way, I heard that writing for a living was a long, hard road. I worried that I wasn’t good enough. The more I tried out different jobs, though, the more I realized that all I wanted to do was read and write, so I did. Eventually, my work got published. My first book came out in 2006.


How do you get the ideas for your stories?

Good question! Sometimes I joke that my stories find me. Friends will mention a news item or something that happened to them, and I'll keep thinking about it for days. I'll look up similar scenarios online or related books and read everything I can. Sometimes my research develops into ideas of characters and plot. Other times, I get all excited about writing a nonfiction book on the topic. Either way, my writing always develops from real-life situations that spark my curiosity.


Which of your own books is your favourite?

Each book has been an exciting journey with different challenges, and I think my favourites are the ones that were hardest to write. For example, some parts of Out of the Box were based on my childhood. Like the main character, I grew up with devoted parents who struggled with mental health issues. Those struggles had an impact on me, and I wanted to create a book that reflected this experience. Wow, it was a tough project! Similarly, writing The Vegetable Museum took years and years because I couldn’t figure out who the main character needed to be, so I remember that book fondly, too. And Home Sweet Neighborhood stands out in my mind simply because it was lots of fun to create. I learn so much with each book that it’s hard to pick a favourite!


Can you describe the place where you work?

I live on the edge of a forest, and the window by my table looks right out into it. Often, I see deer outside munching on the ferns. Hummingbirds nest in a nearby tree, and sometimes a Northern Flicker stops to survey the scene from atop the wood shed. I love having solitude with plenty of opportunities to see and hear stories going on in the world around me.


Who are your favourite authors?

The list keeps expanding! Kit Pearson’s books were a huge influence on me as I was growing up. These days, I really admire Deborah Ellis, Susin Nielsen, and Angie Thomas. There are just so many fantastic authors for young people out there, and I’m always on the lookout for authors that are new to me.


Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Read everything you can get your hands on, lots of different genres and lots of different authors. Write as much as possible, too. I love writing in a journal because it allows me to be scribble, cross things out, doodle, paste things in, and find my voice. No matter what I write, I know it will change tremendously over the course of many, many drafts, so I try not to get caught up in how it looks at first. Creativity needs room to expand and grow. Give yourself plenty of space, time, and opportunity to play!


 
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