I strengthened my skills by writing radio commercials, first in Calgary, then Saskatoon, and later by doing advertising features for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix newspaper. During that time I was writing short stories for children, but as a volunteer on a crisis line, I was so touched by the young people I met, one short story grew into my first novel, Last Chance Summer. There was no turning back. In 1981 I married my childhood sweetheart, Larry, and promptly began to steal bits of his life to use in books. In 1985 our son Ben was born, and he's turning out to be a great source of raw material, too.
Men are so interesting.
In the last few years I've been conducting writing workshops, for both teens and adults. With young people, I usually focus on how to develop a character and set that person into motion through desire. For adults, I extend the process and work through story structure, using the three-act structure of film. I think a story should grab you by the collar and not let go. To me, nothing is more challenging than someone who doesn't like to read.