He began writing at night and eventually went to a cabin in northern Minnesota to do so. After years of struggle, Paulsen returned to what he knew best: tales based on his own experiences. Paulsen frequently has his heroes come from difficult families, similar to his own. He also likes to focus on the difficulty of learning languages, especially foreign languages like German or French. His novels are set in the Midwest after the American Civil War. Many of his characters are unemployed until they find work as farmers or miners. Some become hunters or trappers instead. A few even join the army and fight in the war between the States. After the war ends, many people move to the cities looking for better jobs. This is why you will often find unemployed people living with their relatives or friends rather than making their own home. Paulsen always makes sure that his readers can relate to his characters. This way, they will feel like they are experiencing something real. Unfortunately, this means that some people think that all writers are like Paulsen, which isn't true at all! Some writers may have other hobbies besides writing, while others may even have multiple careers all at once. The only thing that matters is that they keep writing! As for Paulsen, he currently lives in South Dakota with his wife and two children.