What inspired you to be a writer?
I’ve always been interested in reading so I think indirectly I’ve been inspired by other writers.
As a kid, I liked sketching and imagined that one day I would be a cartoonist. I created comic strips, and although I didn’t
realize it at the time, I was playing around with words, stories and pictures, and that’s largely what writing is all about.
So my own inspiration has come from a number of places, I suppose.
What do you enjoy most about writing non-fiction?
I love uncovering
new information and learning about things I didn’t before. With each book, I get to become a bit of an expert on a subject of
interest to me and hopefully readers do, too. I love when readers tell me that they became turned on to a topic after reading one
of my books. That’s the best kind of news.
What do you find most difficult about writing non-fiction?
Sometimes having to
stick to the facts is a challenge. Occasionally, I find myself wanting to insert a personal opinion where one really doesn’t belong
or to add facts that I’m not completely certain about. I have to remind myself constantly that I can’t do that. The other
thing that is difficult is finding the right tone for true stories that have an element of drama and excitement to them. I have
to guard against being overly dramatic or adding emotions and feelings that aren’t really evident in the research material.
Where
do you find the stories for your books?
Many of the true stories in my books first appeared as items in newspapers, in magazines, on
television or on radio, and that’s how I first heard about them. Others were located in books, on the Internet or were passed
on to me by other people. From there, it was a matter of digging deeper and doing more research to verify the facts and to make
sure I understood all of the details. At times, this meant making trips to the library and local bookstore, or making phone
calls to check facts with experts who knew the answers. Sometimes, I interviewed the subject, too, either by phone or by e-mail.
How
do you know the facts in your books are correct?
I try to have at least 3 independent and reliable sources for each event or main detail.
By cross-referencing the facts that way, the chances of being accurate are much greater. Of course, accuracy also depends on
the types of sources being used. First-hand accounts (biographies, interviews, diaries, journals etc.) are often more accurate
than second-hand accounts. I look at the credentials of the person I am using a source, too. Experts on a subject carry more
weight than someone who isn’t an authority.
Publishers do their part to make sure the information in a book is accurate
as well. For each of my books, the publisher hired a fact-checker to double check the information. If the fact-checker found
a conflicting fact, I was told. Then it was my job as the author to review the research materials again to find out exactly which
version was correct.
.
What is the most difficult step in writing a non-fiction story?
For me, the beginning of a story is the most challenging
part to write. It has to include basic things about the setting, names of characters, and the problem they are facing. As well,
the beginning has to be interesting enough that the reader is going to want to keep reading the entire story. Trying to get
all of this down in a few opening lines or paragraphs is the biggest challenge for me. Sometimes I write two or three beginnings
then choose the best of the bunch later on rather than becoming bogged down trying to write the perfect one right at the start.
Is
writing hard work?
I write everyday, and some days the writing is easy. The words seem to spill on to the page effortlessly.
Other days, it’s tedious stuff. The words just don’t seem to want to behave, and I’m lucky if I write even one paragraph. I
don’t get upset. I just keep plugging on, knowing that day by day I’m making progress. I tell myself that if I average
even a page a day then I’ll have 365 pages in a year. That’s more than a book.
How frustrating is it to mess up?
Very frustrating,
but I tell myself it’s okay, too. One nice thing about writing is that you can keep playing around with words until you are
happy with them. It’s a bit like being a sculptor. A sculptor plays with clay, shaping and forming it until he/she is
happy. If something doesn’t look right, the sculptor can mush up the clay, and start over. We only see the final product
– the sculpture that turned out perfectly. We aren’t aware of all the false starts, and messed up figures. It’s the same
thing with writing. It’s okay to play around with words, to scratch out paragraphs, to start over. The reader is only
going to see the final product, and that’s the most perfect version I can produce. No one is going to see the messed up stuff.
What has influenced your writing the most?
Without a doubt, I’d say it was all the reading that I’ve done. I was one of those
kids whose head was always in a book or magazine. I read everything – mysteries, true adventures, biographies, superhero stuff.
At the time, I wasn’t thinking about becoming a writer. I was just having fun reading. But the beauty of it was that my
unconscious brain was noticing and storing all kinds of useful things about words, rhythms, pacing, plot and so on. By reading so
much, I was developing myself as a writer even without trying.
Do you ever write just for the fun of it?
Yes, in fact I
do. I write every morning sometimes for publication, but sometimes just for myself. I belong to a small writer’s group
and each month we meet to share something we’ve written. Often I write poetry or a personal memoir to share with the group.
Do
you have tips to offer kids who want to become writers?
Just two really, and they are pretty simple and likely no surprise. .
Tip #1: Read as much as you can
Read lots, I say. Read all kinds of things. Read just for the fun of it, not necessarily
for any particular purpose. Without even trying, your brain will notice and store all kinds of useful things. All this pays
off in a big way when you write.
Tip #2: Play with words as much as you can
One nice thing about writing is that you can keep
playing around with words and stories until you are happy with them. If something doesn’t look or sound right, tinker around
with the words, trade them in for new ones, shuffle paragraphs, or start fresh all over again. Just play until you are happy with
the end product, but play often. It’s likely no big surprise that the more you write, the better you become at it.