Where do your ideas come from?
They come from all over the place. A writer’s mind is always working (so watch out what you do and say around us). 🙂 If you want to read about my specific inspiration for each book, go to the “Books” section.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I knew when I was very young. I even wrote that I was going to be a writer in the first diary I kept, when I was eleven years old.
Why did you become a writer?
The truth is, there were so many things I wasn’t good at. Writing seemed to be one area where I thrived. I remember starting at a new school in a new town in seventh grade, and failing some of my courses (the kids were quite a bit ahead of me). Then we had to write a murder mystery, a short story – and I got a great mark, and my teacher was very encouraging. I remember thinking, “Finally! Something I’m good at!” So I kept going.
Are your books autobiographical?
No. There are elements of who I was, or elements of other people I’ve met. But they are works of fiction.
Why are all of your books set in Vancouver?
Because I’ve lived here since 1995 and it’s the city I know and love. I need to be able to “see” my characters existing in the real world.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
Well this sounds odd, but I write! Even if I don’t know what I’m going to write, or I think it’s going to be garbage (and often it is), I force myself to sit down and write something on those bad days, even if it’s just a page. Because even if I throw it out the next day, it usually helps spark something better. I know writing sounds romantic, but for those of us who do it full-time it’s a job like any other; we can’t afford to get blocked for too long!
What advice do you have for an aspiring writer?
It’s really, deceptively simple: I say “Read. Write. Repeat.” But it’s true!! You must do both, and do them often and voraciously. It’s the only way to get better, and to develop your own voice.