Parents spend a lot of time talking over kids. My son went through a vocabulary burst as I was writing The Bear. I thought, What if I just stopped and listened?

I like situations that push a character to the edge.

The body needs food, warmth and water, but your heart needs more.

I was haunted by a bear attack that happened in Algonquin Park in 1991. The problem was that I dont believe in ghosts, so that ruled out an exorcism. My other choice was to start writing.

The feat of surviving is directly related to the capacity of the survivor.

I would get a lot of writing done if I lived in isolation in a cave under a swamp.

How do you solve a mystery? How do you write a book? The techniques for starting both are surprisingly similar. Find an intriguing question and, pen and dagger tucked under cloak, search for clues.