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Living half my life in the East, the other half in the West has definitely nurtured my strong interest in Canadian history. I love hiking and exploring Canada and I'm intrigued by tales of early explorers. My nonfiction books come from this fascination. (for example, A Dog Came, Too, and Alexander Mackenzie). But I also enjoy writing fiction and enjoy setting my stories on either side of the country. (for example, Just Like New in Quebec and Leaving The Log House in British Columbia).
In elementary school I was desperately shy and spent a lot of time worrying that I was going to be asked a question - so I often didn't pay as much attention as I should have. On one of my early report cards, the teacher wrote, "We know Ainslie could do better, if she spent less time dreaming."; (She was right!)
I was happiest in the summer time, when I could be outdoors. I rode ponies and horses whenever possible. I liked to sail and swim and I rode my bike everywhere.
I was a skinny little kid with long pigtails and big glasses (a little like Allison in my story Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses).
I loved books, but because I grew up just after World War II, books were scarce and so I didn't have many. (A little like Sally in my story, Just Like New.)
My university education was somewhat spasmodic. I definitely have no Masters degree or PHD. But I do have a kind, supportive husband who encouraged me to carry on with my writing.
Through the years and between jobs and before I found my true genre, I indulged myself in English and Creative Writing courses at McGill, The University of Connecticut, Simon Fraser University and U.B.C. I even worked my way through a three year creative writing diploma by correspondence.
I only came to the realization that I wanted to write for children after trying several other types of writing and after my three sons were born. But with three little boys racing around in all directions finding writing time wasn't always easy. It's now 32 years since my first book was published. I'm about to publish my thirteenth. I wish it was twice that many... so I'm working on that!
I wrote my first book, "Mr. McUmphie of Caulfeild Cove"; when our third son entered kindergarten. And that same year, I began a six year stint with Vancouver's morning newspaper, "The Province";. In those days "The Province"; had an education page that was used in schools by Grade Five Social Studies classes. I was a freelancer, and worked at home. It was great fun and I'd found a niche for the two subjects I liked best: Creative Writing and History. I wrote several different series for them, close to one hundred pages in six years. Most of the pages were history connected, and a few became the seeds of ideas for future books.
When our three sons left home I expected my life would change. I would become calm, serene and wonderfully organized. But somehow that didn't happen. We still live in a state of comfortable confusion with books and papers everywhere. And now, once again, we often have children in the house. We have two grandchildren. (Boys, of course - first brothers, then three sons and now two grandsons!) Connor is eleven and Rowan is eight. They are a wonderful, never ending source of book ideas... but I'm still waiting to be calm, serene and well organized so I can catch up with all those book ideas!
Six years ago David and I made a big move. We sold our family home in Caulfeild, West Vancouver and moved to an island! Bowen Island is just a twenty minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, so we're close enough to keep in touch. But it's a million miles away from city living and we've never looked back.
Since my hard-working doctor husband is now retired, we're also able to spend a lot of our time, summer and winter, in the log cabin that we built thirty years ago in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, not far from Bridge Lake. The cabin is our second home.
In both these places I now do my writing in a loft. In the Cariboo it's the loft of a barn. I look out at a small, quiet lake, grazing horses, and lots of wildlife. On Bowen Island my loft is the whole upstairs of our little house and I've had to purposely put my desk in a position where I'm not facing the ocean. I'm easily distracted by ferries and tug boats and eagles and herons!
Yes, I still stare out the window and dream a lot, just like I did when I was a little girl. But when I find myself wasting too much time, I remember a saying by Goethe: "Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute! What you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Only engage, and then - the mind grows heated. BEGIN, and then the work will be completed.";
What do I do when I'm not writing? I love to quilt (though grandson Rowan wonders if I will EVER finish his quilt), I love long walks with Janna and and cross country ski in the Cariboo, mucking about with horses though I don't ride much anymore. I like to canoe in the Cariboo, kayak on the ocean and swim in both places.
And I read, read, read. I usually have several books on the go at the same time. I belong to three book clubs at the moment! One is in my old neighbourhood. It has a crazy, glorious name: The Ambleside and Tiddley Cove Literary Society and it's been active for forty years. Another is here on Bowen Island - new books and new friends, it's great. The third book club is a little different. It's a picture book book club! It's made up of eight friends who are all picture book writers and/or illustrators. I couldn't do without these close friends. We debate, commiserate, inspire and encourage.
When will I retire? Never! How could I, I'm having too much fun with my writing and I've many ideas wanting to turn themselves into books. Write on!
In elementary school I was desperately shy and spent a lot of time worrying that I was going to be asked a question - so I often didn't pay as much attention as I should have. On one of my early report cards, the teacher wrote, "We know Ainslie could do better, if she spent less time dreaming."; (She was right!)
I was happiest in the summer time, when I could be outdoors. I rode ponies and horses whenever possible. I liked to sail and swim and I rode my bike everywhere.
I was a skinny little kid with long pigtails and big glasses (a little like Allison in my story Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses).
I loved books, but because I grew up just after World War II, books were scarce and so I didn't have many. (A little like Sally in my story, Just Like New.)
My university education was somewhat spasmodic. I definitely have no Masters degree or PHD. But I do have a kind, supportive husband who encouraged me to carry on with my writing.
Through the years and between jobs and before I found my true genre, I indulged myself in English and Creative Writing courses at McGill, The University of Connecticut, Simon Fraser University and U.B.C. I even worked my way through a three year creative writing diploma by correspondence.
I only came to the realization that I wanted to write for children after trying several other types of writing and after my three sons were born. But with three little boys racing around in all directions finding writing time wasn't always easy. It's now 32 years since my first book was published. I'm about to publish my thirteenth. I wish it was twice that many... so I'm working on that!
I wrote my first book, "Mr. McUmphie of Caulfeild Cove"; when our third son entered kindergarten. And that same year, I began a six year stint with Vancouver's morning newspaper, "The Province";. In those days "The Province"; had an education page that was used in schools by Grade Five Social Studies classes. I was a freelancer, and worked at home. It was great fun and I'd found a niche for the two subjects I liked best: Creative Writing and History. I wrote several different series for them, close to one hundred pages in six years. Most of the pages were history connected, and a few became the seeds of ideas for future books.
When our three sons left home I expected my life would change. I would become calm, serene and wonderfully organized. But somehow that didn't happen. We still live in a state of comfortable confusion with books and papers everywhere. And now, once again, we often have children in the house. We have two grandchildren. (Boys, of course - first brothers, then three sons and now two grandsons!) Connor is eleven and Rowan is eight. They are a wonderful, never ending source of book ideas... but I'm still waiting to be calm, serene and well organized so I can catch up with all those book ideas!
Six years ago David and I made a big move. We sold our family home in Caulfeild, West Vancouver and moved to an island! Bowen Island is just a twenty minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, so we're close enough to keep in touch. But it's a million miles away from city living and we've never looked back.
Since my hard-working doctor husband is now retired, we're also able to spend a lot of our time, summer and winter, in the log cabin that we built thirty years ago in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, not far from Bridge Lake. The cabin is our second home.
In both these places I now do my writing in a loft. In the Cariboo it's the loft of a barn. I look out at a small, quiet lake, grazing horses, and lots of wildlife. On Bowen Island my loft is the whole upstairs of our little house and I've had to purposely put my desk in a position where I'm not facing the ocean. I'm easily distracted by ferries and tug boats and eagles and herons!
Yes, I still stare out the window and dream a lot, just like I did when I was a little girl. But when I find myself wasting too much time, I remember a saying by Goethe: "Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute! What you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Only engage, and then - the mind grows heated. BEGIN, and then the work will be completed.";
What do I do when I'm not writing? I love to quilt (though grandson Rowan wonders if I will EVER finish his quilt), I love long walks with Janna and and cross country ski in the Cariboo, mucking about with horses though I don't ride much anymore. I like to canoe in the Cariboo, kayak on the ocean and swim in both places.
And I read, read, read. I usually have several books on the go at the same time. I belong to three book clubs at the moment! One is in my old neighbourhood. It has a crazy, glorious name: The Ambleside and Tiddley Cove Literary Society and it's been active for forty years. Another is here on Bowen Island - new books and new friends, it's great. The third book club is a little different. It's a picture book book club! It's made up of eight friends who are all picture book writers and/or illustrators. I couldn't do without these close friends. We debate, commiserate, inspire and encourage.
When will I retire? Never! How could I, I'm having too much fun with my writing and I've many ideas wanting to turn themselves into books. Write on!
Submitted on December 5, 2014 in By David.
