Ask the Author: Karen Autio
Answered Questions (3)
Karen Autio
It's different for each project. For GROWING UP IN WILD HORSE CANYON, it was the real canyon by that name near where I live where wild horses used to roam. I soaked up everything I could find about the canyon and then wanted to share what I learned with readers in an accessible format.
For KAH-LAN AND THE STINK-INK, I've loved sea otters from first sight in the 1980s at the Vancouver Aquarium. It was there I learned how dangerous an oil spill is for these marine mammals, and discovered while doing research for this book that a spill of diluted bitumen would wipe out the sea otter population in the affected area. I wanted to write a story that accurately portrays the serious threat and how people can be of greatest help to oiled otters. In B.C., sea otters are migrating south into more heavily populated areas so that animal–human interaction is increasing.
The idea for MAKING SEAKER was sparked by a librarian's request for a local story, and the 80-year-old book PADDLE-TO-THE-SEA inspired me to write this contemporary STEM novel set in the town of Nipigon, Ontario, where I grew up.
For KAH-LAN AND THE STINK-INK, I've loved sea otters from first sight in the 1980s at the Vancouver Aquarium. It was there I learned how dangerous an oil spill is for these marine mammals, and discovered while doing research for this book that a spill of diluted bitumen would wipe out the sea otter population in the affected area. I wanted to write a story that accurately portrays the serious threat and how people can be of greatest help to oiled otters. In B.C., sea otters are migrating south into more heavily populated areas so that animal–human interaction is increasing.
The idea for MAKING SEAKER was sparked by a librarian's request for a local story, and the 80-year-old book PADDLE-TO-THE-SEA inspired me to write this contemporary STEM novel set in the town of Nipigon, Ontario, where I grew up.
Karen Autio
I always have multiple writing projects underway, so if—no when—I hit writer's block with the current project, I'll switch to another project. Usually when I return to the original story, I can see a path to move forward. If there's a deadline to meet with the current project, I'll try doing a bit of research (only a bit!), or go for a walk, or chop vegetables, to allow the subconscious part of my mind work through the issue that's blocking my writing.
Karen Autio
Kah-Lan the Adventurous Sea Otter was inspired by meeting and falling in love ... with sea otters at the Vancouver Aquarium in 1984, and learning about the life of wild sea otters. They were the natural choice of characters when I began writing the story for my final project in the children’s literature course I took the following year. To read more about how Kah-Lan came about, see my blog post here:
http://www.aquablog.ca/2015/09/sea-ot...
http://www.aquablog.ca/2015/09/sea-ot...
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