Dear Alison,
You’ve asked many questions, so I’m going to choose one and tell you about the kind of things that inspire me to write. The Junior Badgers are based on my Girl Guide experiences. I once met an artist who made sculpture entirely out of scotch tape; a character named Clark is based on him. Martin Bridge loves art class at school; I completed a degree at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. I once had neighbours whose parrot escaped from their home in the dead of winter; I based Polly on that parrot. I worked with a dancer at Halifax Dance who had a props shed, just like Stuart’s mom. The planet Astro was named in honour of our dog (who is no longer with us). I often use real place names like Carter’s Beach, Marshy Hope or Tupper Grove Park. And then there are my son’s experiences to turn to, like the science fairs he’s participated in, his fascination with making slime recipes, his love of flashlights, and the Halloween costumes I made for him when he was little.
Happy reading,
Jessica
