SYDNEY, N.S. — Tom Ryan names Cape Breton as the top inspiration for his writing. Raised in Inverness County, Ryan always wanted to become an author and since 2012 has written several books for young readers of all ages. His last novel “Keep This to Yourself” was chosen by the Globe and Mail as one of the ‘Globe 100: Books that shaped 2019.’
Ryan has two more young adult novels coming out in 2020, including “When You Get the Chance” (May 5) which surrounds a fun road trip to Toronto Pride and was co-written with Ryan’s friend Robin Stevenson. The mystery/thriller, “I Hope You’re Listening’ (Oct. 6) recounts the story of a young girl who launches a true crime podcast to deal with the guilt of her best friend’s abduction. The teen later gets caught up in a new mystery when another young girl in her small town goes missing.
Ryan currently divides his time between Ottawa and Cape Breton. We recently asked him about life as an author and missing home.
Bio
Tom Ryan
- Age: 43
- Family: Husband Andrew, a member of the Canadian navy, and an 11-year-old Brittany dog named Wheeler. Ryan’s parents still live in Inverness, along with one brother. He has two brothers living on the mainland and a bunch of nieces and nephews.
- High school: Inverness Academy graduate 1995
- Post-secondary studies: Earned an arts degree from Mount Allison University with a major in English and minor in drama, followed by a diploma from NSCC's Screen Arts program, studying film and TV production.
Q: What would you say is your biggest accomplishment to date?
A: I’d have to say taking a leap of faith and deciding to take writing seriously. Writing my first novel and seeing it published was hugely exciting and has led me on an enormously fulfilling journey.
Q: What was life like growing up in Cape Breton? What are your fondest memories of your time on the island?
A: Cape Breton is the most beautiful place in the world, and I’m forever grateful that I had the chance to grow up there. My fondest memories are of spending time in nature — there are so many beautiful beaches and hikes near Inverness, and my brothers and I spent a lot of time playing in the woods and fields around our house.
Q: Did you have an inkling in high school that you would become an author?
A: I can honestly say that I knew from as far back as I remember that I wanted to be a writer. I loved to read, and make up stories, and I always kind of pictured myself eventually writing books of my own.
Q: What did you do after graduating with a post-secondary degree?
A: Like most people these days, I’ve had kind of a twisty career path. After Mount Allison, I took a two-year film program in Halifax and then spent about seven years working on lots of cool and interesting jobs in the Nova Scotian film industry. That kind of evolved into a career in marketing and communications. In 2010, my husband was unexpectedly posted to Victoria, a move that prompted me to take a crack at writing seriously for the first time. I’ve been writing full-time since then, although I’ve also taken on a few interesting side gigs along the way.
Q: What is it about young adult fiction that really resonates with you?
A: I kind of accidentally fell into writing YA fiction, but it’s been a really great fit for me. YA allows me to work in lots of different genres, from contemporary to mystery to horror, and the readers are fantastic! I’ve met hundreds of incredible young readers who love to read and love to talk about books — my kind of people.
Q: Are there recurring themes in your books?
A: I’m dedicated to writing books that include LGBTQ+ teens, so that’s always something you can expect in my work. I also love to write about small towns and the uncertainty that comes along with the end of high school.
Q: Tell us a bit about “Keep This to Yourself,” what is the novel about and what is the inspiration behind it?
A: “Keep This to Yourself” is my first mystery, and I absolutely loved writing about it. It’s about a 17-year-old named Mac Bell who lives in a tiny coastal town called Camera Cove. A year before the story starts, his best friend was the final victim of a serial killer who went on a spree in Camera Cove and then disappeared. When Mac finds a clue, he decides to investigate the cold case himself and uncovers a lot of wild secrets about the town and a lot of people he knows. I was inspired to write a story in which an insecure gay teen gets to play detective — I’m a huge fan of mysteries and would have loved a book like this when I was in high school.
Q: What is life like for you now in Ottawa? How much of your time do you spend writing or thinking up new plot lines?
A: I get a lot of work done in Ottawa, which is nice. I write full time and I take it very seriously. Every morning starts with a long walk with my dog, and then I take my coffee into my office and work until I get 2000 words, which usually takes me to early afternoon. The rest of my days are dedicated to all the administrative stuff that goes along with the job, everything from marketing to scheduling.
Q: What advice would you give young aspiring writers who might be doubting themselves or their work?
A: My best advice is to read a lot and write a lot. The only way to become a good writer is to write, and it doesn’t happen overnight. If you forget about getting published and just focus on getting better at storytelling with every new project, you’ll eventually begin to improve!
Q: How often do you return to Cape Breton and what are some of your favourite things to do there?
A: I’m lucky enough to spend a few months every summer and fall at our place in Cape Breton. I write while I’m there, but I also work on renovating our house and spending lots of time with friends and family — at the beach when possible. Our goal is to move back to the east coast full time as soon as possible. We love and miss Nova Scotia.
Q: Who inspired you while you were growing up?
A: I was inspired by the many creative people who live in Cape Breton, from musicians, to visual artists, to writers. My godfather is the fabulous Inverness author Frank Macdonald. Like my parents and the rest of my adults in my life, Frank was always really encouraging of my writing, and growing up around someone who was an actual working writer made it seem accessible to me.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Some answers have been edited for length.
