Changes in Latitudes’ began when I was looking at a photograph of a sea turtle swimming underwater. I had such a strong feeling for the beauty of this ancient creature, at home in the sea. On the spot, I wanted to swim with that turtle. I began to imagine a character who would do just that. Will Hobbs Read Quote
My seventeen years of teaching inform my sense of audience in every line I write. Will Hobbs Read Quote
My first job out of college was six weeks of picking fruit alongside a dozen or so men from Mexico. The orchard was in Emmett, Idaho. The men spent almost nothing on themselves. Their paychecks went directly to their families back home. Will Hobbs Read Quote
My youngest brother and I went on a ten-day canoe trip in Bowron Provincial Park in British Columbia years ago. Believe it or not, we took only granola, thinking we’d be eating a lot of lake trout. Well, we neglected to bring along a net, and our fishing line was only 8-lb. test. Will Hobbs Read Quote
I’ve been reading about Crazy Horse and Custer for a long, long time, and I thought that if I was going to write a story that took place in the Black Hills, I should find a way to include this history in it. Will Hobbs Read Quote
In a lot of cases, writers discover that the novel needs to begin later in the action than they’d first thought. Will Hobbs Read Quote
For ‘The Big Wander,’ I probably had ten different outlines before I made myself start writing. I would sleep on each one, thinking it was wonderful, but I would always awake perceiving some flaw. Will Hobbs Read Quote
I was astounded to learn that Alaskan caves might be hiding secrets about the earliest people ever to enter the Americas. That’s when I began to picture a story that would start with kayaking and lead into the caves. Will Hobbs Read Quote
I’ve been under the spell of the North ever since my childhood in Alaska. More and more, I’ve been returning to Alaska, and sometimes my adventures inspire a story. Will Hobbs Read Quote
Pacing has become more important than ever, largely because of other media. I’ve always tried to start my stories out with a bang, something that will hook their attention. Will Hobbs Read Quote
