November's Local Author - Tom Dirsa

Questions for Tom

Q: What is one thing you want people to know about your books?

A: Our children picture books are about a child with ADHD. They are based on true stories with my oldest grandchild. The child is not “labeled” in the stories but parents with a child that is ADHD will recognize the behaviour and hopefully be able to use some of the techniques to cope with their ADHD child. 

Our history books come from a long love of history and how the past can affect the present. We have especially enjoyed researching the early history of Leduc.

Q: Why did you become a writer?

A: I have always enjoyed writing. As an educator I often wrote sports or education columns for local newspapers about the school where I worked. After retiring I had the time to take some writing courses and then got an opportunity to be a freelance reporter for the Pipestone Flyer. When that opportunity ended it provided me the time to write some of the stories I had collected over the years about my grandson.

During my years with the Pipestone Flyer, we wrote a number of historical stories about Leduc’s early years. This led to an invitation to work with the Leduc Library and the City on doing the biographies of the individuals the city had selected for city parks and an updated Leduc history book. Which has led to a second history book.

Q: Do you have any advice for new and upcoming authors?

A: Write about what you know and like. Start with magazines. Once you have finished go over it and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.  Be prepared for rejections but don’t give up. If possible join an author’s group. Their experience can be extremely valuable.