Goodreads asked Dave Riese:

How do you get inspired to write?

Dave Riese One inspiration comes from the books and stories I read. By this I don’t mean the subject matter of the work, but instead the tone, point of view, and writing style. These factors trigger a memory that inspires me to write or to rewrite an existing story that isn’t working in its present form.

Another inspiration results from a connection I make between a past event in my childhood and an event either in my adult life or in the life of my children. This connection forms the basis for a story that, in the end, may be far different from the original events.

My recent book, Echo from Mount Royal, was inspired by my friendship with an elderly Jewish woman I frequently met in the coffee shop downstairs from my office. When she learned that I was a part-time writer, she told me many stories about her experiences growing up in Montreal before and after WWII.

Her story about her engagement as an 18-year-old girl astounded me. She invited me to ‘write it up,’ thinking it would make an interesting short story. Instead it became the basis for my debut novel, Echo from Mount Royal.

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