Interview with Dr. Kevin Dautremont

Today we are joined by Dr. Kevin Dautrement, a fellow Canadian author. Besides being a writer, Kevin is a husband, father and family doctor in Saskatchewan. 

Kevin, how long have you been writing and how did you come to it? 

KEVIN: I’ve always enjoyed stories and storytelling. When I was nine or ten, my sister and my cousin and I would make up plays to act out at family occasions. Then in junior high, I started writing comic strips and cartoons. Then around Grade Nine, I noted the Young Co-Operators pages in the farm newspaper, the Western Producer. I started sending in short stories, and it was so great to see my words in print. I put the pen away for a while in university but picked it up again, (or rather, a laptop), a few years later.

JAN: Who are some of the people who most influenced your decision to write?

KEVIN: The people who ran the YC pages were the first influence on me. “Sister Ann,” who may have been one or more people, sent some encouraging notes. My high school English teacher, Mrs. Hook, was my next major influence. In fact, she was quite upset when I told her I was planning to go into medicine. She thought I was wasting my talent!

When we moved to Moose Jaw, I met Dr. George Falk. George had his PhD in education and was the consummate professional. Yet he was also artistic, writing, directing and acting in plays and musicals. George read my first attempt at writing a novel and encouraged me to continue. In the years that followed, I met and learned from a group of excellent writers, all of whom were willing to share their talents and abilities: NJ Lindquist, Janice Dick, Bonnie Grove, Jerry Jenkins, and especially, DiAnn Mills.

JAN: What’s your preferred genre? 

KEVIN: When it comes to writing, I most enjoy mystery and historical fiction. My short stories however are more variable and all over the map. 

JAN: Why do you write?

KEVIN: I truly believe that the desire to create is part of our being as children of God. We are made in His image and He is the ultimate creator. Whether it is with music, or words, or paint, or cookie dough, God gives us each talents and abilities, and He wishes for us to use them. Writing gives me joy. It entertains and excites me, and I hope it does for my readers as well. My ultimate goal is that through my words I can point someone towards Christ, or at least make them a bit curious about Him.

JAN: You’re a very busy man. How and where do you write? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

KEVIN: I have an office in my basement all set up for writing. I use it a fair bit but tend to wander around the house. As long as have battery life in my laptop, I’m good to go.

I would say I’m 70% pantser and 30% plotter. I know the beginning and end but am never quite sure how to get from one to the other. I love it when my characters surprise me and veer off in directions I hadn’t anticipated. I often get my best ideas for plot twists and story details when I’m doing something else, especially walking the dog or working out on the elliptical machine. I often hurry to jot the ideas down so they don’t get lost.

JAN: Where else do you get ideas? What inspires you?

KEVIN: There are so many interesting and different ideas out there. My first, (and as yet unpublished), novel was inspired by an article in Scientific American about how few animals had been domesticated through history. The article had a cover drawing of an ancient Aztec warrior riding a mammoth and I took it from there. My novel Scars was inspired by a news piece I heard on the radio about a man convicted of his wife’s murder. I’ve also been inspired by bits of scripture and from my work as a physician and from growing up on a small farm.

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JAN: How do you research and how do you know you can trust your sources? 

KEVIN: While you have to be careful about sources, the internet is a great place for research and gathering information. I have also used it to get names and addresses of people who might help. While I was writing Scars, I wrote to a RCMP officer I had met in Ottawa, a law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, a county sheriff in Montana, and a retired FBI agent. They all were most helpful and willing to share their knowledge and experience. I found a great site called “Ask an Expert” which was especially beneficial. 

JAN: What do you like most/least about writing?

KEVIN: The worst thing about writing is facing an empty page with absolutely no idea what to put on it. When I find myself struggling with this, I try to remember Ray Bradbury’s rules of writing. “In quickness is truth.” Don’t think, just write.

The best thing of writing is when you finish a line, a paragraph, a page, a chapter or a whole book and get to say to yourself, “Whoa, I like that. It’s good.” Of course, then you have to start editing.

JAN: That’s the truth! What are some of the best methods of promoting your work?

KEVIN: I’m far from an expert on this. I made use of Facebook and my blog at the start and then had an official book launch at our church in Moose Jaw. I promoted the launch with posters, post cards, and again on social media. By reaching out to them, I was able to arrange interviews with the local radio station and newspaper. I also had a couple book signings, and found promotions through Word Alive’s newsletter and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild eBriefs helpful.

JAN: What are your favorite/most effective social media? 

KEVIN: I’m not a big social media person. I have a Facebook page and a blog, (The Stethoscope and Pen), but that’s about it. I struggle to find time to keep up with just these two.

JAN: As busy as you are, and now with the added health concerns with the pandemic to deal with, how do you balance professional time with personal time?

KEVIN: That can be a struggle at times. I have learned that it is vital to keep your priorities in order. God first, then my spouse, and then my children. Every time you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else. There will always be good and vital things, groups and activities that request or demand your attention. Balance can be hard to achieve but it’s vital. There are times when I’ve had to sacrifice family or personal time for work, (babies will be born when they will), but I try to keep it at a minimum.

JAN: What are you currently reading? Do you prefer digital or print?

KEVIN: I love books. I like holding them in my hands and turning the pages. I usually have two or three books on the go. I just finished a Brother Bartholomew mystery by Susannah Gregory, (he is a 13th century physician in Cambridge), and a book about the missions of the Israeli special forces. Now I’m reading a book about the discovery of the mammoth and Hear my Heart by Billy Graham.

JAN: Definitely an eclectic mix of genres there! What are some of your favorite things? What makes you unique?

KEVIN: While I have no musical talent, I love music and love listening to everything from Michael W. Smith to Beethoven and Johnny Cash to the Clash. I’m a big board game fan and enjoy an evening with my friends or family. I enjoy woodworking, hiking, fishing and gardening, and am a huge Saskatchewan Roughrider fan. 

I’m more of an introvert. I love puns. I’m a B type personality and tend not to worry about anything. My wife gets mad at me when I fall asleep while the plane is taking off. I enjoy trivia and have a bit of a photographic memory. I love dogs and tolerate cats, hamsters and hedgehogs.

JAN: Cool. What keeps you going in your writing career? 

KEVIN: I just enjoy the whole process. When others enjoy and appreciate it enough to read it that’s a bonus. I truly think I would keep writing even if it was just between myself and God.

JAN: That’s a statement for all writers to think about. How is your faith reflected in your writing?

KEVIN: I hope it is reflected through the whole process. My goal is to get people thinking, to consider the possibility of God and of how He can affect out lives. I don’t want to preach but I do want to build a relationship with readers that may prompt them to seek answers or at least to start asking the questions.

JAN: What are some things you’ve learned from your own writing? 

KEVIN: I have learned of the power of words to awaken emotions, to teach truth and to inspire change. I think my writing has helped me to grow as a person and as a child of God.

JAN: That’s great. What is your ultimate writing goal?

KEVIN: A year ago, I would have said it was to get my novel published. I’ve done that and I now realize that I need a higher goal. I would like to see someone who has been inspired, challenged or grown in Christ through my writing. Oh, and I’d like to get my sequel published as well!

JAN: As readers, we want that to happen too! Do you have any advice for a beginning writer?

KEVIN: Read. Read a lot. Read in the genre you want to write in but also in other genres. Take every chance you have to learn more about writing and to practice your craft. Go to seminars, read teaching manuals, listen to web casts. Develop a thick skin and go out of your way to find people who will honestly critique your work. Praise is wonderful but true constructive criticism is what we all need.

Lastly, pray about it, seek God and ask Him to enrich and grow this gift within you. It is a gift but just like a gifted violinist you need to work at it constantly. But also remember to enjoy it. Revel in the words that appear on the page or the computer screen in front of you. It’s worth it.

JAN: Thanks so much, Kevin, for taking time to answer some of my questions. I wish you all the best in your life and in your writing career.

Dr. Kevin Dautremont

Readers, please take a few moments to check out Kevin’s website, and order Scars. It’s a great read. 

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