Doug Lawrence
- Feb 24
- 4 min read
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer having served for 25 years. As a result of the trauma I experience I had to deal with PTSD which impacted my spouse and family as well.I have over 40 years of leadership and management experience and was stationed to a number of places in the NWT and Nunavut.
If you write in multiple genres, do you have a favorite, or is one type of book easier for you to write than others, and why? My writing would also be non fiction. So far I have been writing in the grief and bereavement space. I wouldn’t say that it is easy for me to write in that space but it is close to my heart and I can relate to the topic.
When did you start writing? Did an event or person prompt you to take that leap? I started in 2007 when I was prompted by a troopmate of mine in the RCMP. He took motivational daily messages to his children and compiled them into a book. He suggested I do the same.
How / where do you find the plots you write about?
Where I draw most of what I write about comes from lived experiences. I don’t know if I am ready to move to plots at this stage. Creating a story line that involves mentoring and grief would be a challenge.
Mark Twain said “Write what you know.” Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a pagnster? Do you plot, plan, and conduct hours of research; or, do you just sit down and write whatever comes to mind based on your personal history and knowledge? I typically put some thought into what I am writing and develop a plan to at least have some structure around my writing and the content. I like to draw on my lived experiences for lot t of what you see.
Tell us your latest news
My latest news and one that I am extremely proud of was being the recipient of 5 global book awards in a number of categories. My book, “Grief, The Silent Pandemic” won all 5 awards.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
That it is okay to reach out an ask for help.
How much of the book is realistic?
All of the book is realistic as it is based on my lived experiences.
What books have influenced your life the most?
Ken Blandshard and Anderson Cooper
Do you have a mentor that helped or encouraged you to follow your dream of writing?
Unfortunately, I did not have a mentor to help follow my dream. I guess I could say that my troopmate had the most influence on me writing and learning all about it from him.
What are your current projects?
Creating a certification for grief mentoring and continuing my work in the grief space.
Can we share some of your work?
What is Grief?
I encountered the profound depths of grief when my beloved wife, Debra, passed away from cancer in 2021. Her battle was both swift and devastating; the cancer consumed her body with a vengeance. From the moment of her diagnosis in December 2020, I found myself grappling with the painful realization that my soulmate was slipping away.
I vividly recall that fateful moment in the emergency room when the doctor delivered the heart-wrenching news. The scans revealed lesions in Debra’s lungs, liver, back, and brain. Though the doctor tried to maintain a positive outlook, deep down, I knew that my Debra was dying. As I sat there, holding her hand, I felt an emptiness grow within me, a void that soon deepened with each passing day.
The grief I experienced was multifaceted and all-consuming. It was a sadness so profound it felt like a constant physical weight upon my chest. It was a yearning for Debra’s presence, for the life we had shared and the future we had dreamed of together. It was an anger at the injustice of it all, a desperate plea for her to be spared from this suffering.
While deeply personal, my experience is not unique. Grief is a shared human conditionPpart of the human experience, a profound and often overwhelming response to loss. It is universal in its certainty and deeply personal in its unfolding.
At some point in our lives, each of us will inevitably face loss. When we lose someone or something we hold dear, we experience the complex mix of emotions, challenges, and eventual transformation that is grief. This loss can take many forms—the death of a loved one, the end of a cherished relationship, the loss of a job or a home, or even the loss of a long-held dream or sense of identity. Can you share a sample of your current work with us?
Pick one of your characters and share some of their back story that didn’t make it into the novel. My wife Debra would be the main person other than myself. She was a very special person and you need to read the book to see why.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Focus and tell your story with conviction.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Enjoy the journey.
What do you want written on your headstone and why?
May you find peace and happiness with each new chapter.
Other than writing do you have any hobbies?
Writing seems to be it for now.
Can you share something personal with your readers? Do you have any holiday traditions? What kind of music do you enjoy? What kind of movies do you prefer? Do you have a favorite author? Ken Blanshard. I enjoy Top Gun with Tom Cruise.
I am working on rebuilding my relationships. Most of the friends that I had when I was married were the result of my wife being the outgoing person that she was. I love country music and would love to go to Nashville or to some other country event.
If money was no issue would you prefer a cozy beach bungalow or a rustic cabin overlooking a mountain lake? I would take the cozy beach bungalow in a heart beat.
One final question...Do you have a blog/website? If so, what is it? Do you have a social media platform where your fans can go to interact with you and follow your progress?
Connect With Doug
www.talentc.caDoug Lawrence
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