Author Don Aker Shares the Stories and Inspiration Behind His Compelling Young Adult Novels
Photo: Author Don Aker: Writing with compassion, authenticity, and a deep understanding of the lives of young adults.
Exploring the Realities of Adolescence With Honesty
Don Aker, acclaimed author and former teacher, discusses his inspiration, writing process, and craft in creating relatable and authentic young adult novels that address complex themes with compassion and hope.
D on Aker’s name has become synonymous with powerful storytelling, his work leaving an indelible impression long after the final page is turned. A former teacher turned full-time writer, Aker has devoted his career to authentically capturing the turbulence of adolescence with unflinching honesty. His celebrated novels—The First Stone, The Fifth Rule, Running on Empty, and Delusion Road—grapple with themes of moral complexity, personal struggles, and the glimmers of hope that can emerge even from the toughest circumstances.
Aker’s unique strength as a writer is not just found in the topics he tackles, but in the deep compassion he infuses into his characters and their lived experiences. His young protagonists stumble, falter, and make mistakes, but their humanity is never compromised. Whether confronting grief, guilt, or societal injustices, these characters remain relatable, embodying the raw emotions of youth while striking a chord with readers navigating their own formative years.
Aker’s deep understanding of youth stems, perhaps unsurprisingly, from his decades-long teaching career. His time in the classroom provided inspiration as well as a keen insight into the challenges and resilience of young people. “What draws me to write about young adults,” Aker explained, “is this unique period in their lives characterized by incredible upheaval, rapid change, deep feeling, and the search for identity. At no other time in their lives will they undergo more challenges in such a brief period, and often when they’re ill-equipped to handle them.” His sensitivity toward this pivotal stage of life shines through in every story he crafts, oftentimes placing his characters in morally ambiguous situations that prompt both his audience and himself to ask hard questions.
Don Aker is a masterful storyteller who captures the challenges of adolescence with authenticity, leaving readers inspired, comforted, and reflective.
In his gripping novel Delusion Road, for example, Aker delves into the complex themes of trauma and justice. He cited his years as a teacher as the impetus behind the novel, noting, “I have watched far too many marginalized young people endure abuse by those with power.” Through his fictional narratives, Aker gives space for these often-overlooked stories, ensuring they are explored with the care and depth they deserve.
Similarly, The First Stone explores an incident involving a troubled young man, Reef, whose impulsive decision leads to devastating consequences. Aker revealed that the character of Reef was inspired by real events. “The daughter of a friend was killed when a teenager in a stolen vehicle struck her car while he was trying to evade police in a high-speed chase. For the longest while, I couldn’t stop thinking about that teenager, and I wondered what had happened in his life that had shaped him into the sort of person who would run a red light during rush hour,” he shared. Through extensive research, including time spent at a rehabilitation center and conversations with law enforcement, Aker was able to authentically shape Reef’s journey of accountability and growth.
For Aker, his narratives reflect life’s complexities and resist neat, tidy endings, a quality most evident in The Space Between. Discussing his decision to leave certain storylines unresolved, such as Connor’s fate, he remarked, “Real life isn’t tidy. As human beings, we don’t always learn the answers to all of our questions—we’re often forced to imagine how things worked out for people who are no longer part of our lives.” This intentional openness challenges readers to grapple with the lingering effects of uncertainty, mirroring their own experiences.
Much of what makes Aker’s work resonate with young adult readers is his commitment to authenticity. As a former educator, he finds his characters’ voices and experiences by drawing on real-life observations. “I consider myself very fortunate to have been a teacher for 33 years and, although I’m now retired from the classroom, I get into schools frequently as a visiting author,” he explained. These opportunities for interaction—and even “shamelessly eavesdropping” on students—have provided him a treasure trove of voices and stories that inform his literary creations.
When asked about one of his short story collections, Scars and Other Stories, and how the process of writing short fiction differs from writing novels, Aker said, “My greatest weakness as a novelist is my tendency to overwrite… Interestingly, I don’t have that problem when I write short stories, probably because the genesis of a novel is invariably an issue while the seed of a short story is always a moment—something I’ve seen or heard or done that resonated with me until I couldn’t help writing about it.” He credited the ability to pare his ideas down in short stories as one of the main reasons he enjoys the format.
Despite the often intense situations and themes in his work—ranging from trauma and abuse to themes of identity and marginalization—Aker’s central goal remains consistent: to give his readers a sense of hope. “Not all of my novels or short stories end happily… What counts is how realistically it concludes my main character’s journey. More than anything, I want my readers to have seen themselves in my characters and understand the choices they’ve made, choices that will ultimately move them along their paths to better tomorrows.”
When it comes to advice for aspiring authors, Aker emphasized three critical pieces of wisdom. “First, read, read, read, especially stories in the genre you wish to write,” he said, urging writers to learn from others’ storytelling techniques. Second, he underlined the importance of observing and listening to the world around you. “Observe the audience for whom you’re writing and record the things you see and hear and feel. Imagination plays a very small role in my own writing,” he admitted, highlighting how his work is deeply rooted in real-life experiences.
Lastly, Aker encouraged writers to redefine their understanding of writer’s block, asserting, “There’s no such thing as writer’s block. Whenever I find myself stuck in a manuscript… it’s always because there’s something I don’t fully understand and I need more information to help me work through it.” For Aker, every story comes together eventually, if one is willing to put in the work to seek out inspiration, knowledge, and authenticity.
Above all, Don Aker is a storyteller who writes with conviction, belief in the transformative power of stories, and an enduring hope for young people. Through his books, he provides a mirror for readers to see themselves while encouraging them to embrace a better future—flaws, questions, and all.
