Content Warning: This section discusses addiction. 

Gary Paulsen was an acclaimed author of young adult literature born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1939. As a child, he often traveled due to his father’s military career. During World War II, he stayed with his grandmother and extended family. His parents experienced alcohol addiction. Although not interested in school, Paulsen became a passionate reader after a librarian gave him a book and a library card. Finding an outlet in literature to cope with his family struggles, he spent most of his time reading. At 14, Paulsen left home and found various jobs, including ranch and farm hand, truck driver, construction worker, trapper, and hunter, to sustain himself. Paulsen graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and attended Bemidji State University but did not complete his studies. He served in the US Army between 1959 and 1962 as a sergeant, working with missiles. 

In his 20s, while working as a satellite technician in California, Paulsen suddenly decided to pursue a writing career. He left the job and worked as a magazine proofreader to gain writing experience and started working on his writing. Soon, he left California for northern Minnesota and rented a cabin by a lake, working rigorously to finish his first novel.