Episode 192: How a Pair of Skates Sparked a Novel: Shawn Lawlor on Boom Road

This week on the podcast, we sit down with first-time novelist Shawn Lawlor, author of Boom Road — a darkly funny, tender, and at times violent debut novel set in rural New Brunswick in 1982.

 

Boom Road follows Jackie O’Connor, a sawmill worker living a simple life along the banks of the Miramichi River. Jackie believes in one thing above all else: keeping your word. But when he unexpectedly inherits a large sum of money, his quiet world is thrown into chaos. Old ghosts resurface, trust becomes slippery, and suddenly everyone wants something from him. With his dog Ruby by his side and a canoe beneath him, Jackie navigates a rapidly shifting moral landscape, trying to keep both his balance and his integrity intact.

 

Shawn joins us to talk about the very ordinary moment that sparked the first line of the book — spotting a pair of skates hanging in someone’s garage during a COVID-era walk — and how what began as a simple writing exercise slowly revealed itself to be something much bigger. Before he knew it, he was working with a publisher and holding a novel in his hands.

 

We also talk about:

• Growing up in Miramichi, New Brunswick, and how hometowns quietly shape our creative instincts
• Writing characters and places that feel deeply familiar — the kinds of people we all recognize from our own communities
• Shawn’s creative life outside of writing, including theatre, music, and stand-up comedy
• His time teaching in Japan and how living abroad influenced his perspective and storytelling
• Why you don’t need to be a full-time artist to make meaningful, resonant work

 

Shawn is funny, generous, and a natural storyteller, and this conversation is a reminder that creativity often begins not with ambition, but with attention — noticing the small details, trusting curiosity, and following the thread wherever it leads.

 

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s room in your life to make something creative alongside everything else, this episode is for you.

 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mikeandkristen

 

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Intro song: “A Day in the Life"

Outro song: “The Show" both by Mike (Michael S. Ryan) from his upcoming 88 song project Power Chords

Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com

Kristen’s site: www.kristenherringtonart.com

 

Shawn’s site: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/boom-road/9781998122073.html

 

Shawn’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/shawnlawlor/?hl=en