Wynne-Jones’ early love of architecture is carried on throughout his writing, and each story he writes centers on an overall “floor plan” which guides the reader through its events. He has been involved in other aspects of children’s literature, such as his regular contributions to the Globe and Mail as a children’s book columnist from 1985–1988.

As he developed his writing career, Wynne-Jones also enjoyed working as a creative writing lecturer, and has taught on the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing for Children at Vermont College in 2002, the Banff Centre’s Writing with Style Program in 2003, and was a correspondence instructor at Humber College in 2006. After graduating from the University of Waterloo, he completed a Master’s degree in Visual Arts at York University, and worked first as a musician and subsequently as an art lecturer. Wynne-Jones tested the waters in various career fields before settling down as an author and creative writing instructor. He studied in the architecture program at the University of Waterloo for three years before realizing that he was not meant to design physical structures, but instead was an “architect of the spirit.” He went about his newly discovered calling by creating stories, and rather than designing physical structures, he designs spiritual architecture in the minds of his readers.

He emigrated to Canada in 1952, and knew from a young age that he wanted to become an architect. Born in England in 1948, Tim Wynne-Jones was not always on the path to becoming an author.

The Maestro by Tim Wynne-Jones