 As a teenager, he worked at his parents' ceramic factory during the summers, hauling fifty pound molds around in the extreme heat of a kiln room.To Haarsma, it felt similar to what the children of his books might feel as slaves.In addition to these experiences, there is a more prominent influence on the premise of "The Softwire"—that is, there is a mystery of a journey to a new, unknown place to start a new life.