Guest author: Kaye Park Hinckley ~ Why does a writer write?

I am a writer. But why?

It’s certainly not for the money. Some people have said I could make more money cleaning houses.

It’s not because writing is easy. You have to choose to do it–i.e, self-discipline. And sometimes it messes up your mind for days when you are dealing with the problems of your characters–lots of problems because if your characters don’t have problems worth solving, the story isn’t worth writing.

And writing can be lonely–because it must be done alone. There are things you miss. When you are writing, you must focus only on writing. And what happens then? Well, for sure your house does not get cleaned!

So why do I do it?

Maybe because I’ve always been someone who likes to “get to the heart of the matter.” I like to know why and how we human beings love, have compassion, understanding, peace and joy. And also, I like to know the opposite: how we as human beings can hate, have no mercy, and make no attempt whatsoever to understand another.

These are the opposing human traits that battle in my stories. I know those traits well, because at one time or another, I have experienced each of them. Perhaps this is why I write–to become more aware of the battle between those opposing traits in my own life. I know that when my story or novel comes to resolution, I feel personally laundered.

As with every human being, a writer must respect her characters enough to give each of them at least a chance of success whether they take it or not.

I do believe the ability to write creatively is God-given. A spiritual gift in which the author perceives a bond between people, indeed between all living things, that comes from God’s much higher authority. A thing to reach for, always with human choice involved.

In essence, as a writer, I give away all my personal life secrets in stories that are hopefully fulfilling, and in doing so, shed light on a little bit of  truth.

So—if you’d care to—tell me what you want to read about.  🙂

fAITHUL COVER 3 BNSAVENEW from Kaye Park Hinckley

When The Ghosts of Faithful won First-Runner-up for Poets & Writers Magazine’s Maureen Egen Award, it was a novel in progress. Here’s what Victor La Valle, author, Professor at Columbia, and Judge of the contest had to say about it:

“Faithful suggests a broad canvas–a well-rendered local; a promising war of equals in the characters, a clear desire to address/tackle the issues larger than the back and forth, and a clear understanding on the author’s part about pacing and clarity. Also, I thought the father’s chapter was really funny!”

ABOUT THE GHOSTS OF FAITHFUL

SOMETIMES DEADLY SERIOUS, SOMETIMES LAUGH-OUT-LOUD FUNNY

Izzy Collier runs the Food Bank in a town called Faithful, on the banks of the Suwannee River. She is the least amicable of two daughters in a frustrating family; all, keeping secrets of betrayal. Her parents are at odds with both daughters, and with each other. Her sister, always  Izzy’s competition, is an unstable former beauty queen, the wife of a philanderer, and the mother of four. Now, their ninety-four year-old grandmother sees her dead husband’s ghost, accompanied by a strange little girl. At the same time, Izzy’s husband, a defense lawyer, is being forced by his boss to effect the acquittal of a teenager accused of the rape and murder of a child. When Izzy starts to see her deceased grandfather and the little girl, too, she questions her sanity. What if the little girl ghost is the murdered child? But then, why would she be with Izzy’s grandfather?  Are the ghosts after revenge, justice, or something greater?

Visit Kaye’s Amazon Author Page for all her books


 

About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
This entry was posted in Guest post and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

12 Responses to Guest author: Kaye Park Hinckley ~ Why does a writer write?

  1. kph52013 says:

    Again Sue–You are the best! Thank you.

    Like

  2. I enjoyed this post, Kaye and Sue. I love reading about why other people write. I am currently writing because my story insists of being written down and won’t go away until I have obliged. I like to read everything except modern fantasy.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I’m glad I’m not the only one not cleaning my house, lol. Enjoyed this post, Kaye and Sue.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Great post. I write because the voices in my head make me. 😉 That and I have always wanted to like my grandfather and be able to tell mesmerizing stories. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Woebegone but Hopeful says:

    This is a heartfelt post, celebrating up those reasons why we write.
    Simply has to be reblogged.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Woebegone but Hopeful says:

    Reblogged this on heroicallybadwriter and commented:
    Muse a while on this post then write with no fears.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Jack Eason says:

    Reblogged this on Have We Had Help? and commented:
    One woman’s reasons for writing..

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Marje says:

    I have come across tgus author before – very interesting guest post. Thanks for sharing Sue. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.