Interview with Doug Hawley
I1.Have you always been a writer?
I wrote some very bad stories while in high school.
During the next stage much later, I wrote a newsletter for my actuarial business. Originally it was for selling my services, but I got tired of that and included short stories, jokes, and philosophy.
In the 1990s I wrote some stories, but my literate friends were not impressed, so I didn’t try to publish anything. Around the same time, I got a spot as a community columnist for the local Oregonian newspaper. After working hard to get the position, I fought with the editor and quit.
When I had mobility problems in 2014 and was inspired by local writer Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, I decided to try to get published. It worked immediately, but one of the first acceptances went to a publisher that died before publishing the story.
2. When did you realize that maybe writing was actually a "thing" you could do, get published and even sell?
As indicated in the first answer, I was surprised by being accepted and published almost immediately. I started with stories going back many years, and then tried new ones. I’ve made very little money from writing, but I consider my writing a hobby, and not an income producer. Writing for money would kill the fun.
3. What was your first sale as a writer and how did it feel to sell your work?
First sale was to the now defunct Purple Wall. At that time, I’d been writing for some time and have always been more interested in getting published than money.
4. How has writing helped you in other areas of life besides being something you could earn money from?
Writing has introduced me to publications and writers from around the world. It has been gratifying to know and get likes from real writers (I’m a near amateur).
5. What was your biggest accomplishment as a writer?
The smart car series started in 2015 and is still running. I just wrote the 34th episode. Some or all of it has been published eight or nine times and been translated to Farsi and Russian. It was included in Best Of Fiction On The Web.
6. Who has inspired you the most in the writing field?
Tough call. Maybe Stephen King in that I’ve read much of his work and written parodies of his work – “The Dumb” for “The Dome” and “smart car” for “Christine”. Cheryl Strayed started me getting published.
7. What are some of the challenges you have faced as a writer and how did you overcome them?
My challenge is plots. Once I have a plot, the rest is easy. Easy because I’m not particularly concerned with writing excellence, but ideas.
8. What is the best writing advice you have ever received and why do you feel it is important?
I can’t think of anything except not to enter writing contests. My approach to writing is for it to represent me rather than look like a professional writer.
9. What sort of writing do you do now?
I’m not bound by genres. I’ve written in all of the usual genres, and at least one unusual one. I’m not writing novels, and most stories are a few thousand words at most, sometimes drabbles.
10. Where can we find some of your work online?
Iranian WIP Website (interesting story)
11. What advice do you have for aspiring writers thinking of taking the leap of getting their work published?
Get Duotrope to find the most likely publisher for your work. If you have a short funny story, “Short Humour” is a good way to get your feet wet. I’m not a fan of online instruction and have not taken a live literature class since 1962, so I can’t comment on that. One should learn a few of the basics – grammar, punctuation, point of view, hook, back story – and the rules – limit adverbs, show not tell – but not necessarily follow them.
12. What are your final thoughts about being a writer?
As a writer I can express thoughts about politics, war, and religion, tell jokes, and sometimes get away with it. Even though it originally was to fill in for physical activity (knees and feet are better now), it has taken on a life of its own. Perhaps better, it has connected to me to writers around the world.
ABOUT DOUG:
Doug Hawley was born in Portland Oregon USA and lived a fairly normal life with mother, father and older sister. In high school and college, he concentrated on mathematics. After a few years of teaching college math in Atlanta, he became an actuary. During his time in Atlanta, he married Sharon. He retired as soon as financially feasible and now writes, hikes, plays softball, volunteers, eats, sleeps, and drinks.