Writers Asking Writers Questions | D.A. Alston & Gregory Hedgepeth
BY D.A. ALSTON
Last year, we created a series of in-house interviews called Authors Interviewing Authors, where our roster traded conversations in an attempt to get to know one another as well as provide some intimate insights into the life of a fellow writer. This year, we expanded on our series, aptly renaming it Writers Asking Writers Questions and turned it into a recurring series involving established authors as well as new, unpublished writers.
D.A. Alston: You're a multi-passionate creative, correct? How do you juggle being interested in so many things that require creative energy?
Gregory Hedgepeth: I had to learn to say no to certain things and assign certain work for certain days. I spent a lot of years trying to balance it all, attempting to complete as many creative things as possible and pushing each day to the limit. But I discovered that causes me a lot of overwhelm and the work suffers. So now, I schedule it all out and focus all my energy on one thing at a time. No matter how bad I want to dig into a story, if it’s not on the schedule, I force myself to put it to the side until time becomes available. This month is dedicated to writing a screenplay for a short film. Next month, I’m going to be focused on writing the sequel to A Strange Fascination With Violence. Most of next year will be focused on my next poetry project and short stories to help expand and flesh out the universe created in the two novels. It’s possible to get it all done, but I find it easiest to just focus on one thing, get that done and then move to the next.
What's the most difficult part about being creative nowadays?
Finding the time for everything on the business side of things and compartmentalizing all the ideas I have in mind. Sometimes, I’ll have so many ideas that it becomes hard for anything to really get done. I’ve learned to focus on doing what I can do instead of trying to do everything I can think of. I think the most frustrating part is definitely balancing that side of things with the creative side. A lot of days, I just want to write and put the work in and create—but these days, there has to be a larger focus on sharing the work and putting myself out there for the world to see as well.
How do you get over those creative lows where you can't write a word?
I’m always in my own head, kinda checking in with how I’m feeling and if the words are flowing. And when they aren’t, I don’t put any energy into getting frustrated with it. I just focus on something else for a little while. Sometimes, I think it’s important to realize that we can stand in our own way by trying to force the process. If you literally can’t write a word, it’s probably because you’re trying too hard. So, focus on something else for a while and give your brain a break. When you come back to your work-in-progress, you’ll probably see a big difference in your ability to focus.
What do you hope people take away from your next body of work, A Strange Fascination With Violence?
I want people to realize we all have demons, we all have traumas, we all have goals and desires the world will never see. Sometimes, we can use it to our advantage. Other times, it’s to our detriment. Those are the things that shape who we are and who we become. I hope that people will consider some of the things these characters will have to go through and grow through in order to become better people. That every downfall shouldn’t be an reflection of one’s shortcomings or lack of resolve. I definitely think there’s a line that people can cross, but I hope this book showcases that everyone is vulnerable to making a wrong decision at some point and also capable of overcoming.
Photo: @IAMSADE_
Where do you seek inspiration to write?
Everyday life always inspires me. Just about every line of my writing can be attributed to something I’ve observed or gone through. I think it comes through in creative ways, but for me, the real-life stories are definitely there. My mom is there, my sisters are there, my wife is there, my daughter is there. There’s so much texture in our everyday lives and I try my best to remain present and pay attention to it. It makes for much richer writing. Imagination is great and obviously adds a certain something—but the best writing comes from within the things we experience.
There is a stigma of creatives being ultra sensitive—do you think there is truth to that?
Why shouldn’t we be sensitive about our work? We spend hours pouring little bits of ourselves into these thoughts and feelings and universes and that shit can get really personal. For writers like myself who subscribe to the notion of “writing what you know,” having someone dislike your work is tantamount to having someone dislike you. Which is understandable, I guess—but at the same time, I think it’s kind of harsh for someone to say they dislike what someone does creatively instead of simply saying “this isn’t intended for me,” which is probably more accurate, in my opinion.
This latest project has been a long time coming. We've seen you documenting your progress and discussing your process on social media. What's different about this book in comparison to your other books?
My books of poetry focused more on the reader and wanting them to take something away from what’s written there. I always want there to be some semblance of a lesson or at the very least, a morsel of truth they can hold on to. I want there to be this moment internally where they see how their personal journey may intertwine with my own.
A Collection Of Echoes focused on grief and how it can affect our daily lives, our personal relationships and our personal growth. It also focuses on how therapy can aid in people’s development as they deal with loss, which we all have to contend with at some point.
A Strange Fascination With Violence is pretty ambitious in regard to my usual content. It’s really more of a commentary on society and how we can fail one another, especially those we’re closest to. Even with it being set in an alternate universe, the parallels become obvious in the first couple chapters. It’s taken so long for me to finish it, because the story has changed so much over time, but I believe it’s been for the best.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
With the world ever-changing and technology ever-evolving, do you think paper books will become obsolete?
I sure hope not. Kindles and e-readers are spectacular and I think for some people, they’re superior to print—but personally, nothing beats the feel of holding an actual book in your hands and flipping through the pages.
The world now is very focused on everything being "politically correct." As a creative individual, how do you maneuver with that while still remaining true to yourself?
As an author, I don’t focus on political correctness in my writing, because it’s a reflection of the world and the world isn’t always PC. A character saying or doing something that the average person may find offensive is usually based on an observation about the world as a whole.
As an individual though, I try my best to be cognizant of the feelings of others and how they may be forced to maneuver through the world. I cringe at some of the things I used to share online, because I know better now and I’d hate for my words (past, present or future) to make it harder for someone else to exist in their own skin. I’m hopeful if it ever comes to a point where I get held to the fire for something I’ve said, that I’ll be genuinely apologetic and take it as a teachable moment instead of lashing out and blaming the world for being more accountable than it has been in years past. I don’t think it has to be termed politically correct to consider someone else and their feelings for a moment before speaking. A lot of times a simple conversation can bring light to an issue that was once ugly—I plan to keep that in mind and navigate through it all as best I can.
If you weren't writing and creating in some capacity, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be a bigger asshole than I am now and spend my days criticizing everyone’s writing anyway. I’d be an internet troll or something LOL Or maybe I’d just spend my days playing video games, talking shit to teenagers online. Hopefully, we never have to find out what that’s like.
Gregory Hedgepeth is the editor-in-chief of Vital Narrative Press. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Feel free to follow on all three. Or maybe just two. Yeah, two’s probably good — he’s not that interesting. Gregory Hedgepeth is also the author of MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SUNRISES, THE YEAR THAT ANSWERED and A COLLECTION OF ECHOES. BUY THAT SHIT.