Ask the Author: Nicholas Hochstedler
Answered Questions (7)
Nicholas Hochstedler
My cat, Tippy, ran away. I think it'd be interesting to write a short story on his motivations for doing so. I also own a cantankerous cat Bosco, and I swear that little shit knows what happened to Tippy.
Nicholas Hochstedler
I was strolling along when I was approached by a policeman warning me about a lady with dementia who had "escaped" from her family. I thought it would make a good cartoon or short story - really get inside her mind to rationalize her seemingly crazy point of view. I didn't put any work into it, but the idea stuck with me.
As I passed through college and my early twenties, there seemed to be an abundance of people telling me to follow their plan without giving a damn about my agency. I kept coming back to that day on the canal, the old woman who's escape had been validated in my mind. I started paying closer attention to how we create insecurities for people we're trying to help, especially in regards to elder and mental health care. My grandpa was aging, and I didn't like how we doted on the proud old man. My friend with a disability was moving through his twenties, and I didn't like how small we made him feel. The themes were all there, but writing a book wasn't a consideration then.
It all came to fruition after a long day at work. I had been worrying that my teaching was ineffectual, and that day had been particularly stressful. I felt inadequate, lost - I needed to get my mind right. I sat in my car and put on my favorite rapper Killer Mike. He was preaching about the grind, and he was really going hard. I got into it - reciting every word on point, head bobbing, hand motions, the whole bit. I knew that Killer Mike was built to rap. His versed forced me to wonder, "What is my grind? What is my constant? What am I built for?" The answer: writing. It hit me hard like an epiphany. When his verse ended, I stepped out of the car and went inside to write the best book ever; out came War in October.
As I passed through college and my early twenties, there seemed to be an abundance of people telling me to follow their plan without giving a damn about my agency. I kept coming back to that day on the canal, the old woman who's escape had been validated in my mind. I started paying closer attention to how we create insecurities for people we're trying to help, especially in regards to elder and mental health care. My grandpa was aging, and I didn't like how we doted on the proud old man. My friend with a disability was moving through his twenties, and I didn't like how small we made him feel. The themes were all there, but writing a book wasn't a consideration then.
It all came to fruition after a long day at work. I had been worrying that my teaching was ineffectual, and that day had been particularly stressful. I felt inadequate, lost - I needed to get my mind right. I sat in my car and put on my favorite rapper Killer Mike. He was preaching about the grind, and he was really going hard. I got into it - reciting every word on point, head bobbing, hand motions, the whole bit. I knew that Killer Mike was built to rap. His versed forced me to wonder, "What is my grind? What is my constant? What am I built for?" The answer: writing. It hit me hard like an epiphany. When his verse ended, I stepped out of the car and went inside to write the best book ever; out came War in October.
Nicholas Hochstedler
A lot of people say they make sure they write everyday, even during writer's block. I don't. Sure, some days I force myself to sit down and come up with something; but if I don't like it, it's gone. No bad writing on a single page, not even for a second. If I have a few hours of nothing on the page, then I'll take a walk, maybe even a hike in the mountains. If the story is meant to come, it will come. Otherwise, I "get my mind right" or watch a good Tarantino film.
Nicholas Hochstedler
The best thing about being a writer is telling a story, and having people actually read that story.
Nicholas Hochstedler
Do something to further your writing career everyday. It could be a small something or a big something, as long as it's something. Nobody's gonna do it for you.
Nicholas Hochstedler
I just self-published my debut novel, War in October. Self-publishing requires self-promotion, so I'm working hard to market my book. I'm also in the process of writing my second novel, The Huntress. It's a modern western with feminist commentary following Gunner Jones, a man vowing revenge with revolver and sword after his fiancée is assaulted.
Nicholas Hochstedler
I'm inspired by the profound beauty, pain, and humor that comprise our daily lives. When I'm writing, I'm aware of myself and my surroundings.
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