Ask the Author: Shawn Hartje
Answered Questions (6)
Shawn Hartje
The topsy-turvy times we live in were a huge catalyst. I think what's happening to American society is good, meaning that it is dynamic. In our present moment, real change looks crazy, dangerous, and evil, but in hindsight we'll see that chaos is necessary for a society to evolve, sort of how the weather evolves chaotically as it rolls across the land.
Please hear me out, and don't jump to any conclusions until you've read the entirety of what I have to say:
There's currently a negative focus on the white, straight male in American society. President Trump's victory owes much to disgruntled white males who were sick of being labeled 'bad' by popular culture. My hope is that Pipeliner's portrayal of a privileged white dude's puberty, warts and all, will open the door to empathy. I'm sure many people will scoff at that last sentence, but creating empathy (even for an entitled class) is better than dreaming up another reason to hate and blame straight white males for all the havoc they've caused over the years (which has been a LOT of havoc).
I'm not a fan of identity politics, but it's unfortunately the world we live in, and this phenomenon seems to be amplified within contemporary fiction. If I'm going to jump into this game, being a white guy from the midwest, I'm only going to be efficient at creating empathy for my own 'group.' Anyways, I dislike all this division and dissecting of our culture into 'groups,' that just leads to fighting. A better way to examine people is to view our actions as a response to the patterns that influence us.
So... my hope is that writing a super-realistic novel that doesn't try to moralize everything about a white-guy's coming of age will help to reveal these patterns as forces of nature that we may or may not have control over. Looking at people as simply responding to powerful and mostly undefined forces of nature, as opposed to a bunch of groups responding to other groups' oppression or aggression, helps to bring on empathy between people from all different backgrounds in a huge way. Metaphysics anyone?
Please hear me out, and don't jump to any conclusions until you've read the entirety of what I have to say:
There's currently a negative focus on the white, straight male in American society. President Trump's victory owes much to disgruntled white males who were sick of being labeled 'bad' by popular culture. My hope is that Pipeliner's portrayal of a privileged white dude's puberty, warts and all, will open the door to empathy. I'm sure many people will scoff at that last sentence, but creating empathy (even for an entitled class) is better than dreaming up another reason to hate and blame straight white males for all the havoc they've caused over the years (which has been a LOT of havoc).
I'm not a fan of identity politics, but it's unfortunately the world we live in, and this phenomenon seems to be amplified within contemporary fiction. If I'm going to jump into this game, being a white guy from the midwest, I'm only going to be efficient at creating empathy for my own 'group.' Anyways, I dislike all this division and dissecting of our culture into 'groups,' that just leads to fighting. A better way to examine people is to view our actions as a response to the patterns that influence us.
So... my hope is that writing a super-realistic novel that doesn't try to moralize everything about a white-guy's coming of age will help to reveal these patterns as forces of nature that we may or may not have control over. Looking at people as simply responding to powerful and mostly undefined forces of nature, as opposed to a bunch of groups responding to other groups' oppression or aggression, helps to bring on empathy between people from all different backgrounds in a huge way. Metaphysics anyone?
Shawn Hartje
Spending so much time in fake people's heads gives you a new perspective on what happens in your own. Just remember, it's all in your head!
Shawn Hartje
Don't write a book for the Goodreads community, the Amazon reviewers, or for anyone other than yourself. The awesome thing about the social media era is that human individualism can really take flight. If you put the truest form of yourself into your book, or whatever it is you do creatively, this will not only resonate as good writing but will encourage others to be more open and transparent about themselves, which leads to more tolerance across the universe.
In summary, facing your fears on the page will give you invaluable perspective on your writing, and also helps to develop a strong, unique voice.
In summary, facing your fears on the page will give you invaluable perspective on your writing, and also helps to develop a strong, unique voice.
Shawn Hartje
"Pipeliner" is a character-driven novel. It took me five years to write and I didn't follow any kind of outline or roadmap, just let it unfold. I'm currently outlining some ideas for a second novel, which I want to be more plot-driven. I'm excited and curious to write a book from a solid plan.
Shawn Hartje
Long walks on fire roads and listening to music are my go-to thought incubators. Being immersed in nature, be it a stroll through a big city park or challenging myself in a remote wilderness, is an important part of my creative process.
Shawn Hartje
The most tangible inspiration for "Pipeliner" came In 2011, when I did a self-support, whitewater kayak trip down 150 miles of the Owyhee River. This trip started on the Duck Valley Reservation in Nevada, and ended near Rome, Oregon, passing mostly through the ultra-remote, desert of southwest Idaho. The first big rapid on this stretch occurs directly under a ghosty looking pipeline, which spans the river gorge, and I thought this place would make a wonderful setting for a novel. Since the Owyhee desert lacks any real population, I needed to create a town specifically for it, which ended up being Helen Springs.
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