Ask the Author: Jennifer Berry Hawes
Answered Questions (3)
Jennifer Berry Hawes
I covered the Emanuel AME Church tragedy as a breaking news story for the newspaper I work at in Charleston. Then, a few months later, I approached the two lone adult survivors because they hadn't spoken publicly, and I had a sense that they might be ready. They were, and after I met them and learned about their journeys up to that point, it became clear that there was much more to their stories than what we could fit into even the most in-depth newspaper story.
Jennifer Berry Hawes
Given I work at a newspaper, I am writing lots of COVID-19 stories these days.
Jennifer Berry Hawes
I like to think about what I will be writing before I sit down in front of my computer. My thoughts feel more free to wander and then coalesce when I'm not staring at a screen. Often, I do this thinking while I'm out walking or running. I'll stop and record notes on my phone. Then, when I do sit down at my laptop, I have an idea of what I will be writing, and it flows. If that doesn't work, I often just start writing whatever is in my head with the understanding I almost certainly won't use any of it. But just the process of putting down words gets me going.
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