Ask the Author: Barbara Hawkins
Answered Questions (7)
Barbara Hawkins
It has been shown that some stress is better than no stress. And some fear is not a bad idea. I like taking risks, seek out uncharted realms, and don't mind being stripped of physical comfort--for some time, not forever. So the world I would travel to would hold promise for a brighter future, but it would take a little bit of 'leg work' to get there. It would be mind travel to a new dimension.
Barbara Hawkins
I started writing a pseudo-memoir about my time in Guatemala, where I lived during their civil war in the 1970’s and 1980’s. It was too close to my heart, so I had to switch to something I wanted to tell a story about but also felt had a worthwhile message. My father had always wanted to write a book about the time he spent in World War II but died before he could reach that goal. So I thought I’d give it a try.
I knew he was stationed in Sri Lanka, but didn't find much to write about there. So I gravitated to what I knew best, engineering and jungles. The story of the all-black construction regiment building Stilwell’s Road grabbed me and of course who could not be mesmerized by American’s first guerrilla supported units: Merrill’s Marauders and the Mars Task Force? Half-way through the book my sister found my dad’s diary from the War. He was actually in the Mars Task Force. The scene with Lt. Jack Knight was taken from my dad’s diary and the last scene in the book was from a conversation we had just before he died. It was the only time he ever spoke of the War.
I knew he was stationed in Sri Lanka, but didn't find much to write about there. So I gravitated to what I knew best, engineering and jungles. The story of the all-black construction regiment building Stilwell’s Road grabbed me and of course who could not be mesmerized by American’s first guerrilla supported units: Merrill’s Marauders and the Mars Task Force? Half-way through the book my sister found my dad’s diary from the War. He was actually in the Mars Task Force. The scene with Lt. Jack Knight was taken from my dad’s diary and the last scene in the book was from a conversation we had just before he died. It was the only time he ever spoke of the War.
Barbara Hawkins
Everything inspires me to write. I eavesdrop on conversations while in the grocery store, get inspired by the weather while walking the dog, and learn how to handle a problem with a scene by reading other authors.
Barbara Hawkins
By writing I am constantly learning and opening my mind to new possibilities.
Barbara Hawkins
Currently I am writing a YA SciFi and loving it. It combines futuristic inventions, historical events, and mythology.
Barbara Hawkins
Join a writers group. You may not like what they say, but if they're saying it your readers will think it. Don't wait until your book is done to get feedback which will require you to rewrite it.
Barbara Hawkins
I deal with a writer's block by reading other books. Everything I write is based on events in the historical past or facts that should continue on into the future. So if I'm stumped, I either turn to historical research or start digging into the most recent theories in physics, chemistry, or biology as they relate to my book. If those don't work, I go exercise. Running is a good way to let my mind shake out all the cobwebs.
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