In this article we have an exclusive interview with Mystery & Thriller Charles R Hinckley, Author of Dream State. Let’s get this interview started.

Jonuel: Does Writing energize or exhaust you?

Charles: Writing can be exhausting. That's why I like to pace myself. I'll Write for a few hours and take some time off. I'll read or go on the web. I'll play video games or go for a trip to the store, clean the house. Anything to give my mind and eyes a break. Once I get rolling, I can be at the keyboard for up to 12 hours a day, with those breaks. At night I may dream of what may come next in the story, or I may think of something I want to say and make a note before I fall asleep. I dreamed the idea for a full length play one time. It only took me two weeks to write it. My eyes got dry from staring at the computer monitor! I went to the eye doctor because I kept having strange flashes in my eyes. It was due dry eyes from straining.

Jonuel:  What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Charles: I spent a few years in a writing group. I found many aspiring writers were stuck on how to write rather than telling a fun or interesting story. Many struggled with the language. If you don't have a strong foundation in how to put a sentence structure together, how are you supposed to be able to write? Many people are inspired these days by social media and TV and film, but they haven;t read books! They want to write, they have the ambition, but not the passion to read. REad as much as you can. Get inspired by others. Let good writing ignite your passion, then write. You must have a story to tell. Learn how to tell it before you start to write for publication. And find a good editor that you can trust. Don't ever publish anything that is not edited by a pro.

Jonuel: How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Charles: It took me three months to write Dream State. That includes the rewriting and editing. I found myself very inspired to write this story. I spent hours each day outlining a chapter at a time, then writing that chapter. I didn't have a complete outline. I find it's creatively more exciting to write outside the lines, not be pigeonholed by a complete outline. In actuality, I had started writing Dream State as a series of blog posts on my old blog. It was easy and fun to think of a chapter at a time, or episodic occurrence at a time, and post them. After about 40 thousand word, I realized I had something that I wishes to continue and started in earnest on the novel.

Jonuel:  Do you believe in writer’s block?

Charles: I believe in inspiration and physical health. I have to be feeling up to the task at hand. If I don't feel like I can get into it, I will try. But if I can't get past the blah feeling, I will set the writing aside and do something else. A professional should not have to wait for inspiration. Inspiration is nice, but if you want to be a professional writer, you cannot wait for inspiration. You have to push through these feelings and start the work no matter what. As far as being blocked goes, I think I have felt resistance to a story or piece. And when that happens I examine what might be wrong with the piece to make me feel that way. When a story is cooking, I am inspired and ready to write as much as I can. I always leave just a bit more to do or have an idea where I want to go next when I quit for the day. I think I read that Hemingway used to do the same thing to avoid block. It's a good idea, because if you having a starting point, that's the most important thing to have. The hardest thing, for me, is to sit down and not have any idea where to begin the story or the next chapter, so I always leave myself that little bit to start with the next day.

Jonuel: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

Charles: Best money I ever spent was getting a good editor. Next would be advertising on Facebook and Amazon. I've gotten over 7800 likes on my facebook page. Most of that was through advertising. I bought a 35 second video illustrating a scene from my novel and it worked great getting the attention of readers.

For more about this author;

August Chase is an ordinary man plagued by extraordinary precognitive dreams. When he foresees the brutal murder of a young woman, he tracks her down to warn her. His warnings go unheeded, and the dreamed murder becomes a reality. The victim’s sister, frustrated by slow police work, enlists August’s help, and he is launched into his first case as a private investigator. Delving deep into the victim’s life, he soon discovers a common thread in the shadowy world that may have claimed her. This is book One of the August Chase Mystery Series.

https://www.amazon.com/Dream-State-Sleeping-Detective-Book-ebook/dp/B01M5CO8UC/ https://www.facebook.com/crhwrite/

https://twitter.com/CharlesRh10

http://crhwrite.com

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