Indie Authors Uncovered - Meet the person behind the pages - Meet Edward Elon Hatfield - His Craft is about Connection.

Where were you born?

I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.

Where do you live?

I now live in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Do you have fur babies?

I have a wild and adventurous 6 year-old male field golden retriever named Lupin.

My wife named him after her favorite Japanese anime character from her childhood, Lupin the Third. In the anime, Lupin was a famous thief, which turned out to be the perfect name for our boy since he continually steals our socks and hides them.

Do you use a pen name? 

Nope. I use my given name.

What kind of writer are you?

• Modern Day Laptop/PC Writer

Name one book you loved as a kid - one you loved as a new adult - and one you love now.

• When I was a kid, my favorite book was Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I read that book over and over and tried to imagine what I would do if I were stranded in the Canadian wilderness on my own.
• As a young adult I fell in love with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. My 14 year-old daughter is now reading the same wrinkled and battered copies that I read.
• In 2008, I discovered the works of Haruki Murakami and everything changed for me. I couldn't get enough and I read his entire catalog, short stories, and non-fiction included. His imaginative worlds and surreal style inspired me to start writing fiction. The first book I read of his was Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, which blew my mind. To this day my favorite book is 1Q84. I read it once a year and still discover new layers to the story.

Is there an author you look up to? Or had an influence on your craft? 

Haruki Murakami has had the biggest influence on me, both as a writer and as a reader. He started writing fiction at a late age and developed his own unapologetic style through discipline.

He bucked convention and essentially started the magical realism sub-genre, though he never called it that himself. The surreal elements of his worlds defy explanation and challenge to reader to interpret his stories as much as consume them.

Yet, despite his unconventional style, his characters are flawed and relatable and sometimes downright mundane. I find his characters' relationships very moving in unexpected ways. I aspire to develop my own uniqueness and challenge readers like his stories challenge me.

How would you describe your craft in one sentence

Writing is about connection: between artist and audience, between idea and action, between empathy and expression.

At The Dreamer's Bookshop, we embrace diversity and advocate for invisible illnesses. How do you feel about those topics? Do you include messages in your writing?

I support diversity, inclusion, and representation in all art forms.

Art should connect people of all cultures, economic backgrounds, genders, religions, sexual orientations, and philosophies. Storytelling should transcend our divisions and tap into the depth of human emotion that we all experience. I have tried to include these messages in my writing.

My debut novel ANATOMY OF A HOUSE is centered around two different interracial and intercultural relationships. It touches on issues of being mixed race in a homogenous culture and the isolation of living in dense urban populations.

I have just started work on my second novel which focuses more directly on themes of found family and underrepresented communities.

Do you have red lines when it comes to writing/reading? 

I don't impose any limits on my writing.

That being said, I definitely don't believe in gratuitous content just for the sake of shock value or attaining a specific readership. The story may necessitate scenes or descriptions that are disturbing or explicit and make readers uncomfortable. That is part of the experience of storytelling. Some readers want to be challenged and expand on life experiences to which they personal don't have access.

Not all stories are happy or victorious, and sometimes happiness and victory can be measured in different ways: in smaller increments. Nothing should be off limits as long as it serves a purpose in the story.

Was there a review that touched you more than others? 

If someone asked you why you write, what would you answer in one sentence?

I write to feel connected to the collective human experience and tell stories that move people.

Which book are you most proud of and why?

ANATOMY OF A HOUSE. It is my first completed work of fiction.

What would you tell an aspiring writer?

I am still an aspiring writer myself.

If I were asked for advice by a writer who has yet to complete their first project, I would say "just write." Write badly, write sloppily, write contradictorily, just write and get all your ideas down. Expect your first draft to be bad. That's what rewrites and editing is for. Stay consistent and remember why you want to tell that story.

What's a wish you have for yourself as an author?

To stay true to my vision for the stories I tell but be willing to adapt and challenge myself.

What's a wish you have for yourself as a person?

To be more patient.

Do you have a message for your audience

I hope I find my audience.

I hope I find my people.

I hope that you feel moved by the stories and characters I write and that we can connect with each other through art.

Discover Edward's book and get your copy.