Author Interview – Steve Hayes – Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best book magazine in the UK“, author Steve Hayes talks about the inspiration behind his new book, Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father, and his creative writing process.

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed Steve Hayes about his life and career, what inspired him to start writing, and the creative process behind his new book, Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

I was born in Brooklyn New York in the early 50s.  I’m dyslexic and as a young man I had issues with authority, which meant that I was not a great student.  But, luckily, there was always someone there to steer me back on the right track.  Not all my friends were so fortunate.

In the late 70s I met a girl from England who was in New York on business and after ten days together I asked her to marry me.  We’ve been together now for forty-four years.  Ten in NYC and the rest in England.  Like I said, somebody up there must like me.

When did you first WANT to write a book?

I’m dyslexic so I’ve always avoided having to write anything.  But through most of my life and, with a rather odd consistency, friends and even people I barely knew would say to me: “You should write” or something like “I don’t see you as a producer, I see you more as a writer”.  Eventually I took the hint and signed up for a writing course at Keele University and slowly realized that I loved doing it.

When did you take a step to start writing?

At Keele.  It took a while but eventually I found the characters that I could express myself with and I was off.

How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?

I played around with it for a couple of years.  Rewriting, adding characters and basically finding my way.  But then I retired and Covid hit, so I finally was left without all the distractions, or I should say excuses, that had been stopping me.

How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?

I’m now close to the halfway point with my second book.  It still comes in fits and starts; I’ve always needed a deadline to force me to knuckle down.  So eventually I start to miss my characters and get back to work.

Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father?

I’ve always been fascinated by the fundamentalist views of many scientists.  It always seemed to me that the community was so angered by what the Church had done to Galileo and Copernicus that any idea of there being an afterlife was out of the question.  So, having a sister who’s clairvoyant and having had the whole white tunnel experience when I stopped breathing as a teenager, I kept wondering what would happen if the young scientific genius of our time met his soul mate and she happened to be a gifted psychic.  Just how combustible could that get?  And if they worked together, where could it take them?

With the second book I guess I just started wondering what would have happened to them.  What the possibilities were.

What were your biggest challenges with writing Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father?

There weren’t so many in the first book but the second is a bit more of a challenge as it takes place within the University of Cambridge and that is a world that is very foreign to me.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?

I guess that would be several friends of my parents whose intelligence was well into the realms of genius, one of whom also had a photographic memory.  Growing up, I watched these men struggle with the company of others and the workings of society.  It was an interesting lesson for a young man.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?

Again, it was the characters around me when I was young.  When my Italian grandmother passed away, we moved into her house in Brooklyn N.Y.  My mother’s brother also was there, and he let an old lady run a card game in the basement.  That lady was the mother of one of New York’s major crime bosses.  I got to know some of them, to witness their ability to switch from generous friend to ice-cold menace in a heartbeat.  Years later, I had the opportunity to play with a young but fully grown lion.  It was as playful as a puppy, but you were always aware that it was a dangerous situation.  It reminded me of some of those men.

What is the inciting incident of Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father?

A small child ingesting her brother’s drugs.

What is the main conflict of Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father?

I think there’s more then one.  Between the two protagonists there is the conflict between what their brain is telling them vs what their heart is beating them with (science vs, mysticism).  Then with most of the other characters it’s about loyalty and the strains that life can put on us to test that resolve.

Did you plot Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?

It started out feeling my way in the dark but quite quickly the story unfolded before me.  That’s when it becomes fun to write.  It’s all there and you’re busting to get it down before you lose it.

Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did Stories I Couldn’t Tell My Father need?

I had support from both my wife and my son with the editing.  They were both an immense help.

What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?

Don’t worry about it being good.  It most likely won’t be.  But keep going, and you will find your voice; it will get better.  And in the end, you will be a happier and more interesting person.  That’s what being creative does for you.  It releases you from the mundane and allows you to wander in the clouds.

Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?

Well, I have to see how this murder mystery goes and then decide if this group of friends has it in them to carry on.  If not, I’ve always wanted to tell the story of my great grandfather – the Daniel Day Lewis character in Gangs of New York would have been loosely based on him.  He became a very corrupt New York politician in the mid to late nineteenth century.

And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?

Not proud; pleased, relieved and excited about the next journey.

Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:

Email: stevehayes200@gmail.com

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3XY1WvI

Paperback: https://amzn.to/44RgTBX

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