Ask the Author: David Hartness
Answered Questions (10)
David Hartness
Hi,
Well, that is a tough question. I think Africa is making progress towards democracy, and I think far more positive is coming out of Africa than there is negative, even though Media doesn't always depict this. However, Africa is a large continent and unfortunately a lot of the countries don't have the democracy, yet, to unite their people or the continent. I think parts of Africa are united, but as a whole, there is still work that needs to be done.
Well, that is a tough question. I think Africa is making progress towards democracy, and I think far more positive is coming out of Africa than there is negative, even though Media doesn't always depict this. However, Africa is a large continent and unfortunately a lot of the countries don't have the democracy, yet, to unite their people or the continent. I think parts of Africa are united, but as a whole, there is still work that needs to be done.
David Hartness
Thanks so much.
David Hartness
Hi Adriano,
That is a great question and thanks for asking. Amani's River is based on the Mozambican civil war. In this case, I did a lot of interviews to collect the data. I lived in Mozambique for three years, and therefore I met many people who participated in the civil war and it was through their stories that I created my fictional account about the war. There was also some books that are available which discussed the war, but for the most part, I relied heavily on the people who lived through some of these atrocities. In addition, there are a few articles from newspapers that are posted online which helped find specific dates. In fact I learned about the climax battle through reading a newspaper written the day after the massacre took place.
I think that it would be hard to write a historical fiction novel without first visiting the sites. This helps paint the picture, and visualize what it would have been like. That is perhaps the first step before even starting the research.
I hope that answer helps.
Regards,
David
That is a great question and thanks for asking. Amani's River is based on the Mozambican civil war. In this case, I did a lot of interviews to collect the data. I lived in Mozambique for three years, and therefore I met many people who participated in the civil war and it was through their stories that I created my fictional account about the war. There was also some books that are available which discussed the war, but for the most part, I relied heavily on the people who lived through some of these atrocities. In addition, there are a few articles from newspapers that are posted online which helped find specific dates. In fact I learned about the climax battle through reading a newspaper written the day after the massacre took place.
I think that it would be hard to write a historical fiction novel without first visiting the sites. This helps paint the picture, and visualize what it would have been like. That is perhaps the first step before even starting the research.
I hope that answer helps.
Regards,
David
David Hartness
Amani's River is based on the Mozambican civil war. I spent two and a half years in Mozambique as a Peace Corps volunteer. The people, culture and my work inspired me to tell a virtually untold story. I wanted to depict the true ramifications of violence and brutal act of recruiting, capturing and brainwashing children to become valuable weapons. I wanted people to be shocked and hopefully make lasting changes. For more information about the book please visit amanisriver.davidhartness.com. There is a FAQ page on the website that should help with further questions in regards to the book.
David Hartness
Great stories, that I feel haven't been told inspire my writing. I am not happy unless I have touched someone through my writing.
David Hartness
I have a couple of working titles at the moment, but perhaps the project that will see the publication first is a book called 'Freak' (A working title only). The story will deal with bullying in the HS setting. More to come on this title at a later date.
David Hartness
Keep at it! Make sure that you are prepared to be rejected multiple times, and this rejection is not a slap in the face, saying that you suck at writing, just that a subjective opinion didn't feel connected to your work. I would also say, read a lot. The more you read, the inspiration and knowledge is built which helps you create outstanding pieces of work.
David Hartness
Exploring, researching and discovering new and exciting characters. Giving these characters life and meaning is important to any of my stories. I also hope that these characters will inspire, make us think and perhaps make lasting social change.
David Hartness
I like to take my mind off what I am currently working on. Take a walk, play basketball with my son, read or simply take a nap. I find the best way to deal with it is to tackle it with a fresh perspective. I can only do this if my mind is relaxed.
David Hartness
Hi A.R. Simmons. Thanks for the question. I write Historical Fiction. In addition, anything that is culture related intrigues me, to write or read. Regards, David
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