Nick Hahn's Blog, page 30
September 4, 2013
Under The Skin-Chapter 10
“The speaker was good, I liked what he had to say. I had expected a dry recitation on how women should change their gender if they expected to advance in a man’s world, since I wasn’t about to grow a cock and balls this man gave me hope and inspiration. Women dominated the audience, not surprising since the average African man wouldn’t support a speaker preaching gender equality. Africa was a continent with generational precedent for the alpha male, it was part of their culture, learned at an early age. This led to abuse on many levels. Women were expected to do the physical work, produce male babies and satisfy the sexual urgings of men. Urgings that in other societies would be called rape but in Africa were accepted as common practice. I understood this better than most. Pictures of the Kony boy-soldiers and their adult commander were burned into my memory.”
― Nick Hahn, Under the Skin
August 28, 2013
Last question in Nick’s interview with his editor, Caroline Kaiser in Toronto
CK: What has the process of completing your first novel been like, and what sort of advice do you have for writers?
NH: I’ve never had a baby, Caroline, but the twenty four month gestation period for this novel and the labour during the days preceding its release gives me some idea. For me, as with mothers, it was a labour of love. I never wanted to let it go; every time I reviewed it, I saw areas needing improvement. It was like, “How could you have said it that way, dummy? You can write better than that.” And so it would go, day after day, until you convinced me I had a book and to let you smooth out the rough edges. When the book was released to the public it was like being naked, exposing my self to criticism, praise and perhaps worst of all, indifference!
Do I have advice for new writers, I hardly know where to begin, so I’ll just restate the obvious just begin. Put words down every day, without being concerned about content, grammar, spelling or structure.Your only concern should be expression, putting down what’s in your mind, heart and imagination. Find your creative sweet spot, that time of day when ideas seem to flow effortlessly. Mine is early morning, but for others it’s evening or the middle of the night—whatever works for you, but do it. I might also suggest that you not read too many books on writing. In the end your storyline will carry your book, not your sentence structure or preoccupation with the beginning, the middle, and the end. I find that words come to me scene after scene, but I must confess—and my editor reminds me—that I have problems with chronology and time sequence. I concentrate on the creative process, developing a story that first entertains, but always with a message.
As a first-time author with one published book to my credit, I don’t presume that my advice to writers will be all that prescient. Find your own style, your own story, and make sure you fall in love, deeply in love, with your characters. They will become the most important people in your life for the duration of the book.
For me it was about narrative and dialogue. I want my readers to feel the emotion, the tension, the anxiety, all the demands of life wrapped up in a character’s role. I’m a storyteller first and a writer second, if that makes sense. There are passages and whole scenes in this book that bring tears to my eyes each time I read them. I welled up when those words were written, they weren’t my words—they were Nabby’s and Maggie’s and other characters in the book. Maybe that’s the litmus test for a writer; maybe it’s about human emotion and finding words to express it. In Under the Skin, I hope to have found the right words.
August 19, 2013
Five Star Review for Skin
Nick, I found “Under the Skin” to be very interesting and captivating. The underlying story was bolstered by what came across as a thorough familiarity with the cultures of its main characters and the referenced institutions. Congratulations on a great piece of work. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel. I’m now looking forward to “Drone,” which I understand is scheduled for publication in 2014.Gaylon Booker
Germantown, TN
August 17, 2013
Reader comment for Under The Skin
Congratulations on a wonderful story. I picked up a copy of your book at the Hadlyme Country Store on my way to the airport for a business trip, finished the book during the trip and have to say that the story is great and the message is also very moving and on point. I am looking forward to your release of Drone.Best wishes for continued success,
Bruce Briggs
East Haddam, CT
Reader’s Comments for Under The Skin
“Just finished the first chapter of Nick Hahn’s premiere novel, Under the Skin. My only expertise in critiquing is in reading many, many books and knowing what I like. He has a very clean and deliberate style. I like.”
Mary Ellen Perry
DRONE by Nick Hahn, a novel, due 2014
The dust devil was moving towards us in the predawn darkness. Navajo held a flashlight, one of those long black ones, like cops use. This devil was not a mirage, it blinked its lights one, two, three times. A large bus-like vehicle emerged from the cloud, it was painted black with hooded headlights. Navajo answered the signal with three blinks of his own.
This was a transfer, our mule would deliver us to a distributor who did the training. These girls had never been in bed with a man. The Interpol training videos had given me a good idea of what to expect. My life as a covert agent living in deep cover was about to begin.
This wasn’t a bus, it was a large RV with mirror tinted windows, the kind you could look out but not in.
It slowed and moved towards us with caution, the driver wore sunglasses in spite of the predawn darkness.
He stopped a safe distance away ready to escape if this was a sting.
Navajo handed the shotgun to the Mexican and walked to the driver side window, the glass slid back and words were exchanged.
He moved back to the pneumatic door, it hissed open as he approached, this was business, the transaction would be completed in privacy and Navajo would be on his way back to Mexico and another consignment.
